WWII soldier finally identified more than 80 years after deadly West Loch disaster

He died during World War II, and now, 82 years later, U.S. Army Pfc Owen Norris will finally be laid to rest in his hometown of Marriottsville.

In May 1944, Norris was killed when a series of explosions destroyed six military cargo ships in Pearl Harbor's West Loch. His body was never found. Soon after the incident, the War Department listed Norris as "killed in an explosion."

132 Navy, Army, and Marine Corps personnel died in the West Loch Disaster.

Navy and Marine Corps personnel, along with those who could not be identified, were initially buried at Halawa Naval Cemetery. Army casualties were buried at the cemetery at Schofield Barracks.

In 1947, the American Graves Registration Service exhumed the remains and worked to identify those who were still unknown.

Despite those efforts, 49 sets of remains could not be identified. They were ultimately laid to rest at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, better known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

After DNA extracted from another unidentified West Loch casualty led to a successful identification, officials approved efforts to identify the remaining unknown service members.

One set of remains, known as X-286 Halawa, was exhumed in November 2025. Scientists used DNA testing, dental records and other evidence to identify the remains as Norris.

U.S. Army

Norris had been listed among the missing from World War II at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. Now, a rosette will be placed next to his name to show he has finally been accounted for.

Norris will be buried in his hometown on Saturday.

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