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.
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)
Oliver Jones 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
First Lieutenant Oliver Eugene Jones entered the U.S. Air Force from Colorado and served with the 12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing. On October 22, 1951, he piloted an F-51D Mustang (tail number 44-13256A) that took off from Hoengsong Airdrome, South Korea, on a multiple-aircraft armed reconnaissance mission against enemy supply and industrial targets near Kyomipo, North Korea. While making a low-level strafing attack on enemy targets, 1st Lt Jones's aircraft was seen streaming coolant from the engine; however, he reported that his engine instruments were “in the green,” and he wished to continue the mission. Approximately ten minutes later his engine failed and his aircraft rolled over. 1st Lt Jones bailed out before the aircraft crashed into a hillside near the village of Ssangch'on, but the other pilots on the flight did not see his parachute open before he disappeared into the hilly terrain below. Others on the mission circled the loss area but saw no sign of 1st Lt Jones. No ground search was permitted because the crash site was in enemy-held territory. No returning POWs mentioned having contact with 1st Lt Jones, nor was he seen at any known holding point, interrogation center, hospital, or permanent POW camp. He remains unaccounted-for following the conflict. Today, First Lieutenant Jones 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.