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SUMMARY OF GENERAL FINDINGS OF P-MAN VI:
During 15 JAN-22 FEB 04, I made my eleventh return to Palau,
this time with the P-MAN VI team for 6 weeks (the longest mission to date),
continuing our search for Americans missing there since WWII. [NOTE: specifically
designated as Missing-in-Action (MIA), Body Not Recovered (BNR), including
Prisoners-of-War (POW)]. This year we had new archival data and photographs
on top of our ongoing leads to guide our explorations. The P-MAN VI team,
with one new member (Peter Galli) brought a continuing broad base of expertise
and capabilities - essential for expanding our searches for these WWII
airmen and sailors.
The BentProp Project has been reporting and coordinating
its efforts for several years with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command,
Hawaii (JPAC, formerly CILHI). Concurrent with the P-MAN VI mission, JPAC
sent a recovery team to Palau to investigate three American sites discovered/evaluated
by prior BentProp Project teams.
The P-MAN VI primary goals,
in brief, were:
" to search for seven WWII aircraft crash sites, primarily
based on leads obtained from our searches at the National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA) and leads, primarily from Palauans, derived
from the P-MAN V expedition of 2003,
" to continue interviews of Palauans who might have knowledge of
these and other aircraft crash sites and MIA's from WWII, with particular
attention on American POW's sighted by Palauans,
" To obtain GPS coordinates and to attempt initial identification
of crash sites we find, followed by formal notification of US and Palauan
officials.
As with P-MAN III-V, an independent video production company
(PostStar Productions) sent a crew (Jennifer Krasny-Powers, Dan O'Brien
and cameraman Peter Galli) to document this expedition. The BentProp Project
recognizes and appreciates the willingness of PostStar Production to share
their work product within this report.
P-MAN VI key events included
(ATTACHMENTS with details for each event follows below):
- Coordinating activities with the JPAC Recovery Team by introducing
them to each of the BentProp sites (Babeldaob, Malakal Harbor and Peleliu),
prior to initiation of their independent field work, as well as providing
assistance, as requested.
- Finding, mapping and identifying one new WWII U. S. B-24 Liberator
found 26 JAN 04 west of Babeldaob in 70 feet of water, with repeated
dives, 26 JAN-20 FEB 04.
- Presenting our B-24 findings to Palauan President Remengesau.
- Finding, mapping and initially identifying an FM-2 Wildcat (possibly
associated with one MIA, BNR), which crashed on land on Babeldaob.
- Finding and mapping, without successful identification, an American
aircraft debris field in a mangrove in eastern Babeldaob.
- Finding, mapping and initially identifying a widely-dispersed Avenger
debris field along the shore and out to 90 feet of water near Ngargol.
- Interviewing two Palauan elders for their recollections, and parents'
recollections, of WWII concerning downed aircraft, specifically obtaining
new information which may help to a) identify the crew of a known and
previously described Avenger crash site lying between Arakabesan and
Koror, and b) locate a Navy single-engine fighter seen to crash into
water west of Babeldaob.
- Conducting additional field work and finding new debris fields at
the Avenger crash site between Arakabesan and Koror.
- Identifying and mapping four previously undescribed Japanese crash
site debris fields around Arakabesan, Koror and Ngeruktabel.
- Investigating ten new reported sites for aircraft debris - nine without
aircraft findings and one incidental aircraft-related finding (two separate
propeller blades).
- Making an invited BentProp presentation at Sam's Dive Tours.
- Opening several leads for future P-MAN expeditions (for a total of
30 ongoing and new leads on land and under water).
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