On March 18, 1945, a young, newly married naval aviator flew from the USS Intrepid on his first combat mission; it would be his last. He and his F4U-1D Corsair were shot down near the city of Saiki on Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu. Fifty years later, a Japanese fisherman found what is thought to be the remnants of his Corsair.

Through artifacts, photos and a visually engaging installation of the aircraft’s engine and a section of wing, this exhibit tells the story of the discovery of the aircraft elements, the story of the young pilot, and the science and technology of the artifact preservation.