Devastator Rising

Welcome to the Devastator Rising Project home page. Here you can stay up-to-date on our mission to save an incredible piece of history once thought lost forever; the US Navy’s Douglas TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bomber of World War II. More than 80 years ago, this now legendary plane type ushered in a new era of naval aviation and its crews changed the course of the Pacific war through remarkable courage and staggering sacrifice.  Yet, to date, no example of the Devastator can be found in any museum or collection anywhere in the world. Soon, with your help, we aim to change all of that. 

A Partnership in Preservation

Air/Sea Heritage Foundation has proudly partnered with the US Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC),  Texas A&M University and its Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation (CMAC) to launch the Devastator Rising Project. After more than two decades of painstaking research, field work, documentation and evaluation, our team has concluded that the wreck of one uniquely special airframe, BuNo 1515, submerged beneath the protected waters of Jaluit lagoon in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is the best possible candidate for recovery and preservation. Working closely together and collaborating with an array of stakeholders on Jaluit Atoll and in the RMI, our Devastator Rising Project will attempt to bring this storied warbird breed back from extinction. 

For Future Generations

The partnership’s plan is to see BuNo 1515 raised from the depths, expertly cleaned and conserved, then placed on public display at the new National Museum of the United States Navy, currently under development in Washington, DC. There it will highlight an innovative underwater heritage exhibit, serving as a powerful symbol of the USN’s commitment to remember and honor its servicemembers as well as a tangible testament to the enduring friendship of the American and Marshallese peoples.

The Last Best Hope

When freedom hung in the balance, Devastator crews were among the first to fight and the first to fall. Since that time, their heroic actions may have faded almost entirely from living memory, but the dream of creating an abiding physical monument to their legacy has only grown. Today our partnership is answering the challenge to save BuNo 1515 and ensure it survives to represent the last of its kind. We invite you to join us.

Dive deeper – learn more about our mission phases by visiting one of the below topics.