Searching for WWII War Dead on Okinawa 1985-86
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While station on Okinawa in the middle 80s, some of my off duty time was spent searching and recovering WWII war dead. Even after all those years we were able to find war dead. My biggest find came when we recovered ten Japanese skeletons under one tree. The greatest satisfaction of the whole expericence was knowing that families, American and Japanese could find closure by burying or cremating thier warriors, and putting the war behind them.
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This is a pic of men digging at the entrance of a cave that yielded ten skeletons from under this tree.
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These are some bones recovered from an entrance of a cave. The bones were saved and later cremated during a ceremony put on by the Japanese.
There were numerous hazards encountered like the dreaded Habu snake, unexploded ordinance, venomous insects, and old booty traps. Pictured above and below is unexploded ordanance recovered, by knowledgeable people of course.
This is an example of we had to go through to get to some search areas. Can you see the person in the center of of this picture?
Here I am with part of a gas mask and sole of a boot.
Above: Brian and Sweeny digging at the entrance of a cave. Below: Sweeny on another dig.
