First, Ground Penetrating Radar Systems traveled to New Jersey to help Fox Nation potentially discover the remains of Jimmy Hoffa, former mob associate and president of the Teamsters union.
Through that journey, we used our state-of-the-art radar technology to help find metal barrels and disturbed dirt of what is thought to be the final resting place for Hoffa, pending excavation approval.
But the end of that journey wasn’t a finale. Now, GPRS finds ourselves in search of more remains lost to history.
Let’s get started.
We travel back to New Jersey to help the American Legion Post 369 uncover the 250-year-old mystery for the graves of fallen Continental Army soldiers.
The American Revolution, the battle for independence between what would become the United States of America and Great Britain, was a war that will always have an imprint on history. For our great country, it was the start of something great and new. Much like the phoenix, this revolution would birth a nation from the ashes of war. However, few brave souls that fought for our independence, would never make it home to their families.
Truly, it was from their sacrifice that our great country became what it is today. So, it was only right that GPRS helped discover the bodies of those soldiers who fought for the future generations of the United States.
Now, where should we begin our story?
What started as a chance encounter for the Commander of the American Legion Post 369, turned into a lunch conversation that would change his life.
Over lunch one afternoon, Comd. Ronald Beattie and Peter Sarandinacki discussed Peter’s adventures in Russia.
You see, Peter’s descendants stretch back to the time of the Czars in Russia during the turn of the century. More specifically, his ancestor was a General in the Russian Army at the time the Bolsheviks, a radical, far-left, and revolutionary Marxist faction, was in full-force opposition of the Soviet Union. With all this rich history running through his veins, Peter decided to take a trip to Russia and help “dig up” his family roots.
Peter started his journey by searching for the remains of Czar Nicholas and his family, who had been murdered by the Reds, their bodies desecrated, secreted away and lost to history. But the difficult part was their bodies were hidden, thought to be impossible to discover. Peter Sarandinacki was determined to find the former Czars family. By working with the Russian Federal Police, he was successful in his mission.
Peter’s adventures in Russia leads us back to his lunchtime conversation with Post 369’s Commander. While deep in conversation about Peter’s time in Russia, and his incredible feats of discovery, Ronald mentioned that the American Legion had a mystery of their own that Peter could help them uncover. Much like the Czar’s family, the graves of the Continental Army soldiers were only rumored to be where they believed them to be, without any firm evidence to prove it. Due to sparse information from church records, the number of bodies and their exact location were the real mystery.
Offering his assistance and expertise, Peter was able to secure the support of a benefactor who paid for the rental of an EM38 device to gain a better look where the bodies were suspected to be. Furthermore, a detailed map was produced by a Colorado geologist who had been part of Peter’s team in Russia.
Despite their best efforts, the map only gave a tantalizing view of what might be there. What they need was a definitive examination using ground penetrating radar, delivering a more detailed map of all underground anomalies.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s just GPRS swooping in to save the day.
Through the fine work of GPRS Area Manager Josh Elam, and Project Manager Russell Kokot, Ronald Beattie and American Legion Post 369 were able to locate 11 graves for the fallen Continental Army soldiers.
In fact, two of the graves were found to only be 24 inches beneath the soil. After leaving markers for post-excavation, Post 369 hopes to obtain a report so Peter Sarandinacki’s Geologist can perform an overlay with the results from the EM38 data.
Future plans involve identifying the bodies of the fallen soldiers, in the hopes that they can reunite the bodies with their respective families. In addition, answering the questions, who were they and what were the circumstances relating to their death and eventual buried in unmarked graves?
If they are unable to identify the bodies after many years underground, Post 369 wishes to place a marker in the area, symbolizing the location as the grave for fallen soldiers. The grave marker will read, “Here lie the bodies of 11 American Soldiers of the Continental Army, known only to God.”
Speaking from perspective, it was extremely special for GPRS to be brought on for this project. There’s no greater intrigue than uncovering history, and no greater passion then helping the veterans of American Legion Post 369 pay tribute to their fallen comrades.
“And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldiers tomb, and beauty weep the brave.” — Joseph Rodman Drake.