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Author Topic: Oral history of Nikumaroro  (Read 15851 times)

Gary Francis Quigg

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Oral history of Nikumaroro
« on: December 28, 2010, 09:43:14 PM »

Long time TIGHAR member here, first-time forum user...

I am inviting each of you to support a new TIGHAR initiative in support of the Earhart Project. The mission is to obtain oral histories of former residents of Nikumaroro island, in hopes of obtaining a better understanding of what the residents of the island were doing on the 7 site between 1939 and 1963...which has the potential of leading to additional information about the bones discovery in 1940.

The colony on Nikumaroro island was abandoned in 1963, and most of the colonists relocated to two villages in the Solomon Islands. These villages are named Nikumaroro (in honor of the island from which they came) and Rawaki. These villages are located about one day's long boat ride from Honiara.

Four TIGHAR members are planning to visit the Solomons to talk to those people who once lived on Nikumaroro Island. However, the people we wish to interview are growing old and passing on before their stories have been recorded. Time is of the essence, and our plan is to speak to these people this spring. We need your help to make this happen.

Our fundraising goal is $35,000 which must be reached by February 9, 2011. You can make a pledge of any amount by visiting the following website to view details of the project and a short, informational video: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/825034195/oral-history-of-nikumaroro-and-amelia-earhart. This site will accept your pledge only at this time (not an actual donation), because the project will go unfunded if we do not reach our goal by February 9. Please visit the website for details on pledge incentives.

We ask for your support. Thank you for your kind consideration, and please share this information with those who may want to help.

Gary
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Don Dollinger

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Re: Oral history of Nikumaroro
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2010, 10:16:52 AM »

Quote
I am inviting each of you to support a new TIGHAR initiative in support of the Earhart Project. The mission is to obtain oral histories of former residents of Nikumaroro island, in hopes of obtaining a better understanding of what the residents of the island were doing on the 7 site between 1939 and 1963...which has the potential of leading to additional information about the bones discovery in 1940.

I found and signed up for a coastie forum for people you were stationed in LORAN stations in the Pacific during WWII about a months and a half ago and put up a posting asking any coasties to contact me if they were at the LORAN station on Gardner.  As of yet I have had no responses.  I also found the full name of Mac (MacDonald) (from the coasties picture on the TIGHAR site) from Nebraska that saw the water collection device near the 7 site but have had no success in tracking him down if he's still around.  If I get any response I will ask them if they took any jaunts to the 7 site while there and what they did at the site.  If I get a response that they did, I will contact Ric to find out how to proceed or find out what specific questions he would like asked.  That would add to ancedotal records and also give an idea of how much the coasties used the site and for what reason.

LTM,

Don
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James G. Stoveken

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Re: Oral history of Nikumaroro
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2010, 01:32:15 PM »

Quote
I also found the full name of Mac (MacDonald) (from the coasties picture on the TIGHAR site) from Nebraska that saw the water collection device near the 7 site but have had no success in tracking him down if he's still around.

According to this edition of TIGHAR Tracks Brooks MacDonald died in 1988.

Not to discourage anyone from seeking new information, but in an attempt to keep people from traveling down "dead ends", I would like to suggest that any search efforts begin on the TIGHAR website.  Between the SITE MAP and the Ameliapedia there is an incredible amount of information that is well-researched and documented.   
Jim Stoveken
 
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Martin X. Moleski, SJ

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Re: Oral history of Nikumaroro
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2010, 04:20:38 PM »

Between the SITE MAP and the Ameliapedia there is an incredible amount of information that is well-researched and documented.   

There is also a moderately complete sortable index for TIGHAR Tracks based on the HTML original.

LTM,

           Marty
           TIGHAR #2359A
 
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: Oral history of Nikumaroro
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2010, 07:07:51 AM »

For the record, Coast Guard veterans of Unit 92 (the Gardner Island Loran station) whom we have interviewed include:
Charles Sopko (the commanding officer)
Richard Evans
Herbert Moffitt
Ernest Zehms
Joseph Dionne
Leroy Nielson
Glen Geisinger
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Don Dollinger

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Re: Oral history of Nikumaroro
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2011, 10:27:46 AM »

Quote
For the record, Coast Guard veterans of Unit 92 (the Gardner Island Loran station) whom we have interviewed include:

Just for curiousity sake (mine), did any of them submit that they had been to the 7 site to blow off steam, get away for a bit, etc?

LTM,

Don
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: Oral history of Nikumaroro
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2011, 11:46:11 AM »

did any of them submit that they had been to the 7 site to blow off steam, get away for a bit, etc?

Evans and Moffitt discovered the site we now call the Seven Site when they went for a walk up the beach.  They weren't "blowing off steam" but they were "getting away for a bit" just to relieve boredom.
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Mark Petersen

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Re: Oral history of Nikumaroro
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2011, 06:58:48 PM »

Come on, lurkers ... if we all kick in a little bit, we can make this happen. For a relatively modest investment, we may end of finding "the one thing."

I couldn't agree more.  The more that Tighar has dug into the Niku theory, the stronger the evidence has become.  The Nikumaroro villagers have contributed quite a lot to the puzzle and it's important to tap this knowledge soon, before it's lost forever.
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Chris Johnson

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Re: Oral history of Nikumaroro
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2011, 12:08:59 PM »

From the updates page of the site

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/825034195/oral-history-of-nikumaroro-and-amelia-earhart/posts

Quote
To all erstwhile backers -- Thanks again for your pledges to this project, and special thanks to those who've said you're good for the contributions even now that the kickstarter deadline has passed. We have a small group that's been communicating about how to make the project happen, and I'd like to add you all to it if you're willing. So if it's OK, please send me your email addresses and I'll add you to the correspondence list.

Thanks again,

Tom


Tom also supplies his email address at the top of that page.  Won't pubish it here, go find :)

If you want to contribute I guess the best thing to do is fire of an email and find out how you can do so.
« Last Edit: February 12, 2011, 12:11:49 PM by Chris Johnson »
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