Pacific Wrecks

What Pacific Wrecks does

Pacific Wrecks is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charity that operates a comprehensive online historical database covering the WWII Pacific Theater, Korean War, Cold War, and Vietnam War. Founded in 1995 and based in Hyde Park, New York, the organization is dedicated to locating and documenting Missing In Action (MIA) personnel, researching and sharing information on past conflicts, and protecting historical sites to preserve their legacy. The platform serves history enthusiasts, military families and veterans, researchers and authors, and museums and educational institutions globally.

The core product is an interconnected web-based database featuring several modules: an MIA personnel registry, a Prisoners of War (POW) database, an Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) database, a day-by-day chronology spanning multiple conflicts, a geographic locations directory covering 30+ Pacific nations, and detailed aircraft and ship registries organized by manufacturer, type, and nation. Supporting features include a discussion forum with over 5,600 registered members, daily historical updates, book and media reviews, an interviews and oral histories section, a museums and restorations directory, and a community submission portal that allows users to contribute photographs, information, and personal experiences.

The business model is entirely donation-based. All content is provided free of charge to a global audience via the pacificwrecks.com website, and revenue consists solely of voluntary viewer donations accepted through PayPal, credit card, Zelle, or mail, with all donations tax-deductible under the organization's 501(c)(3) status, achieved in 2008. The organization operates with approximately 5 employees and maintains organic social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram to drive community engagement. There is no paid product offering, no B2B sales motion, and no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Pacific Wrecks

Legal name

Pacific Wrecks Inc.

Website

https://pacificwrecks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pacific Wrecks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a free online database of WWII Pacific, Korean War, Cold War, and Vietnam War history, including MIA personnel, aircraft, ships, and locations. It serves history enthusiasts, military families, researchers, and institutions globally, supported entirely by viewer donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pacific Wrecks operates a free, not-for-profit online database dedicated to documenting and researching WWII Pacific Theater, Korean War, Cold War, and Vietnam War history. The platform comprises interconnected modules including MIA/POW/UXO registries, a day-by-day chronology, locations directory, and aircraft and ship registries, supported by a community forum, daily updates, book reviews, and oral history interviews.

Product overview

Pacific Wrecks is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charity online resource dedicated to documenting and preserving WWII Pacific and Korean War history. Founded in 1995, the platform operates as a comprehensive database featuring interconnected modules: an online database with Missing In Action (MIA) registry, Prisoners Of War (POW) database, Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) information, day-by-day chronology spanning WWI Pacific through Cold War, locations database covering Pacific nations, an aircraft database with manufacturer/type organization, ships database by nation/service, plus community features including a discussion forum, daily updates, book reviews, museums/restoration directory, and interviews/oral histories. The platform allows user contributions through information submission and accepts donations to further its mission of locating missing personnel and preserving historical sites.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pacific Wrecks Online Database
• Missing In Action (MIA) Registry
• Prisoners Of War (POW) Database
• Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Database
• Day-by-Day Chronology Database
• Locations Database
• Aircraft Database
• Ships Database
• Discussion Forum
• Donation Platform

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• HyperWar: Online reference site hosting official WWII military documents, manuals, and histories. Comparable to Pacific Wrecks as a free, web-published WWII historical reference, focused on official documentation rather than personnel/loss records.
• Air Force Historical Research Agency: U.S. Air Force archival agency maintaining official records of military aviation history, including Pacific Theater WWII aircraft losses and personnel. Comparable as an online aviation history archive intersecting Pacific Wrecks' Aircraft Database scope.
• Australian War Memorial: Australia's national memorial and archive for war, with substantial Pacific Theater WWII holdings and online databases of personnel, ships, and aircraft. Highly comparable to Pacific Wrecks in Pacific focus and online research resources.
• Imperial War Museums: UK-based network of museums and archives dedicated to conflicts involving Britain and the Commonwealth, including the Pacific Theater. Comparable mission of preserving WWII history, with substantial online archival holdings.
• Naval History and Heritage Command: Official U.S. Navy archive publishing ship histories, battle records, and online photo/document libraries. Comparable as a free online naval history reference, with overlapping ship and casualty record content.
• Combined Fleet: Specialized online database of Imperial Japanese Navy losses, operations, and ships during WWII. Highly comparable to Pacific Wrecks' Ships Database and Pacific Theater focus, though narrower in scope (Japanese naval only).
• National WWII Museum: Major WWII museum, education, and research institution based in New Orleans. Comparable mission of preserving and sharing WWII history, with a much larger physical footprint and institutional research operations.
• WW2DB: Online World War II reference database covering people, battles, equipment, and locations across theaters. Closely comparable to Pacific Wrecks as another free, web-based WWII historical database, though it spans all theaters rather than specializing in the Pacific.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. National Archives (NARA): U.S. federal archive holding vast WWII and Korean War military personnel records, ship logs, and operational documents. Comparable as an authoritative source of WWII/Korean War records, but at vastly broader institutional scale.
• Fold3 (Ancestry): Commercial online military records and veteran document platform owned by Ancestry. Comparable as a digital military records archive covering WWII and Korean War, but operates at much larger commercial scale across all U.S. conflicts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pacificwrecks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PacificWrecks
• Facebookfacebook.com/PacificWrecks
• Instagraminstagram.com/pacificwrecks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacificwrecks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pacific Wrecks