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; Williamson, Kenneth Eugene; Cherry, Clarence Martin; Hyatt, Don Henry, Jr.; Hoult, Arthur W.; Oyler, Ernest Renwick; Logan, Samuel Porter, Jr.
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)
Ernest Oyler 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 9 September 1950, a B-29 Superfortress (tail number 44-62084, nicknamed "Little Mike") with a crew of eleven took off from Yokota Air Base in Japan for an eight-aircraft bombing operation, targeting railroads, highways and bridges from Haeju to Pyongyang and Samsung-ni, North Korea. While making a run over its last target near Anju, the Superfortress took a direct hit from enemy anti-aircraft fire, causing in a large fuel leak. The plane exploded and went down northeast of the village of Wolbong-ni. Witnesses reported seeing several parachutes emerge from the aircraft prior to the explosion. Once allied forces pushed into North Korea, the remains of four members of “Little Mike’s” crew were recovered near the crash site and buried in a temporary United Nations (UN) cemetery located in Pyongyang. Before US forces could transport the remains to the US, Chinese Communist Forces entered the war forcing the U.S. out of North Korea, and the United Nations Command lost control of the Pyongyang cemetery. At least one member “Little Mike’s” crew was held as a prisoner of war, and is thought to have died at some point in captivity. In September 1954, one set of remains from this crew, buried at the temporary cemetery in Pyongyang, was positively identified and returned to his family. At this time, we do not know if other members of this aircrew are among the unknowns now buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific located in Hawaii.
Captain Ernest Renwick Oyler entered the U.S. Air Force from Kansas and served with the 325th Bombardment Group (Medium), 92nd Bombardment Wing. He was the bombardier aboard this Superfortress when it was shot down September 9, 1950, and it is unknown whether he survived the incident. No returning POWs mentioned contact with Captain Oyler, nor was he seen at any known holding point, interrogation center, hospital, or permanent POW camp. He remains unaccounted for. Today, Capt Oyler 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.