ARM3c Walter Mintus, WWII Radioman, was buried with military honors 74 years after being declared MIA. Project Recover located his TBM Avenger in 2016.
Otis E. Ingram, WWII Gunner, Accounted For By DPAA
Navy Aviation Chief Ordnanceman Otis E. Ingram, a WWII gunner, killed in 1944, has been accounted for by the DPAA. ACOM Ingram was a turret gunner aboard a TBM-1c Avenger and a member of the U.S. Navy Torpedo Squadron Fifty One (VT-51). Project Recover located that Avenger in 2016 and turned its findings over to the DPAA. Ingram and his crewmates were on a mission to bomb a Japanese base in Malakal Harbor, Palau. His aircraft took off from the USS San Jacinto on July 27th, 1944, and was in the lead position of four Avengers. According to reports, the aircraft was last seen three to five miles ahead. It was believed to have been spotted on fire in Malakal …
Walter E. Mintus, WWII Radioman, Accounted For By DPAA
Navy Aviation Radioman 3rd Class Walter E. Mintus, WWII radioman, was accounted for on June 25, 2018, the DPAA announced. His funeral is scheduled for November 10th, 2018 in his hometown.
MIA Lt. William Q. Punnell located by Project Recover to be buried May 2
April 27, 2018 – MIA Lt. William Q. Punnell located by Project Recover will be buried May 2nd On May 2, 2018 Navy Reserve Lt. William Q. Punnell, 27, of Flandreau, South Dakota will be buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery. On July 25, 1944 four divisions (16 aircraft) of F6F-3 Hellcat fighters led by Lt. Punnell, took off from the USS Wasp aircraft carrier on a fighter sweep against targets throughout the islands of the Republic of Palau. According to eyewitnesses, the tail of Lt. Punnell’s aircraft was shot off during a strafing run against the north Japanese seaplane base on Arakabesan Island. His plane, continuing to dive, crashed into the waters offshore and sunk without …
Beaver County Remembers Walter Mintus, WWII MIA, In Video
Beaver County Remembers Walter “Bert” Mintus in Video The Beaver County Times remembers ARM3c Walter “Bert” Mintus in video. Mintus was a radioman on a TBM-1c Avenger. His plane crashed in 1944, and Mintus was declared Missing In Action (MIA). Project Recover located the Avenger in 2016. Mintus took off from the USS San Jacinto on July 27th, 1944. His crew was on a mission to bomb a Japanese base on Malakal, Palau. His aircraft was in the lead position of four Avengers. According to reports, Mintus’ plane was in the lead by 3-5 miles when it was shot down. ARM3c Walter Mintus and his two crew-mates were declared Missing In Action. The DPAA accounted for the gunner on the aircraft, Otis …
F6F Hellcat Discovery Leads to DPAA Accounting For Pilot Lt. William Punnell
In March 2014, Project Recover discovers wreck of an F6F Hellcat and the eventual repatriation of MIA WWII Pilot, Lt. Punnell. More info on the mission here
PMAN XVIII – Project Recover Locates WWII TBM Avenger Aircraft
PMAN XVIII – Project Recover Locates WWII TBM Avenger Team enjoys unseasonably cool winter. Mission starts with training on D.A.N. Emergency Oxygen Case and OTS Full Face Mask in the pool. Members cover more ground and target verification due to the Navigator Sonar from Scripps and UDEL drastically changing the efficiency of the team’s efforts. Nothing of interest found on land or in sea and obvious land targets are running dry. Old sites revisited for new members, corsair and B24. Sunken landing craft and land LTV’s visited. New records set for the team. 100 targets dived. 70 man hours underwater. 79 Feet Below Sea Water (FSW) average for all targets. BentProp team members: Pat Scannon, Dan O’Brien, Val Thal-Slocum, Derek Abbey, …
