AMERICANS HELD AS PRISONERS BY THE COMMUNISTS--LETTER FROM THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000300130026-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 15, 1998
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: July 26, 1955
• Content Type: OPEN

CONGRESSIONIAL RECORD 1t_,1 14h11
25X1A9a
Sanitized - Approved For Release ? CIA-RDP75-00091 RO
Forces personnel. In demanding an account-, Capt. ugene
ing on this 944, the U. N. command did commander, DOB, July 1, 1921. (Sentence, 6
not state, nor did it intend to imply, that years.)
it considered all of these 944 to be alive and Wife: Mrs. Mary E. Vaadi, Route No. 1,
held against their. will by the Communists. Clayton, N. Y.
Rather, it was an attempt. to force the Com- 1st Lt. John W. Buck, AO-787245, aircraft
munists to abide by a provision of the ar-- observer, DOB, February 21, 1919. (Sen-
mistice agreement which stated that "each tence, 4"years.)
side" would render a "full accounting" of. Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Noah A. Buck, Ar-
all prisoners of war of whom they had any mathwaite, Tenn.
knowledge. 1st Lt. Wallace L. Brown, A02221926,
Despite the fact that the Communists re- pilot, DOB, September 21, 1926. (Sentence,
fused to make an accounting, through our 5 years.)
own efforts we have accounted for 474 of the Wife: Mrs. Boby J. Brown, 304 National
personnel on the list presented to the Com- Avenue, Montgomery,'Ala.
munists. As to the fate of the 470 remain- T/Sgt. Howard W. Brown, AF36809947,
ing missing from the Korean war, we have flight engineer, DOB, December 11, 1922.
no evidence that they are still alive or being (Sentence, 4 years.)
held by the Communists. However, it is Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Frank Brown, 1712
possible that at some date in the future the Conway Street, St. Paul, Minn.
Communists will admit holding in China Airman 1st Class Steve E. Kiba, AF15426310,
additional United States personnel. At this radio operator, DOB, February 5, 1932. (Sen-
tilne they admit to holding 11 United States tence, 4 years.)
Air Force personnel captured on January 13. Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Steve Kiba, 659
1953, and 2 Department of the Army civilians Robin Street, Akron, Ohio.
captured on November 29, 1952. These Airman 2d Class Harry M. Benjamin, Jr?
names are listed in the enclosure. , AF27345828, scanner, DOB, May 15, 1932.
From time to time reports have been ob- (Sentence, 4 years.)
tamed from political prisoners released by Wife: Mrs. Charlene A. Benjamin, 1124
the East European satellites' and the. Sherwood Street, Worthington, Minn.
U. S. S.. R. pertaining to other prisoners Airman 2d Class Daniel C. Schmidt,
identified as Americans and occasionally AF19391475, central fire control, gunner,
identified by name. Frequently these iden- DOB, March 28, 1932. (Sentence, 4 years.)
tifications have been followed by reports of Wife: Mrs. Una F. Schmidt, 7346 South-
the death of prisoners so identified, but in east Harrison Street, Portland, Oreg.
only one case has there been sufficient evi-
dence Airman 2d Class John W. Thompson III,
to use in demanding the release of
personnel. The case Is that of Sgt. Walter AF13351709, scanner, DOB, August 15, 1931.
(Sentence, 4 years.)
S.
apprehended Jr., of Philadelphia, Pa., was Parents: Mrs. John W. Thompson, Jr., 146
Junre td by Czech border guards on June 5 6 of of this year r while photographing in- Caroline Street, Orange, Va.
accomplished 'the release of Sergeant Win-
John T. DO I wney.
ters on July 13. Parents: Mrs. Marv V.:
+ MERICANS HELD AS PRISONERS
BY THE COMMUNISTS-LETTER
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE SEC-
RETARY OF DEFENSE
Mr. KNOWLAND. Mr. President, I
ask unanimous consent to have printed
in the body of the RECORD a letter I have'
received from the Office of the Secretary
of Defense, in answer to certain in-
quiries of mine regarding Americans
being held as prisoners by the Commu-
nists.
There being no objection, the letter
was ordered to be printed in the RECORD,
as follows:
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE,
Washington, D. C., July 21, 1955.
F[On. WILLIAM F. KNOWLAND;
United States Senate.
DEAR SENATOR KNOWLAND: In reply to your
letter of June 25, we have screened our rec-
ords of personnel missing or captured in
order that a complete record can be pro-
vided you. The nature of handling of our
personnel by the Communists' creates many
problems in accountability. The evidence is
sparse and undependable in most cases.
At the end of the Korean war the North
Koreans and the Chinese Communists failed
to account for 944 United States Armed
From time to time demands have been
made of the Soviets as well as certain of the
satellite countries to account for personnel
who were missing in the vicinity of these
countries and who could possibly have been
captured. However, the circumstances sur-
rounding the incidence of the disappearance
are such that in all cases the men could
have voluntarily absented themselves with-
out leave in the case of ground forces near
the border or could have crashed at sea in
the cases of the air and naval forces per-
uncdasing, attempting to provide additional
evidence concerning the disappearance of
these personnel and in demanding an ac-
counting from the country concerned.
Sincerely yours,
WILLIAM H.. GODEt,
Deputy Assistant to the
Secretary' of Defense.
ARNOLD CREW MEMBERS MISSING IN ACTION AS
OF JANUARY 13, 1953
Col. John K. Arnold, 1212A, commander,
581'st Air Resupply ' and Communications
Wing, DOB, September 24, 1913. (Sentence,
10 years.)
Wife: Mrs. John K. Arnold, 8 National
Street, Montgomery, Ala.
Brother: Dr. Robert Arnold, 8709 Sundale
Drive, Silver Spring, Md.
Maj. William H. Baumer, AO-733786, in-
structor pilot, DOB, April 22, 1922, (Sen-
tence, 8 years.)
Mother: Mrs. Mary E. Baumer, 124 St. An-
thony Street, Lewisburg, Pa.
Sister: Alice Ion Moore, R. D. No, 1, Box
709A, Centerville Road, Lancaster, Pa.
Capt. Elmer F. Llewellyn, AO-2072360, navi-
gator, DOB, August 19, 1925. (Sentence, 5
years.)
ceased), 43 Monroe Street, New Britain,
Conn.
Richard 0. Fecteau.
Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Philip D. Fecteau;
FOIAb3
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000300130026-3