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JAMES ALWARD VAN FLEET JR.
Pilot
JOHN A. MCALLASTER
Navigator
RALPH L. PHELPS
Gunner
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JAMES ALWARD VAN FLEET JR.
Pilot
JOHN A. MCALLASTER
Navigator
RALPH L. PHELPS
Gunner
CPT Van Fleet Jr. was the son of General James A. Van Fleet, who was then the 8th Army Commander,
and Field Commander of UN Forces fighting in Korea.
The dates are often conflicted in the known, available records. On March 31, 1954, the United States
government made a presumptive finding of death in the cases of all three crewmembers, and changed their status to
"died while missing, body not recovered", effective April 4, 1952. What little else is known about the fate James Jr.
and his crew members raises many disturbing questions about the issue of "unreturned" Korean War POW/MIA's!
What His Father Stated!
Nevertheless, reports continue to surface about Americans being held
alive in North Korea from the days of the Korean War. A recent report
that appeared in the Bangkok-based Asia Times included an interview with
a former Pyongyang secret police official, Oh Young Nam, whose father
was reportedly a bodyguard to the late North Korean dictator Kim Il
Sung. Oh Young Nam reported that between 1982 and 1993 he made numerous
visits to a secret prison camp north of Pyongyang where elderly black
and white men were housed, which was described to him by guards as a
facility for U.S. prisoners from the Korean War. He said that one
segregated sector was marked "USA" in Roman letters. Defector Oh
recalled that once, during the early 1980s, he offered a beer to a black
American at the camp.
After both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Washington kept a tight lid on
the story of abandoned POWs. Consider the frustration, four decades
after the comments by Generals Van Fleet and Clark, of a Vietnam War
hero, Colonel Millard Peck, who headed the Defense Intelligence Agency's
MIA/POW office. Peck's assignment came after a series of embarrassments
exposed the DIA's "mindset to debunk" reports about living POWs in
Southeast Asia.
After being stymied at each attempt he made to follow up on live
sighting reports, Peck resigned in disgust in the spring of 1991. In his
resignation letter, the Green Beret Colonel said that the POW effort "is
being controlled and a cover-up may be in progress. The entire charade
does not appear to be an honest effort, and may never have been.... That
national leaders continue to address the prisoner of war and missing in
action issue as the 'highest national priority' is a travesty."
Click on any photograph to read more about each man!
A presumptive finding of death in each case!
KNOWN RELEASED
AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION
(From: 6004th AISS Det #2, Report #302-5-52, D/I 09030, 15 May 52):
Information obtained, by this Source from a villager indicated that two
friendly aircraft were downed at (YC 400126.) One pilot died in the crash
and the other pilot was captured. At 1200 hours, 4 Apr 52, he witnessed a
group of Communists investigating the dead pilot's belongings.
(From: 6004th AISS, Det #2, Report #493-5-52, D/I #09301, 26 May 52):
A twin engine UN bomber crashed at Hangpo-dong (XC 279069) at dawn,
4 Apr 52. The inhabitant observed an American corpse dressed in an
OD jacket and no pants lying 30 meters north of where the plane crashed.
No other bodies were observed.
Note: The next is a "real puzzle", because of a date discrepancy!
(From: MISG/FE Interr Report #KT 3458, D/I #12344, 25 Jul 52):
(From: 6004th AISS, EEI File #2, 25 Sep 53):
(From: 6004th AISS, EEI File #2, 26 Sep 53):
(From: 6004th AISS, EEI File #2, 2, Gen File Vol 4, Sep 53):
(From: IG OSI, Dist Off #2, APO 77, Date Unknown 1953):
On 28 March 52, Source heard from a civilian that a UN aircraft possibly a
twin engine, crashed in the vicinity of (YC 1968) at 0100 that morning.
Later that day, three caucasians were observed about 30 years old, being
marched under three guards. The three caucasians were wearing tan uniforms
and brown boots. Their uniforms had zippered pockets on the trouser legs.
The civilian heard that these three caucasians bailed out from the aircraft
and the fourth was believed killed when his parachute failed to open.
An interrogator told Source that VAN FLEET was being held in Pyongyang by the Chinese.
He was being interrogated on UN use of bacteriological warfare. The Chinese were also
trying to force VAN FLEET to write about "The Glory of the Communists for their Treatment
of Prisoners of War." Source felt that the reason that they were told this was that the
interrogators felt that by mentioning names of POWs, of high rank or prestige, and the fact
that they too were being coerced into signing BW charges, that this would tend to make
personnel like Source confess to these charges.
Source was told by another returning POW, who got it from a Chinese interrogator,
that Lt. VAN FLEET was alive and was being held a prisoner by the Chinese Communists.
One Chinese interrogator said that VAN FLEET was alive and another Chinese interrogator
said that he was dead. Source received this information on 5 Sep 53, enroute to Kaesong
for repatriation.
Source indicated that on or about May 52, and unknown Chinese English speaking interrogator
informed Source that Capt VAN FLEET had previously been interrogated at Pyongyang.
".....According to Lee(Source), during a conversation that ensued, (a secondary informant)
'Min' (who was a member of the Social Security Bureau of North Korea) made the statement
that General Van Fleet's son, who was a pilot had also been captured. Lee did not recall
whether he was alive. He claims to dimly recall 'Min' saying that VAN FLEET was captured
in the Koksan area"
Reports of Korean War POW/MIA's Persist!
Excerpts From A VOA Newsletter!
What Is The U.S. Doing About Those 10-15 POW's?
Write your Congressman/Senator !
For more information on the Korean War POW/MIA issues
visit The Korean War MIA/POW Help Desk.
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Visit the 13th Bomb Squadron Association (Korea) !
Learn more about the unit these men were in !
Our thanks to Sandra Fenton & Charles Hinton for permission to use the photographs!
Photo of Van Fleet Jr. by Ray Anastos.
Many of these graphics were created by Sandy's Patriotic Graphics !
Sandy is our Friend, and a true Veteran Supporter!
The ID Tag graphic on this page was created by "wave", with our fondest thanks!
