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; George, Winifred H.; Kuehner, Gordon V. Jr.
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)
Marvin Guthrie is listed on the "HONOR ROLL OF FORGOTTEN AMERICANS" yet is noted as having died "while missing" by the National Archive.
03/12/2021
- KOREAN WAR
- UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
- Unaccounted For
On December 27, 1950, a B-26 Invader (44-35758) with a crew of four took off from Iwakuni Air Base, Japan, on a night intruder mission over North Korea. While flying over South Korea, en route to the target area, the B-26 contacted an air controller to report that they were experiencing no difficulties, and the flight was proceeding as planned. This was the last contact made with the aircraft, which failed to return from the mission. The exact circumstances surrounding the Invader's loss are unknown. The aircraft's navigator was later discovered to have been a prisoner of war who died while in enemy custody; his remains were returned to the U.S. after the war. The other three members of the Invader's crew are still unaccounted for.
Staff Sergeant Marvin Lee Guthrie, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Florida, was a member of the 8th Bombardment Squadron, 3rd Bombardment Group. He was the engineer aboard this Invader when it went missing and was lost with the aircraft. No returning POWs mentioned having contact with SSgt Gutherie, nor was he seen at any known holding point, interrogation center, hospital, or permanent POW camp. His remains have not been located or identified, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Staff Sergeant Guthrie 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.