A team of 10 trekkers endured steep rainforest climbs, slippery ridges, and high-altitude conditions for 8 days along the Ghost Mountain expedition last week before returning to Port Moresby on Monday 20th October 2025.

 That was the start of many more tracks to come, it was also the start of the retelling of the PNG- US war history which has been forgotten and untold for many decades.

The weeklong expedition completed at the resting place of the Flying Dutchmen on Mt Obree.

A dream and passion by American Author James Campbell and Australian explorer and author Peter Gamgee will now be the awakening of the forgotten US soldiers on the Ghost Mountains back in year 1942.

These two Explorers and authors shared their journey and inspirations behind the books they both wrote regarding the battle and struggles on the Ghost Mountains, highlighting that the expedition taken recently is an extraordinary experience that blends history with friendship and endurance.

Mr. James Campbell who is the author of “The Ghost Mountain Boys”, stated that he was a young journalist back in year 1995 when he first heard about the United States War on Papua New Guinea, and his fascinations grew from there, resulting in him writing a whole book about it in 2002 which was bought by Panguin Random House, largest publisher in the world.

“The largest publisher in the world recognized that this was a stunning historical story that everybody needed to know.”

After his first hike on the Ghost Mountains in 2016 he went back and wrote that story for a magazine called “Outside Magazine”, and that story was chosen as one of the best American stories of that year.

“The Ghost Mountain Boys is a history book about the brave 900 men from the 126 Infantry Regime of the 2nd Battalion who started their track on the Ghost Mountain trail back on October 8, 1942, when they began their track along the ghost mountain trail.”

“This was one of the cruel tracks in modern military history, sadly out of the 900 American soldiers only 126 soldiers and 6 officers were alive.”

Gamgee, author of “The Search for the Flying Dutchman” gave an insight into the inspiration behind the book, stating it started back in 2009 when he first walked that trail, he went back in 2020 to physical search for the flying Dutchmen, without metal detector, no helicopter, no leader or what so ever, but just him and the locals who told him they know where the crash site of the flying Dutchmen was.

“6 times we tried looking for it but failed, that was how “The Search of the Flying Dutchmen” book was born.”

The book is about an American War plane C-47 flying to the Owen Stanley Range, unaware that it was going to be its last flight and how this plane for decades laid in the forest of the Ghost Mountains undiscovered.

“The real search of the Flying Dutchmen is the search of the ways that we can turn tragedy of the flying Dutchmen around to the benefit of the local people.”

The expedition was made up of 8 male trekkers and 2 female trekkers from Australia, and the United States, including PNG and amongst the team was Donna Wilson, 57, granddaughter of one of the American soldiers who fought in Papua New Guinea during World War II.

The recent track was about giving back to the people, and GT Bustin from Tribal Foundation who was one of the trackers highlighted that the team on their expedition for the first time in decades delivered boxes of medical supplies to Dorobisoro Clinics.

“K11,000 in medical supplies, this will benefit the 5 villages along the trail.”

“A K20,000 was paid this week for tractors to fix the trail, and there are talks around guests house and many more initiatives to benefit the locals, but priority is health and education.”

Tribal Foundation, Central Governor Rufina Peter and Member for Rigo Ano Pala will continue in this partnership to see this Ghost Mountain Expedition grow into something big where more and more Americans can come walk this track and talk about its history.

“This expedition is not only to revive the wartime history and to promote tourism but also to deliver basic services to the remote Central communities along the trail.”