P A C I F I C W R E C K D A T A B A S E
Comprehensive guide to WWII Pacific Wrecks http://www.pacificwrecks.com
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Pearl Harbor 59th Anniversary - December 7, 2000
Wreck News & Information
1. Pearl Harbor 59th Anniversary
2. Operation Walkabout - Popondetta
3. Veteran Interview - Jack Heyn
4. Pacific Ghosts - New! Video Clips and Text Dowloads
5. 5th Air Force Personalities, Locations & Know How
6. Interview - Jeff Johnson -13th Air Force & Guadalcanal
7. Interview - Bruce Petty - Saipan & Tinian
8. Wreck Updates - John Douglas & Dan Carey
9. New Database Sections - Thailand & Nauru
10. Coffin Corner, Guadalcanal - Stan Gajda
10. Book Review - Legacy of the 90th BG
11. Links - Great links to history, photos and wrecks
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1. Pearl Harbor 59th Anniversary
--------------------------------------------------------Today is December 7, 2000. Fifty-nine years ago, it was 1941.
As someone who was not alive in 1941, I do not have anything to offer aside from respect. Last year, my grandfather, Carl R. Thien wrote this article for his local newspaper. For me, it is as close as I can get to that fateful day.
Pearl Harbor, by Carl R. Thien
http://www.atlantic.net/~cthien/scribex/columns/pearlhar.htmlTo learn about where other veterans were on December 7, 1941 see the Veterans Speak section: http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/veterans/
Hawaii 1997 Wreckage
Someone sent me a great link about the recovery of some B-17 wreckage on Ohau in 1997. Please resend that link, its a great website and I want to include it! I seem to have misplace your email... I have been searching for the site an unable to located it via search engines.
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2. Operation Walkabout - POPONDETTA
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/walkabout/home.htmlThe Walkabout section now moves to the Oro Province of Papua New Guinea from my travels there is past July and August. Today, the traces of war and abundance of WWII wreckage and airfields is like stepping back through a time machine.
Full of history, this is the terminal point of the Kakoda Trail, from where the Japanese launched their failed attempt to cross the Owen Stanleys and capture Port Moresby. Next, it was the pivotal and bloody battlefield between Australian and American troops against deeply entrenched Japanese defenders during the battles of Buna and Gona. Finally, it was developed into a major USAAC base with over 11 airstrips for bomber and fighter operations.
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3. Veteran Interview
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/veteransJack Heyn - 3rd Bomb Group, Photo Section
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/veterans/heyn/Mr. Heyn has been collaborating with me on a substantial interview that includes many of his WWII photographs. Learn about details of his service from news of Pearl Harbor, to Australia and up through New Guinea to the Philippines, and concluding with V-J Day. I think you will enjoy his recollections just as much as I have reading them over the past weeks!
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4. Pacific Ghosts - New! Video Clips and Text Downloads
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http://www.pacificghosts.comAdded to the website for the forthcoming CD-ROM, are two new sections: History and Digital Video.
In the text section, download a free file on the B-17 at Black Cat Pass, and in the Video section, four clips of wrecks. If you are interested in more information on this upcoming release, add your email address to be notified of updates, special promotions, and reserve your copy of the Volume 1.
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5. 5th Air Force Personalities, Locations & Know How
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http://www.aerothentic.com/people/A new feature on the Aerothentic website. Learn about oddities of the 5th Air Force... from the kill score board at Charters Towers, a home made hot water heater, civilian observers and bare-breasted natives. These are a few of the things that you will find in this new section that will likely jog veterans memories and make the rest of us marvel.
Also, check out several new B-25 nose arts and their histories... Hardships 2nd and Tokyo Sleeper
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6. Interview - Jeff Johnson 13th Air Force Historian & Traveler
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/collaborators/johnsonJeff Johnson is a familiar name to those familiar with the Pacific Wrecks website. He has traveled to Guadalcanal, and brought photographs to light of a new B-24 wreck on Guadalcanal, that lead to a positive identification. Also, he has contributed great video clips of diving B-17 "Bessie the Jap Smasher" and Bonegi wrecks.
Finally, a full interview with Jeff, and special emphasis on his new website, 5th Bomber Barrons, which is an excellent resource and site. He has focused his energies on 13th AF veterans and their stories, and has helped many former crewmembers to reconnect via his website and online bulletin boards. Check out his interview to see highlights of his collaboration with Pacific Wreck Database and add his links to your bookmark list!
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7. Bruce Petty - Saipan, Tinian & Seeking WWII Navy Vets
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/visitors/petty/New interview and extensive photo galleries from author and traveler Bruce Petty, who has recently returned from Saipan where he lived for years. His book, Saipan - Oral Histories of The Pacific War is forthcoming, and he is currently seeking veterans to interview for his second book.
WWII Navy Veterans, Their Relatives and Decedents
Bruce is seeking contact with WWII Pacific Navy veterans who might be interested in being interviewed for his next book. If interested, contact him via email for more information. In addition to veterans, he is seeking those on the home front, and family members of Pacific servicemen.
Contact him at - Bruce Petty - bruce.petty@pon.net
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8. Wreck News Updates
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/visitors/John Douglas - Papua New Guinea
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/collaborators/douglas/news.html
John contributes his November update about wreck related travels and explorations.
Kimbe | Photo Album | Surplus Equipment | Aircobra RumorsDan Carey - Truk Lagoon
New photos from both Dan and Peter Ording of Aikoku Maru and Hoki Maru
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/visitors/carey/
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9. New Database Sections - Thailand & Nauru
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/search/The Pacific Wreck database is always expanding, two new country / regions recently added to the site are Thailand and Nauru Island. Please feel free to add your photographs, recollections and information about these areas, or any part of the Pacific where there are remains of WWII, either wreckage or oral history about the war. Your contributions are always credited, and help the database growing.
Thailand
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/thailand.htmlNauru Island
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/nauru.html
Special thanks to Stan Gajda and Peter Flahavin for their help with this section, and their dedication to WWII history and its preservation.
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10. Coffin Corner, Guadalcanal
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/visitors/gajda/coffin.htmlContributed by Stan Gajda, by way of Peter Flahavin, this is the October 1942 battle area, south east of Edson Ridge
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11. Book Review - Legacy of the 90th Bomb Group
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/reviews/Legacy of the 90th Bomb Group
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/reviews/90th.htmlThanks to veteran and collaborator Walter Seale for sending me this book to review. This hardcover book is a comprehensive history of the 90th "Jolly Rogers" Bomb Group that flew B-24 Liberators from Australia through New Guinea and the Philippines to the end of the war.
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12. Links of the Week
--------------------------------------------------------WWII Web
http://www.ww2web.com
This is a great new web resource. Lots of great sites, and even free email address... get @p-47.com! Good bookmark!
Taki's Home Page - Imperial Japanese Army Page
http://member.nifty.ne.jp/takixxx/Navajo Code Talkers
http://mprofaca.cro.net/navajo.html
Great page about this lesser known fact of Allied Communication unique to the Pacific, and the sad story of their lack of recognition after the war. Link sent by Steve Strange.John Liddiard Underwater
http://www.liddiard.demon.co.uk/index.htm
Peter Flahavin sent this link. Good photos of B-17 "Black Jack" and Bonegi wrecks off Guadalcanal.When Victory Is Ours: Letters Home from the South Pacific 1943-1945
http://www.topshot.com/dh/Victory.html
This series of letters (presented online in abridged format) by (Lt. Cmdr.) Morris D. Coppersmith to his parents; photographs; and naval documents were found in a dusty carton by his daughter, over fifty years after they were first written. Thanks to Peter Flahavin for this linkSaipan Photo Gallery
http://www.kilroywashere.org/03-Harm-HooverAlbum.html
By Cpl. Bill Hoover, USMC This site has some incredible photographs of the fighting on Saipan.WWII Armoury Iron Bottom Sound
http://www.sopac.org.fj/Secretariat/Units/Cou/ww2/
Thanks to Peter Flahavin for this excellent link. The Solomon Islands Government requested the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission to conduct a contamination risk assessment study of World War II sunken vessels/ships and aircraft in Iron Bottom Sound, Solomon Islands.
# # # End of Wreck News December 7, 2000 # # #
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