WIX Archives
Re: Navy neglect of Corsair on Guam
Posted by Scott WRG Editor on Tue Dec 04, 2001 11:29:18 AM
In reply top Navy neglect of Corsair on Guam posted by MGM on Tue Dec 04, 2001 05:02:05 AM
: Also in Classic Wings is an article about a Corsair wreck
: that still remains on the old abandoned US Marines base at
: Orote Point on Guam.
:
: The Corsair has been there since the war and until about 2
: 0 years ago it was still fairly complete.
:
: Because access was allowed , it has now had it's rear fuse
: lage hacked off and disappeared from 30 inches behind the
: cockpit, also the outer wings have been hacked off outboar
: d of the gun ports.
:
: The cockpit is gutted, the canopy and windscreen gone, and
: it sits on its belly with the undercarriage extended but
: folded back.
:
: The engine apparently came off during the crash, which sad
: ly killed the pilot, when it was witnessed by someone roll
: ing by his tent !
:
: Civilians can no longer get on the old base because a new
: commander has decided to restrict access, but apart from t
: hat, absolutely nothing is being done to rescue the remain
: s.
: And of course if the US Navy can't be bothered with a Cors
: air wreck that still remains on land on their property....
: ..well it's no real surprise that they can't be bothered t
: o raise a certain Devastator and many other wrecks from th
: e sea or lakes, before they corrode into piles of aluminiu
: m dust...........
:
: Who knows what they would say to someone who dares to ask
: them about recovering it.......but if no-one tries, then w
: e'll never know ?
:
: There is also a Jake floatplane upside-down in 90ft of sea
: water, just off an old rusting pier....and there has just
: gotta be loads of stuff still on and around the island...
: ........maybe even another very nice and complete Zero in
: a swamp.......?
I sepent three years there as a child. I used a Japanese bunker as a club house and vividly remember finding bits of sheet metal scattered throughout the rain forest surrounding bas housing. The beaches were treacherous with rusty metal right off shore. Unfortunately at the time I was only 10 and jets were the plane of choice for me. Wouldn't mind going back for a visit some day though.
Scott