Searching The Jungles of Palau

Michelle AbbeyMIA Searches, Mission - Pacific, Mission Reflections, Team Leave a Comment

Hanna Friedlander joined the Project Recover team in 2022. After her mission with Project Recover in March 2023, she graciously offered to take the time to share with us her experience and thoughts around her first mission. Please note that we purposefully cannot publicly share details about this open case via report or photos. This is out of respect for the family of our MIA and our partnership with DPAA. This was a dream, something I had yearned to do since I began my career as an aspiring anthropologist while pursuing my undergraduate. This dream continued through my years as a Masters student and into my professional life. I had a burning desire to work with an organization that wholeheartedly …

Execution of WWII POWs and Innocents in Palau - Project Recover is committed to bringing the MIA home. Photos by Harry Parker Photography.com

The Search For MIAs: Execution of WWII POWs and Innocents in Palau

Lauren TrecostaMIA Searches, Mission - Pacific 28 Comments

July 2018 Project Recover spent three weeks searching for the remains from the execution of WWII POWs and innocents in Palau in July 2018. It was a land-based mission with two points of focus: Police Hill and Aimeliik. Pat Scannon, M.D., Ph.D., and founder of The BentProp Project, led the mission. Dan O’Brien, a 20 year veteran of BentProp, co-led the mission. The rest of the volunteer team was Jolie Liston, Ph.D. (archaeologist), Dave Bavencoff (police officer), Sarah Johnson (college sophomore), Glenn Frano (geospatial technician), and Joe Maldangesang, a State Conservation Officer and 20+ year veteran of BentProp, who served the mission as jungle guide and skipper We had key support from within Palau: Richard Madrekevet, an unexploded ordnance specialist, …