P-MAN XIV Update #07 - Data dumping; the ROV team from Michigan arrives

23 March 2012

Well that was a great day yesterday. Diving the Corsair was a blast. Here's one photo from Mandy Etpison of Neco Marine. This is what you get when you're a world-class photographer, have great equipment and clear water:

Photo courtsey of Mandy Etpison - thanks, Mandy!

We did a data dump this morning. We reviewed photos, GPS waypoints, Google Earth, Pat's notes and a lot more. This helps us determine what we've really done, and what we need to do.

We did some errands including restocking the pantry. I think we had three grapes and half a can of Spam left for the three of us.

We met Suzanne Finney from the Bureau of Arts and Culture (BAC) for lunch. She's our permitting point of contact and our minder/handler/adult supervisor for Palau. We are heading to Peleliu on the 26th as she would like us to see a recent discovery down there with her and she wants to join us as we return to "Aquaman's" find from last year. Cut (Aquaman) is a Palauan who seems to be able to hold his breath forever and swim twice that amount of time underwater. He tried to show us an engine on the side of the barrier reef last year but was unsuccessful. He relocated it during the time we were not here and now he's going to take us to it. Could be another great find.

After lunch we went back into data dump mode until dinner with Jolie Liston and her archeologist colleagues. They are studying ancient climate change and how it shifted the population around Palau. Seems there was a drought in the area and everyone abandoned the Rock Islands as places to live and moved to the big island. They are studying this phenomenon.

We lounged at the hotel for a couple of hours and then picked up the Stockbridge High School Advanced Underwater Robotics team. They traveled from Michigan to here in 24 hours and looked beat.

Taylor, first student off the plane.

Buck in the middle.

Cody as Tail-End Charley. Someone has to be last through customs.

However, that did not stop us from making the hotel bus make a detour to Bem Ermii for their first milk shake of the trip. Best shakes in the world after a hard day of doing anything in Palau.

After a quick hello, they all asked for the passcode to the wireless Internet and we could once again watch individual bytes go through the Internet skinny wires. But that was our deal. We'll provide access to the Internet, they go find cool stuff with their robot.

I stayed up way too late, but the next day was dedicated to interviews of elders. No safety issues that I could think of.

24 March

Up early as usual. Eggs and corned beef hash for breakfast, a lot of coffee for me and off to the big island for Flip, Pat, Dan, Joe and Erin Richards. Erin is Bob Richards' daughter. Bob is the Stockbridge faculty advisor who is in charge of all the kids. Erin is a college student majoring in history. Her senior paper will be on - get this - Repatriation of MIAs from Palau. What a coincidence! So, since we're interviewing people who lived through the experience, she took the opportunity to expand her knowledge base.

We drove up to the northernmost state on the island Babelthuap. In fact, it was Joe's home area, or as he likes to say, "My place." A beautiful bit of countryside to drive through. At the northern end there is a place you can park and see both sides of the big island and the ocean looks different with each view.

We met a Palauan man whose father was killed by the first wave of attackers on the opening day of the war on March 31, 1944. Remember, there is a perspective issue at work here. Although we think of World War Two as starting for us on December 7th, 1941, the bombings and bullets flying time didn't start for The Palauans until the first carrier strikes on March 31, 1944.

Forgiving smile.

What was really interesting is that even though we killed this man's father, after WWII ended this man directed his hostility toward the Japanese, due to their treatment of Palauans after the war came to Palauan shores. We have heard similar stories before.

Although he was still in good health, sharp and a good talker, he did not provide us with any actionable intel. He was reluctant to pass on stories that were based on rumors because he did not witness the events himself. Although we like hearing these rumor stories, (if you get enough rumor stories, you can piece puzzles together) he did not want to pass on rumors. We've asked Joe to visit him without us and see if he would be more comfortable talking about the rumors with a fellow Palauan.

Between interviews we went to a local roadside Palauan market and had BBQ bacon, tempura local shredded veggie, and an iced coconut drink that Joe called Sweet Candy. Then to an ancient Palauan archeological site, The Stone Monoliths. It's said that these date back to 500 BC.

Pat, pointing out an eye in a stone face.

What did the notched top hold?

The grass cutting unit getting carried away.

Our second interview was with a woman who was 17 when the war broke out. She is also in great shape and has great recall of events. Specifically, she witnessed a shoot down of what she thinks was a Corsair at the end of the channel leading out past the reef near her village. This is something we can work with. It would be tricky diving this location, but hey: we've got our own side scanning sonar (SSS) and a UROV team here! We may put this on our action table for this trip.

Joe and Flip interview a Palauan elder.

Out to dinner with Cassandra and Steve from Cleared Ground Demining. They run a NGO that disposes of unexploded ordnance from World War Two. We love getting together with them as they fill us in on all the news of Palau.

Tomorrow (the 25th) will be our first boat day with the ROV team. We'll brief early, head to the marina, give the team a chance to set up the bot on the boat and then head out with half the team. We'll give them three hours using their bot on the newly found Corsair, go back to the marina and swap out with the other half of the team and give them three hours on station. BentProp will eat our custom-made bologna sandwich lunch on the boat in transit, although Dan says he'll order a sashimi plate to go from The Drop Off Restaurant ,which is right at Neco Marine.

- Flip Colmer

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