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Pacific Wrecks
@pacificwrecks.bsky.social
70 followers 18 following 71 posts
Pacific Wrecks.com is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to bringing home those Missing In Action (MIA) and leveraging new technologies in the study of past conflicts.
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Join us live on Veterans Day to return a World War II U.S. Army dog tag found in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to the veteran's daughter.
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#VeteransDay @usarmy.bsky.social #DogTag #LostAndFound #PapuaNewGuinea #PNG
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November 11, 2025 at 9:17 PM
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Join us live on YouTube for an interview with Dave R. Holland, author of "Guadalcanal's Longest Fight: The Pivotal Battles of the Matanikau Front". Don't miss the livestream about the book and the battle! 📚
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#LiveStream #Guadalcanal #Author
Interview with Dave R. Holland author Guadalcanal's Longest Fight
YouTube video by Pacific Wrecks
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October 25, 2025 at 2:25 AM
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October 18, 1965: U.S. Army Special Forces Captain Larry Allan Thorne (Lauri Allan Törni) went missing in action as a passenger aboard a South Vietnamese H-34 helicopter. Previously, he served in the Finnish Army and the German Waffen-SS in WWII.
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#MIA
Pacific Wrecks - Major Larry Alan Thorne / Lauri Allan Törni, Finnish Army, Waffen-SS, U.S. Army
Finnish Army, Waffen-SS, U.S. Army Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV-SOG). On October 18, 1965 Missing In Action (MIA) aboard H-34 Kingbee crash in Vietnam, reamins recovered.
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October 18, 2025 at 5:38 PM
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Join us live on YouTube tomorrow at 11:15am ET for an interview with Wisconsin Army National Guard Captain Florian L. Waitl, co-producer of the documentary, The 32nd Infantry Division’s Nightmare: The Battle of Buna.
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#Buna #Documentary
Interview with Florian L. Waitl making The 32nd Infantry Division’s Nightmare: The Battle of Buna - YouTube
Join @Pacificwrecks⁩ for an interview with Wisconsin Army National Guard Captain Florian L. Waitl, co-producer of @ArmyUniversityPress documentary, The 32nd ...
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October 9, 2025 at 3:31 AM
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For National POW/MIA Recognition Day, @PacificWrecks founder @JustinTaylan had the honor to meet U.S. Army Pfc (retired) Jessica Lynch, ex-Prisoner Of War (POW). Lynch served in the Iraq War and was captured on March 23, 2003, and nine days later was rescued by U.S. forces.
#POW #MIA #POWMIA
September 20, 2025 at 2:00 AM
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Today is National POW/MIA Recognition Day. The U.S. has 84,605 Missing In Action (MIA) from World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts since, according to ABMC. This includes 75% in the Indo-Pacific and 41,000+ lost at sea.
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#POWMIA
Pacific Wrecks - American Missing In Action (MIA) World War II Pacific Theater, Korean War, Cold War and Vietnam
At the end of World War II, 78,750 Americans were listed as Missing In Action (MIA) with roughly half in Pacific. During the Korean War, over 8,000 Americans were listed as Missing In Action.
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September 19, 2025 at 11:02 PM
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September 16th marks the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea independence. The nation spans the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands. During World War II, the country was a pivotal battlefield on land, at sea, and in the air.
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#PNG
Pacific Wrecks - Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is the eastern half of New Guinea plus the offshore islands of New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville and offshore islands. To the west is Indonesia and to the south is the Coral Sea and Australia.
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September 16, 2025 at 4:43 PM
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September 2, 1945: Japan surrenders aboard USS Missouri (BB-63). General Douglas MacArthur states: "Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always. These proceedings are closed!"
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#TokyoBay #Japan #Surrender
Pacific Wrecks - September 2, 1945
Chronology of WWII Pacific War events, missions and losses on this date with links to locations, aircraft and ships. Covers U.S. Army Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, Australian, New Zealand and Japanese.
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September 2, 2025 at 4:35 PM
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August 27, 1945: Japanese Submarine I-400 is spotted by Avengers and intercepted by USS Blue (DD-744) and USS Mansfield (DD-728) off northern Honshu. A prize crew is rushed to the sub by USS Proteus (AS-19).
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#IJN #Submarine #I400 #Japan #USNavy
Pacific Wrecks - I-400 Japanese Submarine
I-400-class submarine surrendered at the end of the Pacific War and evaluated by the U.S. Navy then scuttled June 4, 1946 off Barber's Point discovered August 2013 by HURL.
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August 28, 2025 at 4:20 AM
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Then & Now: Phillip Bradley & Justin Taylan 2003 & 2025.
The pair connected in the early days of Pacific Wrecks. Since then, the pair have explored battlefields, conducted archival research, and shared a mutual interest in military history worldwide.
#ThenAndNow #PhotoThrowBack
August 25, 2025 at 2:27 AM
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August 21, 1945: In what was likely the last U.S. Navy surface action of World War II, Gunner's Mate Third Class James "Jim" Ralph Reid Jr. earned the Navy Cross firing a bazooka and throwing a grenade into a Japanese junk off China.
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#NavyCross #USNavy
Pacific Wrecks - GM3C James "Jim" Ralph Reid Jr., U.S. Navy.
Served in the U.S. Navy and earned the Navy Cross on August 21, 1945.
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August 22, 2025 at 1:44 AM
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August 13, 1945: The last U.S. air raid against Wake Island is conducted by U.S. Marine planes that target the gun battery at Peacock Point. Wake was targeted hundreds of times by aircraft and shore bombardment.
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#Wake #USMC #Bombing #AirRaid
Pacific Wrecks - Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands, United States
Wake Island is the largest island in Wake Atoll was occupied by the Japanese from late December 1941 until the end of the Pacific War.
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August 14, 2025 at 3:09 AM
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August 12, 1945: Lost is P-38L Lightning 44-27142 pilot Major Robert G. Hochuli on a bombing and strafing mission against Mimitsu, Kyushu in Japan. Damaged, he crashed into the sea and remains listed as Missing In Action (MIA).
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#MIA #MissingInAction
Pacific Wrecks - P-38L-5-LO Lightning serial number 44-27142
On August 12, 1945 took off from Ie Shima Airfield piloted by Major Robert G. Hochuli armed with bombs on a mission to bomb and strafe target at Kadogawa and Mimitsu on Kyushu and went Missing In Action (MIA).
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August 13, 2025 at 3:05 AM
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August 11, 1945: Japanese submarine I-402 moored in Kure Harbor is damaged by P-51D Mustangs that strafe and score several near misses with bombs that damage the fuel tanks and wound two of her crew.
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#JapaneseNavy #Kure #Sentoku #Submarine
Pacific Wrecks - I-402 Japanese Submarine
I-400-class submarine surrendered at Kure at the end of World War II and scuttled April 1, 1946 in the Goto Islands.
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August 12, 2025 at 3:00 AM
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August 10, 1945: Japanese Transport No. 21 (T.21) capsized and sank off Tsuwa Jima. The previous day, damaged by P-47N Thunderbolts that strafed the vessel. In 1948, the shipwreck was raised and broken up for scrap.
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#JapaneseNavy #Japan #strafe #shipwreck
Pacific Wrecks - Transport No. 21 (T.21)
No. 1 class landing ship damaged August 9, 1945 and run aground and sank the next day. During 1948, the shipwreck was raised and scrapped.
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August 10, 2025 at 9:47 PM
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August 9th marks the 80th anniversary of B-29 "Bockscar" 44-27297 dropping a plutonium bomb nicknamed "Fat Man" over Nagasaki, Japan, killing nearly 24,000 according to Japanese reports, plus 60,000 were injured.
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# Nagasaki #Japan #AtomicBomb
Pacific Wrecks
Nagasaki is the largest city and provincial capital of Nagasaki Prefecture in Kyūshū Island in Japan.
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August 9, 2025 at 11:46 PM
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On August 6th, we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the B-29 "Enola Gay" dropping the atomic bomb "Little Boy" over Hiroshima, Japan. Learn more about this historic event and its impact on the city at: pacificwrecks.com/lo...
#Hiroshima #Japan #AtomicBomb #ABomb
Pacific Wrecks - Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in the Chūgoku Region on the south coast of Honshū in Japan.
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August 6, 2025 at 8:19 PM
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We are here at @EAA AirVenture! Visit @PacificWrecks and @BongCenter booth 4017 in Building D. Don't miss the Pacific Wrecks lecture by @justintaylan on Finding Richard I. Bong’s P-38 Marge July 26th at 10:00 a.m. at EAA Museum, Hilton Theater.
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July 21, 2025 at 6:10 PM
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Watch live! Ocean Exploration Trust's @nautiluslive.org is live streaming from the shipwreck of USS De Haven (DD-469) sunk into Iron Bottom Sound off Guadalcanal and just found the ship's bell!
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#Exploration #SolomonIslands #Shipwreck #Destroyer #USNavy #WWII #WW2
July 9, 2025 at 2:02 AM
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Who's attending @EAA AirVenture? Comment below! Don't miss the Pacific Wrecks lecture by Justin Taylan on Finding Richard I. Bong’s P-38 Marge in Papua New Guinea, July 26th at 10:00 a.m. at EAA Museum, Hilton Theater. See you in Oshkosh, Wisconsin!
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July 3, 2025 at 8:45 PM
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July 1, 1945: Operation Oboe Two, the U.S. Navy lands the Australian Army 7th Division near Balikpapan in southeast Borneo. Japanese resistance is initially light but increases as the Australians move inland.
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#Borneo #AustralianArmy #Indonesia
Pacific Wrecks - Balikpapan, East Kalimantan Province, Borneo, Indonesia
Balikpapan is located on the southeast coast of Borneo in East Kalimantan Province of Indonesia.
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July 1, 2025 at 1:35 PM
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June 30, 1945: The Luzon campaign in the Philippines officially ends. The remainder of the Japanese 14th Area Army under General Yamashita continues to defend until the official surrender of Japan.
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#Philippines #Luzon #Yamashita
Pacific Wrecks - Luzon, Philippines
Luzon Island is the largest island in the Philippines. Also known as simply Luzon. Today, divided into five regions and many provinces.
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June 30, 2025 at 9:55 PM
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June 29, 1945: B-29 Superfortresses mine the western approach to the Shimonoseki Strait between Shimonoseki on southern Honshū and Kitakyushu (today Moji) on northern Kyūshū in Japan.
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#B29 #Japan #Mine
Pacific Wrecks - Shimonoseki Strait (Kanmon Straits) Japan
The Shimonoseki Strait (Straits of Shimonoseki) separates Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Province on southern Honshū and Kitakyushu (today Moji) on northern Kyūshū in southern Japan.
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June 30, 2025 at 2:15 AM
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June 28, 1945: Japanese submarine I-36 spots USS Antares (AKS-3) and makes an unsuccessful kaiten manned torpedo attack, then survives a depth charge attack by USS Sproston (DD-577) and survives the Pacific War.
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#JapaneseNavy #Kaiten #torpedo #submarine
Pacific Wrecks - I-36 Japanese Submarine
Type B1 submarine that survived to the end of the Pacific War. On April 1, 1946 scutted by gunfire off Goto Islands.
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June 29, 2025 at 3:10 PM
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June 27, 1945: U.S. Army 37th Division, 129th Infantry Regiment reaches Aparri, securing the Cagayan Valley of Luzon in the Philippines. Four days earlier, the 11th Airborne made a paratrooper drop and glider landings at Calamaniugan.
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#Philippines #Luzon
Pacific Wrecks - Aparri (Apparri), Cagayan Province, Luzon, Philippines
Aparri is located to the east of the mouth of the Cagayan River in Cagayan Province on the northern tip of Luzon in the Philippines.
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June 28, 2025 at 12:05 AM