Project Recover: Bringing Missing Service Members Home Through Underwater Missions
By Bret Baier and Amy Munneke | Fox News
Published: December 25, 2025, 6:58 PM EST
More than 80,000 U.S. service members who went missing in action during previous conflicts remain unaccounted for, yet new advances in technology and dedicated research are offering hope for recovery. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency estimates that the remains of approximately 38,000 fallen veterans could still be located and repatriated, and a nonprofit organization called Project Recover is playing a vital role in this mission through complex underwater searches.
A Mission Rooted in Honor and Innovation
Project Recover was founded by Dr. Patrick Scannon in 1993 after a life-changing discovery while touring the Palau islands with his wife. There, he found a downed World War II plane wing submerged underwater. This 65-foot wing sparked the idea of using cutting-edge techniques to locate missing military personnel lost at sea. Today, the organization works closely with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, employing underwater drones, scuba diving gear, and forensic DNA analysis to find and identify missing crew members from various military aircraft and shipwrecks.
"This is a great American story," said former Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, an advisory council member for Project Recover. "Our work is to use technology, like underwater drones and scuba diving gear, to find the platforms that these members perished on and then do the DNA analysis of detecting and recovering their remains and matching them to those that are missing."
Focus on the Palau Islands: A Key WWII Battleground
Project Recover’s efforts have been especially concentrated around the Palau islands, a strategically crucial battleground during World War II. These islands were integral to the U.S. campaign to liberate the Philippines. The battle for the island of Peleliu in particular was one of the harshest and most costly encounters, lasting 74 days instead of the anticipated few days.
Peleliu was home to a heavily fortified Japanese garrison of more than 10,000 troops who hid in coral caves and mine shafts, making the U.S. assault exceptionally deadly. Over 1,800 American soldiers were killed, with thousands more wounded or missing in action. The U.S. military lost around 200 aircraft in a series of nine major air campaigns around the islands.
Through meticulous underwater surveys, Project Recover has located dozens of aircraft wrecks associated with nearly 100 missing service members in the region. These efforts have required hazardous dives and painstaking examination of the sites before remains could be recovered and identified.
Recovering the Lost Crew of a WWII Bomber
Among Project Recover’s successes is the recovery of the crew from a bomber that crashed during a pre-invasion mission in September 1944. The aircraft, carrying Lieutenant Jay Manown, AOM1c Anthony Di Petta, and ARM1c Wilbur Mitts, was hit by enemy fire and went down in the surrounding waters.
Di Petta’s niece, Suzanne Nakamura, described the tragic event: "The plane was hit by enemy fire, and it burst into flames." The plane was found by Project Recover in 2015, and after more than a dozen diving missions to examine the wreckage, the team was able to recover the remains of all three service members.
"The last one to be identified was Lieutenant Manown," Gallaudet said. "We held a solemn ceremony in his hometown in West Virginia, with the relatives of all three men present. It was a profoundly moving moment."
Healing Through Connection
The families of the recovered crew have formed close bonds through the recovery process. Rebecca Sheets, niece of Lt. Manown, expressed the unique fellowship that grew from this shared experience. "We’ve communicated beautifully and become friends through this experience and almost a sisterhood of type," she said.
Likewise, Wilbur Mitts’ niece, Dia, noted the deep connection her family has shared with the others through frequent communication, saying, "We’ve talked so much by phone and feel so close."
Continuing the Commitment to Bring Heroes Home
Project Recover continues to advance underwater recovery efforts, driven by the resolve to honor the sacrifices of America’s missing heroes and bring closure to their families. Their mission embodies a profound respect for those who served and a commitment to ensuring that no service member is left behind.
As technology improves and dedication persists, more lost service members may be brought home, finally closing chapters that have remained open for decades.
For more information about Project Recover and its ongoing missions, visit their official website or follow their updates through partner organizations.
This article is part of Fox News’ special coverage on military efforts to account for missing service members from past conflicts.
