Posted on 08/31/2006 9:37:02 AM PDT by HAL9000
"The "98 Rock" is a memorial for the 98 U.S. Prisoners of War who were forced by their Japanese captors to rebuild the airstrip as slave labor, then blind-folded and killed with machine guns on 5 October 1943.
An unidentified prisoner escaped, and scratched "98 US PW 5-10-43" on a large coral rock near their mass grave, on Wilkes Island at the edge of the lagoon.
He was recaptured and beheaded by the Japanese admiral, who was later convicted and executed for these war crimes.
The rock still bears the original inscription and a small plaque identifying it; a bronze plaque naming the victims has been placed at the site.
There are also memorials for the military and civilian personnel who died defending the islands from the Japanese take-over.
The remains of Japanese fortifications during World War II are still visible around the islands".
sw
Frenchman surrendering to typhoon ping.
I can't find any news stories about anyone being left behind on the island.
He'll die of drowning.
Was he from NOLA?
Yes, but it shows the range that the hurricane's winds are in. The 220-250 mph winds must be upper level wind speeds.
that makes sense. maximum sustained winds of 220mph would set a world hurricane record.
Look at this pic...the tiny dot in the eye is (was?) Wake Island.
http://www.easternuswx.com/bb/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=54974
What a magnificent storm! If someone really did stay behind, I'd have to say he drowned. There had to be 30-50 feet of water over the island when the eyewall hit.
No way. Wake's highest point is about 20 ft above sea level - that would mean a 50 ft surge. There's no continental shelf around Wake to make a surge like that build up. Surge probably wasn't more than 10-12 feet. Wake will be fine.
I dunno how much to believe it. That's an unsourced statement on a weather forum and he didn't provide any support for it, even when asked.
I think it would be big news if the media heard that one person remained on island that was supposed to be completely submerged. So, if it's true, the media doesn't know anything about it.
But how would anyone else know?
Don't forget about the 50+ foot waves, dude! Cowabunga!!!
I'm not buying it... We'll see tho'.
The source was apparently a tv news report out of miami. I dunno...
The eye of the super typhoon — as strong as a category five hurricane — is expected to come within 13 miles of Wake Island, bringing an 18-foot storm surge and 40-foot waves.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2069125.php
That should pretty much scour the island.
We did the same exact thing, 1959, Constellation and headed for Tachikawa AFB in Japan. I was eight years old in '59. I vividily remember the wrecked ships and other vehicles. We might have gone to school together!
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