Flag Report to Explorers Club by Patrick Scannon (FN 96) 4 February 2002
Summary of Project P-MAN III (9-21 November 2001)
I. Expedition Members: Patrick Scannon (FN 96), Jennifer Krasny-Powers, and David "Clem" Major, plus involvement of a search team from CILHI (the Army's Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii): Major Jessie Massey (team leader), Dr. William Belcher (Team Archaeologist), Mr. Tripp Wiles (Team WWII Historical Analyst), Ms. Cheryl Udui (Team Cultural Specialist)
II. Explorers Club Flag Number: 103
III. Executive Summary (see also prior reports on P-MAN and P-MAN II expeditions)
During 9-21 November 2001, I returned to Palau with the
P-MAN III team to continue my search for airmen, missing in action (MIA)
since WWII and their aircraft. I was honored to be accompanied on this
expedition by an official search team from the U. S. Army Central Identification
Laboratory, Hawaii (CILHI). 
Our
common goals included co-investigating 1) three potential new and separate
aircraft crash sites identified from archival and interview research,
and 2) a field site thought possibly to contain remains of three American
airmen possibly from the 307th BG(H) along with ten missionaries/family
members ordered executed by Imperial Japanese Army officers in September
1944.
In addition, independent of the CILHI team, I also
continued my ongoing separate agenda to investigate several other aircraft-related
leads, including attempting to gain more specific knowledge about the
fate of Major Quintus B. Nelson, USMC, Squadron Commander of VMF-122,
who was shot down over Palau in April 1945 (but not recovered) and Lt.
Richard Houle, USN, shot down over Palau July 1944 (also not recovered).
A video production company (Post Star Productions) sent a two-person crew
(director Jennifer Krasny-Powers and cameraman Clem Majors) to follow
me on a documentary pre-production trip. Accordingly, most of what I describe
below has been documented with still and video photography.