Marine Corps veteran Geoff Anthony pursues history and recovery
‘Semper Fidelis,’ the Marine Corps motto that embodies unwavering loyalty and commitment, perfectly captures the life and career of Geoff Anthony, a graduate student in maritime studies at East Carolina University and a retired Marine Corps colonel.
Charting a New Course
“History and maritime issues have always been a pretty significant passion of mine, and an obvious coupling of them was in the realm of archaeological underwater archaeology,” Anthony said.
Geoff Anthony tapes measuring scales in preparation for underwater excavation of a lost World War II aircraft in Faro, Portugal.
With about only 20 schools in the nation offering maritime studies and underwater archaeology programs, options were limited for Anthony. However, another major factor came into play: COVID-19.
“My undergraduate alma mater, Texas A&M University, has an excellent program, but because I’d already gone there for four years, I wanted to spread my wings a little bit more. I also looked at a program in Australia and was considering that, but then COVID struck and kind of restricted any opportunity to go there, which limited my decision,” he said.
“But it ended up being the perfect choice. The cadre of staff, the focus on history and the emphasis on exactly the kind of projects I want to pursue in the future made ECU the absolute right decision,” he said.
A Personal Mission
Anthony’s passion for history and maritime issues also has a deeply personal connection to his family. He came to ECU with a mission to honor his grandfather, who was lost in the Pacific during World War II, by contributing to the vital work of service recovery with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA).
“I’ve always hoped to be able to parlay what I’m doing now into further exploration and potential identification and recovery of my grandfather,” he said.
In 1944, Anthony’s grandfather was a heavy bomber pilot in the 307th Bomb Group. He was deployed in the Admiralty Islands just north of Papua New Guinea. His primary mission was to neutralize island Japanese bases and strongholds throughout the region, which meant flying over open water.
“On this particular day, he took off to strike a port in New Caledonia and Yap Island in the Caroline Islands. Along the way, he was separated from his flight due to weather and arrived late to the target but decided to proceed with the attack. Since he was alone during the strike, he was shot down, likely by anti-aircraft fire. There were no other American aircraft that witnessed exactly what happened, so there’s still a great deal of speculation about the details,” Anthony said.
Beyond the goal of finding his grandfather, Anthony also hopes to determine exactly what happened that day and solve the mystery of the crash. Although Anthony has not yet been able to figure out precisely what happened to his grandfather, he was able to visit the supposed site in 2007.
“After one of my tours in Iraq, I took the opportunity on my leave to go over with my family. We didn’t have any real expectations of being able to find his airplane on the trip without the equipment or training, but it was still a very significant and moving event to go to the location where we knew he had been shot down,” he said.
Meaningful Recoveries
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s programs have been among the most meaningful projects for Anthony during his time at ECU. The programs focus on recovering lost service members from foreign wars, which holds significant meaning for Anthony because of his grandfather.
After 28 years in the Marine Corps, Geoff Anthony, pictured during a flag ceremony, transitioned to a career in maritime studies.
Working with Dr. Jennifer McKinnon, an underwater and terrestrial archaeologist and a professor at ECU, Anthony has been able to participate in projects in Croatia, Portugal and Saipan, where the team made a significant recovery.
“In fact, we’ve actually recovered the remains of at least one service member who is now back in Hawaii. That experience has been extraordinarily rewarding. It’s exactly why I got into this field, and I find it incredibly meaningful,” he said.
Investing in Future Scholars
During his time at ECU, Anthony has established a scholarship in his name.
The Colonel Geoffrey M. Anthony Scholarship is awarded to students working on any subject associated with the Marine Corps. Alternatively, subjects dealing with United States naval military history (1775 and later) are acceptable.
“What really drove me to do this was remembering my own time as a college student. Even though it’s been a while since I was an undergraduate student, I still recall the financial struggles, both my own and those of my peers. So, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to support students. I wanted to create something that would help someone following in my footsteps in the program,” Anthony said.
Passions Beyond the Classroom
Throughout his life, Anthony has had a love for visiting battlefields around the world, and being in the Marine Corps gave him opportunities to travel and visit incredible historical sites.
Some of his favorite battlefields include the Dardanelles Strait, where the Battle of Gallipoli took place, Waterloo, the Battle of the Bulge and Iwo Jima.
“Iwo Jima is a landmark battle for the Marine Corps. Very, very few people get to go there, just by the nature of the distance from anywhere of consequence and the difficulty of getting there, even if you’re in close proximity. I flew there on a Marine Corps C-130, so I had the opportunity to see that,” Anthony said.
Scuba diving is another passion of Anthony’s that has tied into his career.
“I’ve continued to develop and educate myself in recreational diving. I’m a diving instructor, and I’ve always done everything I could to develop those credentials,” he said.
A Legacy of Leadership
His exceptional dedication to both service and scholarship makes Anthony a true embodiment of Pirate spirit — loyal, determined and ever committed to making a difference, which he hopes will continue in future Pirates.
“So, if I could just recommend one thing to anybody, it would be to make sure that as you’re pursuing your passion, you’re developing the next generation. Whether that’s by offering advice, offering your time or offering your skills because at some point, you’re not going to be able to continue it, but whatever it is that you love, there will always be people behind you who love it just as much,” Anthony said.