Data Sources - Air Force Manual No. 200-25A, Department of the Air Force, Washington, October 16, 1961 page 1. Sanitized copy. National Archives KOREAN Conflict Casualty File (KCCF) 1950-1954.
Others in incident; Schmidt, Andrew, repatriated; Guthrie, Edward Shuldon
Jr.; Brennan, John Charles; Neis, 1st Lt Ralph A.
__________________________________________
03/92 -- Korea, and the men yet to be accounted for -- the "official list" -- is a list of U.S. servicemen known to have been
held as prisoners of war by the red Chinese and North Koreans from the Korean War
but not released or accounted for by the communists, as released on May 27,
1957 at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on the Far East and Pacific by the Department
of Defense.
The lists, the printed minutes of the May 27, 1957 hearing and the
"sense of congress" resolution were subsequently buried in the
archives. The original list had 450 names compiled from American POWS who were
repatriated by the Reds, as well as from photographs released by the Reds, Chinese
radio propaganda broadcasts, and letters written home by captured men. The "revised" list was narrowed down in august of 1961 to 389 men, and
all were arbitrarily declared dead by the military services, the USG still
lists them as "unaccounted for".
Names and ranks only were released at the time, and printed in "The
Spotlight" on August 27, 1979, along with the above information and background.
Further information has been compiled by the P.O.W. Network from the Hawaii POW/MIA
Korean Memorial records, National Archives documentation, and public United
States Air Force documentation, and changes made to the original published
information. (FEBRUARY 1992)
John Charles Brennan is listed on the "HONOR ROLL OF FORGOTTEN AMERICANS" yet is listed as having "died while missing" by the National Archives.
03/11/2021
- KOREAN WAR
- UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
- Unaccounted For
On November 14, 1952, a B-26 Invader (serial number 44-34699, call sign "Pacify 23") with a crew of four departed Pusan Air Base, South Korea, on a nighttime interdiction mission over North Korea. During the mission, the aircraft made a pass at an enemy ground target but went out of control during the attack run, and the pilot ordered the crew to bail out. The pilot parachuted to the ground, was captured by enemy forces, and eventually returned to U.S. custody. He related the details of the aircraft's loss but reported that he lost track of the other crew members after they bailed out, and was unsure of their fate. None of the other crew members were ever returned to U.S. custody or otherwise accounted for, and remain missing.
Airman Third Class John Charles Brennan, who entered the U.S. Air Force from New Hampshire, served with the 95th Bombardment Squadron, 17th Bombardment Wing. He was a crew member on this B-26 when it was lost on November 14, 1952, and he went missing with the aircraft. No returning POWs mentioned having contact with A3C Brennan, nor was he seen at any known holding point, interrogation center, hospital, or permanent POW camp. He remains unaccounted-for. Today, Airman Third Class Brennan is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Deferred.
If you are a family member of this serviceman, DPAA can provide you with additional information and analysis of your case. Please contact your casualty office representative.