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May 21st
Members' Meeting Guest Speaker
Our May speakers are from the
"BentProp™
Project", which searches for and finds MIAs. They have
completed a documentary film over the past seven years on
the project and will present the film and speak about the
project.
Information on the project
and fim can be found at:
Purpose of the BentProp™
Project
During World War
II, many American airmen lost their lives in the western
Pacific, some in the western Caroline Islands, in what is
presently known as The Republic of Palau. The ultimate fate
of hundreds of these men remains a mystery today. For more
than a half century, families and wingmen of airmen who were
declared Missing In Action (MIA) have lived with a painful
lack of closure: they do not know exactly how and where
their loved ones died. If they could have such knowledge it
would not eliminate the pain of loss, but such knowledge can
sometimes ease the emptiness and silence the nightmares.
The only antidote for such painful lack of closure is
information. Unfortunately, the ocean and jungles don't give
up information about long-lost aircraft without a struggle.
The ocean can bury an aircraft under sand and silt, or
gradually envelop it in a shrine of coral. The jungle,
similarly, reclaims a wreck over the years by letting it
sink into the mud and be slowly covered by each year's
bounty of leaves and vines.
Pursuing such mysteries, especially after the passage of so
many decades, is not easy. Random searching, above or below
the ocean's surface, can be a colossal waste of time.
Directed searching using information gleaned from archives
can at least provide tentative boundaries for a search area
- but not always the correct one. By far the most fruitful
approach is winning the trust of people who live in an area,
who are then willing to come forth with information (and
often express a willingness to be guides) leading to sites
that - to them - are just curiosities from a time long
beyond their recollection. Over several years, BentProp™
teams have tried all three approaches.
Latest Stuff
The 2008 expedition has wrapped up, and everyone's safely
home. We arrived in Palau late on 23 February and headed
home on 23 March. While we were in the field, we posted
daily progress reports for the 2008 expedition.
"Last Flight Home" is finally, lovingly completed. Six years
in the making, this moving documentary about the BentProp™
Project by team members Jennifer Powers and Dan O'Brien is
now available.
Here's where you can check out the film, view a trailer, and
order a copy.
WHERE:
Sonoma County Office of
Education (SCOE)
5340 Skylane Blvd.
Santa Rosa, CA
95403
Click here for Directions & Map
WHEN:
May 21st, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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