What's the story behind the discovery of the Prototype LVTP-6's? Ed Gold tells all.

Ed Gold.  Adventurer, Documentary Photographer, Author and World Traveler.

I've teased and pleased with pics of the Prototype LVTP-6 taken by Ed.  Below is his account of how he made the discovery!  Grab some coffee.  Sit back and enjoy.  Its part adventure, part discovery, even part romance and a whole lot of awesome...

In 2009 I journeyed to a remote  community called  This is the most  point and you can see. I'm a documentary photographer and had motorcycled is an village of 150 people. It is very remote . It's on the Bering Sea and the only way to get there is by light aircraft. Single or twin prop. No roads at all! Impossible to drive there from any town or city.

I photographed these two LTVP-6's then and was saddened that they were sitting there abandoned.After my 3 weeks there I photographed British Paratroopers in Afghanistan, went to the Ukraine etc. Then early last year I decided to return to Wales in Alaska to finish this self-initiated project. I went for a month from May to June 2013. It was still Arctic winter then and the sea was frozen. I went seal hunting by boat, got trapped out at sea by icebergs and had to drag the boat a mile across ice, falling in as we did so (with 4 other guys). We managed to get back to the edge of the sea ice (pressure ridge) to safety. This place has its life and death moments with no-one there to save you.

I photographed the LTVP-6's again of course and then left to Anchorage where I bought a Harley-Davidson, found abased book publisher as I wanted to make a book of this work. With the book commission in place I needed more time in the USA since as a British citizen I only get 3 months to visit the USA. I motorcycled to Ottawa, to a pre-booked interview at the US Embassy there for an interview. I initiated a good newspaper story in Ottawa for myself and this helped get me a 10 year US visa so I could return to  to photograph more. I had motorcycled 4000 miles in 8 days and ended up sleeping rough in Ottawa. A girl I met gave me a place to stay and of course things 'happened' so that I flew back to Anchorage instead of motorcycling - I had an annual Inuit dance festival to get back to in Wales in late August and left it late because I was 'involved' with this girl.

So I went back again from August to September for one more month. In total I spent 11 weeks in and it was pretty tough mentally. It's a really deprived environment. Shitting in buckets which you slop out daily. Collect your own spring or lake ice water as nothing is piped. Lots of drug/sex abuse and depression/suicide.

I stay with a very good friend who has lived there for 30+ years and is ex-US Airforce/POW MIA in Cambodia. He will be a good contact for you if you ever want to try and retrieve these LTVP-6's.

The US Navy Arctic Submarine Laboratory was based rom the 50's onwards and that is why the LTVP-6's are there. The Navy was taking ice 'DNA' from that area and re-growing ice back in San Diego. Then they tested submarines on the ice...like surfacing them through thick ice. Apparently that info is classified.

Apparently when the US Navy left they left the LTVP-6's behind in working order but being they got abused, vandalised, destroyed. I originally went to with an open mind, as I do with all projects. I go about my work professionally and without judging people. I am there to communicate what I see to other people.

There is alot more to the note Ed sent and you'll notice the parts that I have blacked out  left out making it a choppy read (thanks for the heads up Erik!).

The reason is simple.

I'm still hiding the location in the hopes that someone from the Armor, Marine Corps or AAV museum might be interested enough in this piece of history to at least investigate (although I hope to see it on display...the LVTP-6 is the missing link when it comes to Marine Corps Armor).

All in all, it was a pretty ballsy expedition.  I can't imagine doing it myself, but I'm glad Ed did.

 https://www.facebook.com/EdGold.co.uk

www.edgold.co.uk

http://about.me/ed_gold/

Sidenote:  Why am I so jazzed about this find?  Well think about it.  What does the Marine Corps do well?  It tells the story of its Infantrymen.  It tells the story of the Air Wing.  It doesn't do as good a job when it comes to telling and teaching the story of Marine Corps Armor and Artillery!  Both are important, war winning parts of the Marine Corps Ground Combat Element but for some reason they're simply footnotes.  The M103 Heavy Tank.  The LVTP-3C which served in the Korean War.  The 8in Howitzer.  The 105mm Howitzer.  All unknown to most Marines and only found on the pages of modeling and gaming websites.  The story needs to be told.  That's why Ed's story is so important.