Dear , 

Thank you for standing with us in support of the Project Recover mission. By choosing to stay connected through this newsletter, you actively contribute to the growth of our cause. 

Recently featured on Discovery Channel’s Expedition Unknown, our work in Chuuk with partners from the University of Delaware garnered attention. In case you missed it, stream the episodes on Discovery+ and Max, or set your recorders for the upcoming back-to-back airing on The Discovery Channel this Saturday at 8 am PST/11 am EST. 

As the year concludes and we gather with loved ones, let us express gratitude for your ongoing support, reflecting on the highlights and achievements made possible by our dedicated family of supporters.

A Project Recover team diver descends onto a WWII aircraft resting site (Photo by Christopher Perez)

2023 MISSIONS

• Search & Documentation Missions - This year, we conducted multiple search and documentation missions. These include water and land missions in Palau, Chuuk, Vietnam, Marshall Islands, and more.
• B-24 Recovery - In May, the Navy Experimental Dive Unit, in partnership with DPAA, executed a recovery on a B-24 site in Papua New Guinea. Project Recover located the “Heaven Can Wait” B-24 aircraft in 2017. The crew's families are very involved in this case, and together, we eagerly await the completion of identifications. 
• Recovery Missions - Between July and September, Project Recover and our partner Legion Undersea Services conducted two successful underwater recovery missions in Palau and the Marshall Islands.

Photo: SSgt Eugene Darrigan's recovered dog tags show his wife's name and address as the person to be notified in case of emergency (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency).

SSgt Eugene J. Darrigan (Courtesy of Greta Schindler)

2023 MIA HOMECOMINGS

• Anthony Di Petta - On July 11th, 2023, Anthony Di Petta was laid to rest in Wrightsville, NJ. Project Recover found the bulk of Di Petta's Avenger in the waters of Palau in 2014. Susanne Nakamura, pictured below, carries her uncle's flag. Neighborhood streets were lined with family, saluting officers, and the community upon Di Petta's arrival.

Anthony Di Petta's niece, Susanne Nakamura, with Lt. Raymond Donnelly (far right) and other sailors (Photo by Brianne Aumack).

• Wilbur Mitts - On September 11th, 2023, Wilbur Mitts was laid to rest in Seaside, CA. His family came from as far as Virginia Beach and Hawaii to welcome Wilbur home. Guests at the memorial spilled outside of the chapel through the American Legion Rider flag line. Great-niece Tasha Dekker read a letter from Wilbur to his mother. In it, he said, "...I'll be back, one way or another...".

Wilbur Mitts's family members with his picture at the family luncheon following his funeral (Photo by Cody Rheault).

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

• Mission Miles - In September, we launched our first annual month-long virtual miles challenge and fundraising event, “Mission Miles”, raising over $40,000 from our participants and donors nationwide. 
  (Interested in participating & supporting next year? Just reply to this email!)

Photo by: Cody Rheault

• Skyward Bound - In October, we were elated to bring back our high school education initiative. In partnership with the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation, Planes of Fame Air Museum, and the Air Force F-16 Demo Team, the Skyward Bound program brought virtual reality experiences from Project Recover missions and the cockpit of an F-16, underwater AUV show and tell with a data scientist, current and past warbird tours, and small group mentorship sessions. Below, high school students sit in the cockpit of an old warbird, and talk through a real-life MIA case.