Kentucky sailor who died at Pearl Harbor 80 years ago is identified
PARIS, Ky. — A sailor from Kentucky who was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor has been identified and will be buried in his hometown next month, the military said.
Navy Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Alphard S. Owsley, 23, of Paris, Ky., was killed Dec. 7, 1941, when his ship, the USS Oklahoma, was attacked by Japanese aircraft. Owsley was among 429 crewmen who died on the ship.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Wednesday that Owsley was accounted for Sept. 14.
After World War II, the Central Identification Laboratory confirmed the identity of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma, and the unidentified remains were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
The unidentified remains were exhumed in 2015 for analysis, and scientists used DNA to identify Owsley’s remains.
Owsley will be buried Aug. 5 in his hometown.
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