WWII MIAs Americas Shame Americas Forgotten WWII Dead One can judge the conscience of a nation by the

recognition it gives to those ho died for it!"

-- William Gladstone, 19th Century British Prime Minister

Background #here are current$y %%&''' missing and un(no n American mi$itary dead from WWII& )orea and *ietnam& ith +, from *ietnam& %, from )orea and -', from WWII! #he .S De/artment of Defense estimates that +0&'''123&''' of these dead are sti$$ recoverab$e!" #he De/artment recovers the remains of 43 /er year from a$$ three ars combined5under a /rogram that former$y gave first /riority to the recovery of the dead from the most recent ars& i!e!& Ira6 and Afghanistan! A$$ ars /rior to *ietnam ere considered Ancient Wars!" DoD has recent$y sto//ed using this c$assification& hence there is no $onger any difference in the recovery of MIAs! 7eon 8oo/er& 9roducer& /ro/osed fi$m series& WWII MIAs1 :ou Are Forgotten" 8oo/er served four years during WWII as a ;ava$ officer& /rimari$y in the 9acific #heatre& as <oat =rou/ 8ommander for his shi/! In that ca/acity he assisted in the direction of $andings& in >iggins <oats& of assau$t troo/s on the beaches of ?a/anese1 he$d is$and strongho$ds! >e too( /art in si@ invasions& starting ith #ara a and ending ith I o ?ima! In +''%& he /roduced Aeturn to #ara a1the 7eon 8oo/er Story&" a documentary fi$m about his return visit to the is$ands of his first batt$e e@/erience! During his return visit to #ara a he $earned that hundreds of Americans sti$$ $ay here they fe$$& si@ty five years before& in the fury of the three days of savagery that became (no n as <$oody #ara a!" At the time& 8oo/er ondered hether there ere other #ara as" among the many batt$es fought during the 9acific War! <ac( home& he $earned indeed there ere& and as shoc(ed and saddened to $earn ho $itt$e our government had done to recover the remains of those ho had died in defense of our nations freedom& and ho seeming$y ca$$ous our nations $eaders had been to the needs of the re$atives of the fa$$en5to bring c$osure to a /ainfu$ cha/ter in their $ives! Where ere his remainsB What ere the circumstances of his deathB Why hadnt the remains of their husbands& their unc$es& their brothers& their grandfathers been found and re/atriatedB 8ongress #a(es Action

7eon 8oo/ers fi$m& Aeturn to #ara a1the 7eon 8oo/er Story" had been vie ed by members of 8ongress& $eading to a recent >ouse of Ae/resentatives Aeso$ution dec$aring it to be #he Sense of 8ongress" that the remains of American dead sti$$ in #ara a sha$$ be recovered and re/atriated! An a//ro/riation as set u/ to fund a team visit to #ara a! #he remains of t o Americans ere recovered during their si@ ee( investigation! #he team i$$ return to conc$ude their or(! Another a//ro/riation is /ending5amount not yet s/ecified5to fund the recovery of MIAs in other batt$e sites! 8ongressman 7i/ins(i of I$$inois has sent a $etter to his co$$eagues in the >ouse of Ae/resentatives& urging them to recommend sufficient funds to /rovide for the recovery of +'' MIAs of WWII5this as com/ared ith the usua$ 431C'' MIAs annua$ recoveries of a$$ ars! #he Searchers 7eon 8oo/er& A /artici/ant in si@ major 9acific War batt$es! A$so fi$m /roducer and /ub$ished author of boo(s about the 9acific War! )eith 9hi$$i/s5>ead of 9roject >omecoming& a non1/rofit organiDation dedicated to assist in the recovery and re/atriation of the MIAs of WWII! 9hi$$i/s has fre6uent$y testified before 8ongressiona$ committees about MIAs! Matthe >aus$e58amera Steven <arber5Fi$m /roducerEdirector! Added camera! ?onathan )a/$an5Fi$m /roducerEdirector! Added camera! The Plan A$most t o1thirds of WWII MIAs are in the 9acific #heatre& hence the fi$m series i$$ be about the 9acific War on$y! #here i$$ be five fi$ms in the series& fo$$o ing Steven S/ie$bergs recent& high$y regarded fi$m series& #he 9acific!" A chartered jet /$ane ou$d be re6uired to carry the search team and e6ui/ment as trave$ to the various $ocations by commercia$ /$ane ou$d be difficu$t to schedu$e& indeed im/ossib$e for a fe of the batt$e sites! Information about MIAs is readi$y avai$ab$e from accessib$e /ub$ic archives& inc$uding service records& the circumstances of death& recovery efforts if made& a service /hoto if avai$ab$e& fami$y corres/ondence& often inc$uding /oignant $etters that breathe $ife into the case! Ae$atives of the deceased ou$d be intervie ed on camera& as ou$d additiona$ intervie s ith ar buddies&" $ending additiona$ f$esh and b$ood" to these MIAs! #he fi$ms are not about a statistica$ run do n of MIAs5dry& abstract numbers5but about young men ho died hi$e in the /rime of their $ives! It i$$ never be (no n hat im/ortant contributions some& or /erha/s many& cou$d have made that ou$d have made our or$d a better /$ace! At $east&

each had been denied a fu$fi$$ed $ife& giving and receiving $ove& above a$$ the o//ortunity to /ursue ha//iness!" #he #eam i$$ visit ?a/an in order to intervie veterans of the 9acific War! Admitted$y& it i$$ be difficu$t to $ocate good subjects for intervie s among this grou/ in vie of the e$$ (no n fact that a$$ ho survived their batt$es& e!g!& to be ca/tured& ere regarded as /ariahs by their fe$$o combatants5hence there ere re$ative$y fe ! =ood intervie s ith these survivors i$$ /rovide a dramatic contrast to the other intervie s& these from the vie /oint of a $oser!" Searches i$$ be made for MIAs in the fo$$o ing batt$e sitesF 9a/ua ;e =uinea& the 9hi$i//ines& 9e$e$iu& the Marianas Is$ands& O(ina a! #his is here the majority of 9acific War MIAs sti$$ $ie! #hese i$$ be the fi$m $ocations! #here are three broad categories of MIAsF C! Massacre sites! It is rare& but not unheard of& to find the remains of some so$diers on the side of a trai$!" More common are mass graves of so$diers or airmen ho ere (i$$ed after ca/ture! In certain cases these sites have been re/orted but not investigated! In other cases the /resence of remains as suggested in ar crimes tria$s& but recovery didnt a$ ays ta(e /$ace! +! Wrec(ed aircraft! #here are hundreds of rec(s in 9acific is$ands that have actua$$y been $ocated and recorded! #he tai$ number on the /$ane /rovides an easi$y estab$ished association ith an MIA& or MIAs& but no recovery has ta(en /$ace! In some cases the remains are sti$$ /$ain$y visib$eG in others& natives have buried them or have ta(en /arts of the remains to be used as totems in their re$igious ceremonies! HIntervie s ith natives i$$ add emotiona$ content as e$$ as aid in recoveriesI! 2! 9ost batt$e S;AF.s! Whi$e the .S Armys =raves Aegistration units routine$y fo$$o ed u/ on the dead after each batt$e& regard$ess of the branch of the mi$itary they served in& their investigations erent a$ ays as rigorous as they shou$d have been o ing to the need to com/$ete and then /roceed to the ne@t of the many 9acific War batt$e sites! HIn Aeturn to #ara a" =raves Aegistration as unab$e to account for more than 3', of the dead!I #he denta$ records of the dead as the state of the art" identification during the C-0's& /rimitive at best and incom/$ete at orst! Add to this the diffusion of res/onsibi$ity among the service branches for identification and buria$ of the dead! #hen add to the mi@ the chaos and confusion that is the inevitab$e concomitant of batt$es and their aftermaths! Are :ou ForgottenB A fe months ago the 7A #imes /ub$ished the obituary of ;e t >eis$ey& a WWII veteran& ho designed the *ietnam era 9OWEMIA f$ag that came to symbo$iDe the nations concern for mi$itary /ersonne$ missing or he$d /risoner in *ietnam! #he star( b$ac(1and1 hite images in the center of the f$ag as that of a man ith his

head bo ed! #he ords& :ou Are ;ot Forgotten" ran as a streamer across the bottom of the f$ag! #he f$ag caught on immediate$y as an e@/ression of sym/athy for those ho had fought in an un/o/u$ar ar! It f$e over the White >ouse for a time& and as insta$$ed in the .S 8a/ito$ Aotunda and is sti$$ in /ermanent dis/$ay! At the time 8ongress ordered that the f$ag be f$o n at federa$ bui$dings and at mi$itary insta$$ations si@ days a year& inc$uding Memoria$ Day and the Fourth of ?u$y! #he f$ag served to ga$vaniDe a nation1 ide drive to recover the remains of a$$ ho fe$$ in *ietnam5to good effect& as noted ear$ierF re$ative$y fe MIAs sti$$ remain in *ietnam! #he /ro/osed fi$m series may e$$ serve to energiDe a simi$ar drive& this time for those ho fe$$ during WWII& a /o/u$ar ar!"

Episode escriptions Peleliu - isaster under your !eet or "upertus# !olly

#he combination of fau$ty aeria$ /hotogra/hy and the stubborn vaing$ory Marine =enera$& W!=! Au/ertus& turned a batt$e of 6uestionab$e strategic va$ue into a si@1 ee( $ong massacre that (i$$ed CC&''' ?a/anese and -'' American )IAs and an additiona$ 0&3'' American ounded or missing! Au/ertus refused to ca$$ u/on an Army Division standing by to assist& stubborn$y a$$o ing the (i$$ing of his Marines to continue! >is area commander fina$$y ordered Au/ertus to a$$o the inferior" Army troo/s to join in the batt$e& thereby sto//ing the b$oodbath of his su/erior" Marines! #oday& the 9a$au Is$ands are a favorite surfing s/ot for vacationers and honeymooners for both ?a/anese and Americans& ho fro$ic in 9e$e$iu and in other is$ands in the archi/e$ago5una are they are ste//ing on the remains of the dead and $ive ordnance!

$kina%a - &ield o! mud, lead, decay and maggots

7ightning 6uic( $andings by American forces turned into head1on Wor$d War I sty$e trench arfare as the Marines fought to s ee/ through ?a/anese defensive caves on the southern /ortion of the is$and! Monsoons turned the $andsca/e into mud& and body /arts $ittered the batt$efie$ds! =en! Simon <uc(ners head1on attac(& hi$e direct and bruta$& /roved successfu$& but u/ ards of +0'&''' casua$ties resu$ted from the cam/aign inc$uding C+&''' .!S! )IAs and MIAs& Over C''&'' civi$ians ere (i$$ed& either as human shie$ds or as a resu$t of suicide orders issued by the ?a/anese! #oday& the $oca$ /o/u$ation continues to resent #o(yos attem/t to hite ash the Mass Suicide Order& refusing to admit that this atrocity too( /$ace a$ong ith the many other acts of bruta$ity ?a/ans mi$itary government inf$icted u/on civi$ian /o/u$ations e$se here in the or$d! O(ina a is definite$y not /art of main$and ?a/an& but ?a/an continues to c$aim that it is! .S MIAs sti$$ dot the $andsca/e in the mountainous high$ands!

Tinian - &ight !or the '-Bom(

More than a year before >iroshima and ;agasa(i& t o Marine divisions stormed this is$and in order to set u/ a bomber base for <1+-s inc$uding the Enola Gay! <y this time& ?a/anese resistance had a$ready f$agged! ;everthe$ess& %&''' of the %&2'' ?a/anese garrison died in the $imestone caves of the is$and during this batt$e hich mar(ed the first use of na/a$m! Much of the is$and as then bu$$doDed and /aved over for a giant airfie$d& the or$ds $argest! Des/ite the over he$ming /resence of 3'&''' .S troo/s& severa$ hundred ?a/anese ho$ed u/ in the jung$e throughout C-03 and the $ast ho$dout as fina$$y ca/tured in C-32! #oday& the $u@ury hote$1casino and sma$$ to n accoutrements give no hint of the ar aged or the MIAs ho fought it!

Papua )e% Guinea -- *etting someone else do the !ighting

About C&''' ?a/anese defenders f$ed for the hi$$s hen the Americans came ashore in A/ri$ C-00 near Aita/e and at >o$$andia! 8ut off and unsu//$ied& the ?a/anese army garrisons ere bound to ither a ay& but MacArthur sti$$ as(ed the Austra$ian Army to ta(e over the Western ;e =uinea cam/aign! #his freed u/ .S forces for the attac( on the 9hi$i//ines! #he Austra$ians fought the ?a/anese for a$most a year in a $arge$y unnecessary cam/aign& most$y a$ong the thin stri/ of coast! Occasiona$ s(irmishes in the mountains $eft the godforsa(en jung$e $ittered even today ith rusting hu$(s and bro(en bodies!

Philippines -- Mac'rthur+s egotistical ,"eturn#hey may have fa$$en on the batt$efie$d& but the fate of 33&''' American )IAs and MIAs as decided by other men in other /$aces! A$though the 9hi$i//ines ere strategica$$y /$aced to interru/t ?a/ans su//$y $ines from Southeast Asia& #he ?oint 8hefs had recommended by/assing them and invading ?a/an! =en MacArthur had frittered a ay an % hr advance arning of ?a/anese attac( on December 4& C-0C& and as determined to redeem himse$f! >aving re/eated$y said I i$$ return&" HI" and not We" as others had suggestedI& he then ent over the heads of ?oint 8hiefs and /ersona$$y $obbied FDA! FDA& fearing com/etition for re1e$ection& as on$y too g$ad to (ee/ his =enera$ busy in the 9acific! #hus& on D1Day& MacArthur staged his ading ashore no $ess than four times for the cameras! 7ights& 8amera& ActionJ #oday& MIAs are most $i(e$y to be found buried in the interior of the is$and because most of the heavy resistance from the ho$ed1u/ ?a/anese occurred there& $ong after any ho/e of ho$ding onto 9hi$i//ines had gone! MIAs-:ou Are Forgotten is a non1/rofit cor/oration& a//roved by IAS to receive charitab$e contributions! 8ontributions to the cor/oration 6ua$ify for ta@ deductions! KC!2 mi$$ion i$$ cover the /roduction of the five fi$ms! Detai$ed budget avai$ab$e! #ime Is Of #he Lssence! #he ives& brothers& sisters& ar comrades et a$ of the fa$$en are themse$ves dying! In due course there i$$ be nobody to c$aim the remains of the re/atriated!

7eon 8oo/er $eoncoo/erMveriDon!net 2C'10341+%2+ +-4'N <aden 9$ Ma$ibu& 8A -'+N3 !returntotara a!net !-'day onder!net !miasyouareforgotten!org