| P-MAN IV Update Series, #4 Hello Y' all! First an admin note. We have a local email address: CURO@palaunet.com. If you want to respond to us, or send us requested info etc, send it there until the 24th. Put in the subj line ATTN: Flip, if it's for me. If it's for the group, you can leave it blank or tell us what it's all about. Using this temp email address will save us a ton of money on internet fees. Lessons learned:
Two days ago we got up early as we were invited out on the boat of Senator Surangel Whipps.
He took us to 4 or 5 sites that had Japanese float planes sunk. These airplanes were tucked up to the sheer walls of the islands and had jungle canopy over them but they were still spotted and destroyed. I think the total count of destroyed Japanese airplanes over Palau was over 200. And that by the Navy before the Marines showed up. We also got to explore some caves that served as home and work to the tenders of the seaplanes. The caves were pretty substantial including fuel and ammo storage as well as bunk and cooking facilities. Then we picked up an old Palauan who says that as a boy, he played along the shore of one of the islands, saw a B24 strike take place. He watched a B24 get shot down, one parachute landed in the bay and the next day a body washed up on shore. He did not think anyone but him and his boyhood friend ever saw it. It was a long shot but we searched the area. A mangrove had taken root there but there were no bones to be found. However, the testimony of the old man, as well as other circumstantial evidence suggests that maybe this was 1LT Arnett's final resting spot (or a member of his crew). Pat conducted another flag ceremony.
We also found what might be a Captain's Gig or Admiral's Barge. Japanese of course. We went by boat to visit some other Palauans with Joe, our boat guide doing the talking. Very interesting to see the body language taking place. More like a dance than just signals. Since most of the day was just sitting, I was bushed by bedtime. Woke up this AM early. Surprise! Photos from the Kalamazoo AirZoo Museum of an SBD that we asked for. Thanks. For those of you that don't know it, the KAZO Airzoo is one of the prettiest air museums in the country. Now that I've sucked up, what we need now is a good photo of the leading edge of a wing of the SBD, Corsair and Avenger, from the wing root to about half way out. We have a cutout that wraps around the leading edge that might have been a gun camera housing, or even the wing lock check. Not really sure. Okay, back to my story. Did water work this morning. To save time, we had a diver hold onto each side of our boat and we trolled in front of the aquarium. There was a report of a debris field there. Nada. Then we went to the island next to the old Japanese Boat Repair Facility. This was going to be our first search for QB Nelson's airplane. As I told you we picked up Jim and Neel Nelson at the airport 3 days ago. Jim is QB's son and they never met as QB was killed in combat. We did a quick hour recce of the area to find paths up the hills. We found pathways, steps, bunkers, phone lines but no aircraft wreckage. Took a break for lunch and then really went circumnavigating the island. All together, we spent 4 hours looking, in two teams of 4. And we could only use the paths and steps for about 15 minutes. The rest was real jungle. Amazing that the Japanese soldiers could haul all that concrete up the hills to make their fortifications. Thank goodness we never invaded these particular islands. History shows that when the Japanese capitulated in 1945, 25,000 soldiers came down to Koror to surrender. My team of 4 got out of the jungle early, and on the opposite side of the island from the boat. We were just going to re-climb our way back when we saw a convenience store that had cold, frosty ones for sale. We bought, lounged and waited for the boat to pick us up. Bill and Mary Alice Cantrell made a great chili dinner for us. The man knows chili: no beans. The dinner was prepared downstairs and we used our room as party central. Jim and Neel came from their hotel and all had a great time telling stories and showing off their injuries. My 'road rash' now looks like a map of the island of Babelthuap, the major island of Palau. I'm now revered as a demigod in the islands. You'd think the team would treat me more reverently. But noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Pat Scannon, the leader of the Bent Prop Project, gave us all a commemorative present tonight. He gave us dog tags with a Bent Prop theme. Very cool. I haven't worn a tag since 1988. Wow, that's been a long time. Tomorrow is all water work. A site that was discovered by
a fisherman 4 years ago that to the best of his knowledge, no one had
ever been to. And he's going to lead us there. Another lesson I've learned
is that you have a higher probability of success if the reporters go with
Okay all of you back home. I hope you're getting your money's worth from these updates. Take care. Blue SKies, Flip |
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