The United States Department of Defense (DoD) on Wednesday highlighted its deepening defense ties with the Philippines following the US’ most complex underwater mission to date.
In a virtual press briefing, Kelly McKeague, director of the Defense PoW/MIA Accounting Agency, said the DPAA launched last February an underwater excavation project to account for the American servicemen lost in the sinking of the Oryoku Maru, a Japanese prisoner-of-war transport ship.
The Oryoku Maru was sunk in Subic Bay during World War II.
“In February, we began our largest, most complex underwater mission ever in the history of this agency, which dates back to 1985,” McKeague said.
According to McKeague, the unmarked Oryoku Maru — carrying over 2,500 Allied POWs from the Philippines to Japan — was mistakenly bombed by US Navy aircraft in December 1944.
“When the ship was hit, it limped back to Subic Bay and went under there,” he said, noting that their team began investigating the underwater site three years ago to identify the vessel.
“Using cutting-edge underwater vehicles, [w]e created a three-dimensional image of the ship that then allowed us to begin its excavation,” he said.
McKeague said they estimate that the remains of over 250 Americans are in the hold of the ship.
“We think they might be limited to one of two holds, and that’s where the divers are currently operating,” he said, adding that the US has benefited from its relationship with the Philippine armed forces in excavating the wreckage.
A Philippine recovery team joined DPAA members and staff of the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial at an underwater site on 7 March, participating in operations and observing the meticulous work to recover the missing US personnel.
McKeague said the DPAA has no missions in the Visayas and Mindanao but maintains year-round operations in the Philippines, with teams stationed in Leyte, Luzon and Mindoro.
He said most missions are land-based, supported by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the National Museum, and various national and local government units.
“The support that we receive from the Philippine government is truly extraordinary. And I believe it helps strengthen the alliance that we have forged between the United States and the Philippines,” he said.
McKeague said they will conduct a scientific summit soon, bringing together representatives and scientists from 16 Indo-Pacific nations.
“The National Museum of the Philippines, the National Museums of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Malaysia, Indonesia — all of these countries will come together, and we’re very excited about the summit. More information will be coming out on that,” he said.