A Navy team is in Osteen to investigate the crash of a World War II bomber some 70 years ago.
A room full of veterans gathered inside a hangar at the DeLand Naval Air Station Museum Wednesday to welcome the Navy's investigative team, made up of an archaeologist, a radiation specialist and cadaver dogs.
The Navy is in Volusia County because of Rodney Thomas, who for the past three years was collecting hundreds of plane parts outside his home of the SBD-5, the most sophisticated bomber during World War II used for training in DeLand in the 1940s.
"Well, like for three years, I was looking for plane parts. I thought was something that had already been found and cleaned up and I was just finding debris that was left. All I wanted to do was find a name of the who was flying the plane," said Thomas.
"So far it's a mystery," said Navy archaeologist George Schwarz.
Although Thomas uncovered more than plane parts, the Navy has little information about who was piloting, and crashed, the bomber.
"We also are not quite sure who was involved with the crash. We have six possibilities and we want to make sure that any possible remains, if there are any, are handled in a respectful manner," said Lt. Cmdr. Heidi Lenzini, the naval history and heritage spokeswoman.
For the next three days, the investigative team will search for more parts to try to piece the puzzle together and unlock the mystery.
While some continue looking for parts, Nitro, along with other cadaver dogs, will search for the pilot who vanished 70 years ago on a training mission.
"Well that would be of the utmost importance here," Schwarz said. "But if any human remains were to be discovered then everything would stop, then there's a state medical examiner that who would get involved."
"I got everybody looking but I still don't have that name," said a hopeful Thomas.
Thomas said when the team hands him that information, he will build a memorial on the spot where the pilot was found.