U.S. Navy Divers Search Pacific Wreck to Recover Remains of 250 World War II Prisoners of War

The U.S. Navy is undertaking one of its most complex recovery operations to locate the remains of approximately 250 American prisoners of war who perished when a Japanese transport vessel sank off the Philippine coast in December 1944. Divers working nearly 80 feet underwater at the wreck site have already discovered significant artifacts, including military-issue footwear, marking progress in a decades-long effort to bring servicemembers home.

The Recovery Mission

At Subic Bay, Philippines, personnel from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency—the Pentagon division responsible for locating missing American servicemembers—are executing a high-risk underwater excavation at the wreck of the Oryoku Maru. The Japanese liner, repurposed during the war to transport captured U.S. soldiers and sailors, rests approximately 500 feet from the Philippine shoreline on the ocean floor.

Petty Officer First Class Taylor Lucas, a Navy diver involved in the operation, described working in near-total darkness within the ship's corroded frame, navigating through layers of sediment, wood, and steel. During one dive, Lucas recovered a boot—sole and leather still intact—with "U.S. Army" inscribed on the sole. The artifact represents concrete evidence that the remains of American servicemembers lie within the wreck, offering validation to researchers who have pursued this mission for more than eight decades.

A Family's Long Wait

The recovery effort carries profound personal significance for descendants of those lost. Christopher Schurtz, a history professor, has spent his lifetime connected to the tragedy through his family's experience. His grandfather, Major Paul Schurtz, was a 43-year-old postal worker from Deming, New Mexico, and choir director when his National Guard coastal artillery unit deployed to the Philippines in 1941, months before Pearl Harbor. When the Oryoku Maru sank, Major Schurtz left behind his 5-year-old son Gerald, a 1-year-old daughter Jeanette, and a son Robert he would never meet—born after his deployment.

Gerald Schurtz carried the weight of that loss throughout his life and eventually joined the Army himself. Christopher grew up hearing his father recount their family's farewell at Fort Bliss, Texas. Although Gerald passed away in 2023, the prospect of recovering his father's remains after such an extended interval represents a potential closure for generations shaped by wartime loss.

Historical Context

The sinking of the Oryoku Maru occurred during the U.S. campaign to retake the Philippines—a pivotal phase of the Pacific War. American aircraft struck the vessel as part of military operations designed to reclaim territory and advance toward Japan. The tragedy claimed the lives of the approximately 250 prisoners aboard, whose remains have remained inaccessible on the ocean floor for nearly 80 years.