1 00:00:01,367 --> 00:00:02,867 [Josh Gates] Tonight, the search 2 00:00:02,867 --> 00:00:06,667 for missing World War II heroes continues. 3 00:00:06,667 --> 00:00:08,400 February 1944, if you're here, 4 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:10,100 you'd probably be running for cover. 5 00:00:10,100 --> 00:00:13,233 That's when the US launched a major carrier-borne attack. 6 00:00:15,300 --> 00:00:17,567 [Josh] On a group of remote Pacific Islands, 7 00:00:17,567 --> 00:00:20,867 an eyewitness reveals buried secrets. 8 00:00:20,867 --> 00:00:23,700 [Mason] After they tied them, he heard the explosion. 9 00:00:23,700 --> 00:00:24,600 [explosion] 10 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:25,767 The men were dead. 11 00:00:26,767 --> 00:00:28,700 [Josh] Our team explores in the jungle. 12 00:00:28,700 --> 00:00:31,266 There could be bones, dog tags, anything. 13 00:00:31,266 --> 00:00:32,667 [beeping] 14 00:00:32,667 --> 00:00:34,166 Hey, guys, come here. 15 00:00:34,166 --> 00:00:35,867 Look at this. 16 00:00:35,867 --> 00:00:38,066 And we scan the ocean floor. 17 00:00:38,066 --> 00:00:39,266 -[Mark] Wow. -[Josh] That's a plane, 18 00:00:39,266 --> 00:00:40,967 for sure. 19 00:00:40,967 --> 00:00:44,033 To find those who made the ultimate sacrifice. 20 00:00:44,500 --> 00:00:45,567 [Josh speaking] 21 00:00:53,700 --> 00:00:55,567 [dramatic music playing] 22 00:00:55,567 --> 00:00:57,266 My name is Josh Gates. 23 00:00:57,266 --> 00:00:58,166 Hello. 24 00:00:58,166 --> 00:00:59,166 Explorer... 25 00:00:59,166 --> 00:01:00,066 Here goes nothing. 26 00:01:00,066 --> 00:01:01,066 Adventurer... 27 00:01:01,066 --> 00:01:02,266 Woo-hoo-hoo! 28 00:01:02,266 --> 00:01:03,500 Oh, that's a long way down. 29 00:01:03,500 --> 00:01:04,767 And a guy who ends up 30 00:01:04,767 --> 00:01:06,734 in some very strange situations. 31 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:09,000 I'm alive for now. 32 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:10,467 With a degree in archeology 33 00:01:10,467 --> 00:01:12,967 and a passion for the unexplained, 34 00:01:12,967 --> 00:01:14,667 I travel to the ends of the earth 35 00:01:14,667 --> 00:01:16,967 investigating the greatest legends 36 00:01:16,967 --> 00:01:17,900 in history. 37 00:01:17,900 --> 00:01:19,367 Ready to rock and roll. 38 00:01:19,367 --> 00:01:21,967 This is Expedition Unknown. 39 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:26,467 [Dan] Collected a lot of data. 40 00:01:26,467 --> 00:01:27,800 That's the big question. You got data? 41 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:29,166 Yeah. Good data. It looks really clean. 42 00:01:29,166 --> 00:01:31,166 Okay. So what's in it? 43 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:34,967 -That's a plane. -[woman] It looks a lot like a plane. 44 00:01:34,967 --> 00:01:38,300 That's a plane, for sure, right? 45 00:01:38,300 --> 00:01:40,000 Could this be the plane that we're looking for here? 46 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:41,000 [Dan] It's in the right area. 47 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:42,000 We are in the right spot 48 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:42,967 and we can dive that. 49 00:01:42,967 --> 00:01:44,734 We can dive that tomorrow. 50 00:01:46,867 --> 00:01:48,500 [Josh] I'm in Chuuk, Micronesia, 51 00:01:48,500 --> 00:01:51,200 reviewing sonar data with Project Recover. 52 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,300 A group of scientists and historians 53 00:01:53,300 --> 00:01:56,433 dedicated to finding missing American servicemen. 54 00:01:57,567 --> 00:01:59,900 And their current mission is daunting. 55 00:01:59,900 --> 00:02:01,667 In the middle of the vast Pacific, 56 00:02:01,667 --> 00:02:04,767 more than 3,600 miles west of Hawaii 57 00:02:04,767 --> 00:02:06,467 sits the islands of Chuuk 58 00:02:06,467 --> 00:02:08,800 once known as Truk Lagoon. 59 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,900 This remote atoll shelters 16 islands 60 00:02:11,900 --> 00:02:14,867 and more than 800 square miles of water, 61 00:02:14,867 --> 00:02:17,367 an area the size of Rhode Island. 62 00:02:18,567 --> 00:02:19,867 During World War II, 63 00:02:19,867 --> 00:02:22,166 Truk was Japan's biggest naval base 64 00:02:22,166 --> 00:02:23,100 in the Pacific, 65 00:02:23,100 --> 00:02:24,500 with five airfields 66 00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:27,367 defending as many as 1,000 ships. 67 00:02:27,367 --> 00:02:30,533 It was their Pearl Harbor in more ways than one. 68 00:02:31,100 --> 00:02:32,467 To defeat imperial Japan, 69 00:02:32,467 --> 00:02:34,934 we first needed to neutralize Truk. 70 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:38,867 In February of 1944, 71 00:02:38,867 --> 00:02:42,266 the US Navy launched Operation Hailstone. 72 00:02:42,266 --> 00:02:45,266 One of the largest aircraft carrier task forces 73 00:02:45,266 --> 00:02:46,367 ever assembled 74 00:02:46,367 --> 00:02:48,166 descended on Truk Lagoon 75 00:02:48,166 --> 00:02:50,000 and our war planes obliterated 76 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:51,300 the island stronghold. 77 00:02:51,300 --> 00:02:54,200 -[gunshots] -[explosion] 78 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:56,266 [Josh] But 200 American airmen 79 00:02:56,266 --> 00:02:58,233 paid the ultimate price. 80 00:02:59,367 --> 00:03:02,300 And 42 of their planes are still lost 81 00:03:02,300 --> 00:03:03,967 somewhere in the lagoon. 82 00:03:03,967 --> 00:03:05,367 [gunshots] 83 00:03:05,367 --> 00:03:06,967 Eight decades later 84 00:03:06,967 --> 00:03:10,166 and no American plane wreck has ever been found here, 85 00:03:10,166 --> 00:03:13,166 which is why this sonar hit is so exciting. 86 00:03:13,166 --> 00:03:15,367 So whatever that is, 87 00:03:15,367 --> 00:03:16,767 nobody's been down there to look at it? 88 00:03:16,767 --> 00:03:18,066 Not in 80 years. 89 00:03:18,667 --> 00:03:19,700 Wow. 90 00:03:19,700 --> 00:03:21,133 That's awesome. 91 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,934 [rain pattering] 92 00:03:27,166 --> 00:03:29,867 [thunder rumbling] 93 00:03:34,967 --> 00:03:37,600 [Josh] The next day, we take to the stormy waters 94 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:39,266 to investigate the coordinates 95 00:03:39,266 --> 00:03:40,266 of the target. 96 00:03:40,266 --> 00:03:41,300 Leading the charge 97 00:03:41,300 --> 00:03:43,266 is Project Recover co-founder 98 00:03:43,266 --> 00:03:44,400 Mark Moline, 99 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:46,000 as well as lead historian 100 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:47,100 Colin Colbourn, 101 00:03:47,100 --> 00:03:49,367 and archeologist, Dan Davis. 102 00:03:49,367 --> 00:03:51,100 We motor out 14 miles 103 00:03:51,100 --> 00:03:53,367 from Project Recover's makeshift headquarters 104 00:03:53,367 --> 00:03:54,900 on the island of Weno 105 00:03:54,900 --> 00:03:56,567 to the strait between the islands 106 00:03:56,567 --> 00:03:58,600 of Udot and Fana Panges. 107 00:03:58,600 --> 00:03:59,667 [Josh] How we looking? 108 00:03:59,667 --> 00:04:01,100 I think we're getting close. 109 00:04:01,100 --> 00:04:02,900 That's good. I was worried about getting wet. 110 00:04:02,900 --> 00:04:04,166 [thunder rumbles] 111 00:04:04,166 --> 00:04:05,500 It's a soggy ride, 112 00:04:05,500 --> 00:04:07,367 but it will take more than a little rain 113 00:04:07,367 --> 00:04:09,567 to deter our efforts. 114 00:04:09,567 --> 00:04:11,467 Ooh, it's coming in. 115 00:04:11,467 --> 00:04:14,634 Nobody said it was gonna be easy or dry. 116 00:04:15,367 --> 00:04:16,767 As to the identity 117 00:04:16,767 --> 00:04:19,000 of the plane-shaped sonar hit we're chasing, 118 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:20,767 we may have a clue. 119 00:04:20,767 --> 00:04:23,000 Previously, a local tipped us off 120 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:24,467 to a family story 121 00:04:24,467 --> 00:04:26,467 that a downed airman washed ashore 122 00:04:26,467 --> 00:04:28,567 on nearby Fana Panges Island 123 00:04:28,567 --> 00:04:30,800 shortly after Operation Hailstone. 124 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,400 So your grandfather was able to protect this guy. 125 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:34,467 What about a name? 126 00:04:34,467 --> 00:04:36,066 What did your grandfather call him? 127 00:04:36,066 --> 00:04:38,166 The name of the airman was Frederick. 128 00:04:38,166 --> 00:04:40,500 -Frederick. Oh, my God. -Is there a Frederick? 129 00:04:40,500 --> 00:04:41,767 -Yes, there is definitely a Frederick. -[Josh] There is? 130 00:04:41,767 --> 00:04:42,700 -Among the missing? -Oh, yes. 131 00:04:42,700 --> 00:04:44,000 [Colin] It's actually... It's an Avenger. 132 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,200 It's a three-crewmen torpedo bomber. 133 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,066 So that means that in this strait 134 00:04:49,066 --> 00:04:50,567 between these two islands, 135 00:04:50,567 --> 00:04:53,200 there may be an Avenger and two crewmen? 136 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,500 Our subsequent sonar scan of the area 137 00:04:55,500 --> 00:04:57,767 revealed the undeniable signature 138 00:04:57,767 --> 00:04:58,900 of a plane. 139 00:04:58,900 --> 00:05:00,300 If it is an Avenger, 140 00:05:00,300 --> 00:05:01,667 then Frederick's crew, 141 00:05:01,667 --> 00:05:03,567 Radioman Stanley S. Stump 142 00:05:03,567 --> 00:05:05,467 and Pilot Newton B. Burkes 143 00:05:05,467 --> 00:05:07,233 may still be inside. 144 00:05:09,467 --> 00:05:12,533 [thunder rumbling] 145 00:05:17,166 --> 00:05:19,166 Now, we need to position ourselves 146 00:05:19,166 --> 00:05:21,400 exactly over the coordinates of the target 147 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:23,767 to investigate with our own eyes. 148 00:05:23,767 --> 00:05:25,967 There we go, 300 feet. 149 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:29,000 [Josh] The team readies a shot line, 150 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:30,567 a weighted rope that will guide us 151 00:05:30,567 --> 00:05:31,667 down to the wreck. 152 00:05:31,667 --> 00:05:32,767 [Dan] 50, 153 00:05:33,100 --> 00:05:34,266 40, 154 00:05:35,266 --> 00:05:37,300 30, 30 feet, 155 00:05:37,300 --> 00:05:38,367 20. 156 00:05:38,900 --> 00:05:39,934 Throw it. 157 00:05:44,767 --> 00:05:47,667 [suspenseful music playing] 158 00:05:49,700 --> 00:05:51,734 [Colin] Okay. Here we go, guys. Are you ready? 159 00:06:00,266 --> 00:06:03,467 [Josh speaking] 160 00:06:03,467 --> 00:06:06,000 [Mark speaking] 161 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,867 [Josh] The object sits in over 100 feet of water, 162 00:06:08,867 --> 00:06:10,467 so we'll need to find it quickly 163 00:06:10,467 --> 00:06:13,000 to avoid risking decompression sickness, 164 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:14,867 a potentially deadly condition 165 00:06:14,867 --> 00:06:16,767 caused by a buildup of nitrogen, 166 00:06:16,767 --> 00:06:19,767 which can emerge as bubbles in the bloodstream. 167 00:06:19,767 --> 00:06:24,133 [Josh speaking] 168 00:06:29,767 --> 00:06:32,867 [Mark speaking] 169 00:06:33,367 --> 00:06:37,700 [Josh speaking] 170 00:06:37,700 --> 00:06:40,834 [suspenseful music playing] 171 00:06:45,567 --> 00:06:48,734 [Josh speaking] 172 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,233 [dramatic music playing] 173 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:01,667 [Josh speaking] 174 00:07:02,100 --> 00:07:04,200 [Mark speaking] 175 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:05,533 [Josh speaking] 176 00:07:06,667 --> 00:07:08,000 The wreck is inverted, 177 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,300 but the preservation is stunning. 178 00:07:10,300 --> 00:07:12,900 Despite resting upside down on the sea floor, 179 00:07:12,900 --> 00:07:15,300 she almost looks like she could take off. 180 00:07:15,300 --> 00:07:17,934 [Josh speaking] 181 00:07:33,867 --> 00:07:37,066 [Mark speaking] 182 00:07:37,066 --> 00:07:39,066 [Josh speaking] 183 00:07:39,066 --> 00:07:42,533 [Mark speaking] 184 00:07:49,100 --> 00:07:51,266 [Josh speaking] 185 00:07:52,900 --> 00:07:54,767 Engines are like fingerprints 186 00:07:54,767 --> 00:07:56,000 that can help ID 187 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:57,800 the make and model of a plane. 188 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,066 We just need to look beneath the protective engine cover. 189 00:08:13,367 --> 00:08:17,367 [Mark speaking] 190 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:19,700 [Josh] The TBM Avenger engine 191 00:08:19,700 --> 00:08:22,367 has 14-cylinders radiating outward 192 00:08:22,367 --> 00:08:23,900 like spokes on a wheel, 193 00:08:23,900 --> 00:08:27,367 but so do other planes that saw action in Hailstone, 194 00:08:27,367 --> 00:08:30,033 including the American F4F Hellcat 195 00:08:31,367 --> 00:08:33,367 and the Japanese Zero. 196 00:08:35,300 --> 00:08:38,100 We continue to look for identifying features 197 00:08:38,100 --> 00:08:40,266 working our way down the fuselage. 198 00:08:40,266 --> 00:08:43,433 [Mark speaking] 199 00:08:45,467 --> 00:08:47,266 [Josh speaking] 200 00:09:05,467 --> 00:09:07,967 But what I don't see tells us more. 201 00:09:07,967 --> 00:09:10,100 There's only room here for one seat. 202 00:09:10,100 --> 00:09:12,066 This was the cockpit of a fighter, 203 00:09:12,066 --> 00:09:14,767 not a larger three-man torpedo bomber. 204 00:09:14,767 --> 00:09:16,967 We can rule out Frederick's Avenger, 205 00:09:16,967 --> 00:09:20,333 but this mystery plane is still a major discovery. 206 00:09:24,266 --> 00:09:27,567 [Josh speaking] 207 00:09:27,567 --> 00:09:30,533 [Mark speaking] 208 00:09:31,166 --> 00:09:34,233 [Josh speaking] 209 00:09:34,667 --> 00:09:36,166 This is a solemn site 210 00:09:36,166 --> 00:09:38,567 to be treated with deep respect. 211 00:09:38,567 --> 00:09:40,200 We move around the plane carefully 212 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:42,367 to not disturb any of the wreckage, 213 00:09:42,367 --> 00:09:44,367 which is frozen in time. 214 00:09:44,867 --> 00:09:47,266 [Josh speaking] 215 00:09:47,266 --> 00:09:50,734 [Mark speaking] 216 00:09:51,266 --> 00:09:54,367 [Josh speaking] 217 00:09:58,300 --> 00:09:59,433 [Mark speaking] 218 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:02,734 [Josh speaking] 219 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,834 -[Mark speaking] -[Josh speaking] 220 00:10:11,266 --> 00:10:14,300 [Mark speaking] 221 00:10:14,300 --> 00:10:17,433 [Josh speaking] 222 00:10:24,667 --> 00:10:25,900 A picture of the crash 223 00:10:25,900 --> 00:10:27,567 begins to emerge. 224 00:10:27,567 --> 00:10:29,800 The pilot likely taking heavy fire, 225 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:32,867 tried to slow the plane just before impact. 226 00:10:34,767 --> 00:10:37,967 And as each new forensic detail comes into focus, 227 00:10:37,967 --> 00:10:41,266 so does the identity of the mystery craft. 228 00:10:41,266 --> 00:10:44,667 [Josh speaking] 229 00:10:44,667 --> 00:10:47,166 [Mark speaking] 230 00:10:47,166 --> 00:10:50,333 [Josh speaking] 231 00:11:00,100 --> 00:11:01,567 [Mark speaking] 232 00:11:01,567 --> 00:11:04,400 A flared machine gun sounds like it could be Japanese. 233 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:05,533 Over. 234 00:11:06,166 --> 00:11:09,066 [Josh speaking] 235 00:11:12,567 --> 00:11:13,667 [Mark speaking] 236 00:11:13,667 --> 00:11:17,166 [Josh speaking] 237 00:11:17,166 --> 00:11:19,800 The Type 99 machine gun on the wing 238 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:21,767 with its signature flared barrel 239 00:11:21,767 --> 00:11:22,867 is conclusive. 240 00:11:22,867 --> 00:11:24,166 There is no question 241 00:11:24,166 --> 00:11:28,200 that this is a Mitsubishi A6M Zero. 242 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:30,266 The Zero was the preeminent fighter plane 243 00:11:30,266 --> 00:11:32,100 at the beginning of the war. 244 00:11:32,100 --> 00:11:33,800 A lethal machine feared 245 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,100 for its range and maneuverability. 246 00:11:36,100 --> 00:11:39,100 Seventy-nine Zeros were among the Japanese force 247 00:11:39,100 --> 00:11:40,967 that attacked Pearl Harbor. 248 00:11:41,767 --> 00:11:44,166 With this wreck now IDed and photographed, 249 00:11:44,166 --> 00:11:46,333 we make our way topside. 250 00:11:46,867 --> 00:11:49,967 [tense music playing] 251 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:55,867 Woo! Really incredible, huh? 252 00:11:55,867 --> 00:11:57,266 -I mean, amazing. -That was... That was amazing. 253 00:11:57,266 --> 00:11:58,667 -[Josh] Stunning. -Yeah. 254 00:11:58,667 --> 00:12:00,266 -To just see an entire plane... -[Mark] Yeah. 255 00:12:00,266 --> 00:12:02,400 -...just laid out like that. -[Mark] It was beautiful. 256 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:03,867 -Yeah. It was. -It really was. 257 00:12:03,867 --> 00:12:04,867 Eerie, but beautiful. 258 00:12:04,867 --> 00:12:06,166 Nobody has seen that. 259 00:12:06,166 --> 00:12:07,300 Yeah, until us. 260 00:12:07,300 --> 00:12:08,867 -[Josh] Yeah. -Yeah. Amazing. 261 00:12:08,867 --> 00:12:11,367 It just shows you how much there is in this lagoon 262 00:12:11,367 --> 00:12:13,000 that's still undiscovered. 263 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:14,367 -[Mark] Yeah, -Absolutely, 264 00:12:14,367 --> 00:12:15,533 another piece of the puzzle. 265 00:12:17,066 --> 00:12:18,667 We will deliver all of our data 266 00:12:18,667 --> 00:12:20,266 on the newly discovered Zero 267 00:12:20,266 --> 00:12:22,100 to the Japanese embassy. 268 00:12:22,100 --> 00:12:24,200 They may be able to identify the pilot 269 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:26,800 and recover any remains. 270 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,266 The airmen inside was our enemy, 271 00:12:29,266 --> 00:12:31,166 but he was also a soldier 272 00:12:31,166 --> 00:12:33,000 who made the ultimate sacrifice 273 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:34,333 for his nation. 274 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:38,333 And one who may have family seeking closure. 275 00:12:46,667 --> 00:12:48,300 The next morning, I'm back on the water 276 00:12:48,300 --> 00:12:50,767 to continue the search for MIAs 277 00:12:50,767 --> 00:12:53,667 with Project Recover Historian, Colin Colbourn, 278 00:12:53,667 --> 00:12:55,400 Archeologist, Dan Davis, 279 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:57,967 and local investigator, Mason Fritz. 280 00:12:57,967 --> 00:13:00,367 But today's mission is a bit different. 281 00:13:00,367 --> 00:13:02,700 We're going to be heading over to Tonoas. 282 00:13:02,700 --> 00:13:04,867 And in World War II, the island was called Dublon. 283 00:13:04,867 --> 00:13:07,166 And what was Dublon's function during the war? 284 00:13:07,166 --> 00:13:10,000 It was the headquarters of the Japanese fleet. 285 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:11,700 It was the administration center. 286 00:13:11,700 --> 00:13:13,600 There were multiple hospitals on the island. 287 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:15,867 It was the center of gravity for the Japanese 288 00:13:15,867 --> 00:13:16,800 in World War II. 289 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:18,000 What are we looking for there? 290 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:19,867 So we're looking for American POWs 291 00:13:19,867 --> 00:13:23,166 who were executed on Dublon during World War II. 292 00:13:23,166 --> 00:13:26,066 [Josh] After the war, US investigators heard rumors 293 00:13:26,066 --> 00:13:28,767 of POWs being killed on Dublon, 294 00:13:28,767 --> 00:13:31,900 but they couldn't elicit a single statement from anyone 295 00:13:31,900 --> 00:13:33,967 about wrongdoing on the island. 296 00:13:33,967 --> 00:13:35,367 That is until we sent 297 00:13:35,367 --> 00:13:38,300 a Korean-American sailor undercover. 298 00:13:38,300 --> 00:13:40,200 His name was Da Young Park, 299 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:42,367 and he exposed harrowing stories 300 00:13:42,367 --> 00:13:44,100 of torture and executions 301 00:13:44,100 --> 00:13:45,967 of American prisoners. 302 00:13:45,967 --> 00:13:49,500 Behind these shocking crimes was Hiroshi Iwanami, 303 00:13:49,500 --> 00:13:51,166 the commanding officer in charge 304 00:13:51,166 --> 00:13:53,900 of the military hospital on Dublon. 305 00:13:53,900 --> 00:13:56,100 Thanks to the intel Park uncovered, 306 00:13:56,100 --> 00:13:58,867 Iwanami was tried and convicted of war crimes 307 00:13:58,867 --> 00:14:00,800 in 1949. 308 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:05,266 Any idea how many Americans were killed on this island? 309 00:14:05,266 --> 00:14:08,867 Investigators after the war added it up to 23 Americans. 310 00:14:08,867 --> 00:14:11,166 -That have never been found? -That have never been found. 311 00:14:11,166 --> 00:14:12,467 We don't know their names, 312 00:14:12,467 --> 00:14:14,100 but they were executed on this island. 313 00:14:14,100 --> 00:14:17,100 How do we figure out where these POWs were executed 314 00:14:17,100 --> 00:14:18,266 or where they're buried? 315 00:14:18,266 --> 00:14:20,867 Well, Josh, I found an eyewitness. 316 00:14:20,867 --> 00:14:22,367 -You found an eyewitness? -Yes. 317 00:14:22,367 --> 00:14:24,233 -A living eyewitness? -Yes. 318 00:14:29,266 --> 00:14:31,867 [Mason] Well, Josh, I found an eyewitness. 319 00:14:31,867 --> 00:14:33,367 -You found an eyewitness? -Yes. 320 00:14:33,367 --> 00:14:35,166 -A living eyewitness? -Yes. 321 00:14:35,166 --> 00:14:37,400 [Josh] I'm in Truk Lagoon in Micronesia 322 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:39,600 working with the team from Project Recover 323 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:41,166 as they hunt down information 324 00:14:41,166 --> 00:14:43,300 that could lead to the lost location 325 00:14:43,300 --> 00:14:45,767 of executed American POWs 326 00:14:45,767 --> 00:14:49,367 on the island of Tonoas, once known as Dublon. 327 00:14:49,367 --> 00:14:52,467 But to hear a story from an actual eyewitness 328 00:14:52,467 --> 00:14:54,000 alive during World War II, 329 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,667 we need to begin halfway across the atoll 330 00:14:56,667 --> 00:14:59,166 on the small island known as Eten. 331 00:15:01,500 --> 00:15:03,300 Today deeply overgrown, 332 00:15:03,300 --> 00:15:06,567 only an old Japanese dock jutting out of the jungle 333 00:15:06,567 --> 00:15:08,667 hints at what was once here. 334 00:15:10,100 --> 00:15:12,266 [Colin] Josh, I wanna show you something here. 335 00:15:12,266 --> 00:15:14,367 Take a look at what's under your feet. 336 00:15:14,367 --> 00:15:15,500 [Josh] Concrete? 337 00:15:15,500 --> 00:15:17,200 [Colin] Here, all over this island. 338 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:20,000 -This was all concrete? -This was all concrete. 339 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,166 [Josh] Today it looks like pure wilderness, 340 00:15:22,166 --> 00:15:23,266 but there's a reason 341 00:15:23,266 --> 00:15:24,500 this corner of the island 342 00:15:24,500 --> 00:15:26,000 is so squared off. 343 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:27,600 It was terraformed. 344 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:28,700 Eighty years ago, 345 00:15:28,700 --> 00:15:30,367 the Japanese turned Eten 346 00:15:30,367 --> 00:15:33,000 into an aircraft carrier shaped island 347 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,900 with nearly every square inch coated in concrete. 348 00:15:36,900 --> 00:15:38,467 Is there any infrastructure left 349 00:15:38,467 --> 00:15:39,700 or just the remains of the runway? 350 00:15:39,700 --> 00:15:41,200 -Oh, no, there's still some here. -Okay. 351 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:43,166 It's a little ways away. Well, I'll take you to it. 352 00:15:43,166 --> 00:15:44,533 Yeah. Let's see what's here. 353 00:15:46,266 --> 00:15:47,467 You know, when the Japanese were here, 354 00:15:47,467 --> 00:15:48,900 there wasn't a tree on the island. 355 00:15:48,900 --> 00:15:50,567 -Literally? -Not one tree. 356 00:15:50,567 --> 00:15:51,500 Wow. 357 00:15:51,500 --> 00:15:53,266 In terms of POWs, 358 00:15:53,266 --> 00:15:56,767 some captured soldiers were brought and processed here. 359 00:15:56,767 --> 00:15:59,266 And while it may seem that nothing remains, 360 00:15:59,266 --> 00:16:01,967 Eten still hides its secrets. 361 00:16:02,266 --> 00:16:03,700 What is this? 362 00:16:03,700 --> 00:16:06,867 The Japanese got bombed almost every single day. 363 00:16:06,867 --> 00:16:09,367 So they had to find a safe way to move around. 364 00:16:09,367 --> 00:16:11,667 -Tunnels? -Tunnels inside the mountain. 365 00:16:11,667 --> 00:16:12,500 You got a light? 366 00:16:13,567 --> 00:16:15,100 -Of course, you do. -[Colin] After you. 367 00:16:15,100 --> 00:16:16,567 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 368 00:16:16,567 --> 00:16:17,867 All right, here we go. 369 00:16:23,467 --> 00:16:24,667 Wow. 370 00:16:24,667 --> 00:16:26,867 How far back does this go? 371 00:16:26,867 --> 00:16:28,367 Josh, there's a maze of these tunnels 372 00:16:28,367 --> 00:16:29,600 all throughout the mountain. 373 00:16:31,266 --> 00:16:34,567 [Josh] Eerily preserved as though Japanese troops just left, 374 00:16:34,567 --> 00:16:38,233 it is a claustrophobic and miserably hot labyrinth. 375 00:16:39,867 --> 00:16:41,433 Okay. We got a junction. 376 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:44,567 -Left? -I think it's right. 377 00:16:44,567 --> 00:16:46,266 Well, as long as you think, then that's good. 378 00:16:49,967 --> 00:16:51,867 We emerge near an eerie 379 00:16:51,867 --> 00:16:54,433 and massive concrete fortress. 380 00:16:56,867 --> 00:16:58,567 This is crazy. 381 00:16:58,567 --> 00:17:01,166 Yeah. Josh, this is the radio communication center. 382 00:17:01,166 --> 00:17:03,166 This is the air traffic control 383 00:17:03,166 --> 00:17:04,367 for Truk Lagoon. 384 00:17:08,767 --> 00:17:10,467 [Josh] This building was the nerve center 385 00:17:10,467 --> 00:17:12,767 of the Japanese operation in Truk, 386 00:17:12,767 --> 00:17:13,967 which is why its walls 387 00:17:13,967 --> 00:17:16,367 are four feet thick in some places. 388 00:17:16,367 --> 00:17:19,567 Evidence of Operation Hailstone's bombing campaign 389 00:17:19,567 --> 00:17:22,133 can be seen everywhere you look. 390 00:17:25,266 --> 00:17:28,100 Prisoners of war that were processed through Eten Island 391 00:17:28,100 --> 00:17:29,467 weren't kept here, though. 392 00:17:29,467 --> 00:17:32,166 There was another destiny for them. 393 00:17:39,467 --> 00:17:40,700 We return to the boat 394 00:17:40,700 --> 00:17:42,567 and follow the trail of the POWs 395 00:17:42,567 --> 00:17:43,900 across the lagoon, 396 00:17:43,900 --> 00:17:46,367 past dangerously shallow reefs. 397 00:17:46,367 --> 00:17:48,667 Our destination is another island 398 00:17:48,667 --> 00:17:50,266 known today as Tonoas, 399 00:17:50,266 --> 00:17:53,266 where an eyewitness may be able to identify a site 400 00:17:53,266 --> 00:17:56,066 where American POWs were executed. 401 00:17:56,066 --> 00:17:58,266 Josh, that's Tonoas right there. 402 00:17:58,266 --> 00:18:00,100 -Right ahead of us? -[Dan] That's it. 403 00:18:00,100 --> 00:18:02,533 [Josh] Okay. That is an imposing looking island. 404 00:18:03,867 --> 00:18:05,367 From afar, it looks 405 00:18:05,367 --> 00:18:09,000 like the kind of place King Kong would call home. 406 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,100 But up close, Tonoas reveals herself. 407 00:18:12,100 --> 00:18:13,867 Dotted with simple structures, 408 00:18:13,867 --> 00:18:16,266 the island is home to a few thousand people 409 00:18:16,266 --> 00:18:20,166 making new lives amidst the remnants of war. 410 00:18:20,166 --> 00:18:23,467 Some villagers live in old Japanese barracks. 411 00:18:23,467 --> 00:18:25,266 Even the bell at the local church 412 00:18:25,266 --> 00:18:27,333 is a recycled cannon. 413 00:18:27,767 --> 00:18:28,834 [bell tolls] 414 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:32,367 We hike inland 415 00:18:32,367 --> 00:18:36,233 and soon spine-tingling ruins come into view. 416 00:18:39,266 --> 00:18:42,867 Amidst the ghostly buildings are stairs to nowhere 417 00:18:42,867 --> 00:18:45,967 and the foundations of an old hospital. 418 00:18:45,967 --> 00:18:48,467 And it's here that we meet Seichi Konik, 419 00:18:48,467 --> 00:18:51,300 who witnessed the horrors of war firsthand. 420 00:18:51,300 --> 00:18:52,567 -Hello. -Josh, I want you 421 00:18:52,567 --> 00:18:54,066 -to meet Seichi. -Seichi. 422 00:18:54,066 --> 00:18:55,200 -[Mason] Yeah. -Very nice to meet you. 423 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:56,367 [Mason] He's a witness 424 00:18:56,367 --> 00:18:59,767 to the killing of the Americans here in this area. 425 00:18:59,767 --> 00:19:02,767 Seichi, you must have been very, very young 426 00:19:02,767 --> 00:19:04,066 during the war, yes? 427 00:19:04,066 --> 00:19:05,900 [both speaking native language] 428 00:19:05,900 --> 00:19:08,700 [in English] Yes. I was six years old. 429 00:19:08,700 --> 00:19:10,667 Can he describe what he saw here? 430 00:19:11,166 --> 00:19:15,266 [speaking native language] 431 00:19:15,266 --> 00:19:19,867 -[Mason in English] Yeah. -[continues in native language] 432 00:19:19,867 --> 00:19:22,166 [Mason in English] He saw an American plane shot down. 433 00:19:22,867 --> 00:19:25,266 The pilots bailed out of it, 434 00:19:25,266 --> 00:19:26,667 parachuted out, 435 00:19:26,667 --> 00:19:29,800 and they could see the plane went all the way out 436 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:31,834 and landed somewhere out on the reef. 437 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:34,967 [speaking native language] 438 00:19:34,967 --> 00:19:38,467 [in English] Yeah. They were brought to the naval hospital here. 439 00:19:38,467 --> 00:19:40,667 And so what ultimately happened to them? 440 00:19:40,667 --> 00:19:43,767 [speaking native language] 441 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,300 -[in English] They were killed. -They were killed. 442 00:19:48,300 --> 00:19:50,367 And where did that happen, do you remember? 443 00:19:50,367 --> 00:19:51,900 [speaking native language] 444 00:19:51,900 --> 00:19:54,500 -[in English] Yeah. It's up in the hill. -Can he take us there? 445 00:19:54,500 --> 00:19:56,033 -[speaking native language] -[in English] Yes. 446 00:19:58,567 --> 00:20:01,000 [Josh] Seichi leads us through the sweltering jungle 447 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:04,166 to an area behind the ruined hospital grounds. 448 00:20:04,767 --> 00:20:06,567 While his steps may be slow, 449 00:20:06,567 --> 00:20:08,834 he never wavers in where he's going. 450 00:20:09,567 --> 00:20:10,867 [Mason] Right in this area. 451 00:20:10,867 --> 00:20:11,867 This is the spot? 452 00:20:11,867 --> 00:20:13,700 Yes, this is the place. 453 00:20:13,700 --> 00:20:15,467 Tell us exactly what you saw, 454 00:20:15,467 --> 00:20:17,967 what you heard, what happened here? 455 00:20:17,967 --> 00:20:22,700 [speaking native language] 456 00:20:22,700 --> 00:20:25,200 [Mason in English] They brought them walking over 457 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:27,200 and then they tie 'em up. 458 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:28,367 After they tie them, 459 00:20:28,367 --> 00:20:31,967 he left walking down the road, 460 00:20:31,967 --> 00:20:33,600 he heard the explosion. 461 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:36,300 When you say explosion, do you mean gunfire? 462 00:20:36,300 --> 00:20:37,667 [both speaking native language] 463 00:20:37,667 --> 00:20:39,367 [in English] Yeah. He's sure 464 00:20:39,367 --> 00:20:41,500 it's an explosion of a dynamite. 465 00:20:41,500 --> 00:20:43,233 The men were dynamited? 466 00:20:43,567 --> 00:20:45,467 Yes, they did. 467 00:20:45,467 --> 00:20:46,533 Wow. 468 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:49,967 It is an act of unimaginable horror. 469 00:20:49,967 --> 00:20:51,867 The American airmen were bound, 470 00:20:51,867 --> 00:20:53,467 marched behind the hospital, 471 00:20:53,467 --> 00:20:54,900 and forced to their knees 472 00:20:54,900 --> 00:20:57,867 as the Japanese soldiers rigged the explosives. 473 00:20:57,867 --> 00:21:00,634 [dramatic music playing] 474 00:21:02,467 --> 00:21:04,166 [dynamite explodes] 475 00:21:04,867 --> 00:21:07,166 [dramatic music playing] 476 00:21:07,166 --> 00:21:08,367 Hearing the detonation, 477 00:21:08,367 --> 00:21:09,967 six-year-old Seichi returned 478 00:21:09,967 --> 00:21:12,266 to a traumatic scene of carnage 479 00:21:12,266 --> 00:21:13,867 he would never forget. 480 00:21:13,867 --> 00:21:15,767 So when he came up the hill, 481 00:21:15,767 --> 00:21:17,367 the men were dead. 482 00:21:17,367 --> 00:21:19,000 They just went 483 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:21,767 and buried them right in this area right here. 484 00:21:21,767 --> 00:21:23,767 -[Josh] Right on this site? -Yeah. 485 00:21:23,767 --> 00:21:25,266 [Josh] Despite covering their tracks 486 00:21:25,266 --> 00:21:26,767 by disposing of the dead, 487 00:21:26,767 --> 00:21:29,200 after the war, the truth emerged. 488 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:31,800 Nineteen soldiers were convicted of war crimes 489 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:33,100 committed in Truk, 490 00:21:33,100 --> 00:21:35,300 Surgeon Captain Hiroshi Iwanami, 491 00:21:35,300 --> 00:21:36,567 who ran the hospital, 492 00:21:36,567 --> 00:21:38,100 received the death penalty 493 00:21:38,100 --> 00:21:39,300 for ordering this 494 00:21:39,300 --> 00:21:41,967 and other sadistic experiments. 495 00:21:43,100 --> 00:21:46,166 So, Seichi, can you show us exactly where that happened, 496 00:21:46,166 --> 00:21:47,800 where you saw the men sitting, 497 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,467 and then where they might have dug a hole? 498 00:21:50,467 --> 00:21:51,567 [both speaking native language] 499 00:21:51,567 --> 00:21:53,166 [in English] Yes. He remember that 500 00:21:53,166 --> 00:21:54,667 it was next to that mango tree 501 00:21:54,667 --> 00:21:57,033 because that mango tree was already there. 502 00:21:57,467 --> 00:21:58,467 About in here? 503 00:21:58,467 --> 00:22:00,467 [speaking native language] 504 00:22:00,467 --> 00:22:02,100 [Mason in English] Yes, in this area. 505 00:22:02,100 --> 00:22:03,967 Seichi, thank you very much. 506 00:22:03,967 --> 00:22:05,700 [Josh speaking native language] 507 00:22:05,700 --> 00:22:06,867 [speaking native language] 508 00:22:06,867 --> 00:22:08,233 [in English] You're welcome. 509 00:22:09,100 --> 00:22:10,900 [Josh] Mason helps Seichi home 510 00:22:10,900 --> 00:22:12,266 while we prepare to search 511 00:22:12,266 --> 00:22:15,600 for any evidence of the executed airmen. 512 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:17,667 Dan and Colin prepare a test pit 513 00:22:17,667 --> 00:22:20,266 at the foot of the mango tree Seichi pointed out, 514 00:22:20,266 --> 00:22:22,467 they start by gridding out the area 515 00:22:22,467 --> 00:22:24,233 and then we dig. 516 00:22:25,166 --> 00:22:26,700 How far down do you think you need to go? 517 00:22:26,700 --> 00:22:28,667 Well, the war crimes trials revealed 518 00:22:28,667 --> 00:22:29,767 that they were digging pits 519 00:22:29,767 --> 00:22:31,600 three to four feet deep or deeper. 520 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:33,467 [Josh] Yikes. There could be... 521 00:22:33,467 --> 00:22:35,767 -[Dan] Yup. -...anything around here, you know. 522 00:22:35,767 --> 00:22:37,467 There could be bones, 523 00:22:37,467 --> 00:22:38,800 uniform buttons, dog tags, 524 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:40,467 anything, I guess, scattered around here. 525 00:22:40,467 --> 00:22:42,066 Exactly right. 526 00:22:42,066 --> 00:22:44,467 [Josh] While Colin and Dan expand the test pit, 527 00:22:44,467 --> 00:22:46,567 I start scanning the surrounding area 528 00:22:46,567 --> 00:22:48,166 with a metal detector. 529 00:22:49,467 --> 00:22:52,166 [metal detector beeping] 530 00:22:52,166 --> 00:22:53,533 [Josh] I got a hit in here. 531 00:22:54,166 --> 00:22:55,500 Strong hit in here. 532 00:22:55,500 --> 00:22:57,367 [suspenseful music playing] 533 00:22:57,367 --> 00:23:00,467 [metal detector beeping] 534 00:23:02,500 --> 00:23:04,667 Thin, thin sheet of metal. 535 00:23:04,667 --> 00:23:06,867 I mean, this could be part of a roof, anything, right? 536 00:23:06,867 --> 00:23:08,433 Yeah, I'd say so. 537 00:23:12,867 --> 00:23:14,567 [Josh] As the pit slowly grows, 538 00:23:14,567 --> 00:23:16,767 my metal detector keeps sounding off. 539 00:23:16,767 --> 00:23:18,100 [metal detector beeping] 540 00:23:18,100 --> 00:23:20,000 [Josh] Ooh. Something there. 541 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:23,000 [intense music playing] 542 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:24,367 [metal detector beeping] 543 00:23:24,367 --> 00:23:25,567 Strong hit here. 544 00:23:31,100 --> 00:23:33,500 Hey, guys, you need any AA batteries? 545 00:23:33,500 --> 00:23:35,100 [Colin laughs] 546 00:23:35,100 --> 00:23:37,667 [Josh] Soon I might actually need a new battery 547 00:23:37,667 --> 00:23:40,166 because with every sweep, we find more metal. 548 00:23:40,166 --> 00:23:42,233 -[metal detector beeping] -[Josh] Okay. I got a hit here. 549 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:48,066 -Yup. Something. -[metal detector beeping] 550 00:23:48,066 --> 00:23:49,233 Standby. 551 00:23:51,166 --> 00:23:53,100 [metal detector beeping] 552 00:23:53,100 --> 00:23:56,467 It's just like there's tiny pieces of metal in the soil. 553 00:23:56,467 --> 00:23:59,266 There's almost like scrap metal everywhere here. 554 00:23:59,266 --> 00:24:01,300 You think about all the troops that were here, 555 00:24:01,300 --> 00:24:03,467 all the activity, the movement here, 556 00:24:03,467 --> 00:24:05,333 I mean, it could be from anything. 557 00:24:06,867 --> 00:24:09,367 Still we press on in the jungle heat, 558 00:24:09,367 --> 00:24:12,100 hoping for some evidence of the POWs 559 00:24:12,100 --> 00:24:13,400 who perished here. 560 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,066 [tense music playing] 561 00:24:19,667 --> 00:24:20,634 [metal detector beeps] 562 00:24:21,266 --> 00:24:22,533 What is that? 563 00:24:32,100 --> 00:24:33,166 Hey, guys. 564 00:24:34,367 --> 00:24:35,867 Oh, my... 565 00:24:36,767 --> 00:24:38,000 Guys. 566 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:39,667 Hey, guys, come here. 567 00:24:40,867 --> 00:24:42,567 -Look at this. -Oh. 568 00:24:42,567 --> 00:24:43,634 [Josh] It's burned. 569 00:24:48,367 --> 00:24:51,000 [intense music playing] 570 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:52,500 -[Josh] Look at this. -Oh. 571 00:24:52,500 --> 00:24:53,867 [chuckles] 572 00:24:54,867 --> 00:24:56,000 It's burned. 573 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:58,000 Old, old machete. 574 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,667 Handle, which would have been wood is completely rotted out. 575 00:25:01,667 --> 00:25:03,100 [Dan] Yeah. 576 00:25:03,100 --> 00:25:04,367 [Josh] But that, 577 00:25:04,367 --> 00:25:06,600 that is really cool. Look at that. 578 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,333 That is an artifact of the war. 579 00:25:10,867 --> 00:25:12,400 [Josh] We're investigating the ruins 580 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:15,767 of a Japanese naval hospital on the island of Tonoas, 581 00:25:15,767 --> 00:25:18,367 where a local witnessed the brutal execution 582 00:25:18,367 --> 00:25:20,533 of two American POWs... 583 00:25:21,567 --> 00:25:22,834 by dynamite. 584 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:27,000 You could really imagine this being connected 585 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:28,667 to this site back in World War II. 586 00:25:28,667 --> 00:25:30,800 This could be from a Japanese soldier. 587 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:32,500 That's kind of spooky, just seeing that, isn't it? 588 00:25:32,500 --> 00:25:34,266 [Dan] It's haunting in the sense that we're finding 589 00:25:34,266 --> 00:25:37,100 a long-edge weapon at an execution site. 590 00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:39,433 Right. I keep thinking about these two guys. 591 00:25:40,700 --> 00:25:43,000 The fact that their story is 592 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:46,266 almost vanished into thin air. 593 00:25:47,367 --> 00:25:50,667 It's just this tiny thread of this eyewitness who... 594 00:25:50,667 --> 00:25:53,567 who's kind of brought some attention to this place 595 00:25:53,567 --> 00:25:54,900 that we're standing, which otherwise would have 596 00:25:54,900 --> 00:25:56,567 just been totally reclaimed by the jungle. 597 00:25:56,567 --> 00:25:59,300 This project is about memory. 598 00:25:59,300 --> 00:26:01,500 This is about keeping those memories alive. 599 00:26:01,500 --> 00:26:03,867 We don't know the names of these guys, 600 00:26:03,867 --> 00:26:06,166 but they died here in service to our country. 601 00:26:06,166 --> 00:26:07,667 And we have to keep looking for 'em. 602 00:26:07,667 --> 00:26:08,500 [Josh] That's right. 603 00:26:08,500 --> 00:26:11,233 [dramatic music playing] 604 00:26:12,767 --> 00:26:15,567 We continue searching until late in the day, 605 00:26:15,567 --> 00:26:17,567 and then we head back to the boat 606 00:26:17,567 --> 00:26:20,567 to steam to Project Recover's headquarters. 607 00:26:20,567 --> 00:26:23,166 Today was a powerful reminder that sharing 608 00:26:23,166 --> 00:26:26,467 these stories is what this mission is really about, 609 00:26:26,467 --> 00:26:29,767 so that our nation's heroes are not forgotten. 610 00:26:37,900 --> 00:26:40,333 The next day, we're back on the water. 611 00:26:41,567 --> 00:26:45,100 In 2019, Project Recover conducted their first search 612 00:26:45,100 --> 00:26:48,266 for American MIAs in Truk Lagoon 613 00:26:48,266 --> 00:26:50,567 using sonar-equipped AUVs 614 00:26:50,567 --> 00:26:52,767 or Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. 615 00:26:52,767 --> 00:26:54,266 They mapped the seafloor 616 00:26:54,266 --> 00:26:56,500 between several islands in the lagoon. 617 00:26:56,500 --> 00:26:58,367 But then, the pandemic hit 618 00:26:58,367 --> 00:27:01,533 and Micronesia was put on COVID lockdown. 619 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,700 Now, we're finishing the work they started. 620 00:27:05,700 --> 00:27:08,400 We've already investigated two targets. 621 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:10,600 We discovered an anchor, likely cut 622 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:12,500 from a fleeing Japanese ship 623 00:27:12,500 --> 00:27:14,567 and a mooring buoy. 624 00:27:14,567 --> 00:27:16,000 Now, we turn our attention 625 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:18,233 to two additional targets. 626 00:27:19,266 --> 00:27:21,367 This is the first target we're gonna go through. 627 00:27:21,367 --> 00:27:23,367 -And you can see the shadows? -Yeah, for sure. 628 00:27:23,367 --> 00:27:25,000 [Mark] This definitely looks manmade. 629 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:27,367 It has very distinct angles to it. 630 00:27:27,367 --> 00:27:30,100 And the whole pile's about 30 feet, 631 00:27:30,100 --> 00:27:32,467 so, it's a... It's a big chunk of something. 632 00:27:32,467 --> 00:27:33,500 -Something significant. -[Mark] Yeah. 633 00:27:33,500 --> 00:27:34,734 That could be part of a plane. 634 00:27:35,767 --> 00:27:37,567 Whatever it is, it's deep. 635 00:27:37,567 --> 00:27:39,667 Resting at 150 feet, 636 00:27:39,667 --> 00:27:41,600 our bottom time will be limited to about 637 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:44,667 four minutes before we risk decompression sickness. 638 00:27:44,667 --> 00:27:47,767 It's therefore essential that we find it quickly. 639 00:27:47,767 --> 00:27:49,667 We carefully position the boat 640 00:27:49,667 --> 00:27:52,467 exactly on top of the coordinates. 641 00:27:53,467 --> 00:27:54,333 Throw it. 642 00:27:56,266 --> 00:27:58,467 [water splashes] 643 00:27:58,467 --> 00:28:01,567 [intense music playing] 644 00:28:19,967 --> 00:28:23,400 [Josh speaking] 645 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:24,967 [Mark speaking] 646 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,367 [Josh speaking] 647 00:28:31,367 --> 00:28:33,634 [tense music playing] 648 00:28:35,100 --> 00:28:36,567 [Josh speaking] 649 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:42,834 Divers, topside, what do you see? Over. 650 00:28:45,867 --> 00:28:48,734 [Josh speaking] 651 00:28:58,867 --> 00:29:01,066 The target is clearly manmade, 652 00:29:01,066 --> 00:29:02,700 but is it aviation? 653 00:29:02,700 --> 00:29:05,100 With just two minutes of bottom time remaining, 654 00:29:05,100 --> 00:29:07,066 we have to make the ID fast. 655 00:29:08,467 --> 00:29:10,934 [Josh speaking] 656 00:29:22,266 --> 00:29:24,867 [Mark speaking] 657 00:29:24,867 --> 00:29:28,767 Divers, topside, look Japanese to you or modern? Over. 658 00:29:28,767 --> 00:29:30,867 [Josh speaking] 659 00:30:02,367 --> 00:30:04,300 [Mark speaking] 660 00:30:04,300 --> 00:30:06,233 [Josh speaking] 661 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:11,900 We've discovered and photographed an undocumented wreck 662 00:30:11,900 --> 00:30:14,200 that likely sank during Hailstone. 663 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:16,000 Another lost piece of history 664 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:17,734 that can be added to the map. 665 00:30:18,467 --> 00:30:20,467 Out of bottom time, we swim back 666 00:30:20,467 --> 00:30:22,600 toward the surface where we'll move on 667 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:24,400 to our next target. 668 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:26,867 [dramatic music playing] 669 00:30:32,767 --> 00:30:35,600 The final sonar hit we haven't yet investigated 670 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:37,767 turns out to be one that Project Recover 671 00:30:37,767 --> 00:30:40,800 has a high degree of confidence in. 672 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:42,867 Hey, Josh, we have one final target 673 00:30:42,867 --> 00:30:44,300 we need to interrogate. 674 00:30:44,300 --> 00:30:45,867 And what's special about this target? 675 00:30:45,867 --> 00:30:46,767 We think it's a plane. 676 00:30:46,767 --> 00:30:48,266 -[Josh] You do? -Yeah. 677 00:30:48,266 --> 00:30:49,500 But your hope is that it's American? 678 00:30:49,500 --> 00:30:51,166 [Mark] Yeah. We don't know much about it. 679 00:30:51,166 --> 00:30:54,266 So, we... We're gonna go down and fully document it, 680 00:30:54,266 --> 00:30:55,967 do photogrammetry on it, 681 00:30:55,967 --> 00:30:58,100 and collect as much information 682 00:30:58,100 --> 00:30:59,467 on that site as we can. 683 00:30:59,467 --> 00:31:01,000 So, for folks who don't know photogrammetry, 684 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:03,200 basically you're gonna take a huge amount of photos 685 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:05,567 -high resolution that you can stitch together. -[Colin] Yeah. 686 00:31:05,567 --> 00:31:07,700 So, hopefully, if we can get more data, we can put 687 00:31:07,700 --> 00:31:09,266 the pieces together and figure out 688 00:31:09,266 --> 00:31:11,066 -which aircraft this is. -[Josh] Okay. 689 00:31:11,066 --> 00:31:12,467 -[Mark] Yeah. -Let's dive it. 690 00:31:12,467 --> 00:31:13,500 -[Mark] Let's do it. -[Colin] All right. 691 00:31:13,500 --> 00:31:14,266 All right. Come on. 692 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:22,867 We make our way to the coordinates 693 00:31:22,867 --> 00:31:24,767 and deploy the shot line. 694 00:31:24,767 --> 00:31:27,000 If we can positively identify the plane 695 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:29,567 as American, it would be historic. 696 00:31:29,567 --> 00:31:31,066 The first US wreck 697 00:31:31,066 --> 00:31:33,166 ever found in Truk Lagoon. 698 00:31:36,567 --> 00:31:38,467 [water splashes] 699 00:31:38,467 --> 00:31:41,567 [intense music playing] 700 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:49,734 [Josh speaking] 701 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,333 [Mark speaking] 702 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:55,767 [Josh speaking] 703 00:31:57,266 --> 00:31:59,066 [Mark speaking] 704 00:31:59,667 --> 00:32:02,767 [Josh speaking] 705 00:32:09,867 --> 00:32:13,367 [Mark speaking] 706 00:32:13,367 --> 00:32:15,800 [Josh] There are 42 missing American planes 707 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:17,767 in the lagoon. The question is, 708 00:32:17,767 --> 00:32:20,900 could this twisted pile of metal be one of them? 709 00:32:20,900 --> 00:32:22,634 [Josh speaking] 710 00:32:23,166 --> 00:32:25,033 [Mark speaking] 711 00:32:26,967 --> 00:32:29,166 [Josh speaking] 712 00:32:30,700 --> 00:32:32,934 [Mark speaking] 713 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:40,166 [Josh speaking] 714 00:32:40,166 --> 00:32:43,166 [Mark speaking] 715 00:32:43,166 --> 00:32:45,867 [Josh] The debris field is littered with metal. 716 00:32:45,867 --> 00:32:48,467 Most of it pancaked to the ocean floor, 717 00:32:48,467 --> 00:32:51,133 except for one telltale object. 718 00:32:52,367 --> 00:32:53,867 [Mark speaking] 719 00:32:53,867 --> 00:32:56,033 [Josh speaking] 720 00:33:02,500 --> 00:33:04,033 [Mark speaking] 721 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:07,934 [Josh speaking] 722 00:33:09,467 --> 00:33:11,333 [Mark speaking] 723 00:33:15,867 --> 00:33:17,300 [Josh speaking] 724 00:33:17,300 --> 00:33:19,533 [Mark speaking] 725 00:33:23,166 --> 00:33:24,800 [Josh] The Hamilton Standard propeller 726 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:27,600 had three bolts securing each blade. 727 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:29,266 It is a designed fingerprint 728 00:33:29,266 --> 00:33:31,767 that allows us to ID our suspect. 729 00:33:32,367 --> 00:33:34,567 [Josh speaking] 730 00:33:34,567 --> 00:33:35,533 [Mark speaking] 731 00:33:37,100 --> 00:33:39,266 [Josh speaking] 732 00:33:39,266 --> 00:33:41,767 [Mark speaking] 733 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:47,233 [Josh speaking] 734 00:33:54,300 --> 00:33:56,233 [Mark speaking] 735 00:33:59,567 --> 00:34:02,967 [Josh speaking] 736 00:34:02,967 --> 00:34:05,500 Eight decades after World War II, 737 00:34:05,500 --> 00:34:08,166 we just located an American plane wreck, 738 00:34:08,166 --> 00:34:10,867 the first ever found in Truk Lagoon. 739 00:34:10,867 --> 00:34:12,734 [Josh speaking] 740 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:20,266 [Mark speaking] 741 00:34:20,266 --> 00:34:22,066 [Josh] It's a historic discovery. 742 00:34:22,066 --> 00:34:24,600 Now, we need to gather as much information 743 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:27,166 as we can to determine which missing plane 744 00:34:27,166 --> 00:34:29,467 this is and who was in it. 745 00:34:29,467 --> 00:34:31,467 [Josh speaking] 746 00:34:31,467 --> 00:34:33,166 [Mark speaking] 747 00:34:35,667 --> 00:34:38,033 [Josh speaking] 748 00:34:39,667 --> 00:34:42,800 [Mark speaking] 749 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:46,033 [Josh speaking] 750 00:34:49,667 --> 00:34:51,500 [Mark speaking] 751 00:34:51,500 --> 00:34:53,166 [Josh] The puzzle pieces are starting 752 00:34:53,166 --> 00:34:54,467 to come together. 753 00:34:54,467 --> 00:34:56,900 We're looking at an American dive bomber, 754 00:34:56,900 --> 00:34:58,166 but which one? 755 00:34:58,166 --> 00:35:02,266 [Mark speaking] 756 00:35:07,100 --> 00:35:08,967 [Josh] The Douglas SBD Dauntless 757 00:35:08,967 --> 00:35:11,066 was the main US carrier bomber 758 00:35:11,066 --> 00:35:12,767 for most of World War II. 759 00:35:12,767 --> 00:35:15,066 Famous for delivering one of the most devastating 760 00:35:15,066 --> 00:35:16,767 defeats in military history 761 00:35:16,767 --> 00:35:18,667 at the Battle of Midway. 762 00:35:18,667 --> 00:35:22,100 Its successor, the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, 763 00:35:22,100 --> 00:35:24,500 was faster but harder to handle. 764 00:35:24,500 --> 00:35:26,900 Over 7,000 Helldivers were built, 765 00:35:26,900 --> 00:35:29,767 yet there is only one left on earth that flies. 766 00:35:29,767 --> 00:35:32,867 The question is, which plane is in front of us? 767 00:35:43,867 --> 00:35:46,033 [Mark speaking] 768 00:35:54,667 --> 00:35:57,000 [Josh speaking] 769 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,900 [Mark speaking] 770 00:35:59,900 --> 00:36:01,233 [Josh speaking] 771 00:36:07,867 --> 00:36:10,200 [Mark speaking] 772 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:12,934 [Josh speaking] 773 00:36:16,967 --> 00:36:19,266 Which leads to a sobering realization. 774 00:36:19,266 --> 00:36:22,433 The pilot and crew may also still be inside. 775 00:36:32,066 --> 00:36:34,333 [Mark speaking] 776 00:36:35,066 --> 00:36:36,500 [Josh speaking] 777 00:36:36,500 --> 00:36:38,333 [Mark speaking] 778 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:47,133 [Josh speaking] 779 00:36:48,967 --> 00:36:50,767 [Mark speaking] 780 00:36:51,867 --> 00:36:53,433 [Josh speaking] 781 00:36:54,367 --> 00:36:56,166 This wreck is a war grave, 782 00:36:56,166 --> 00:36:59,567 the final resting place of American soldiers. 783 00:36:59,567 --> 00:37:02,033 This is hallowed ground. 784 00:37:02,667 --> 00:37:05,166 [Josh speaking] 785 00:37:08,100 --> 00:37:11,266 [Mark speaking] 786 00:37:11,266 --> 00:37:13,433 [Josh speaking] 787 00:37:24,767 --> 00:37:27,767 [Mark speaking] 788 00:37:27,767 --> 00:37:29,967 [Josh speaking] 789 00:37:32,166 --> 00:37:34,300 Mark slowly circles the wreck, 790 00:37:34,300 --> 00:37:37,133 snapping hundreds and hundreds of photos. 791 00:37:44,166 --> 00:37:45,867 We surface and head back 792 00:37:45,867 --> 00:37:48,066 to Project Recover headquarters. 793 00:37:52,967 --> 00:37:55,300 We know this is an American plane, 794 00:37:55,300 --> 00:37:58,367 one of 42 lost in combat here. 795 00:37:58,367 --> 00:38:01,266 Now, the question is, which one? 796 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:03,266 -[Mark] Hey, Josh. -[Josh] Hey. 797 00:38:03,266 --> 00:38:05,266 Okay. How do we do on the photogrammetry? 798 00:38:05,266 --> 00:38:06,467 We spent some time on it 799 00:38:06,467 --> 00:38:07,767 and I think you're gonna be amazed. 800 00:38:07,767 --> 00:38:09,266 -We got some really good stuff. -[Josh] Really? 801 00:38:09,266 --> 00:38:10,567 -Yeah. -Okay. Take me through it. 802 00:38:10,567 --> 00:38:12,800 -What do we got? -We took over 2,000 photos 803 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:14,767 -to put this thing together. -Okay. 804 00:38:14,767 --> 00:38:17,266 So, this is individual photos that are then stitched 805 00:38:17,266 --> 00:38:19,867 to give us a perspective of the entire site. 806 00:38:19,867 --> 00:38:22,567 And what you end up with 807 00:38:22,567 --> 00:38:25,166 -is a picture like this. -[Josh] Wow. Look at that. 808 00:38:25,166 --> 00:38:27,000 You can see the entire wreck. 809 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:28,266 [Mark] The entire wreck. 810 00:38:28,266 --> 00:38:31,066 It gives us a much wider view of this 811 00:38:31,066 --> 00:38:33,000 certainly than I had down there diving around 812 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:34,367 and I didn't even see 813 00:38:34,367 --> 00:38:36,266 some of these outlying pieces of debris. 814 00:38:36,266 --> 00:38:38,200 [Colin] Yeah. And we can even now dial down 815 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:40,467 into the anatomy of the crash itself. 816 00:38:40,467 --> 00:38:43,300 The thing I guess to me that jumps out right away 817 00:38:43,300 --> 00:38:45,600 is just the complete and total destruction here. 818 00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:48,200 [Colin] Yeah. And what's striking about this photo, 819 00:38:48,200 --> 00:38:51,100 Josh, how far off the seafloor 820 00:38:51,100 --> 00:38:54,000 -is that aircraft? -It's pancaked on the bottom. 821 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:57,100 [Colin] That's right. It is barely coming off of the seafloor. 822 00:38:57,100 --> 00:39:00,266 This must have been a really dramatic crash. 823 00:39:00,266 --> 00:39:02,100 Yeah, that's right. This is an aircraft 824 00:39:02,100 --> 00:39:04,467 that hit the water at extremely high speeds. 825 00:39:04,467 --> 00:39:06,367 Right. 826 00:39:06,367 --> 00:39:08,900 Taking the forensic analysis a step further, 827 00:39:08,900 --> 00:39:11,900 the steep angle of descent at high speed 828 00:39:11,900 --> 00:39:14,567 suggests that this plane didn't just crash, 829 00:39:14,567 --> 00:39:16,333 it was shot down. 830 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:20,066 And the thousands of photographs we took 831 00:39:20,066 --> 00:39:22,567 not only enable us to see the full scope 832 00:39:22,567 --> 00:39:24,767 of the wreck site, they also reveal 833 00:39:24,767 --> 00:39:28,000 minute details that help identify the plane. 834 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:30,900 So, when we talk about really pressing down into the anatomy 835 00:39:30,900 --> 00:39:33,467 of this, what do we see in the photogrammetry? 836 00:39:33,467 --> 00:39:35,967 What jumps out at a granular level? 837 00:39:35,967 --> 00:39:37,500 -[Mark] Here's the rudder. -[Josh] Yes. 838 00:39:37,500 --> 00:39:38,867 I do remember seeing this down there... 839 00:39:38,867 --> 00:39:39,867 -[Mark] Yeah. -...laying in the sand. 840 00:39:41,100 --> 00:39:43,400 And take a look at this from a manual. 841 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:46,266 [Josh] So, this diagram is from what aircraft? 842 00:39:46,266 --> 00:39:47,300 An SBD Dauntless. 843 00:39:47,300 --> 00:39:49,300 That is an almost perfect match. 844 00:39:49,300 --> 00:39:50,634 [Mark] Yeah. 845 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:53,567 Well, we have another part here. 846 00:39:53,567 --> 00:39:55,367 This is the elevator torque tubes. 847 00:39:55,367 --> 00:39:57,767 [Josh] So, you see these kind of cross pieces here 848 00:39:57,767 --> 00:39:58,867 are the same as these two here. 849 00:39:58,867 --> 00:40:00,233 [Mark] Exactly. 850 00:40:03,567 --> 00:40:05,800 This is the landing gear strut 851 00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:07,667 with the shock absorber, 852 00:40:07,667 --> 00:40:09,367 which is you'll see right here. 853 00:40:09,367 --> 00:40:11,266 [Josh] Mmm-hmm. And we saw those 854 00:40:11,266 --> 00:40:13,100 -perforated air brakes, right? -[Mark] That's right. 855 00:40:13,100 --> 00:40:14,900 [Josh] Which were both under the wings 856 00:40:14,900 --> 00:40:16,166 and under the belly of the plane. 857 00:40:16,166 --> 00:40:17,567 [Mark] That's from the manual. 858 00:40:17,567 --> 00:40:18,667 [Colin] Exactly the same. 859 00:40:18,667 --> 00:40:20,000 Your confidence that 860 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:21,767 this is an American aircraft is? 861 00:40:21,767 --> 00:40:23,467 100%. 862 00:40:23,467 --> 00:40:25,100 Yeah. That... That's exactly what this is. 863 00:40:25,100 --> 00:40:27,767 This is a SBD-5 Dauntless. 864 00:40:28,700 --> 00:40:31,166 [Josh] Armed to the teeth with four machineguns 865 00:40:31,166 --> 00:40:33,700 and more than 2,000 pounds of bombs, 866 00:40:33,700 --> 00:40:37,667 the Dauntless is credited with 138 aerial victories 867 00:40:37,667 --> 00:40:40,367 and sank more than 18 enemy warships 868 00:40:40,367 --> 00:40:41,934 and six carriers. 869 00:40:43,100 --> 00:40:46,000 In short, the plane is an absolute legend 870 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:47,533 of World War II. 871 00:40:49,066 --> 00:40:51,300 So, if we now know this is a Dauntless, 872 00:40:51,300 --> 00:40:52,767 and obviously we know where it is... 873 00:40:52,767 --> 00:40:54,166 -Mmm-hmm. -...now what? 874 00:40:54,166 --> 00:40:55,800 I've been doing a lot of research, of course, 875 00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:57,266 on all the aircraft that crashed here, 876 00:40:57,266 --> 00:40:59,000 and there are two Dauntlesses that crashed 877 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:01,000 into the lagoon, and one of them 878 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:03,667 had a crash profile that looked very similar to this. 879 00:41:03,667 --> 00:41:06,667 [Josh] Wait, you're telling me you know who was flying that plane? 880 00:41:06,667 --> 00:41:08,567 I have a confidence of 100%. 881 00:41:08,567 --> 00:41:10,467 -Wow. No doubt? -[Mark] No doubt. 882 00:41:17,467 --> 00:41:19,400 [Josh] With an average year-round temperature 883 00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:21,567 of 81 degrees, no one in this part 884 00:41:21,567 --> 00:41:24,100 of the Pacific dreams of a white Christmas. 885 00:41:24,100 --> 00:41:27,166 Instead, they dream of a holiday splashdown. 886 00:41:27,166 --> 00:41:30,667 [intense music playing] 887 00:41:30,667 --> 00:41:33,367 In 1952, the US military 888 00:41:33,367 --> 00:41:34,567 started a tradition here 889 00:41:34,567 --> 00:41:37,166 known as Operation Christmas Drop. 890 00:41:37,166 --> 00:41:39,500 Boxes packed with toys and clothes 891 00:41:39,500 --> 00:41:42,166 are loaded onto C-130 transport planes... 892 00:41:42,166 --> 00:41:43,233 Go! 893 00:41:44,467 --> 00:41:46,567 ...and parachuted to remote islands 894 00:41:46,567 --> 00:41:48,667 throughout Micronesia. 895 00:41:48,667 --> 00:41:52,100 It's the longest running humanitarian airlift in the world. 896 00:41:52,100 --> 00:41:53,867 Ho, ho, ho, 897 00:41:53,867 --> 00:41:55,734 and Merry Chuuk-mas. 898 00:41:59,467 --> 00:42:02,800 So, if we now know this is a Dauntless, now what? 899 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:05,467 There are two Dauntlesses that crashed into the lagoon, 900 00:42:05,467 --> 00:42:07,600 and one of them had a crash profile 901 00:42:07,600 --> 00:42:09,500 that looked very similar to this. 902 00:42:09,500 --> 00:42:11,767 [Josh] Project Recover has just identified 903 00:42:11,767 --> 00:42:13,500 a Dauntless dive bomber, 904 00:42:13,500 --> 00:42:15,800 the first American World War II wreck 905 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:17,900 ever found in Truk Lagoon. 906 00:42:17,900 --> 00:42:21,100 And Colin may have identified its crew. 907 00:42:21,100 --> 00:42:22,300 -[Josh] Okay. -And I have a document 908 00:42:22,300 --> 00:42:24,800 that I found that I'd like to show you. 909 00:42:24,800 --> 00:42:27,767 [Josh] Okay. So, this is an account from who? 910 00:42:27,767 --> 00:42:30,100 This is an account from David J. Cawley. 911 00:42:30,100 --> 00:42:32,166 He was the backseat gunner on another Dauntless 912 00:42:32,166 --> 00:42:33,500 in the same squadron. 913 00:42:33,500 --> 00:42:35,867 And so, Cawley says in this account, 914 00:42:35,867 --> 00:42:37,767 "We dropped low over the water 915 00:42:37,767 --> 00:42:40,000 and we're taken under fire by a rusty hulk 916 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:42,567 of an old cargo ship or tanker. 917 00:42:42,567 --> 00:42:45,767 It was covered with anti-aircraft and machineguns 918 00:42:45,767 --> 00:42:47,867 and they were all firing at us." 919 00:42:47,867 --> 00:42:50,767 And at this point, this squadron is probably 920 00:42:50,767 --> 00:42:53,367 dive-bombing on the Heian Maru. 921 00:42:53,367 --> 00:42:55,100 That's right. Those two main ships 922 00:42:55,100 --> 00:42:56,767 in the area were the Heian Maru 923 00:42:56,767 --> 00:42:58,367 and the Tonan Maru No. 3. 924 00:42:58,367 --> 00:43:01,266 [Josh] "I spotted one of our SBDs, the Dauntless, 925 00:43:01,266 --> 00:43:03,266 about a half mile behind us 926 00:43:03,266 --> 00:43:05,400 still in his vertical dive, 927 00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:08,667 and he dove almost vertically into the water. 928 00:43:12,266 --> 00:43:14,767 As our planes joined up, we soon figured out 929 00:43:14,767 --> 00:43:18,100 that it was Donald Dean and J.J. McGorry. 930 00:43:18,100 --> 00:43:21,100 I have always thought that they were hit by AA, 931 00:43:21,100 --> 00:43:24,066 anti-aircraft fire, just before pullout." 932 00:43:24,066 --> 00:43:25,200 Yeah. 933 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:27,767 [intense music playing] 934 00:43:33,767 --> 00:43:36,867 This guy is describing 935 00:43:36,867 --> 00:43:38,967 another Dauntless just behind them 936 00:43:38,967 --> 00:43:41,667 in this area in a vertical dive. 937 00:43:41,667 --> 00:43:43,500 So, we have their names here. 938 00:43:43,500 --> 00:43:45,934 Donald Dean and J.J. McGorry. 939 00:43:47,166 --> 00:43:50,100 Gunner J.J. McGorry and Pilot Donald Dean 940 00:43:50,100 --> 00:43:52,867 were members of the VB-10 Bombing Squadron 941 00:43:52,867 --> 00:43:55,433 stationed on the USS Enterprise. 942 00:43:56,667 --> 00:43:58,800 Dean was a quarterback in college and father 943 00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:01,567 of a newborn that he never got a chance to meet. 944 00:44:02,467 --> 00:44:04,000 They flew dive-bombing missions 945 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:06,967 in the Marshall Islands and two successful missions 946 00:44:06,967 --> 00:44:10,467 in Operation Hailstone before they were shot down. 947 00:44:10,467 --> 00:44:13,767 Not only are we now able to tell more of their story, 948 00:44:13,767 --> 00:44:15,600 but Project Recover's efforts 949 00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:17,634 may finally bring them home. 950 00:44:18,467 --> 00:44:20,767 This is invaluable 951 00:44:20,767 --> 00:44:25,266 for the next phase of MIA recovery. 952 00:44:25,266 --> 00:44:28,900 The detail of this photo will be analyzed. 953 00:44:28,900 --> 00:44:32,100 They have an image of the entire site 954 00:44:32,100 --> 00:44:35,000 at such high resolution that you can actually dive 955 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:37,166 into the picture without even being there. 956 00:44:37,166 --> 00:44:39,467 This becomes a tool then for figuring out 957 00:44:39,467 --> 00:44:42,266 how to plan and ultimately extract 958 00:44:42,266 --> 00:44:43,800 maybe remains from the wreck in the future. 959 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:45,000 -[Mark] Exactly. -Right. 960 00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:46,367 And once those remains 961 00:44:46,367 --> 00:44:48,467 are recovered, what happens? 962 00:44:48,467 --> 00:44:50,567 -They'll be brought back home. -They'll be brought back home. 963 00:44:50,567 --> 00:44:51,667 With honors. 964 00:44:51,667 --> 00:44:53,066 -With honors. -[Colin] Yeah. 965 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:00,266 So, when we started this, 966 00:45:00,266 --> 00:45:02,200 there were 42 missing American planes 967 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:03,300 here in Truk Lagoon. 968 00:45:03,300 --> 00:45:04,900 Now, there's 41, 969 00:45:04,900 --> 00:45:06,567 and the first American aircraft 970 00:45:06,567 --> 00:45:09,266 ever located in Truk Lagoon, we can check it off the list. 971 00:45:09,266 --> 00:45:11,867 I'm so touched and humbled 972 00:45:11,867 --> 00:45:15,200 to have been able to be here to document this 973 00:45:15,200 --> 00:45:17,166 to play just a small role in what you do. 974 00:45:17,166 --> 00:45:18,467 It's extraordinary work. 975 00:45:18,467 --> 00:45:19,667 Leads to this. 976 00:45:19,667 --> 00:45:21,467 Well, thank you for having me out here. 977 00:45:21,467 --> 00:45:22,767 -I really appreciate it. -No, thank you, Josh. 978 00:45:22,767 --> 00:45:23,867 -You guys are awesome. -I appreciate it. 979 00:45:23,867 --> 00:45:26,567 Keep up the amazing work and, uh... 980 00:45:26,567 --> 00:45:28,200 here's to these guys and to... 981 00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:29,867 And to many more to be found soon. 982 00:45:29,867 --> 00:45:31,033 And brought home. 983 00:45:32,467 --> 00:45:34,266 [Josh] On the main island in Chuuk, 984 00:45:34,266 --> 00:45:37,000 there is a memorial to the thousands of Japanese 985 00:45:37,000 --> 00:45:38,700 who died here during the war, 986 00:45:38,700 --> 00:45:40,400 but there's no memorial 987 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:43,767 to the Americans who perished until now. 988 00:45:43,767 --> 00:45:46,567 We worked with the entire Project Recover team 989 00:45:46,567 --> 00:45:49,166 to have one made and presented in a ceremony 990 00:45:49,166 --> 00:45:51,166 with the Lieutenant Governor. 991 00:45:51,166 --> 00:45:53,900 I wanna thank Josh and Expedition Unknown. 992 00:45:53,900 --> 00:45:55,767 It's because of your team 993 00:45:55,767 --> 00:45:57,600 that we are able to actually do this. 994 00:45:57,600 --> 00:45:59,667 So, I really wanna extend a warm thank you 995 00:45:59,667 --> 00:46:02,100 to you for helping do this. 996 00:46:02,100 --> 00:46:03,467 So, without further ado. 997 00:46:06,100 --> 00:46:08,767 [applause] 998 00:46:09,900 --> 00:46:11,867 So, the plaque reads, 999 00:46:11,867 --> 00:46:15,800 "In remembrance of over 200 United States servicemen 1000 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:18,166 who made the ultimate sacrifice on 1001 00:46:18,166 --> 00:46:22,367 and around the islands of Truk Lagoon in World War II, 1002 00:46:22,367 --> 00:46:24,367 today known as Chuuk, 1003 00:46:24,367 --> 00:46:26,767 the Federated States of Micronesia." 1004 00:46:26,767 --> 00:46:28,567 [applause] 1005 00:46:28,567 --> 00:46:30,000 And it cites a passage 1006 00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:31,867 from the poem by Laurence Binyon, 1007 00:46:31,867 --> 00:46:33,467 "For The Fallen." 1008 00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:37,300 "They that shall not grow old, 1009 00:46:37,300 --> 00:46:39,767 as we that are left grow old. 1010 00:46:39,767 --> 00:46:41,567 Age shall not weary them, 1011 00:46:41,567 --> 00:46:43,367 nor the years condemn. 1012 00:46:43,367 --> 00:46:45,367 At the going down of the sun 1013 00:46:45,367 --> 00:46:47,000 and in the morning, 1014 00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:48,767 we will remember them." 1015 00:46:48,767 --> 00:46:51,266 ♪ Although I never met you ♪ 1016 00:46:51,266 --> 00:46:53,567 ♪ You mean so much to me ♪ 1017 00:46:53,567 --> 00:46:56,567 ♪ My service was To serve you ♪ 1018 00:46:56,567 --> 00:46:59,100 ♪ You and your family ♪ 1019 00:46:59,100 --> 00:47:01,667 ♪ To ensure your sacrifice ♪ 1020 00:47:01,667 --> 00:47:04,000 ♪ Goes down in history ♪ 1021 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:08,233 ♪ And I feel so unworthy ♪ 1022 00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:13,166 ♪ But I'm here To tell your story ♪ 1023 00:47:14,767 --> 00:47:20,000 ♪ You are not forgotten ♪ 1024 00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:24,967 ♪ This I promise you ♪ 1025 00:47:24,967 --> 00:47:27,667 ♪ I'll never let you go ♪ 1026 00:47:27,667 --> 00:47:32,266 ♪ Your story only grows ♪ 1027 00:47:32,266 --> 00:47:35,567 ♪ Whoa, whoa ♪ 1028 00:47:35,567 --> 00:47:39,834 ♪ You are not forgotten ♪ 1029 00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:45,667 ♪ I'll let everybody know ♪ 1030 00:47:45,667 --> 00:47:48,500 ♪ About your legacy ♪ 1031 00:47:48,500 --> 00:47:51,066 ♪ And what you mean to me ♪ 1032 00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:58,166 ♪ Always remember You're not forgotten ♪