V. Executive Summary

Summary of General Findings of P-MAN IV:

During 7-24 April 2002, I returned to Palau with the P-MAN IV team for further exploration of and search for American airmen and their aircraft crash sites within the Palau Islands. This team brought a broad base of expertise and capabilities essential for expanding searches for these airmen, missing in action (MIA) since WWII. In addition, the P-MAN IV team was honored to be accompanied by both Bill Cantrell, a former Marine Corsair aviator who flew in combat with VMF-114 over Palau during WWII and Jim Nelson, whose father was Marine Corsair squadron commander of VMF-122 who crashed and remains MIA in the Palau area.

The P-MAN IV primary goals, in brief, were:

• To search for several new WWII aircraft crash sites, primarily based on leads obtained during the P-MAN III expedition of November 2001
• To reinvestigate selected sites in greater detail
• To continue interviews of Palauans who might have knowledge of these and other aircraft crash sites and MIA’s from WWII.

As with P-MAN III, an independent video production company (PostStar Productions) sent a two-person crew (director Dan O’Brien and cameraman Clem Majors) to document this expedition.

As with prior P-MAN expeditions, I was honored to carry Explorers Club Flag, #103.

As with prior reports I have made, the disclosed P-MAN IV findings do not include Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates. US and Palauan authorities appropriately continue to request our not publicly releasing such readings so as to prevent scavenging and salvaging, which are both illegal in Palau. I have provided these agencies with all such coordinates. Some of these crash sites are also the subjects of ongoing investigations for MIA’s. Also, out of respect for their privacy, some Palauans interviewed herein have not been named.

P-MAN IV key events include:

1. Finding and identifying one new WWII U. S. Corsair fighter crash site, 18- 19APR02.
2. Finding 3 new aircraft debris fields consistent with probable crash sites
3. Conducting archeological field searches on 2 previously discovered crash sites
4. Searching 5 areas for possible leads on undiscovered crash sites
5. Interviewing Palauan elders for their recollections of WWII concerning downed aircraft and American POWs
6. Conducting American flag ceremonies in honor of 3 confirmed KIA’s, 1 MIA witnessed by a Palauan to be a KIA, and 1 MIA
7. Holding a memorial ceremony for Major Quintus B. Nelson, Squadron
   Commander, VMF-122 (KIA, BNR, 16APR45), 16APR02
8. Conducting Explorers Club Flag #103 ceremonies at two new sites, 12APR02
   and 19APR02
9. Participating with the Palauan Senate in honoring Bill Cantrell, LTC, USMC
   (Ret), 11APR02
10. Initiating a link with the Palauan Historical Preservation Office and beginning
    discussions about formally documenting and further protecting all WWII
    aircraft crash sites within Palau, 24APR02
11. Opening several leads for future P-MAN expeditions

Page last modified 27 April 2005