My interest started quite by accident. I use Ebay often. I was raised in peru and except for one year have lived here all my life. every once in a while I would punch in Peru, MA to see if anything was on ebay. We are a very small town. Just about 800 people total. No school, no post office we share one with the next town, no stores. no traffic lights. I found a piece from the plane crash on ebay. I bid on it and won it. I wasn't the only one bidding since it was related to WWII. It was a seat back with a wire cable on it, a uniform button, a bullet and some type of harness buckle. With a piece of the plane scratched into this piece of metal is the following:
Parachute Troop
Plane Crash (Douglas)
Garnet Peak
August 15, 1942 9:00 o'clock
Peru, Mass. 17 killed 3 survived. Capt. Lee.
I belive that this Capt. Lee came back to the site found these item and mounted them. No proof but it had to be from someone on the plane or a relative of someone on the plane. the person I purchased it from didnt know any history on it.

I have been to the monument that is at the spot of the plane crash a few times. Hope to go again this summer. It is decorated with flags each year. It is in a remote part of the forest and a hike to get there. I did a bunch of research about 5 yrs ago and naturally life gets in the way and you get busy with other things. I am thrilled with the info you sent me Thanks so much. When I go up this summer I will bring the digital camera and take a couple of pictures for you if you would like. I also can copy the research I have for you on the plane crash itself that I got from the local paper.

Thanks again for the info. I will add it to my stack of papers.

Chris