[KWE Note: We are currently seeking information about this Globemaster crash and encourage anyone who had information or details about it to share it on this page of the KWE’s Airplane Crash topics page. Contact Lynnita Brown, lynnita@koreanwar-educator.org or phone 217-253-4620 (Illinois) in the evening; 217-253-5171 Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m..]

Most recent addition: April 25, 2012

Page Contents

• About the Crash
• History of Flight
• Manifest
• Survivors
• Pilot/Co-Pilot Information
• Eye-witness Testimonies
• Letter of Commendation from Maj. Gen. Waldon
• Obituaries
• Newspaper Accounts
• Reader Comments

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About the Crash

A Douglas C-124A-DL Globemaster II aircraft (registration number 51-0141) departed from Seoul-Kimpo International Airport on February 22, 1957, and crashed shortly after takeoff at 20:00. There were 159 occupants on the plane (10 crew members and 149 passengers), and of those 22 were fatalities. The plane was written off as a total loss.

 According to the website www.planecrashinfo.com:

“The No. 3 engine seized, causing the propeller to come loose and slice through the side of the fuselage making two full turns before exiting. It took two men out with it, idled the No. 4 engine and cut the throttle cable. While attempting an emergency return landing at Kimpo Air Base, level flight could not be maintained and the aircraft descended, crashing into the Han River.”

According to Antony J. Tambini's book, Douglas Jumbo's: The Globemaster (pp. 136-137):

"Departed Kimpo AB, Korea for Tachikawa AB, Japan.  After take-off, and upon reaching climb power, the number 3 engine started backfiring, subsequently explosions were heard, and the engine caught fire.  The engineer feathered the engine, and the pilot declared an emergency and started to return to base.  Parts of the exploding engine flew into the lower "P" compartment and struck hydraulic system components.  The pilot subsequently lost aileron control, and at the same time the engineer reported a loss of power on number 4 engine.  Maximum power was applied to number 1 and 2 engines, the pilot and co-pilot maintained wings level with the use of full rudder trim.  The aircraft crash landed into a river, with the landing gear in the up position.  The aircraft was destroyed.  There were 3 fatal, 3 major, and 4 minor injuries."

According to the website aviation-safety.net:

"The Douglas Globemaster operated on a Military Air Transport Service (MATS) flight from Korea to Japan. Flight MATS 503, departed Seoul-Kimpo (SEL) approx 18:00. Take off was made on runway 32. The aircraft lost a blade off engine nr. 3 just after wheels were started up. The blade penetrated the fuselage, cutting both aileron and rudder cables and killing four passengers. Before engine nr. 3 could be feathered another blade separated from engine nr. 3, knocking out engine nr. 4. With full power on engine nr. 1 and engine nr. 2 the aircraft wanted to roll over to starboard. Aircraft Cmdr Cartwright reduced power on both running engines to prevent a wing-over. With no directional control at 100 feet AGL and the DMZ just two miles ahead, a mud bar in the Han River was the only option to save crew and passengers, for if they had crossed the DMZ, North Korea would have shot down aircraft.

The top passenger deck collapsed on impact, crushing some passengers and injuring others. Incoming tide from the Han River Estuary reduced the mud bar. Survivors had to cling to ice flows in the river. The US Army 1st Helicopter Amb Company evacuated 128 survivors to 121st Army Evacuation Hospital or to a levee on the west side of Han River."

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History of Flight

"C-124A, number 51-141A of the 22nd Troop Carrier Squadron (heavy) APO 323, departed Tachikawa Air Base, Japan, at 13171, 22 February 1957, to airlift 156 Army "Rest and Recreation" personnel to Kimpo Air Base, Korea.  En route to Kimpo the Aircraft Commander was flight checked on route procedures by an Instructor Pilot.  The flight was uneventful except for moderate turbulence which permitted only one internal nacelle check which was accomplished approximately 3 1/2 hours after take-off.  The aircraft arrived at Kimpo at 18131.

At Kimpo the aircrew performed a thru-flight inspection.  The only discrepancy noted was a loose fuel trap drain line on the number 3 engine.  The scanner repaired the drain line.  The aircraft was serviced to 24,000 pounds ramp fuel and 149 Army "Rest and Recuperation" personnel were on-loaded for the return flight to Tachikawa.  Take-off gross weight was 171,404 pounds with a center of gravity of 30.4 percent M.A.C. (within allowable limits).  Weather at time of take-off was, "Clear 12 238/31/30 W5-022".  Air Traffic Control clearance was, "Airways Green 3 to Nagoya, Green 4 to O'Shime, and Plus 14 to Waver; maintain 9,000 feet; climb unrestricted."  The Instructor Pilot elected to fly the aircraft on the return flight to administer training to a newly assigned pilot who was undergoing training for co-pilot status.

The aircraft departed Kimpo on runway 32 and became airborne at 19531.  The flight progressed normally through reduction of power to climb power.  Very shortly after establishing climb power and at 900 to 1,000 feet of altitude, an engine backfire occurred.  The scanner made a visual check and reported the number 3 engine backfire.  The pilot ordered the engineer to reduce power on the number 3 engine.  The backfiring progressed to sounds described as "explosions".  The engineer reported a loss of torque on the number 3 engine and the scanner reported fire on the outboard side and white smoke coming from the power section of the number 3 engine.  The pilot ordered the engineer to feather the engine and declared an emergency with intent to return to Kimpo for landing on runway 14.

The scanner continued his description of the malfunction as, "number 3 engine exploding and parts flying off and striking the number 4 engine and the side of the fuselage."  A hole appeared in the side of the fuselage and the door to 'P' compartment raised and white smoke with the odor of hydraulic fluid escaped.  The door immediately fell back to the closed position and remained.  The pilot lost aileron control and the engineer reported a loss of power on the number 4 engine.  The pilot instructed the engineer to not feather the number 4 engine as long as it was developing power.  He then ordered the student co-pilot to leave the seat and the Aircraft Commander assumed the co-pilot duties.

When the hole appeared in the side of the fuselage approximately twelve (12) passengers seated in that vicinity left their seats and went aft.  Several of these passengers had been injured by flying metal from the hole torn in the fuselage.  The loadmaster attempted to get them to return to their seats and when they refused, he seated them in the vicinity of the cargo platform.

Following the loss of power on the number 4 engine, the pilot applied maximum power on the numbers 1 and 2 engines and, with the aid of the co-pilot, was able to maintain a wing level attitude with full rudder trim and full rudder.  The aircraft was losing altitude at the rate of approximately 300 feet per minute, so attempt to return to K-14 was discontinued and the pilot committed himself to crash landing.  The pilot (Instructor Pilot) asked the co-pilot (Aircraft Commander) if he wanted to try it wheels up or wheels down.  The co-pilot answered, "Wheels Up".  The co-pilot rang the alarm bell three (3) times.

The loadmaster and scanner instructed the passengers that had left their seats to hold on to whatever they could (all other seats in the aft section were occupied).  The loadmaster held on to the upper seat rail (top of seat backrest) and the scanner positioned himself behind, and held on to the lift raft rack.

The pilot turned the aircraft approximately 20 degrees to the right for crash landing in a river.  At approximately 300 feet the cockpit and flight deck lighting failed.  The pilot turned on the landing light switches, but the landing lights also failed."

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Manifest

Crew:

• Boiter, Ansel Luther (Air Force Maj., aircraft commander, Honea Path, SC).  Boiter received his pilot rating on 23 July 1942 and his senior pilot rating on 1 November 1949.  (See fatalities)
• Cantrell, Robert L. (Air Force SSgt., load master)
• Cartwright, James William (Air Force Capt., instructor pilot, 37 years old, Elkton, KY).  Cartwright received his pilot's rating on 27 June 1944 and received his senior pilot rating on 9 July 1954.
• Forrest, Robert J. (Air Force SSgt., engineer)
• Hile, Allen P. (Air Force SSgt., radio operator, Harrisburg, PA) (He died May of 1957 at Ft. Sam Houston's Hospital.  He died from a blood transfusion.  He got yellow jaundice.  He had third degree burns over the lower portion of his body.  He was survived by wife Evelyn V. Hile and four children: Allen Jr., Jennie, Sue and Cheryl; and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph C. Hile.)
• Hutton, Harold S. (Air Force 1st Lt., co-pilot)
• McKenzie, Stephen (Air Force A3C, load master)
• North, Robert L. (Air Force Capt., pilot, North Hollywood, CA)
• Reilly, Charles P. (Air Force A1C, radio operator)
• White, Joe N. (AF M/Sgt., Schroon Lake, NY) (see fatalities)

Passengers (incomplete as of 4/25/2012 - There were 149 Army passengers.)

• Aguilar, Francisco (see fatalities)
• Arold, Eugene T. (see fatalities)
• Barstow, Bruce E. (see fatalities)
• Boudreau, Frederick L. (see fatalities)
• Bowcock, Stephen A. (see fatalities)
• Brown, Caldwell Jr. (see fatalities)
• Brown, Merle J. (see fatalities)
• Collaza-Gonzalez, Jose L. (see fatalities)
• Combs, Robert R. (Air Force 1st Lt., co-pilot)
• Glass, Edwin Harold (see fatalities)
• Hills, George A. (see fatalilties)
• Hocher, Donald L. (Army SP3, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Hocher, RR1, Collinsville, IL)
• Howard, Pfc. Alfred L. (Berkeley Springs - recipient of Soldier's Award)
• Junkroski, Gerald E. (see fatalities)
• Levin, Lt. Bennett S. (Muscatine, IA)
• Meeker, Avery L. (see fatalities)
• Morrison, Ralph
• Myers, Ralph E. (see fatalities)
• Opiela, Andrew L. (see fatalities) (See Readers' Comments.)
• Partin, Lewis P. (see fatalities)
• Phillips, Fred
• Silveri, Arnold
• Stone, Jack G. (see fatalities)
• Wallis, Jan M. (see fatalities)
• Warner, Paul B. (see fatalities)
• Witherell, Harry E. (see fatalities)

Fatalities (21 total deaths)

• Aguilar, Sp2 Francisco (20 years old, Corpus Christie, TX-brother of Rudi Aguilar, Corpus Christi, TX)
• Arold, Sp3 Eugene T. (21 years old, Staten Island, NY)
• Barstow, Army 2d Lt. Bruce E. (29 years old, 240 Obispo Ave., Long Beach, CA, member of Det. R, US Military Advisory Group, Korea - son of Mr. and Mrs. Eldred M. Barstow of Long Beach)
• Boiter, Major Ansel L. (crew-aircraft commander)
• Brown, Caldwell Jr. (Bay City, TX)
• Brown, Pfc. Merle J. (Army PFC, Blooming Prairie, MN - son of Justin and Grace Dawley Brown, born September 22, 1936. Member of Company L, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. Buried in Rose Creek Enterprise Cemetery, Mower County, MN.)
• Boudreau, 1LT Frederick L. (Philadelphia, PA - 25 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred J. Boudreau of Philadelphia)
• Bowcock, Pfc. Stephen A. (18 years old, Nelson, British Columbia)
• Collaro-Gonzalez, Pfc. J.L. (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
• Glass, 2Lt. Edwin Harold (age not given, 830 Cook St., Denver, CO - son of Charles and Molly Janet Ginsborg Glass, Denver, CO.  Buried in Mt. Nebo Memorial Park, Arapahoe County, CO.)
• Hills, Pfc. George A. (29 years old, Raymond, NH)
• Junkroski, Gerald (Douglas, AZ - (born 15 June 1932; buried in Resurrection Catholic Cemetery, Cook County, IL; parents Jacob & Agnes Junkroski; siblings Jacob "Jackie" - killed in North Africa in 1942 during World War II, Edward, Evelyn, Mary Ann, Elaine, Stanley, and Leonard.))
• Meeker, Sp3 Avery L. (Pryor, OK)
• Myers, Sgt. Ralph Edward (Lebanon, MO - husband of Mrs. Betty J. Myers)
• North, Capt. Robert L. (crew-pilot, North Hollywood, CA)
• Opiela, Capt. Andrew L. (buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Cleveland, OH)
• Partin, SFC Lewis P. (Petersburg, VA) (Born 17 July 1920, Sergeant Partin served with the 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division in Korea.  He is buried in Wake Chapel Christian Church Memorial Gardens, Middle Creek Township, Wake County, North Carolina.)
• Stone, 1Lt. Jack G. (24, Roseburg, Oregon, member of the U.S. Military Advisory Group)
• Wallis, Pfc. Jan M. (20 years old, Sacramento, CA)
• Warner, 1LT Paul B. (Bellwood, PA - 28-year old husband of Mrs. Carole Kellerman Warner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Kellerman of Bellwood)
• White, AF MSgt. Joe N. (crew member) (Schroon Lake, NY - husband of Mrs. Bane E. White and son of Mrs. Emma Lee White)
• Witherell, SFC Harry E. (East Lansing, MI)

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Survivors (incomplete as of 4/25/2012)

• Cantrell, S/Sgt. Robert L. (crew)
• Cartwright, James (crew)
• Forrest, S/Sgt. Robert J. (crew)
• Hile, S/Sgt. Allen P. (crew)
• Hocher, Donald L., Collinsville, IL
• Howard, Pfc. Alfred L.
• Hutton, 1Lt. Harold S. (crew)
• Levin, Bennett S. (see Eye Witness Testamonies)
• McKenzie, A/3C Stephen A. (crew)
• Morrison, Ralph
• Phillips, Fred
• Reilly, A/1C Charles P. (crew)
• Silveri, Arnold, Staten Island, NY

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Pilot/Co-pilot Information

• Total flying hours (including AF time, student time, and other accredited time)
  • North (pilot) - 2384:25
  • Hutton (co-pilot) - 437:00
  • Cartwright (instr. pilot) - 7352:00
  • Boiter (aircraft cmdr.) - 5733:00
• Total rated 1st pilot and instructor pilot hours, all aircraft
  • North - 1853:25
  • Hutton - 29:00
  • Cartwright - 6626:00
  • Boiter - 4120:00
• Total weather instrument hours
  • North - 34:05
  • Hutton - 23:00
  • Cartwright - 1268:00
  • Boiter - 429:00
• Total 1st pilot and instructor pilot hours this model (F-86, B-50, C-119, etc.)
  • North - 33:45
  • Hutton - 20:00
  • Cartwright - 2846:00
  • Boiter - 410:00
• Total other (command, a/c cmdr, co-pilot, radar control pilot) hours this model
  • North - 34:25
  • Hutton - 38:00
  • Cartwright - 2987:00
  • Boiter - 615:00
• Total 1st pilot and instructor pilot hours this model and series (F-84F, F-86D, etc.)
  • North - 33:45
  • Hutton - 20:00
  • Cartwright - 805:00
  • Boiter - 239:15
• Total other (command, a/c cmdr, co-pilot, radar control plt) hrs this model and series
  • North - 34:25
  • Hutton - 38:00
  • Cartwright - 42:00
  • Boiter - 292:20
• Total pilot hours last 90 days
  • North - 61:30
  • Hutton - 158:00
  • Cartwright - 268:00
  • Boiter - 66:00
• Total 1st pilot and instructor pilot hours last 90 days
  • North - 31:50
  • Hutton - 26:00
  • Cartwright - 260:00
  • Boiter - 66:00
• Total pilot hours (night) last 90 days
  • North - 15:05
  • Hutton - 55:00
  • Cartwright - 94:00
  • Boiter - 9:00
• Total pilot hours, weather and hood, last 90 days
  • North - 10:25
  • Hutton - 35:00
  • Cartwright - 76:00
  • Boiter - 15:50
• Date and duration of last previous flight this model
  • North - 18 February 1957 - 6:00
  • Hutton - 19 February 1957 - 8:15
  • Cartwright - 21 February 1957 - 4:00
  • Boiter - 16 February 1954 - 9:05
• Date and duration of last previous flight this model and series
  • North - 18 February 1957 - 6:00
  • Hutton - 19 February 1957 - 8:15
  • Cartwright - 21 February 1957 - 4:00
  • Boiter - 21 February 1951 - 9:05

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Eye-Witness Testimonies

Rev. Ronald C. Bauer (sent to the Korean War Educator):

"I came from St. Louis, Missouri originally, enlisting in the Army in January 1955, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri basic training, Ft. Lee, Virginia baking school honor graduate, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Korea, then Fort Hood, Texas.  Following my discharge I attended the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, then finished college at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.  I then attended Nashotah House, Nashotah, Wisconsin, a seminary of the Episcopal Church.  I briefly considered returning to the military life, but my wife of the time would not agree to that move.  I led churches in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, ending up retiring from St. Margaret of Scotland Church and School, San Juan Capistrano, California, in 1998.  In all I would have to say that the military and my experiences there helped shape my character, maturity, and goals in life.  It gave me a taste of moving I probably would not choose by myself, making new friends and being responsible.  I loved the regularity of military life and the camaraderie."

--

"As best I can remember, it was a bitingly cold and colorless day in the winter of 1957-1958.  My memory is fuzzy on the exact month, however, I was walking towards the 121 Evacuation Hospital in ASCOM City Korea early afternoon.  An alarm began sounding and eventually helicopters began coming in, one after the other, much like bees to a hive.  At the emergency room I met Father Berry, the Roman Catholic Chaplain, and his assistant, Owen (I cannot remember his last name).  They told me that there had been a C-124 Globemaster that had crashed in the Han River after taking off from Kimpo Air Base.

Chaos was evident everywhere, but, within the chaos, there was a determination and fervent professionalism by all the medical personnel.  Since we were between our resident Protestant Chaplain, Father Berry asked me to see if I could get the regional chaplain.  I did and his driver drove him over in about 45 minutes.  He seemed to be a bit unwell so I suggested he stay in the chapel and pray.  I then assisted Father Berry and his assistant Owen to discover the denominations of the soldiers coming in on stretchers.  All the injured were trembling violently from hyperthermia and it took over an hour before most could settle down.  I am sure that the terror of the plane crash also contributed to their trembling.  The crash obviously over taxed our facilities, but you would hardly have known it.  Everyone just dug in and worked at a frantic pace through the night until about noon the next day, before things progressed from chaos to simply very busy.  The emergency room became a triage production line while the operating rooms and intensive care unit worked nonstop attempting to operate on or stabilize the most severally injured.  After several days, the most severe injured, who needed further specialized care, were picked up and flown to hospitals in Japan.  The less severely injured continued their recuperation at our hospital.  I'm unclear whether or not they eventually continued on to Japan or returned to their units.

During the ensuing days my job was to help those who wished to write letters back home but needed help doing so.  I talked with those who needed to talk and prayed with those who desired prayer.  During this ordeal Father Berry incessantly kept telling me that I should become a priest.  I eventually did but in the Episcopal Church.  In fact, this event was pivotal in prompting me to join the Anglican Church in Korea and I took instructions under Father Matthew Imre, 8th Army Chaplain, and was confirmed by Bishop Chadwell, the assistant Bishop in Korea.  I also got to know Bishop John Daily, who was the Lord Bishop of Korea, on a personal level that lasted for many years even after he retired back to England.

We can all be proud for the actions of the medical personnel at the 121st Evacuation Hospital.  From the high ranking medical officers to the lowest medical aide, all worked together like a finely made Swiss watch.  Watching MASH years later brought me constantly back to my memories of this fateful winter day in Korea, except we were not as crazy.

It was within a week that Father Berry, Owen and I drove out to the wreckage site and took pictures.  It was a mangled mess of a half submerged plane covered with snow and ice.  A very bleak sight.  It is a wonder anyone survived.  Those that did owed the pilot many thanks for their skill in bringing the plane down as gently as they did.  As terrifying as the event was, there was also something majestic and noble about everyone who just did what they do best, heal the injured and in some cases give the dying comfort, prayer and last rites.

Bravery comes in many forms and not simply on the battlefield.  The pilots of the Globemaster, the helicopter pilots, the doctors, nurses, hospital aides and the surviving soldiers all showed a bravery that is a merit to the military service to which they belonged.

I was in Korea because I had volunteered for a friend.  I began with the 130th Quartermaster Bakery and gravitated to the next compound when the Chaplain's Assistant job became open.  The plane crash and the ensuing days was a seminal experience in my road to the Episcopal Priest Hood.  You could see the need of experienced medical personnel in such hectic situations, but you could also see the need for spiritual comfort and presence.  It was like an anchor for those with faith, and even those who had no faith were often very accepting of our presence and ministrations.  The character of the chaplains and the medical personnel was just humbling."

Fred Phillips

"I was on the Globemaster that crashed in Korea in February 1957. One of my friends was a fatality.  His name was Gerald Junkroski, and he was from the Chicago area, I think.  I just received some bad bruises and the next day we were placed on another flight. I do not believe there was a manifest since we were going on R&R.  When we were boarding it was first come first served.  I had missed two flights. It was very horrible.  I still dream about it.  The pilots were outstanding in keeping the craft level, however, it was destroyed.

The weather was very cold.  Some places in the Han River were frozen over. As I mentioned, I had missed two previous flights.  For R&R, it was first come first served.  That is probably the reason there was not a manifest.  When your outfit sent you on R&R, there was not an exact time to return.  For example, on one R&R I returned by ship to Inchon and had to hitch a ride back to the DMZ where I was stationed. I was gone for 20 days. Since I did not have any serious injuries as a result of the plane crash, I was issued more clothing at Ascom City and continued on to Japan. When I found your posting, this was the first time that I had been able to obtain any info on the crash. I was seated on the upper deck and that is probably the reason I did not receive any serious injuries. If the helicopters had not arrived, we most likely would have frozen. I am going to look through some old things to see if I can find any other information and will let you know.

Gerald Junkroski and I both were assigned to the 21st Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division. We were both assigned to the communications platoon of Headquarters Company of the 21st Regiment.  We were assigned to the same Quonset hut and both held the rank of Private First Class (PFC).  I think he had been drafted.  I had volunteered.

Gerald Junkroski 1957 (Click picture for a larger view)

Gerald Junkroski 1957 (Click picture for a larger view)

(Click picture for a larger view)

He always kept an 8x10 photo of his wife close by, and talked daily of longing to be with her. He was a very good man and friend. As I mentioned, I continued on to Japan for seven days and had initially thought that Gerald had been injured. It was not until I returned to my unit in Korea that I found out that he had been Killed.

I live in Jonesborough, Tennessee, and have retired after a 42-year law enforcement career."

Bennet S. Levin (sent to the Korean War Educator by Ben Levin, California)

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Letter of Commendation from Major General Waldon

[KWE Note: The following letter of commendation was printed on pages 2 and 40 of the United States Army Aviation Digest, Volume 3, May 1957 (Number 5).]

Headquarters - United States Army Forces Far East
& Eight U.S. Army (Rear)
Office of the Commanding General
APO 343, San Francisco, California

5 Apr 1957

Dear General Hutton:

Enclosed for your information is a copy of a letter from Major General R.L. Waldon, Commander, 315th Air Division, United States Air Force, as endorsed by General Laurence S. Kuter, Commander, Far East Air Force.... We in this command feel justly proud of the conduct of our officers and men in meeting a hazardous and tragic emergency with valor and expediency. - Sincerely, I.D. White, General, United States Army Commanding.

Headquarters
315th Air Division (Combat Cargo)
United States Air Force Office of the Commander
APO 323, San Francisco, California

7 Mar 1957

Subject: Exceptional Service
Thru: Commander, Far East Air Forces (Advance), APO 925
To: Commanding General, United States Army Forces, Far East and 8th United States Army (Forward) APO 301

1. On 22 February 1957 a C-124 aircraft of this command was forced to land in the Han River near Seoul, Korea.  There were 10 crew members and 149 passengers aboard.... There were 137 survivors.

2. Certain members of your command gave exceptional service in the rescue of survivors.  I refer to the pilots and other crew members of Army helicopters who evacuated the survivors to nearby hospitals...a few minutes after the aircraft accident occurred 26 Army H-13 and H-19 helicopters arrived at the scene of the accident.  These helicopters, with the assistance of one Air Force helicopter, evacuated all survivors.

3. This evacuation was accomplished during the hours of darkness.  The helicopters involved flew a total of 81 1/2 hours.... Since there were 27 helicopters participating in the rescue operation, the resultant air traffic saturation created an extremely hazardous condition.  The selfless and heroic actions of your  helicopter pilots and other crew members in evacuating the survivors to nearby hospitals unquestionably prevented the death toll from being higher.  If evacuation from the sand bar had not been affected, the rising tide and freezing water might have resulted in there being no survivors.  I recommend that these men be given special recognition and high honor.

4. According to available information, the Army helicopters and crews involved were assigned to the following units:

• Korea Military Advisory Group

• K-16 Helicopter Ambulance Detachment

• A-9 unit of 24th Infantry Division

• 3rd Light Aviation Section of 1st Corps

• 2nd Engineer Group Air Section

• 13th Transportation Company

5. There were many individuals who gave aid and assistance on the night of the accident and during the recovery and salvage operations which extended over several days.  Many of these persons should be singled out for special praise.  However, we have no information as to the names of most of these people.  I regret that each of them cannot receive the honor and recognition due him.

6. ... Personnel of the 121st Army Hospital did their utmost to relieve the suffering of the accident survivors, many of whom had sustained cuts and burns...we also desire to express our special thanks to all your personnel who assisted in the recovery of No. 3 engine from the accident site.  This was almost a superhuman task because of the icy water and tide conditions.  Only by examination of this engine will the cause of the accident be determined.

7. There are 7 individuals I would like to commend for their prompt and valuable aid in the recovery efforts following the accident.  They are:

• Colonel John W. Maxwell, The Quartermaster, AFFE/8th Army

• Colonel K.W. Dalton, United States Army Operating Group

• Colonel Thatter P. Leber, 2nd Engineer Construction Group

• Major Kilcauley, Transportation Corps, United States Army Port, Inchon

• Captain John P. Denham, 5th Quartermaster Detachment, Petroleum Laboratory

• Captain William J. Roof, 540th Quartermaster Company

• CWO Mielnik, Harbor Master, Inchon Post

8. It is requested that a copy of this favorable communication be filed in appropriate records of each individual concerned.

(signed) R.L. Waldron,
Major General, United States Air Force Commander

Headquarters, Far East Air Forces, 9 Mar 57

To: Commanding General, United States Army Forces, Far East and 8th United States Army (Forward), APO 301:

1. The foregoing letter by General Waldron has my wholehearted endorsement.  It is a most deserving tribute to the Army personnel, each of whom so willingly and courageously risked his life to assist in the rescue of his fellow serviceman.

2. The indomitable courage demonstrated by the personnel who took part in this operation is surely a credit to the United States Army.  Their efforts will undoubtedly be a source of pride to the organizations represented.

(signed) Laurence S. Kuter,
General, United States Air Force Commander

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Rescue/Recovery Efforts

Han Search Continues But Hope Dims for 17
[News clipping submitted to the KWE by crash survivor Arnold Silveri]

"SEOUL (S&S Korea Bureau) - Seventeen American servicemen were still missing Monday morning after a huge double-decked C-124 transport burned after a crash landing Friday night on a Han river sand bar. Of the 22 passengers originally listed as missing, bodies of five have already been found. The remainder of the 159 passengers and crewmen survived. Twenty-eight are hospitalized, two in serious condition.

Bodies of a number of the missing are believed pinned under the top deck of the Globemaster which collapsed onto the lower deck in the crash. High tides from the Yellow Sea and big chunks of floating ice are hampering salvage operations. Low-flying aircraft and ground crews continued to search the ice-caked banks of the Han Monday morning with no success reported as late as 10 a.m."

13 Still Missing From C-124 As Workers find 9th Body
[News clipping submitted to the KWE by crash survivor Arnold Silveri]

"SEOUL (S&S Korea Bureau), February 26, 1957, p. 11 - An Air Force spokesman reported Monday that four more bodies have been recovered from the wreckage of a C-124 Globemaster which crashed Friday on a Han River sand bar. Recovery of the bodies brought the death toll to nine with 13 still unaccounted for.

Maj. Raymond A. Day, operations officer at Ashiya AB, said three of the bodies were those of passengers and the fourth that of an Air Force crewman. Recovery of the bodies Monday was made by Air Force helicopter rescue teams. Mud, ice and rushing tides hampered raising of the gutted plane's forward section from the water.

A pocket of quicksand in shallow water near the crash also prevented the use of an Army bulldozer and crane-equipped tank retriever in the salvage operation.

Of the 137 survivors of the crash, 28 are still hospitalized. Two severely-burned victims Monday were removed from the "critical" list at the 121st Evac. Hospital at Ascom City. Spokesmen said an all-out effort was to be resumed Tuesday to lift the wreckage from the sand bar.

Teams Recover 10th Globemaster Crash Victim
[News clipping submitted to the KWE by crash survivor Arnold Silveri]

"SEOUL (S&S Korea Bureau) - Army engineers, graves registration workers and Air Force "para-rescue" teams continued their fifth day of grim work in the Han River Wednesday and recovered the body of a 10th victim killed in Friday night's crash of a C-124 Globemaster. The workers then spent four hours in water around the narrow sand bar on which the huge plane crash-landed and burned, trying to recover another body pinned in the wreckage. High tides rolled in at 4 p.m., forcing salvage crews to give up again. The salvage operations and efforts to recover the 11th body were scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. Thursday, an Eighth Army spokesman said.

Demolition charges exploded at intervals by the 44th Eng. Const. Bn. Tuesday night prevented the plane's wreckage from being too-heavily covered under ice. At approximately noon Wednesday, a heavy charge cleared the way for rescuers to probe for two bodies spotted beneath the ice late Tuesday. A bulldozer on the rim of a levee 200 yards away pulled down the blast-loosened wreckage with a winch and nylon rope.

The first body was pulled up at 2 p.m., an Eighth Army spokesman said. Graves registration workers of the Eighth QM Gp., wearing heavy "survival suits," then waded chest-deep into the freezing waters in an attempt to recover the second body. "It was slow, reverent work to them," a spokesman said. "They refused to use hooks and ropes. and they were in the water for a long time." He said the workers had nearly the body from the ice-trapped wreckage when the tide, which had reached a height of 19 feet, forced the salvage group to withdraw to the levee via helicopter.

While they could, the spokesman said, the workers made the most of time and material. They didn't even look up when General L.L. Lemnitzer, UNC/FEC commander-in -chief, and Lt. Gen. Charles D. Palmer, deputy commander AFFE/Eighth Army, visited the site late Wednesday. One AF and three Army helicopters buzzed overhead between the levee and the sand bar during the four-hour operation, shuttling savage workers.

A ground search by members of the 70th Trans. Bn. was called off Monday, the spokesman said. It was not known whether all ground search had been abandoned. Planes of the AFFE/Eighth Army Flight Det. flew over the site and surrounding terrain as long as daylight would permit, while mechanics of the 8th Army maintenance worked long hours on upkeep on the planes and helicopters.

Maj. Raymond A. Day, who is operations officer of the 89th AR Sq., is coordinating all salvage and rescue operations for the Fifth Air force. He is being furnished assistance by the Eighth Army. “My para-rescue people are especially trained for work in difficult crash sites,” Day said. “They’re working right alongside Army graves registration men.” Day added that the Eighth army has been given a big job and has come through very well. We’ve had splendid cooperation.”

Tiny Copters Battled Time, Tide in Evacuation at C-124 Han Site
[News clipping submitted to the KWE by crash survivor Arnold Silveri]

“SEOUL, Korea (AFFE/8th Army) – Only helicopters could be used to evacuate the scared survivors from their icy prison when a C-124 Globemaster, carrying 149 passengers and 10 Air Force crewman, crash-landed on a sandbar in the Han River, four minutes after takeoff from K-14 in Seoul, on Friday, Feb. 22, at approximately 7:45 p.m.

Within minutes after the crash, 24 helicopters were in the air, rushing to the disaster area. The Han River estuary was chocked with floating ice, which caused navigational hazards after affecting boa traffic. Land ve- [words missing from clipping] out of the question. [Words missing from clipping] bar to the river bank some 200 yards away. At times the water flowed over the floorboards of the crafts, increasing the danger of the operations.

By 10:30 p.m. the choppers had to hover in the air while the survivors scrambled up rope ladders to safety,” said the major. Capt. James W. Rhinehart of Hartford, Mich., the aircraft commander of an H-19 from the 13th Transportation Com. (Helicopter), said that every landing was a completely new experience.

By 12:30 Saturday morning, the last of the passengers were airlifted from the crash. Only the tail portion of the giant Globemaster protruded from the water. No one was in sight.

But for the weary helicopter pilots, and the crews who maintain the crafts, the job had only begun. Of the 159 men who had been aboard the plane, only 137 were accounted for, and 22 were still missing.

From daylight to dusk since the crash six days ago, the helicopters have been on the move. Skimming the river and surrounding areas clear to the Yellow Sea, the search goes on.”

Special to the New York Times, Feb. 26, 1957
[News clipping submitted to the KWE by crash survivor Arnold Silveri]

More Crash Dead Found: Wreck of U.S. Plane in Korea Yields Four Bodies

“SEOUL, Korea, Feb. 25 – Four more bodies were found today in the wreckage of the United States Air Force Globemaster that crashed and burned Friday night with 159 Americans aboard.

The bodies were found under the forward section of the C-124 troop transport plane, which lies on a sandbar of the Han River, twenty-five miles northwest of Seoul. Five previously were known dead. Thirteen persons are still officially listed as missing.

About 200 soldiers and several helicopters and light planes participated in today’s search. One of the helicopters participating in the search crashed and was heavily damaged. The two crewmen escaped serious injury.”

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Obituaries

Brown, Caldwell Jr.

"Specialist Second Class Caldwell Brown, Jr. (June 2, 1932-February 22, 1957) was born to Caldwell Brown, Sr. (June 18, 1903-February 18, 1996) and Mary Lee (Ford) Brown (c. 1907-February 14, 1940) at Live Oak, Matagorda County, Texas, and was a graduate of Van Vleck Herman High School.  Attached to Company L, 34th Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, he died when the C-124 Globemaster military aircraft "flying boxcar" on which he was a passenger, crashed on the ice of the Han River approximately 11 miles northeast of Kimpo Airfield (US base), South Korea.*  Returned to the United States, he was buried at the Vine Grove Christian Church Churchyard Cemetery in the Live Oak Community, next to his brother Hubert.

"His mother is also buried in this cemetery in a lost grave.  Survivors included: wife: Geraldine (Martin) Brown; son, Howard Earl; father, Caldwell Brown, Sr.; step-mother, Carrie (Woodard) Brown; sisters, Pinky May and Erma Lee; brothers, Irving, Cash, and Hayward.  At the time of his death his wife was living in Bay City and his family was living at Cedar Lake."*NOTE: Shortly after taking off from Kimpo Airfield with approximately 150 troops on board, a propeller came loose and cut through the aircraft, cutting control cables.  The Aircraft Commander, Major Cartwright, was able to set the aircraft down in the middle of the Han River which was illuminated by moonlight reflecting off the ice on the river.  The aircraft split open forward of the tail section and was the escape route for most of the passengers."

Source: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com

---

“Brown, Caldwell Jr. (June 2, 1932-February 22, 1957) – born to Caldwell Brown Sr. and Mary Lee Ford Brown at Live Oak, Matagorda County, Texas. Brown was a graduate of Van Vleck Herman High School. He served an induction term of two years in the U.S. Army and had recently re-enlisted for a three-year term.

When the airplane went down, Caldwell Brown was reported missing in action, but his casualty status changed when his body was recovered. His remains were sent home to his wife, Mrs. Geraldine Martin Brown. He was buried at the Vine Grove Christian Church Churchyard Cemetery in the Live Oak Community next to his brother Hubert Brown. He was survived by his wife; son Howard Earl; father Caldwell Brown Sr.; stepmother Carrie Woodard Brown; sisters Pinky May and Erma Lee; and brothers Irving, Cash, and Hayward.”

Source – www.rootsweb.ancestry.com

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Husband of Bay City Girl Missing in Korean Crash

"Caldwell Brown, Jr., 3115 Ave. A, a graduate a couple of years ago of Herman High School at Van Vleck, was reported missing as the result of the crash of the U.S. Globemaster aircraft near Kimpo Air Field on the Han River in South Korea.  More than 120 passengers on the Army transport were injured.  First reports indicated 12 men were missing.  Several of the 12 have been confirmed to have been killed in the crash.

Brown's wife, Mrs. Geraldine Martin Brown, was notified Sunday of her husband's missing status.  The wire from Major General Herbert M. Jones, adjutant general of the Army stated a confirming letter would follow.  The wire indicated Brown was missing since February 22, the date of the tragic crash onto the ice of the Han River.

Brown is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell Brown of Cedar Lake.  The graduate of Herman High had served an induction term of two years in the U.S. Army and had recently re-enlisted for a three-year term."

Source - The Daily Tribune, February 23, 1957

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Bay City Youth's Body is Found: Had Been in Han River Air Wreck

"The body of Caldwell Brown, Jr., specialist second class of the U.S. Eighth Army who was included on the list of those missing in the February 22 C-124 Globemaster crash in the Han River, Korea has been recovered and positively identified, press reports from Seoul, Korea indicated.

Brown, a graduate of Herman High School at Van Vleck had been reported missing.  More than 120 passengers on the plane were killed or injured.  There were a total of 149 Americans aboard the giant plane.

Brown's wife, Mrs. Geraldine Martin Brown, was notified Sunday, February 24, of her husband's missing status.  The wire was from Major General Herbert M. Jones, adjutant general of the Army.  The wire indicated Brown was missing since February 22, the date of the tragic crash onto the ice of the Han River.

Wire service reports indicated the end of the missing status, and declared Brown definitely dead and his body recovered.

Brown was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell Brown of Cedar Lake.  The graduate of Herman High had served an induction term of two years in the U.S. Army and had recently re-enlisted for a three-year term."

Source - The Daily Tribune, March 6, 1957

---

With Red Cross Help - Body of Dead Soldier Returned for Burial

"The local Red Cross chapter, one of the participating agencies of the United Fund, this morning completed arrangements for a very complicated problem of getting the body of a dead Bay City GI home for burial, and simultaneously getting his brother home to Bay City from Europe in time for the services.

Caldwell Brown, Jr., of Bay City was killed in an airplane accident February 22 in the Han River in Korea.  He was first listed as missing, then later as definitely killed in the crash, after his body was recovered.  At the time his brother, Irving Brown, was in the U.S. Army in Europe.

Arrangements were made by Red Cross people in Bay City for bringing the body of Brown back to this city for burial.  At the same time arrangements were initiated for bringing his brother back home for the rites.  The body arrived back in Bay City March 20, with burial services planned at Live Oak Church on March 24.

Irving was shipbound to Brooklyn Base when notification caught up with him.  When he landed in Brooklyn March 20 the Red Cross authorities there met him at the boat with a ticket for Bay City and money for other expenses.  He arrived in Bay City at 6 a.m. Friday, so he will be able to attend the services to be held on Sunday.  The escort for the body will remain in Bay City until after the funeral.

Tom Hale, Red Cross official of Bay City, Friday morning said he was pleased with the results of the Red Cross activity.  "It surely was a tough case, what with two different areas having to be correlated," he said.

Brown's wife, Mrs. Geraldine Martin Brown, was notified February 24 that her husband was missing in the tragic air crash that took many lives among the 149 service personnel aboard the plane.

Brown, son of Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell Brown of Cedar Lake was a graduate of Herman High in Van Vleck.  He had served an induction term of two years, then had re-enlisted in the U.S. Army recently for a three-year term."

Source - The Daily Tribune, March 22, 1957

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Newspaper Accounts

Collinsville Herald:

"According to the February 27, 1957, edition of the Collinsville Herald, "Corporal, Specialist Third Class Donald L. Hocher of Collinsville was reported to be one of the survivors of a disastrous air crash which took place just out of Seoul, Korea on Friday evening. The telegram received by his parents informed them that he was 'seriously ill with burns about this face and hands.' Hocher is 21 years old, entered the United States Army in September 1955 and was due to be released from active duty in approximately five months. He graduated from O'Fallon Public High School before entering the service. After completing basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, he left for overseas duty. The Globemaster C-14 transport plane which crashed in the icy waters of the Han River shortly after takeoff from the Kimpo airfield near Seoul carried 159 Americans, 13 of which are still missing and feared dead. Nine passengers died in the crash."

Miscellaneous Articles in PDF:

• Submitted to the KWE by Carolyn Hocher - Click here.
• Submitted to the KWE by Michael Opiela - Click here.
• Submitted to the KWE by Michael Opiela (#2) - Click here.
• Newspaper Clippings (#1) - Click here.
• Newspaper Clippings (#2) - Click here.
• Newspaper Clippings (#3) - Click here.
• Newspaper Clippings (#4) - Click here.
• Newspaper Clippings (#5) - Click here.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sunday, February 24, 1957

[Sent to the KWE courtesy of Carolyn J. Hocher]

Raising of Plane From River Tried

"SEOUL (Sunday) Feb. 24 (AP) - United States Army divers and engineers sought today to lift a shattered Air Force transport from the icy Han River and determine finally how many of the 159 men believed aboard were killed when it crash-landed Friday.

Globemaster sitting in the water of the Han River (Click pix for a larger view)

With 134 accounted for as survivors, the toll may reach 25.  Five more bodies have been recovered  From 17 to 20 men are missing and feared dead.

'It is very doubtful they will be found alive,' said an Air Force information officer who visited the crash site, at the Han's mouth on the Yellow Sea only 1 1/2 miles south of the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea.  Of the survivors, 28 still were hospitalized for treatment of injuries.

Tides from the Yellow Sea washed in and out over the wreck of the 90-ton transport, a C-124 Globemaster.  Crippled and afire, it belly landed on an islet and cracked up in the water five minutes after an 8 p.m. take-off Friday from Kimpo airfield for Tokyo.  With a 10-man crew, it was believed to be carrying 149 passengers, most of the service men headed for rest leaves in Japan.  The tail section remained intact.  Most of the wings and nose were submerged.

The huge, double-decked craft went down with an engine afire and hurling chunks of metal through the fuselage.  The pilot, Capt. James Cartwright of Elkton, KY, said the first impact was light, "but the second was a lulu" that hurled him into the river.  He and five other members of the crew were flown to Tachikawa air base in Japan Saturday. 

Four crewmen were among the missing.

The United States Eighth Army ordered engineers and divers from Inchon Port to try to lift the plane from the water during the hours when the tides were out. 

It is feared some of the missing men may have been washed downstream in the 10-above zero weather after the crash.  The Air Force said the number of missing could not be settled until the passenger list is thoroughly rechecked."

The Daily Advocate (St. Clair County, IL), February 23, 1957:

[Sent to the KWE courtesy of Carolyn J. Hocher]

U.S. Transport Plane Crashes in Han River
Death Toll May Be 25; 134 Saved

"SEOUL - A burning U.S. transport plane crashed on an islet in the Han River last night.  At least 134 of the 159 Americans aboard were saved, but 5 bodies were found and it was feared tonight the death toll might reach 25.

The pilot said an engine of the big C-124 Globemaster ran wild, burst into flame and spewed chunks of metal into the two-story fuselage, tearing holes big enough for a man to walk through.

As the tide ebbed at the Han's mouth today, permitting resumption of the search for bodies at the crash scene, Air Force officials listed 20 persons missing and Army officials listed 17.  An Air Force spokesman said:  "It is very doubtful if they will be found alive."  The Air Force listed 134 rescued and the Army 137.

The troop transport--the Air Force's largest--took off from Kimpo Airfield for Tokyo with 10 crewmen and 149 passengers, most of them servicemen looking forward to rest leaves in Japan.

Lying on a stretcher at Tachikawa Air Base in Japan, the injured pilot, Capt. James Cartwright, 37, of Elkton, KY, related what happened next:  "We lost power on No. 3 engine.  It caught fire and started to throw chunks of metal through the fuselage.  They hit ... No. 4 engine and it started to lose power.  Pieces of metal were coming through the fuselage, cutting holes big enough for a man to walk through.  The metal cut the aileron cables--we couldn't turn around so I decided on the Han River....  It all happened in four or five minutes....  We landed on our belly.  The first impact was smooth, but the second was a lulu.  The next thing I knew I was... in the water.  I crawled on an ice floe and I like to froze.  People were pouring out of the plane and struggling on to a sand bar 50 yards from shore."

The landing on the tiny island, above the water only at low tide, was described by another Air Force officer as a "one in a million" shot that saved most of the lives.  The scene was only 1 1/2 miles south of the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea.

Confusion over the number of missing arose because survivors were rushed to several hospitals and dispensaries for treatment.  The Army said only 43 of the survivors were injured seriously enough to be hospitalized.

Rescue crews arrived at the scene within 45 minutes of the crash.  Five bodies were found before the tide from the Yellow Sea inundated the island at noon.  The tide receded again before dusk and rescue crews again probed the blackened skeleton of the plane.

An Air force spokesman said some of the missing may have been washed downstream in the confusion of the crash.  The water on one side of the island was shallow enough for wading but on the other side it was deep, swift and cold.

Four crewmen were among the missing.  The others, all suffering minor injuries, were flown to Tachikawa.  Cartwright suffered bruises and cuts on the head, face and body."

Stars & Stripes, Feb. 24, 1957

[Sent to the KWE courtesy of crash survivor Arnold Silveri]

Pilot Tells of Crash, Evacuation

"TACHIKAWA AB, Japn (AP) - Minutes after Capt. James Carwright lifted his huge C-124 Globemaster off the runway at Korea's Kimpo Airport Friday night the No. 3 engine began running wild, hurling chunks of metal which ripped man-size holes in the fuselage, he said Saturday. Cartwright and five other crewmen, all injured in the crash, were evacuated here from Korea.

Lying on a stretcher in the hospital here, Cartwright described graphically the five harrowing minutes during which he fought to keep his giant four-engine transport aloft. "We lost power on No. 3 engine three minutes after taking off," the Elkton, KY, pilot said. "It caught fire and started to throw chunks of metal through the fuselage." They hit the carburetor or throttle linkage on the No. 4 engine and it started to lose power.

"Pieces of metal were coming through the fuselage, cutting holes big enough for a man to walk through. The metal cut the aileron cables. It was obvious we couldn't turn around so I decided on the Han River.... It all happened in four or five minutes. It was a starlight night and I could see the outline of the river ahead. I went straight for it, radioing (the situation) all the time. I rang the alarm bell, but there was no panic. Everyone was very orderly. A light fire was burning in the No. 3 engine."

"The river was straight ahead. We landed on our belly. The first impact was very smooth... but the second was a lulu. The next thing I knew I was unbuckling my safety belt in the water outside the plane. I crawled on an ice floe and I like to froze. I'll be all right when I get warm. That's the coldest place I ever was. People were pouring out of the plane and struggling onto a sand bar 50 yards from shore. Forty-five minutes after we hit helicopters were picking people off the bar."

Cartwright had high words of praise for his crew--"a crew as fine as I've ever seen. Ideal." He said the evacuation was carried out in a "perfect manner." As the 37-year-old airman with 15 years of Air Force flying experience was carried into the hospital, his wife was waiting calmly to greet him."

Stars & Stripes, Feb. 24, 1957

[Sent to the KWE courtesy of crash survivor Arnold Silveri]

"SEOUL - None of the 17 men missing in the Friday night crash of a C-124 Globemaster in the Han River has yet been found. The death toll in the crash still stands at five. An Army spokesman said Sunday morning that the search will be carried out all the way to the Han's estuary and the 8th Army Flight Det. is applying to the U.N. Command Military Armistice Commission for permission to cross the "No-Fly Line" to carry out the search. (The No-Fly Line is a line several miles south of the DMZ beyond which U.S. planes may not fly. Some parts of the Han River lie over this line.)

The search for the missing resumed early Sunday after some 200 ground troops and an umbrella of search helicopters combed an area 10 miles northwest of Kimpo AB where the two-decker R&R transport piled into a sandbar on its way to Japan with 159 servicemen aboard.

They found five bodies before the search was called off because of darkness Saturday and an incoming 19-foot tide, second highest in the world. Four of the bodies found Saturday were under the river's ice and a fifth was in a rice paddy six miles south of the disaster scene. This fifth man apparently had fallen from the plane before it crashed, and a survivor reported seeing two men disappear through the plane's side when the starboard engine exploded and tore a gaping hole in the fuselage.

AFFE/Eighth Army engineers and salvage divers from Inchon Port went to work in the early ebb-tide hours of Sunday to try to lift the plane from the water. they plan to build a pontoon bridge out into the Han River to move cranes alongside the wreck. At the point where the Globemaster hit, the river is more than a mile wide. A spokesman said some bodies may be found in the debris. Others, it is feared, may have been washed downstream in the freezing river water.

An Air Force information officer at the crash scene said, "It is very doubtful the missing passengers will be found alive." But the Air Force still holds out hope that some survivors, acting under shock, may have wandered off in the night to nearby Korean villages.

At Ascom City Army Replacement center, 200 men have volunteered as blood donors for the injured. Names of the dead are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, but a breakdown identified two as airmen and one as a soldier. Of the 17 missing men, the Army said 15 were soldiers and two were airmen.

Best available information on the survivors gives this picture: At the 121st Evac. Hospital about 20 miles from the crash scene, 103 men have been treated and released. Between 25 and 31 patients are still held there. Nine survivors taken to Kimpo AB have been released. Capt. James Cartwright, the pilot, and five injured crewmen have been flown to Tachikawa AB Hospital."

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Readers' Comments

Charles Bessett (found on the Korean War Project at www.kwp.org):

“I was stationed at Tachikawa from 1954 to 1957 and was assigned to the 6th Troop Carrier (Bully Beef). I was an airborne radio operator. Later I was assigned to MATS at Donaldson AFB, South Carolina and flew on operation Deep Freeze with Major Cartwright who was also stationed at Tachikawa. He was the pilot (Aircraft Commander) who took off from K-14 with about 150 troops on board. When on takeoff a prop went through the aircraft, cutting the control cables and yet he managed to set the plane down in the middle of the Yalu River, in the middle of the night during winter. I think there were about 20 deceased.”

Pfc. Kenneth Carville, Wendell Depot, MA (sent to the Korean War Educator):

“It’s 1500 hours February 22, 1957 and PFC Ralph Morrison and I are getting our duffle bags ready for R&R in Japan. At around 1530 the Company Commander’s orderly came into our Quonset hut and informed me that I had been scratched from this shuttle and would be taking the next shuttle to K-14, Kimpo Air Base, South Korea for a Globemaster flight to Japan because of an emergency leave granted to a sergeant. The airplane I was supposed to fly on crashed shortly after takeoff. Two of my friends didn’t make it and PFC Morrison was hospitalized.

Over the years I’ve wondered why I was picked to miss that flight out of 148 others. I was just a kid then and didn’t know how to go about trying to find out who the sergeant who took my place was. Now, after 52 years and all the experiences and things I’ve done, it’s on my mind all the time. Maybe you will be able to help find this man or if he even survived. There was a fire in the bureau of records in St. Louis, Missouri in 1973 but the information on the flight manifest is out there somewhere. Maybe you could steer me in the right direction. Ralph and I were radio operators at HQ CO. 3rd BN, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Division north of Freedom Bridge on the Imjin River in 1956-57.”

Steve Kovach (found on the Korean War Project at www.kwp.org):

“I was in the 22nd TCS at Tachikawa 1956-57. The tail number was 1040 and it was a 22nd TCS aircraft. James Cartwright was the pilot. He was 37 years old at the time. The copilot was the 22nd’s assistant maintenance officer. He was relieved from the right seat by the 22nd’s operations officer when the prop came through the side. The ops major died in the crash while the assistant maintenance officer survived in the reserve crew seat that the ops major had vacated. The flight engineer was killed. I saw the engine after it was returned to Tachi. The prop shaft looked as though it was cut by a diamond saw. Not a burr on it. The 22nd’s Japanese mechanics had spent a lot of time clearing a “smoker” on that engine the night before that flight.

The plane ditched into the river because the river was illuminated by the moonlight and was the safest reachable place. The plane split open forward of the tail section and was the escape route for most of the passengers. In a newspaper interview, Captain Cartwright said he was thrown onto an ice floe in his seat, unbuckled his safety belt and pulled survivors onto the ice floe. Not quite. His seat was still in the plane. Strange things happen. I think the flight engineer was M/Sgt White.”

Michael Opiela (son of Capt. Andrew L. Opiela):

"I am Andrew Opiela's son.  He was a 16 year veteran of the Army. He was drafted in 1941 and completed OCS at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Although he was a captain when he died, his promotion to major was already in process at the time of the crash of the C-124, so he was awarded the rank of major after his death.

He was the son of Polish immigrants and deeply loved his country. He was conversant in seven languages which he picked up during his nine years of service in Europe during and after World War II. My mother saved many newspaper accounts of the crash, and the subsequent search.

Surviving the crash were his wife Verna Opiela; son Michael Opiela; brother Michael J. Opiela; and sisters Mrs. Catherine Wikowski, Mrs. Victoria Jezior, Mrs. Magdaline Colle, and Mrs. Gean Borling."

Hile, Allen P. (crash fatality):

"My father was Staff Sgt. Allen P. Hile and was in the plane crash at Kimpo Korea in the Han river. I have conflicting stories about his role in the crash. Supposedly he was a crew member and assisted many passengers to get out of the burning plane. If any survivors are left that could contact me via email it would be greatly appreciated. Much thanks and blessings to all who served in Korea." - Allen Hile, Pennsylvania

Allen P. Hile (Click picture for a larger view)

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Allen Pelham Hile was born December 11, 1917, a son of Joseph C. and Lydia Mae Gamby Hile.  He graduated from Sunbury High School and was then employed at Hoover furniture prior to enlistment in the U.S. Army Air Corps in August of 1942 for duty in World War II.  He served as a radio operator and waist gunner of a B-26 Marauder in the Air Corps.  During the war he was stationed in the Mediterranean theater of war with a record of 64 combat missions while serving with the 319th Bombardment Group in Italy, Sicily and Sardinia.  He later served in Egypt, Southern Europe, India, China and Burma.  His squadron, part of the 12th Air Corps, made nine trips over the famous "Hump" from India to China.  His squadron received the Presidential Unit Citation, and TSgt. Hile personally received the Air Medal, 10 Oak Leaf Clusters, the French Croix de Guerre, and the Good Conduct Medal.

He was married to Evelyn Virginia Geyer Hile and they had four children: Virginia Mae, Susan Dianne, Sheryl Ann, and Allen Jr.  He was the brother of Leona Hile, Martha Vanetta, Mildred Petterman, Clarence Hile, Mary Marshall, Kenneth Hile, Ruth Walker, and Albert, Mahlon and Howard Hile. Their home address was Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.

Evelyn, Allen, Lydia, Joseph Hile (Click picture for a larger view)

While serving as a radio operator on a Globemaster C-124 troop plane, the plane crashed in the Han River near Kimpo.  It was the second plane crash he survived, having been one of three crewmen who were injured in a crash of an Air Force assault transport during takeoff at Eglin AFB, Eglin, Florida, on June 28, 1951.

In spite of second degree burns he received in the crash in the Han River, TSgt. Hile reentered the plane in an effort to save the lives of other passengers.  He was hospitalized at the Army's 121st Evacuation Hospital near Kimpo, and later transferred to the Brooke Army Medical Center in Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, where he died on May 9, 1957 following struggles with injuries, malaria, and hepatitis.  He had two surgeries on his left leg and one was an amputation of his leg above his knee.  He was in a coma for two days prior to his death.  His death certificate lists injuries and hepatitis received from the airplane crash near Kimpo as the causes of his death.

He is buried in Northumberland Memorial Park, Stonington, Pennsylvania.

--

Photo courtesy of Virginia Hile Straub.

(Click picture for a larger view)

(Click picture for a larger view)

(Click picture for a larger view)

Orrin "Bud" White

"I was stationed at Kimpo Air Base with the 5th AF at the age of 17. I was in munitions and worked at our bomb dump, which was off base. The Koreans would cut our fences and steal anything they could carry. When we would catch one, we would get three days R & R in Japan. I had 27 days coming. I didn't write many letters, but wrote my dad that I was going to Japan for a couple days and told him when I was going. The day I was to board that flight, I was bumped off by a Sergeant. I don't know why--maybe he just pulled rank on me. Later I heard the Globemaster had crashed in the Han River, killing many. Over the years I have often wondered if the person that bumped me off was one of those that died; would I have been sitting where he was?

Needless to say, I didn't write home again to let everyone know I was not on that plane, putting the folks through a great deal of stress.  I never did make it to Japan. Does the Air Force still owe me 27 days there?"

Orrin (Bud) White, Oregon
503-879-4252