Search On For Remains Of Aircraft Shot Down In Palau
A 29 member team of the Joint Prisoners of War/Missing In Action Accounting Command (JPAC) from
Their B24 Liberator, the “Babes In Arms” had a crew of eleven. But flight logs from other aircraft crew who witnessed them being hit by anti-aircraft fire, reports three crew members were able to parachute out of the aircraft before it crashed into the water.
Officer in charge of the JPAC team, Captain George Metroka, says the current recovery effort is a result of initial efforts by private veterans MIA recovery group, “The Bent Prop.” That group had visited
- ADVERTISEMENT -
Human intelligence information is the most significant initial source of information, says Metroka. It’s from peoples’ personal experiences or stories they’ve heard about a crash or downed aircraft that—when pieced together with the JPAC researchers’ efforts— can result in enough evidence to prompt further investigation into the field by JPAC.
“We’re always encouraging people to tell JPAC those stories so further follow-up can be done. With the passing of time, such human intelligence is being lost,” he says.
 |
| Captain George Metroka |
The excavation work is a highly disciplined process that involves forensic preservation of possible remains and identifiable personal effects. Captain Metroka says that even the recovery of a machine gun can confirm an aircraft because of the identification number on the weapon and records of its placement on a particular aircraft.
Remains and other material from the excavation are carefully preserved and
taken back to
There are about 78,000 Americans still unaccounted for from WWII and of those, Troy Kitch, Deputy Director of Public Information of JPAC in Hawaii said, they believe about 35,000 have the potential to be recoverable.
The team leaves
