The photo on the left is known as “The photo that won World War II.” It was taken on the beach in Buna, Papua New Guinea by George Strock and published in Life Magazine in September 1943. This was the first photo showing American dead released to the public during WWII. Roosevelt had to approve its release.
The photo on the right is the team from NatGeo’s Buried Secrets of WWII at Buna Beach taken in April of this year (2019). I love this photo. After three weeks in Papua New Guinea, we were exhausted, filthy, and overjoyed to have reached Buna Beach. What an honor it was to stand on that beach and to film the closing of the Papua New Guinea episode there.
I’ve been very lucky to have been a part of this and many similar projects. This one is one of my absolute favorites. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and, as such, one of the best things I’ve ever done. My profound thanks to the my band of brothers (above): Marty, Martin, Tom, Miller, & Langy, . . . and to the wonderful people of Buna . . . to The National Geographic Channel . . . and to the WWII veterans who, had they not saved the world, adventures like this would not have been possible. Thank you.
adventuresinrediscovery.com 