WWII Veteran Anthony Di Petta was Repatriated by Project Recover

Woodland, CA (March 13, 2023) - After over 79 years of being declared missing in action, The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced that they accounted for AOM1c Anthony Di Petta. This was made possible by Project Recover, an organization that enlists 21st-century science and technology to find and repatriate Americans missing in action (MIA) since World War II to provide recognition and closure for families and the Nation—Project Recover located and documented Di Petta’s downed Grumman TBM-1c Avenger in Palauan waters in 2015. In partnership with DPAA, Project Recover recovered MIAs from the Avenger during our first MIA Recovery Mission in 2021—Project Recover located and documented the Avenger in Palauan waters in 2015. Due to poor visibility, the Avenger was initially mislabeled as a Helldiver. After further investigation and recovery of evidence, it was proven that the downed aircraft was a TBM Avenger, a torpedo bomber flown by Lt. Manown. After the MIA recovery mission in 2021, the remains of AOM1c Di Petta were identified as one of the service members aboard the aircraft.

During the Palau Recovery Operation in 2015, Project Recover held a flag ceremony over the Avenger. The team folded one flag for each MIA associated with the crash site. Now that AOM1c Anthony Di Petta has been identified, the folded flag will be presented to his family in recognition of his service and sacrifice.

You can read more about the Palau Recovery Operation here.

https://www.projectrecover.org/mia-recovery-mission-palau/

Check out CAF Warbird Tube with Project Recover here:

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