After more than 50 years of marriage, I felt uniquely positioned to tell my husband Bob's family history. Our deep connection and shared perspective gave me confidence that I could speak for him and his story in a powerful way.

The narrative began with a story Bob's mother had often told me: he was named for an uncle who was lost while serving in World War II. This innocent detail eventually led to a major discovery and a lasting legacy.

The older generations of the family had long searched for answers about Ensign Bob Allen Richardson, a US Navy fighter pilot whose plane was shot down in the South Pacific. His flight logbook recorded the location as "Talili Bay," but despite his sacrifice and the Purple Heart he received, the commendation letter offered no clues about its proximity to a specific country or landmark. The devastated family searched maps and atlases, but the location remained a mystery.

Bob's uncle Cliff, the last of his generation, shared his collection of documents, maps, and notes from his own trip to the Philippines in an effort to find his brother’s resting place. Sadly, Cliff, like his parents and siblings, died without ever finding the answers he sought. The information was just beyond their grasp, and though his location remained a well-hidden secret, Bob Allen was never forgotten.

My research for my book, Seeking Yesterday: A Quest for American Roots, eventually led to a breakthrough. I discovered an old website, which I believe is no longer active, that showed a map with Talili Bay clearly identified, located near Rabaul, Papua New Guinea.