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After 80 Years, Lost Americans Might Finally Escape 'Hellship'
Newser • • nation
Key Points:
- Divers exploring the wreck of the Oryoku Maru, a Japanese "hellship" sunk in 1944 with 1,619 Allied POWs aboard, have recovered artifacts including US-marked boots, an ID bracelet, glasses, and possible human bone.
- The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency aims to identify remains of about 250 Americans believed to have perished on the ship, contributing to efforts to account for some 80,000 missing US service members from WWII.
- The recovery mission involves complex underwater excavation from the USNS Salvor, combining advanced forensic analysis with the emotional stories of families awaiting closure, such as that of Maj. Paul Schurtz and his descendants.
- This discovery represents a significant development in an 80-year effort to bring home WWII prisoners of war, offering hope to relatives who have long sought answers about their missing loved ones.
