William Athanasidy, USAF 1980-85 -
Subject: POW-MIA TRIBUTE--NEEDS HELP: John Morrissey, Vietnam Marine Parachutist, is trying to have a mountain in Alaska named Mount Powmia in honor of those who suffered at the hands of the enemy and those who never returned home. He climbed this mountain in 1996. The U.S.G.S. said they would need correspondence from vets and vet organizations supporting interest in this proposal.
The mountain's location: 67 degrees 22 minutes North Latitude, 151 degrees 21 minutes West Longitude, Meridian FM. On USGS Map Wiseman (B-3), Sec 4.
Please send mail supporting this only living memorial to: John Morrissey, 314 Bear Hill Road
Patterson, NY 12563
Attn: US Korean War MIA Family Members - Recent improvements in the relationship between North Korea and the United States have made it possible for the Department of Defense to conduct investigations and recovery operations for U.S. Personnel who are unaccounted for from the Korean War. It has been over forty years since hostilities ceased in Korea and we have lost touch with most of the next of kin of these unaccounted for personnel. We are conducting a massice outreach effort to locate these next of kin - Thomas R. Perry
- Pvt. Larry A. Abshier - left his unit in May 1962 at age 19.
- Capt. Jack V. Allen - was on the repatriation roster.
- Lt. Gilbert Ashley, Lt. Harold Turner, Lt. Arthur Olsen, Lt. John Shaddick and Airman Hidemaru Ishida - crew members of a B29 shot down on January 29, 1953 - were known to be alive as of April 23, 1953. It is suspected that Ashley was working
for (or forced to) the N Korean counterintelligence, which routinely used captured pilots as baits to lure US planes and rescue units into ambush.
The last message heard of the captives was received on August 6, 1953 from a group of American agents in N Korea (which supposedly rescued the airmen) - "Many agents were killed to rescue and guard the aviators. We were awakened from your deadly murderous
action. We will not work anymore for you. Furthermore we resolved that in case you don't give us an answer regarding this message by 1700 hours 4th August we will surrender to NK after we killed the five aviators in revenge."
- Harold Beardall was on the repatriation roster
- Lt. William J. Bell was on the repatriation roster
- Lt. C.E. Boyle, Jr.
- Pfc. Richard Desautels - drove trucks for the Chinese in November, 1950
- Pvt. James Dresnok - from Norfolk, Va. and left in August 1962 at age 21.
- Cpl. Roger A. Dumas
- Gerald W. Glasser - seen alive at Camp #1, Chang-Song, N Korea as of spring of 1953.
- Airman Hidemaru Ishida - see Ashley above.
- Lt. Paul Joseph Jacobson was captured in Manchuria in 1953. Two other pilots were downed at the same time.
- Sgt. Robert Jenkins - from Rich Square, N.C. and left in January 1965 at age 25.
- Corp. Clifford Stanley Johnson - went missing on 26 November 1950 in the DPRK.
- Maj. Kassel M. Keene, a Soviet Order of the Red Star winner for his services for the USSR druing WW2, was taken away by the Soviets.
- 1st Lt. Thomas C. Lafferty, USAF: Downed on a 31 January 1952 bombing mission over the DPRK. The Pentagon thinks he may have been shipped to the Soviet Union.
- Sgt. Philip V. Mandra
- Lt. Robert Martin was imprisoned for hitting a North Korean officer.
- Airman William E. McClure - was on display in a bamboo cage along with Lloyd Smith Jr. They were crew members of a US Navy Patrol Squadron 22 plane with 13 aboard, shot down on 18 January, 1953. A Navy rescue plane was also shot down.
A total of 10 Amerians are presumed captured alive.
- Lt. Arthur Olsen - see Ashley
- Lt. Lester Frank Page
- Cpl. Jerry W. Parris - from Morganfield, Ky. and left in December 1963 at age 19.
- Lt. Goerge Patton was sentenced to two and half years in prison for striking a fellow POW on July 1, 1953.
- Lt. John Shaddick - see Ashley
- Capt. Cass Skrocki - USAF Capt. Cass Skrocki, USAF 98th Bomb Wing, went down while flying a B-29 in a night bombing mission in September, 1951.
If you know what happened to Capt. Skrocki, please, contact:
Sally
- Airman Lloyd Smith Jr. - see William McClure.
- Sgt. Lewis W. Sowles
- Lt. Harold Turner - see Ashley.
- Corp. Ronald "Dutch" Van Wees, USA: Disappeared in battle during the Korean War. Years later, a source claimed Van Wees was alive in the Soviet Union.
- Pvt. Joseph White White, the 2nd Infantry Division, left his unit in August 1982 and apparently drowned in 1985 in N Korea.
On Feb. 2, 1989, a N Korean defector reported to the US 501st MIS that 11 US POWs were working as English teachers and translators at a N Korean military foreign language school in Pyongyang (cover-name - Am-nok-gang College).
The National Alliance of Families, a group for family members and concerned citizens, offers rewards for certain information on Korean War POW/MIAs. The size of the reward depends upon the information. For further information, con
tact Dolores Alfond (1-206-881-1499) of the National Alliance of Families.
The television show American Journal is also seeking information on the fate of Korean War POWs. Please, email any relevant information to Mark Sauter, a concerned investigative reporter and a
renouned author of books and articles on the MIA/POW issue.