Today is the day Americans reflect upon the attack of our homeland which ushered the United States into World War II.  For me, I take this moment to not only reflect on the sacrifices of honorable men and women during World War II who would have much rather spent their time pursuing a career, a dream or raising a family, but also the millions of people who felt the loss of those people that did not return.

Slightly similar to the feeling of loss felt by the families of from the war are the Hawaii Clipper passengers and crew families and their loss. Today, they still don’t know what happened to their loved ones however I’m working to reverse that fact.

Last year, we took a bold step on a small Pacific island and successfully narrowed the mystery down to a fifty yard grid.  Somewhere on that small patch of land is the answer if World War II started in Pearl Harbor or in Truk Lagoon.

In this view out the fuselage hatch is a GoPro Hero 3 attached to the port wing of a Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander above Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon. From this vantage point, it was obvious that looking for the ruins of an Imperial Japanese Navy field hospital swallowed by seventy years of jungle growth would be challenging.  Guess what?

We found it!  Now, after three trips, a forth and final expedition is being planned.   This search will be the first when the actual dig site has been identified and the means to properly conduct field forensic recovery is in place.

I cannot leave this post without reflecting about something far more important.  This particular day of December 7, 2015, has even more sorrow than usual because of yet another attack by an enemy which hates democracy and free speech.  In addition to the freedom to choose which God to worship, these cowards lack human empathy, dignity and respect for peoples of all nations that do not share their radical cult of hate and double standards.   Please join me in solidarity to reflect on Americans in harms way – whether they be in the military, the police, emergency respondents or the neighbor who sacrificed their blood for a fellow American they didn’t even know.

God bless the United States of America.