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; Moore, John George; Palmiotti, Nicholas Michael;
Keister, Harold O.
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)
John Moore is listed on the "HONOR ROLL OF FORGOTTEN AMERICANS" yet is noted as having died "while missing" by the National Archive.
03/13/2021
- KOREAN WAR
- UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
- Unaccounted For
On August 30, 1951, a B-26B Invader (tail number 41-39442A, call sign "Skillful 13”) carrying three crew members took off from Kunsan Airdrome, South Korea, as one of three aircraft on a low-level night intruder mission against enemy targets on roads and rail lines between Sariwon and Pyongsan, North Korean. Two of the aircraft dropped their ordnance and returned to base; however, the crew of "Skillful 13" radioed they would remain in the area to expend its remaining ordnance. Approximately one and a half hours after it arrived in the target area, this aircraft reported it was returning to base, but no further radio contact was made. When the aircraft was overdue to its home base, an air search was initiated but found no trace of the missing B-26 or its crew; however, three parachutes were observed on the ground near the B-26's last reported position in the air, which were suspected to be those of the crew of Skillful 13.
Captain John George Moore entered the U.S. Air Force from Oregon and served with the 8th Bombardment Squadron, 3rd Bombardment Group (Light). He was the pilot of this Invader when it was lost, and he went missing with the aircraft. No returning POWs reported having contact with Capt Moore, nor was he seen at any known holding point, interrogation center, hospital, or permanent POW camp. Today, Captain Moore 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 Active Pursuit.
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.