News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci
(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: US Pilots Help Find Korean War Missing

Date: October 15, 1998

On 24 SEP, five American combat pilots met with six Russians in an effort to assist Russia in accounting for its missing fliers.

Meeting as part of the US-Russia Joint Commission, the men recounted when and where they shot-down Soviet MIGs while flying over Korea during the war. Between the five US aviators, they accounted for 10 MIG losses and 4 probables.

Previously, DPMO claims that the "Russians have assisted U.S. investigators in clarifying the fate of 70 of 249 American pilots since the commission was established in 1992." "In turn, the U.S. has helped them account for 10 of their missing pilots."

The US side offered much insight into whether the pilot did, may have or did not survive the loss-incident based on observations at the time of loss. According to AFPS, "There were some good-natured exchanges between the former enemies. Brig. Gen. Kauttu said he could only see the color and shape of the MiGs during one of his dogfights. "I was surprised to see the MiGs painted different colors, from silver to sky blue," he told the Russians. The room erupted in laughter when Col. Orlov responded, "That wasn't tactics. There wasn't enough paint to paint them all the same color."

"Kauttu told the Russians the pilot ejected from the MiG he shot down south of Sinuiju, Korea, on Oct. 12, 1952. "I flew around him several times because his parachute and uniform intrigued me," he said. "He waved at me on the way down and I waved back."

According to the Russian side, over 75 percent of the sorties flown in the air war, were flown by the Soviets.

Said the Russians, "We will continue trying to provide documents that will shed light on the fate of American missing in action pilots."