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; Adler, Ernest Max; Andrews, Robert Basil; Olcott, Ray William
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)
Ray Olcutt 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 the evening of October 15, 1951, a B-26 Invader (tail number 44-34336A, call sign Skillful-12) departed Kunsan (K-8) Air Base with a crew of four aviators. The briefed mission was a night intruder operation targeting the main supply route known as Red-19. Approximately one hour after takeoff, the pilot contacted ground control, reporting the Invader had been hit, resulting in a right engine on fire. This was the last radio contact made with this B-26. One crew member (the radar observer) successfully bailed out and was rescued the next day by helicopter. Although other aircraft in area maintained a lookout for the Invader and air rescue units were alerted, there was no further sighting of the aircraft or its crash site, and the remaining three aviators were listed as missing in action.
First Lieutenant Ray William Olcott entered the U.S. Air Force from New York and was assigned to the13th Bombardment Squadron (Light), 3rd Bombardment Group (Light). He was the pilot of this Invader when it was lost. No returning POWs mentioned contact with 1st Lt Olcott, nor was he seen at any known holding point, interrogation center, hospital, or permanent POW camp. He remains unaccounted-for. Today, First Lieutenant Olcott 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.
1st Lt RAY WILLIAM OLCOTT
- Unit
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Country of Loss
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