Hunt for remains of WWII fighters planes

[namvet]

A search team of dedicated volunteers is reporting a startling discovery in the murky waters of Palau in the South Pacific: two wreck sites that may contain the remains of three World War II American airmen missing for 70 years.

The nonprofit BentProp Project found the sites last month. For years they have been searching crash sites for hundreds of American servicemen shot down by the Japanese over Palau in 1944 and 1945. Before now their searches helped locate and recover the remains of eight MIAs.

story

bet that's hot and dirty work

[BelligerentBlue]

What a rewarding way to volunteer your time and efforts.

[mvmhm]

I did the same thing with a group in Germany...it's rewarding when you make a discovery, but it is back-breaking work!

 

 

Mark sends

[Brig]

I'd love to do some of this type work one day

[ScottG]

The neat thing about Bent Prop is that they are all volunteers and the new wrecks were found with the help of a group of Stockbridge MI middle and high school students who built an ROV for a robotics class. This robotics class was started by an Army vet who approached the school district about the program and was told they had no funding. So, he went and got donations and the kids fundraised. They began with basic robots and then developed the underwater ROV. They don't even have a swimming pool at Stockbridge schools, so they had to go to the next town over (Chelsea) for testing. These kids have been to Palau a few times now and they will have much to be proud of in future years. Personally I think this is better than winning a state championship sports event. I live down the road from some of the Bent Prop people and have attended and supported several of their events. Scott.