Exploring the Wreck.
Her curiosity grew and lingered as she explored and took photos of the wrecks. She thought about how the planes got sunken in the sea. They looked like arsenal from the Second World War, the Vietnam war or the korean war. Regardless of the war, how had they gotten there? It was mysterious to think that they were all gunned down and all within very close range.
Besides that, Mueller thought of something else – none of the planes had human remains on them at all. If they had been gunned down, the diver hoped to find some proof, any proof at all. Above water, Mueller was to hear the amazing story of the burial site of the planes. But while she was still beneath the sea, she decided to utilize what was left of her oxygen to take photos!
Pristine Conditions.
While taking snapshots and discovering other planes, something remarkable caught Mueller’s attention. Apart from the barnacles attached and the rust, the planes seemed preserved and pretty well too. In other words, the bodies had very little scrapes and scratches. Bullet holes and damaged fuselages were absent. No tails were twisted from a rain of bullets.
As Mueller recounted to DailyMail, she said the planes could have served longer in the air but had been sunk totally undamaged. Albeit not comprehending the motive behind tossing planes that were in excellent shape, she liked that the planes had been overtaken By sea life. The sea life on them showed that the planes had been there for long.
A Home For Beautiful, Buzzing Marine Life
Spooky photos like the one above show the extent to which the planes had been overtaken By sea life. One photo that was blurry even showed a school of fish moving quite comfortably in a rusted cockpit. Mueller commented saying that the ocean is incredible and persevering and that we may never fully comprehend its life force.
She continued, marvelling at how wonderful it was to observe how marine life could transform inanimate metallic objects to a space teeming with life. She was in awe of how there was an ecosystem on every plane and ocean life on it. As she kept taking snapshots and finding more planes, she realized that what she was looking at was no graveyard.
A Dangerous Process.
Albeit appearing serene and dreamy, the photos were dangerous to capture given how delicate they were. However, Mueller was not a novice. Having explored more than 50 countries, she was more than capable of accomplishing the task. Yet, after finding dozens of planes, she felt like she was dreaming.
Some airplanes had sand covering them on the seabed and appeared somewhat like sharks with the fins and what not. Some had their noses buried in the sand and standing upright. Mueller finally reached the end of the graveyard and was astonished at her total count.
More than 100 Airplanes.
Mueller kept exploring the area, eager to discover any artifact or object that could assist historians above. The photos were beautiful but the diver was uncomfortable diving atop planes. She explained saying that planes were not meant to be found under water and that it was unsettling finding them there. However, she also commented that it was incredible.
At the day’s end, an astonishing number of 150 airplanes were counted in the graveyard under the sea. As she coed over the pictures she had taken, she thought they might not be very helpful to the historians. How wrong she was!
A Dumping Ground.
As Brandi swam back up top, her beautiful images with her, she wondered how the world would react on seeing what she had discovered. But as she drove back to the dock in her boat, a question plagued her thoughts – Was she to share her discovery before learning about what it was? What if she was questioned about it? Mueller made a decision to research a little before putting up her photos online.
While perusing the images, Brandi’s thoughts moved more towards a guess that the planes were World War II remains. They just were not like korean or Vietnam war planes. Upon researching about the WWII, it dawned on Mueller that her discovery was something that had been sought after By historians for many years!
The Much Needed Information
It took some deep research but Mueller found that the American military had used the Marshall Islands as their dumping grounds post World War II! In addition to that, historians and archeologists had been on the lookout for the particular locations where a great number of planes had been disposed!
The deeper she went in her research, the More information she garnered. One of such information is that Operation Rollup which took place immediately post World War II was unknown to the greater part of Americans. It turns out that the airplane graveyard beneath the ocean was a product of that event! Mueller drew closer to her computer, realizing she was closer to finding all the answers she needed.
Operation Rollup
Mueller found out that operation Rollup was a means devised By the U.S. military to do away with tanks, jeeps and planes that were taken across the Pacific during the WW II. Actually, the government had no problems paying to have Vehicles brought into battle. But the cost of having them sent back across the Pacific would have been enormous!
To our surprise, this was how planes and tanks were dumped in the Pacific to settle on the ocean floor. This explains why the aircraft were intact – they had never been in use before!
Millions of Dollars Thrown to The Seas
Agree or disagree, it is exactly what it looks like. When the war ended, the Navy had the Vehicles loaded onto an aircraft carrier and used a forklift to toss them into the Pacific. The sea life-infested metal heap has been named the Million Dollar Point because of the outrageous waste that action caused. But to many, the site still remains known as the “Airplane Graveyard”.
Mueller like several others was appalled at the enormous waste present at the location. At the very least, they could have been broken down into scrap metal By the government! They could also have been given as a gift to the Marshall Islands which till date is one of the world’s most destitute area. Sadly, history records a different turn of events.
70-years-old
After 70 years under the sea, the airplanes have degraded and become home to colorful, stunning sea life. The metal parts have been made into vibrant living spaces. This gives a clear explanation as to why they had to be captured By Mueller before they were disintegrated or scattered.
Mueller explained that the planes had laid beneath for more than 70 years and were beginning to get damaged. So she felt like she was recording their changes as they took place. With the help of the amazing diver’s photos, historians were able to identify the planes.