WWII Memorials in Yap Get a Helping Hand from PP24-2

YAP, Federated States of Micronesia – A multinational team of service members engaged in preserving WWII memorial markers as part of the Pacific Partnership 2024-2 (PP24-2) mission. The outreach event took place on September 7 and focused on restoring multiple crash sites on the Island of Yap, in collaboration with the Yap Visitors Bureau and the Yap Veterans Association.

Located strategically between the Philippines and Guam, Yap was a target for American aircraft from June 1944 to August 1945. This resulted in numerous historical ruins that now offer insights into the island’s wartime history.

Out of 19 WWII aircraft crash sites on Yap, four were flagged by the Yap Visitors Bureau for revitalization. “This is American history preserved by the Yapese,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Zachary Zumwalt, PP24-2 mission chaplain and lead for the outreach event. “They were the ones decades ago that identified the sites and erected these monuments.”

The Yap Visitors Bureau supplied the restoration materials and led the PP24-2 teams to various remote locations. These sites ranged from mountain slopes and dense jungles to village squares. The close collaboration between the Yap Veterans Association and PP24-2 teams made the rehabilitation effort successful.

“This is a way for us to express our gratitude to them,” Zumwalt added. “It’s a fantastic opportunity and personally, it affects me to see the stories of these service members. It reminds me of why I’m doing what I’m doing.”

U.S. Navy Lt. Dylan J. Rich played a significant role in preserving the crash site memorial of an FG-1 Corsair, flown by U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Girvis Haltom, Jr. from Stephens, Ark. Reflecting on his participation, Rich said, “I think honoring those who have gone before us is vitally important and I wanted to help out. It’s easy to lose sight of the macros, but everyone has their own story.”

During this mission stop, the team also organized 25 community engagement events, including school visits, U.S. Navy recruiting events, interfaith dialogues, and concerts by the Pacific Partnership Band, featuring musicians from the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band and the Royal Australian Army Band.

Now in its 20th iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the U.S. Navy’s largest annual multinational humanitarian aid and disaster relief preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific. It aims to enhance regional interoperability, increase security, and foster enduring friendships.

For more information about the Pacific Partnership, visit www.clwp.navy.mil/Pacific-Partnership.