Ships and rescue teams crisscrossed the area and found nothing. Not a splash of oil, not a piece of floating refuse, not a handkerchief or a fuel tank. The world has searched ever since, combing that area of the Pacific for any trace at all. There have been rumors and false hopes. Some people theorized she might have been captured, her plane forced down then concealed on an island, and taken as a prisoner by the Japanese.
Critics say Amelia was a foolhardy daredevil.
Some people say her actual accomplishments were very thin. Amelia excelled in an area where no woman had gone before. Her energy and determination, her passion for flight cannot be criticized nor belittled. Now, people collect mementos of her life. There are paintings, photographs, postage stamps, autographs, her published articles, and the books written about her.