PACIFIC WRECK DATABASE
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Wreck News & Information - September 4, 2003Guadalcanal's Henderson Feild Name Protected
Read Solomons' Prime Minister Letter to our petitionMIA
CILHI Recoveries of Pacific MIAs in ProgressDISCOVERIES & VISITS
B-24 "Crosair" by Don Fetterly
Wechsler Dog Tag Returned
Papuan Wreck Diary by John DouglasINTERVIEWS
Andrew Wight - Producer "Winged Ghosts of the Pacific"REVIEWS
Reviews - Genda's Blade, Rust In Peace & more
Links - To WWII Pacific websites
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1. EDITORIAL
--------------------------------------------------------Welcome to the newest Pacific Wrecks email update. Apologies for the delay, I am currently overseas doing additional research about the Pacific. During my travels, I have had the honor to meet some of you in person, and travel to new locations related to war history. I would like to thank collaborator, Daniel Leahy for providing support & performing updates to the site over the past months.
This update includes a special news briefing, about victory in our effort to keep Guadalcanal's 'Henderson Field' name. Read the letter from the Solomons Island Prime Minsiter to the petition signors, and past news stories and links related to this issue. Congratulations to all who were involved in this, worldwide.
Enjoy,
- Justin Taylan justin@wanpela.com
PWD - www.pacificwrecks.com
Pacific Ghosts - www.pacificghosts.com
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2. Guadalcanal's Henderson Feild Name Protected
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/news/henderson.htmlLast update, PWD informed you of an issue, about the potential re-naming of Guadalcanal's historic "Henderson Field" to another name. We asked you to sign a petition, declaring support for the wartime name. Over 8,000 signed this petition, which was delivered to the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands. Read his letter of support regarding this issue, and his person thanks to those who signed the petition. Congratulations to us all for this important stand for Pacific history! The petition is still active, Sign The Petition if you are interested in this issue.
Prime Minister's Letter to Petition Signors
"I can assure you, that the name “Henderson” will be retained."
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3. Current US Army CILHI Recovery Operations
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The US Army CILHI recovery teams are active with two Pacific WWII related missing in action recoveries. One, in Alaska and the second in Papua New Guinea. We wish CILHI the best on these recovereis, and look forward to hearing more about the outcome of both operations.PBY-5 MIA site in Alaska
A search and recovery team from the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii will deploy this week to Alaska to excavate the crash site of a World War II PBY-5 aircraft that went down in 1942 with seven service members.43rd BG B-24 MIA site in Papua New Guinea
A search and recovery team from the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii will deploy to Papua New Guinea early next week to excavate a crash site of a World War II B-24D aircraft that went down in 1943 with nine service members. This is the same site a previous CILHI team attempted to excavate in May when operations were suspended after the helicopter contracted by CILHI crashed.MIA: Solved / CILHI Show on History Channel
Sept. 6, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) on the History Channel the show MIA: Solved will premier. It is a documentary that was completed on CILHI and two of the cases it worked. The show goes through the recovery missions for the
Makin Raiders and the identification process that led to the Marines going home. The other case highlighted is Thomas Hembree, WWII Pearl Harbor unknown identified in 2001 and buried last year. It explains the
disinterment of his remains from the Punchbowl and the identification that followed.
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4. DISCOVERIES
--------------------------------------------------------Expidition To Document B-24D "Crosair", Ditched off Kawa Island
Don Fettery contributes an account of his work, with Rod Pearce to locate and document the wreck of B-24 "Crosair" that ditech off Kawa Island, its history, and discovery last year.Dog Tag Returned - Seymore Wechsler
Found by Papua New Guinean, wreck-tec, Wilkenson "Wilke" Egimbari. He takes photographs of WWII wreckage, for a friend of mine named John Douglas, who lives in Port Moresby. Wilke found this dogtag near Buna area of Popondetta (Oro Province), Papua New Guinea. We looked up his name on the American Battle Monuments website, and found out that he was not an MIA or KIA from WWII, so probably, he dropped the tag during the war. And, in July 2003, it was discovered, and returned to Seymore's brother.Papuan Wreck Diary - by John Douglas
John Douglas' monthly update about recent travels and the work of his 'wreck tecs'. Included are a report on one of the A-20G's at Saidor, that crashed on "Black Sunday", and was abandonded. Also, two intreaging Japanese wrecks, a Ki-49 and Ki-43 in kunai grass in the Saidor area. These wrecks are a vivid legacy of both the American and Japanese aircraft that fought in that area of New Guinea.
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5. INTERVIEWS
-------------------------------------------------------Andrew Wight - Documenary Filmmaker
Andrew Wight is a underwater explorer and film maker with an unusual background. He began his career in agricultural science and has worked in scientific research. He is a prominent and respected scuba and cave diving instructor, commercial helicopter pilot and part time farmer turned adventure film maker. He produced an excellent documentary called "Winged Ghosts of the Pacific"that dealt with the search for a RAAF 75 Squadron P-40. that aired on television in 1995.
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6. REVIEWS - Pacific WWII Related Books & Videos
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http://www.pacificwrecks.com/reviews/
Genda's Blade 343 Kokutai
by by Henry Sakaida & Koji Takaki. Written with the cooperation of the veterans themselves, this book bears the mark of excellence by co-authors: Henry Sakaida and Koji Takaki's attention to detail, and talents as historians and researchers. For them, it the publication of this book fulfills their promise to the veterans of the 343rd to tell their story, and publish the definitive account of their wartime service.Rust In Peace
by Bruce Adams. One of the first books published specifically on the subject of WWII Pacific wreckage. With photos taken in the 'golden age' of the early 1970's. One of the first surveys of the legacy of the Pacific War in New Guinea, the Solomons, Australia and beyond.
Winged Ghosts of the Pacific
Video by Allen Wrigt about war wrecks in the Milne Bay area of New Guinea, including the search for Allen Whetters' P-40 from RAAF 75 Squadron.
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7. Pacific WWII - Links of the Month
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Great links related to WWII Pacific, submitted by users of the Pacific Wreck Database site:Pilgrimage to Ballalae / British POW Memorial
by Beryl CanwellDiving the Aaron Ward
Thanks to David McNeil for this linkTruk Lagoon Underwater Photo Gallery
Website by Jorma OsterKurile Island Japanese Aircraft Recoveries
Thanks to Elliot Smock for this link330th BG Searchable Personnel Database
Excellent work by S. SmisekJapanese Maru (Merchant) Shipping Losses
Thanks to Daniel Leahy for this linkHarald Bolten's Diving Page
Thanks to David McNeilTribute to Tail gunner of "Listen Here Tojo"
Thanks to Peter V. OwensVictoria Cross Reference Database
Excellent site, thanks to Daniel Leahy for sending itWarbirds of India - WWII
Thanks to David McNeill for this linkRalph Joseph Sooter, MIA June 5, 1943
Diary of a Corsair Pilot in the Solomons
Thanks to Peter Flahavin for this linkKB-29P Refueling Tanker History & Alaska Wreck Photos
Thanks to Scott Halla for this linkhttp://community-2.webtv.net/ebb26/ULITHI/
# # # End of Wreck News September 2, 2003 # # #
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