Update Series, #10

Hello Everyone!

I’m back home and jet lagged out. I think another day here and I’ll be back in synch. I was the first to leave Palau and the rest of the team stayed on. Pat left on the 16th and everyone else is making some fun scuba dives with Sam’s Tours. They’re also supposed to interview the lawyer’s former secretary as she says she knows of wreckage on the ridge behind the lawyer’s office. Yes, this is the same lawyer who told us everything has been found. And then we found QB’s aircraft.

My last note was enroute to Guam at 37,000 feet. The trip to Guam was uneventful. However, the gate agents in Palau would not check my bags all the way through to DTW. They were tagged only as far as Tokyo. I was riding on Continental from Palau to NRT, but on NWA from NRT to DTW. And the airlines occupy two different terminals, that are quite far apart. This was going to be a very tough bag drag.

But, I found a wonderful customer service agent, Ina, in Guam. She listened to my problem and said, “No problem!” She said she would have someone retag them the way they should have been tagged and they would be in DTW with me. But, she wanted me to stay where I was while they solved this issue. And I was standing at the immigration lines for Guam Customs. Lots of badges. And guns. And I did not do anything wrong and still I felt nervous. Must have been something I did in a previous life.

Ina came back in 15 minutes and said the bags were found, retagged and don’t worry. She said that I would use the same bag claim stubs as they manually put on a new routing sticker. But, I should confirm with a Northwest agent that the bags were transferred. Seemed simple enough to me. So off I went to have some breakfast: coffee and a big bowl of ramen noodles.

Got onto the Narita bound flight that left at 0715, sat myself down and promptly went to sleep. The flight from Palau left at 0230 and I had been up since 0700 the previous morning. Woke up just long enough to eat some breakfast, again. I learned long ago that when offered food on an airplane, any airplane, take it.

Uneventful trip to NRT. Had to speak with a Japanese Airport Customer Service Agent to find the transfer bus to the NWA terminal. She looked at my bag tags, sucked in a lot of air and said that they should say DTW on them. I tried to explain the situation and she made it sound as if someone in NRT would love to have my stuff when the bags stayed and I did not. But, I decided to trust the system and I asked her to let me pass.

What transpired for the next 5 minutes was very reminiscent of the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The Knights Who Say Nee wanted to get by the Knight on the ground. He won’t let them pass. So they hack off his arm with a sword and He still says “None Shall Pass, it’s only a flesh wound.” If you’ve seen the movie, you know how it works. Let’s just say, that we both left on friendly terms: me heading to the NWA terminal and she shaking her head knowing my bags would be forever in Tokyo.

A quick check of email, my flying schedule for April and a look at the loads for going home. Answered a few emails, was happy with my schedule and as far as going home, I was doomed.

The two direct DTW flights were oversold. I did have the jumpseat booked, but for that long of a flight, any seat other than in the cockpit would be really nice. My choices seemed to be, fly the jumpseat to DTW, or ride a comfy seat to San Francisco and then on to DTW from there. But, that would make the day last an additional 9 hours with a lot of that sitting in SFO.

Went to the gate, checked in and they were not very hopeful for me. ‘But, have a seat and wait until the last moment’ they said. I struck up a conversation with a U.S. Naval Academy Plebe. He was on vacation visiting home in Guam. We talked about the Navy, Academy life and BentProp. I don’t seem to remember plebes getting any time off. But, I did not go to East Maryland Boat & Barge. As we were chatting, a fellow NWA pilot I know walked up to the counter. In uniform. Must be working the flight.

Nope. She was trying to get home from some days off. And she’s way senior to me. I’m really doomed for a seat.

Now it’s the last minute. There’s one seat left on the whole airplane. And the gate agent says it’s mine. Yahoo! Comfort in the back as opposed to the flight deck. Seniority rules, unless you have a higher pass level. Thank goodness I did.

I was awake a lot of the flight, but missed every movie they showed. Almost missed breakfast at the end.

Now the roulette game would play itself out. Did my bags make it? By golly Ina sure knows her business. Got my bags, Rebecca picked me up and here I am at home. Another mission successfully accomplished.

The only thing I’m waiting on to send this is the last report from the field. So, give me a bit to get that and then I’ll send this to you.

But while you’re waiting, a few folks have asked about Jim Nelson’s reaction once the shock wore off from our phone call. Jim wrote us an outstanding letter and has allowed me to publish parts of it. Here goes:

Dear Pat and the BentProp Team:

First, let me say thank you!

Thank you for your efforts, thank you for your dedication, thank you for your perseverance, thank you for your thoughtfulness, thank you for your kindness, and most importantly, thank you for caring deeply about those who made the ultimate sacrifice and remain missing.

Pat, prior to meeting you, I believed that those missing heroes who from World War II, and particularly those that had been missing in a remote place called Palau, had long since been forgotten and would never be located.

Then I was privileged to participate in P-MAN IV. Following the location of Lt. James Misley's aircraft during P-MAN IV, I was able to experience first-hand the feelings and reflections that one has at the site where an American hero gave his life in defense of our country. For me that was a solemn and deeply emotional moment. On that expedition, we had made a difference and I could only wonder what the feelings and emotions of Jim Misley's family would be. Pat, thanks to you, Joe, Val, Flip, Dan, Clem and Jennifer I'm not wondering anymore.

During P-MAN IV, I gained a full understanding of the difficulty in locating aircraft and airmen that have been missing for over 50 years and reluctantly began to accept that my father's aircraft may never be located. If it were to be on the small island, as you know, one could literally be a few feet away and still not be able to see aircraft wreckage. Given the inhospitable environment on that island it was unlikely that anyone other than the BentProp team would have a reason or the inclination to ever venture onto it. I felt perhaps that you had identified the haystack but that you were a long way from finding the needle.

It had occurred to me that it might be in the water near that island, but I had a sense that Malakal Harbor was for the most part too deep to dive and that, absent a remote chance sighting, diving without some clue would be futile.

Neel and I were truly stunned to receive your phone call this morning and I know that I haven't really caught my breath yet. Our first reaction was, let's go to Palau as soon as possible, but we know that P-MAN V is coming to a close. The better logistics might be for us to accompany all of you on P-MAN VI.

Each and every one of you should take immense satisfaction in the difference you have made and the sense of closure you have brought to my family. On behalf of my family, I again want to express our profound gratitude. Flip Colmer, you have never been so right, TODAY IS A GREAT DAY!

Warmest regards,

Jim Nelson

Next time you see a POW/MIA flag flying and think that the odds of finding anyone are nil, keep in mind that many countries keep prisoners, and remains of deceased service members, long after the rest of the world thinks they should have been returned.

I have to correct a mistake I made. Q.B. Nelson did get to meet his son Jim. Jim was born before QB shipped out. But Jim was an infant and never knew his Dad. I had it wrong, but have been historically set straight. Now you are too.

Okay, a bit of time has transpired...

Dan O'Brien has written that he’s interviewed the lawyer’s secretary and that she heard a story about wreckage, a ghost and that others know more than she does. Dan is still over there for a few more hours and maybe he’ll have more info for us later. But, I want to get this out before you forget that I even went over there.

The BentProp rearguard group leaves on the 20th, very early in the morning. Their itinerary includes being interned in Palau, stranded in Guam, holed up in Hawaii, making it to LAX and even all the way to SFO. Or in the case of Val, MEM. I guess we’ll find out shortly. All of this leads to the conclusion that there might be an update #11 to fill you in on their traveling adventures. But, if all goes smoothly with them, this is the last one.

More time passes...

I have been trying to get this to you for the past few days. Technology issues with CompuServe and my inability to get around them have kept this in my laptop. So I can report to you that the team is all back in CONUS and everyone is home. Except Pat who actually had to work for a living after Palau and is in Europe (last heard, in Ireland) for his real life.

No new sites were found [after I left], but leads aplenty for us to resolve next year. So this really is the last original update.

I will send a consolidated update with appropriate photos, once I have access again to our satellite connection. A few days ago, our network went down and I’m stuck with a dialup. And I’m challenged by CS.

Final Lessons Learned:

  1. No airline has a monopoly on doing things right, or wrong.
  2. If you smile, and know the word for thank you in any language, you can accomplish more.
  3. No matter how long the time interval, the families of MIAs/POWs will be most appreciative for the efforts on their behalf.
  4. It doesn’t matter what the odds are over time of finding someone. It’s worth it.
  5. There’s no Z in team.
  6. Blowing bubbles underwater is much better in the tropics.
  7. Coming home is best of all.
  8. It’s a small planet.
  9. A covey of workers in the kitchen is noisy. But it’s a good noise.
  10. Karaoke is not the same in every language.
  11. There is a way around copyright rules once outside of the U.S.A.
  12. The first to the microphone may be the bravest, but not the worst singer.
  13. Water is still the most important logistics item of any adventure.
  14. And the final lesson is the same as last year: What Ever!

Blue SKies, Flip