US Air Force,
KUNSAN AIR BASE, South Korea: Men who soared across Korea's skies more than 54 years ago visited here Sept. 11 during a return trip to the Land of the Morning Calm.
It is at this base where the past meets head on with the present. Today's Airmen continue the legacy set forth by these veterans of the Korean War. The Forgotten War.
Four men, retired Lt. Gen. Charles Cleveland and retired Cols. Wilbur Carpenter, Ralph Gibson, Kenneth Shealy, in commemoration of the Air Force's 60th birthday celebration, have watched the youngest of the service branches unfold first-hand.
“Our legacy is definitely the 'fighter pilot's attack,'” Colonel Gibson said on how Korean War fighter pilots would be remembered. “Being aggressive and very motivated to help people who needed help as they did in Korea. You can see the results (of the help) as you go through the country now. It's fantastic.”
All together, the men accounted for 200 total missions during the war, with 10 confirmed and four probable enemy kills and seven damaged MiG-15 fighters. Of the four, Colonel Gibson is an ace, the term given to pilots who have accounted for at least five enemy aircraft “kills.”
Arriving by helicopter, the retired Airmen were met by Col. CQ Brown, the 8th Fighter Wing commander. The veterans were given the white-glove treatment, seeing an F-16 Fighting Falcon up close, receiving an introduction to the aircraft's weaponry, flying the aircraft in the base's simulator with night-vision goggles and touring the 35th and 80th Fighter Squadrons.
Seeing the wing's F-16s standing ready to defend South Korea, Colonel Carpenter noted the experience brought back a river of memories.
“It's amazing how (Airmen) have the facilities (they) do,” he said. “I thank God you have them and are taken care of. For us, our facilities were quite primitive.'”
Colonel Carpenter continued, pointing out the situations today's pilot will never experience.
“You fellows will never see 60 planes take off and the highest ranking (pilot) be a first lieutenant,” he said. “Our commanders then were young officers, so their experience level was not as great as they were promoted rapidly through combat.”
The four retired officers later met with members of the wing during a briefing of their Korean War experience as well as a question-and-answer session. Before detailing his experiences from 1952 to 1953 at Kimpo Air Base, General Cleveland admitted the visit to Kunsan was “a shot of adrenaline” for the visiting fliers by “the drive and dedication” from the 8th FW.
In February 1952, the general was accepted to transfer to Korea as part of offensive operations against North Korea and the Chinese. Once he was accepted, then-1st Lieutenant Cleveland joined up with the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Group. Nicknamed the 'Chong-Chon kids' after the Yalu River's southern counterpart, General Cleveland said he learned the true mission of the 4th FIG.
“Our job was to establish and maintain air supremacy, which meant to us, kill MiGs,” he said during his remarks. “You get in close behind the enemy and take him down. Korea was truly the day of the gun.”
During the tour, the Korean War veterans also met an assortment of enlisted Airmen, including crew chiefs. When asked about those who maintained their jet fighters of yesteryear, Colonel Gibson, a former 8th FW pilot during the Vietnam War, said Airmen had made a change for the better.
“They are more educated, but their motivation is the same,” he said. “Airmen now have a much larger education and are electronically more in tuned. We didn't have cellular phones, micro chips and the computers you have now. I have a cell phone. I can call the United States on it from here. It's just incredible.”
As the men prepared to depart, Colonel Gibson said he would take away the motivation and dedication he'd seen from the 8th FW Airmen.
“I really am thankful I got to come,” Colonel Gibson said. “The strong leadership (the 8th Fighter Wing) has as well as the bright, young Airmen I've got to talk to, I'll remember it for the rest of my life.”
