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| USAF 17th BW 37th BS   Mikesh November 1952 |
Pilot Captain Gene Alan Culbertson, 718487 (MIA / KIA) Co-Pilot 1st Lt. Alfred Holowell King, 1912154 (MIA / KIA) Warrenton, VA Tail Gunner A1c Robert Ronald St. Mary, 16385446 (MIA / KIA) Crashed February 23, 1953 at 2:35am Aircraft History Built by Douglas. Manufacture Number 27849. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as A-26B-61-DL Invader serial number 44-34570. On September 1, 1947 assigned to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and redesignated as the B-26B-61-DL Invader. Assigned to the 17th Bombardment Wing (17th BW), 37th Bombardment Squadron (37th BS). No known nickname or nose art. Squadron Code BC-??? (three digits). Call Sign "Dutchboy 94". Mission History On February 23, 1953 after midnight took off from Pusan East Air Base (K-9) piloted by Captain Gene Alan Culbertson on a night interdiction mission against the enemy supply line known as "Black 16" between Songjin and Chongjin in North Korea and perform a reconnaissance of rail road lines. Lt. King was flying his 46th mission and Capt. Culbertson were flying his 47th mission. After making a series of low altitude bomb runs against an enemy train northeast Hungnam last contact was at 2:35am and could not be reached by radio. When this aircraft failed to return, it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. Each crew member is memorialized in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing. Culbertson, King and St. Mary on court 8. Each crew member is also memorialized on the National Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. Culbertson earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart, posthumously, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation and Republic of Korea War Service Medal. Culbertson also has a memorial marker at Arlington National Cemetery at memorial section MH site 583. King earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, posthumously, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation and Republic of Korea War Service Medal. He also has a memorial marker at Sunset Memorial Park in Cumberland, MD. St. Mary earned the Air Medal, Purple Heart, posthumously, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation and Republic of Korea War Service Medal. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - A-26B-61-DL Invader 44-34570 "34570 (17th BW, 37th BS) MIA on night interdiction mission Feb 23, 1953" Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Personnel Profile - 1st Lt Alfred Holowell King American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Alfred Holowell King FindAGrave - 1LT Alfred Holowell King (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 1LT Alfred Holowell King (National Korean War Veterans Memorial photo) FindAGrave - Alfred Holowell King (memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Gene Alan Culbertson Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Gene A. Culbertson (grave photos) FindAGrave - CPT Gene Alan Culbertson (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Capt Gene A. Culbertson (photo, memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert Ronald St. Mary FindAGrave - A1C Robert Ronald “Bob” St Mary (photo, courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - A1C Robert Ronald “Bob” St Mary (photo, National Korean War Veterans Memorial photo) Aviation Safety Network - ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 86248 Douglas B-26B Invader 44-34570 DPMO Korean War Aircraft Loss Database (KORWALD) February 23, 1953 via Wayback Machine August 6, 2014 A-20 Havoc at War (1979) by William Hess page 122 (photo) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated December 23, 2021 |
 B-26 / A-26  MIA 3 Missing |
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