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.
MIAs in Incident; Karpowicz, Jerome; Selman, Clifford G.
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)
Jerome Karpowicz 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
In the evening of May 17, 1953, a B-26C Invader (tail number 44-35882) departed Kunasn Air Base with a crew of four aviators. The briefed mission was a night interdiction operation targeting the main supply routes known as Red 3, 5 and 6. The flight plan would cover routes from Pyongyang to Chaeryong, to Sinwon-ni, to Pyongsa, to Hungsu-ri, to Kaesong. Approximately one hour before midnight, the Invader was diverted to north of Sinmak, targeting several enemy trucks in the area. Once in target area, the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft artillery in the right engine. The pilot jettisoned the bomb load as smoke filled the cockpit. After seeing that the engine burn off and the wing was stating to bend from the heat, the pilot ordered the crew to bail out. As the pilot and navigator descended, they observed the aircraft crash and burst into flames. On May 18, the pilot and the navigator were rescued, but all efforts to locate the gunner and the bombardier were unsuccessful. Following their rescue, the pilot and navigator stated that they did not see any signs two missing men. Both men remain unaccounted-for.
Airman First Class Jerome Karpowicz entered the U.S. Air Force from Wisconsin and was assigned to the 13th Bombardment Squadron (Light), 3rd Bombardment Wing. He was the gunner aboard this B-26 when it crashed. No returning POWs mentioned contact with A1C Karpowicz, nor was he seen at any known holding point, interrogation center, hospital, or permanent POW camp. Today, Airman First Class Karpowicz 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.
 A1C JEROME KARPOWICZ
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