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; Differ, Patrick Michael; Nikles, Rudolf; Rodney, Daryl Erwin; Rehm, Harry Marshall; Heer, David T.; Foster, Robert Richard; O'Toole, Damian F.
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)
David Heer 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
Just before dark on December 30, 1952, a B-29 Superfortress (serial number 44-62011A) departed Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, carrying twelve aviators. The briefed mission was a night bombing operation targeting the Choak'tong Ore Processing Plant near the south bank of the Yalu River in North Korea. As the Superfortress approached the target, it was illuminated by searchlights and attacked by enemy MiG-15s. In the middle of its bomb run, with bomb bay doors open and unable to maneuver, the Superfortress was subjected to several fighter attacks, resulting in significant damage and the loss of two engines. After the bombardier dropped the payload, the pilot turned the aircraft toward friendly territory, but the enemy fighters continued to press their attack. Several of the aircraft's crew were injured during the attack, at least one mortally. Although several of the aviators bailed out, at least the pilot and the flight engineer remained with the Superfortress in an attempt to bring the aircraft into friendly territory. The Superfortress failed to reach friendly lines, crashing north of Pyongyang, North Korea. Of the twelve crew, five are known to have landed safely and been held as prisoners of war before being repatriated at the end of the war. A sixth crew member is believed to have been killed attempting to evade capture. The fate of the other six aviators is unknown.
First Lieutenant David Thames Heer, who entered the U.S. Air Force from Kentucky, was assigned to 28th Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group (Medium). He was the navigator aboard this B-29 when it was lost. He was last seen at his station assisting the aircraft commander and flight engineer in their efforts to get the severely damaged Superfortress and wounded aviators to friendly territory. No returning POWs mentioned contact with 1st Lt Heer, nor was he seen at any known holding point, interrogation center, hospital, or permanent POW camp. He remains unaccounted-for. Today, First Lieutenant Heer 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.