Fighter Pilot MIA in Korea

(This is the second guest post from Jim Escalle about his uncle, Second Lieutenant Jimmy L. Escalle. The picture above is the cover of the book that Jim has written about his uncle.)

My uncle, Second Lieutenant Jimmy L. Escalle, dreamed of becoming a pilot since he was five years old. Too young to fly during World War II, his dream became a reality soon after the Korean War began.

He was born November 7, 1929, in Fresno, California, and grew up in Earlimart, a small farming community 60 miles south of Fresno.

He lived in a small, two-room house that he shared with his father, mother and younger brother, Robert, who also became an Air Force pilot. Both brothers learned an American work ethic from their father that displayed itself both on the farm and in the classroom.

Since there was no high school in Earlimart, Jim and his brother took the bus to Delano, located about seven miles south of Earlimart. During his four years at Delano High School, Jim played football and baseball. He was the second baseman on Delano’s varsity team.

In his senior year he made all-league as left end for the varsity football team, which for the first time in school history had a perfect record. The undefeated 1946 Delano High School football team outscored their opponents 238-25 for the season, a record that stands today.

On June 25, 1950, less than two weeks after Jim graduated from Bakersfield Junior College, the armed forces of communist North Korea made a surprise and unprovoked crossing of the 38th parallel to invade South Korea.

Thinking the war would not last too long, Jim made plans to attend UC Berkeley so he could continue his education. He wanted to become an aeronautical engineer.

But only one semester into his studies, he received his “greetings” from his Uncle Sam. At first, he didn’t know what he was going to do. He wanted to serve in Korea, but he didn’t want to do it on the ground, sloshing around in the mud as an infantryman.

He applied for the Aviation Cadet program with the Air Force.

While waiting for a pilot training class to become available, the deadline to report for the Army was getting closer. Like a lot of his contemporaries at the time, he signed up with the Air Force as a private. This way the Army could not touch him while he waited for a flight class.

Jim joined the Air Force in April 1951 and completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Then he was sent to Connally Air Force Base in Waco, Texas, for a couple of months until he was assigned to Pilot Training Class 52-F.

He took his basic pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, where he learned to master the North American T-6 “Texan.” It was a two-seat, dual-controlled, single-engine trainer with a powerful 600-horsepower radial engine that could produce a top speed of 210 miles per hour.

Joe B. Cunningham, Jim’s flight instructor, called Jim “a natural pilot” and said he was one of the top students.

Advanced pilot training took place at Webb Air Force Base, Texas. There Jim flew both the T-28 Trojan and T-33 Shooting Star jet trainer.

From the first day of flight training, Jim had wanted to fly jets. He studied hard and listened to every word of his instructors, and just like at Columbus, the instructors said Jim simply had an instinctive knack.

Glen Croshaw, a fellow pilot who was in advanced training with Jim, agreed with this assessment. “It was a well known fact among all the cadets in the class that Jim was an excellent pilot, better than most of the instructors.”

Croshaw believed Jim was on a mission ever since the first day he started his pilot training. He said, “Jim had one thing on his mind, and that was to strap an F-86 to his butt and go find a MiG to shoot down.”

After graduating from pilot training on September 13, 1952, Jim was assigned to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada for gunnery school. He was on what was called the “pipeline to Korea.” It was at Nellis where he first flew the F-86 Sabre.

Jim arrived in Korea at Suwon Air Base, designated by the Air Force as K-13, in February 1953. He was assigned to the 36th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 8th Fighter-Bomber Group, which was flying the F-80C Shooting Star at the time. But the unit soon made the transition to the F-86F Sabre.

Every pilot in the Air Force wanted to fly the F-86. It was the sleek, swept-wing fighter winning out over the Soviet-built MiG-15 in the skies of Korea. The 8th Group was using the Sabre as a fighter-bomber, but the pilots knew they would have the perfect weapon if drawn into air-to-air action.

It was the goal of every pilot to log 100 combat missions, which was the standard tour of duty in Korea. Jim even gave up a scheduled R&R in Japan to fly missions.

He dropped 1,000-pound bombs on tactical targets, skip-bombed dams at low altitudes, went on armed reconnaissance patrols and dive-bombed enemy troops. He also went on a few MiG Alley sweeps near the Yalu River, and on one occasion saw some MiGs.

On close-air-support missions where he would have to drop bombs or fire his guns on the front lines, a forward air control T-6 Mosquito usually would fire white phosphorus rockets called “Willie Petes” in the area to pinpoint the location of the target.

When the Chinese army broke through the front lines on June 15, 1953, Jim was in the air before dawn and did not land until long after dark. He got four missions that day, bombing targets in the daytime and strafing trucks that were moving behind the lines at night.

The flak at night was so heavy that he described tracer bullets as being “like a Fourth of July in the late evening.”

As soon as he started down for the trucks, the Chinese would open up with their antiaircraft guns from both sides of the valley.

It was very dangerous work. However, it was also the normal routine of the fighter-bomber pilot.

The pilots of the 36th FBS “Flying Fiends,” commanded by Major Robert C. Ruby, flew 121 sorties that day, setting a record that still stands.

Four days later, while flying as element leader on an armed reconnaissance mission in North Korea, Jim disappeared and was never seen or heard from again.

In a few brief months, Jim had flown over 40 combat missions and was awarded an Air Medal. He also received the Soldier’s Medal for putting his own life in danger when an accident occurred one day on the flight line.

He was well-liked by other pilots and viewed by his squadron commander as having a bright future. He was posthumously promoted to first lieutenant.

The Korean War ended in an armistice on July 27, 1953. His squadron, now designated the 36th Fighter Squadron, is still on duty at Osan Air Base, Korea.

In 1992 Delano High School’s Class of ’47 established a college scholarship in Jim Escalle’s name to honor his service to his country.

In the summer of 2004, as a permanent memorial to Jim’s contribution in the field of aviation, his name was submitted to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center to be placed on the Wall of Honor.

His name can now be seen alongside other F-86 Sabre pilots who defended freedom in Korea, as well as those who defended it elsewhere.

To read more information about my upcoming book on my uncle’s life, visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/unforgottenhero. Here, you can read the book's table of contents, excerpts from two chapters, and some of the endorsements I have received. You can also see photos and videos.

Related articles can be read on my blog at http://unforgottenhero.blogspot.com

Read the first post by Jim Escalle about his uncle.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the eBook technothriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company Miller Mosaic LLC, which works with clients to attract more business. Read her posts at the company's social media marketing blog.

Remembering a Korean War Fighter Pilot MIA

(This is a guest post by Jim Escalle in connection with his uncle, Second Lieutenant Jimmy L. Escalle, seen in the photo above in his F-86 Sabre.)

On June 25, 1950, the Soviet-equipped armies of North Korea crossed the 38th parallel, invading the nation of South Korea. Condemning this invasion, the United Nations requested the help of its members, including the United States, to counter this onslaught of communist aggression.

It had only been five years since the end of the bloodiest war in America’s modern history and now it was being called into another, only this time it would not be a popular war.

In fact, it was not even declared a war by President Harry S. Truman and his administration. According to him, it was only a police action.

But to those in the military who fought in Korea it was definitely a war, and one they will never forget.

Over the next three years the two sides fought to an uneasy standoff, ending the war almost where it began, on the 38th parallel.

After the armistice was finally signed and put into effect on July 27, 1953, the number of casualties reported was staggering. Approximately 34,000 American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines had been killed, although this number is still being debated. Another 92,000 servicemen were wounded, and almost 8,000 are still unaccounted for.

Taking into account the estimated two million civilians who died, which is a conservative figure, an exceedingly high price was paid in order to retain freedom for a small Asian country that at the time most people had never thought about, or in some cases, even knew existed.

South Korea is still free today, thanks mostly to the numerous sacrifices these American heroes gave defending it, especially the brave men from all branches of the military who gave up their lives.

Some of these heroes who paid the ultimate price for freedom proudly wore the blue uniform of the United States Air Force. One of them was my uncle, Second Lieutenant Jimmy L. Escalle, a fighter pilot who disappeared just five weeks before the war ended.

I never had the privilege of knowing my uncle personally; he was listed as missing in action several years before I was born. One day, while rummaging through some old photographs in my parents’ closet, I came across a small photo of a man wearing an aviator’s cap and goggles.

I asked my mom who he was. She told me that he was my Uncle Jimmy, my dad’s older brother, who had been in the Air Force, but he had never returned from the Korean War. She told me I was named in honor of him.

That statement sparked my curiosity even brighter. I wanted to know more about my uncle’s life, especially his role with the Air Force. I also wanted to know about the Korean War, so I could understand the environment in which he fought and eventually gave his life.

Although I was just eight years old at the time, I thought that maybe someday, somehow, I would know his complete life story, because I didn’t want him, like the Korean War itself, to be forgotten.

Like most young kids interested in this kind of stuff, I had the energy and desire to do the research, even though resources at the time were limited. This enthusiasm continued into my high school years.

But as I grew older, left home, and became busy with my college activities, my zeal for finding information on my uncle began to seriously diminish. You might say the pilot light was still on, but the burner was not lit. In other words, the interest was still there, but the motivation was gone.

Other things had priority, such as studies, sports, girls, and hobbies. Not necessarily in that order of course. I still thought about Jim whenever I saw an Air National Guard jet fighter fly over my apartment, or when I saw a TV rerun of the Korean War movie "The Bridges at Toko-Ri" based on James Michener's novel of the same name. But I didn't pursue the matter with the same intensity I had when I was younger.

This was in the early 1980s when a lot of attention was given over to the national events at the time, like the Iran hostage crisis, the Mt. St. Helens eruption in Washington, and the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan.

That all changed in 1993, however, when the Korean War was back in the spotlight. In September of that year, I read an article printed on the front page of a local newspaper about a government report dealing with missing American servicemen.

The article stated that the U.S. government had evidence Moscow took possession of, and also held, American prisoners of war during the conflict in Korea. The article also stated that the most likely candidates for capture and turn-over to the Soviet Union were F-86 Sabre pilots, because they had knowledge of this state-of-the-art jet fighter. The pilots' knowledge was something the Soviets wanted to exploit.

Included with this article was a list of 31 missing F-86 pilots, along with six other airmen who the U.S. government thought may have, according to their circumstance of loss, survived their crashes and possibly were taken to the Soviet Union, never to return. My uncle’s name was seventh on the list.

The newspaper article on the missing F-86 Sabre pilots gave me a stronger desire to search more aggressively for information about my uncle. Before I read the article and saw the list of names, I had always thought he went down with his plane. But now, more questions were starting to pop up in my head.

Did he die when he went down? Did he bail out and get captured by the North Koreans or Chinese? Was he taken to the Soviet Union? These questions motivated me to continue trying to complete my uncle's story.

As more time went by, I finally received copies of my uncle's military personnel record. I was fortunate in this case because in 1973 a fire broke out at the St. Louis facility where these records are stored and permanently destroyed all of the Air Force personnel records starting with names beginning with the letter H. The fire didn’t affect the records from A-G.

Although it took a while to receive them, I was grateful for having them at all. I was also grateful for the help and cooperation of so many fine people over the years, both civilian and military, who assisted me in my determined effort to piece together my uncle’s life.

Jimmy L. Escalle was only 23 years old when he was listed as missing in action, but in that short time he lived an exemplary life, including being able to fulfill a childhood dream of becoming a pilot. He personified the typical spirit of most young fighter pilots who flew combat missions in Korea, and many just like him never came home after the hostilities ended.

His life story is but one example of the thousands who answered the call to serve their country at this critical time in history. Let us never forget them, or the sacrifices they made for freedom.

To read more information about my upcoming book, visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/unforgottenhero. Here you can read the book's table of contents, excerpts from two chapters, and some of the endorsements I have received. You can also see photos and videos.

Related articles can be read on my blog at: http://unforgottenhero.blogspot.com

And read the second guest post by Jim Escalle about his uncle.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the eBook technothriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company Miller Mosaic LLC, which works with clients to attract more business. Read her posts at the company's social media marketing blog.

Get Ebook of Novel MRS. LIEUTENANT for FREE Today in Honor of Veterans Day

As I have often said, my goal in writing the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT was to share a slice of women's social history about the wives of new Army officers in the spring of 1970 right after the Kent State shootings during the Vietnam War.

Of course, I also hoped to write a compelling and entertaining story. And with MRS. LIEUTENANT being chosen as a 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semifinalist and with good reviews on Amazon, I feel I achieved my goal.

And, yes, I was a new Mrs. Lieutenant in the spring of 1970 when my husband went on active duty at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, for Armor Officers Basic.

In honor of all the men and women who have served in U.S. armed forces, I would like to offer a FREE coupon code for MRS. LIEUTENANT today in honor of Veterans Day.

Go to the novel's page on Smashwords and after clicking that you want to buy the ebook, enter the coupon code SW78N and you will get the ebook for free.

You'll be able to choose how you want to download the ebook, including the ability to read it on your computer.

I hope you'll take this opportunity get a FREE ebook copy of my novel that is supportive of our military personnel and their families.

P.S. And if you enjoy the novel, do consider posting a review on Smashwords or Amazon.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the eBook technothriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company Miller Mosaic LLC, which works with clients to attract more business. Read her posts at the company's social media marketing blog.

Los Angeles Synagogue Hosts Veterans Day Shabbat

Adat Shalom Synagogue, 3030 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA is hosting a special Veterans Day Shabbat service on Friday, November 11 at 7:00 p.m.

The service will honor all Jews who have served the United States of America either in the military or as a law-enforcement officer.

The Honor Guard of the Jewish War Veterans will be presenting the colors and a few members of the Adat Shalom community who served with distinction during World War II will be speaking.

Additionally, Adat Shalom is asking those who attend to bring in their own memorabilia to display for families to see.

A dessert reception will follow services. Day care will be provided.

For more information, please call Michael Raileanu, Adat Shalom Community Builder, at (310) 474-0197.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the eBook technothriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company Miller Mosaic LLC, which works with clients to attract more business. Read her posts at the company's social media marketing blog.

Big Gunz Clothing Gives Back to Military Families November 10-14 in Honor of Veterans Day

Here is a guest post by Jennifer Diana of Big Gunz Clothing:

In honor of Veterans Day and all the veterans who have served this great country, Big Gunz Clothing is giving back. Staring Thursday, November 10, 10% of all sales made online at BigGunzClothing.com will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Big Gunz Clothing is a military family. The father of the owner, Donnie Potter, served as well as did others. (The photo above is of Jennifer Diana's husband's Military Police unit when the unit was serving in Iraq.)

The Big Gunz team understands the importance of honoring the soldiers rather than focusing on the retail sale. The sale centers on the donations to the Wounded Warrior Project.

There are two parts of the Veterans Day sale:

1. Using coupon code WWP11 will give each customer 10% off.

2. In addition, for each sale (regardless of whether a coupon code is used), 10% of the purchase amount will be donated to the Wounded Warriors Project.

This sale begins November 10th and runs through November 14th.

Big Gunz is hoping that, by offering a discount to each customer, Big Gunz customers will be motivated to help out veterans on this day of remembrance.

The Wounded Warrior Project is about honoring and empowering wounded soldiers. In addition to the discount, Big Gunz will provide an easy link from the Big Gunz site to the Wounded Warrior Project site in order for direct donations to be made to this important organization.

Read about the Wounded Warrior Project.

Big Gunz Clothing is designed for big and tall guys who are determined to look good. In developing this contemporary and good-looking line, the Big Gunz design team drew inspiration from confident, larger-than-life men and dapper sports heroes.

Big Gunz believes in the power of living large and showing off. Something Big Gunz believe soldiers would appreciate!

Visit the Big Gunz Clothing site now.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the eBook technothriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company Miller Mosaic LLC, which works with clients to attract more business. Read her posts at the company's social media marketing blog.

Help Operation Paperback Send Books to U.S. Troops

Here is a guest post from Andrea Hoshmand McAfee of Operation Paperback -- Recycled Reading for Our Troops:

Our service members make sacrifices every day for our country. It takes so little to let them know that we appreciate what they are doing for us.

Operation Paperback supports U.S. troops by giving them the opportunity to escape into a good book. Since 1999, our volunteers have shipped a total of 1.5 million books around the globe.

Every day we accept requests from U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who would like to receive a variety of fiction and non-fiction books throughout their time overseas.

Requests come from the Horn of Africa, Afghanistan, Korea or even the middle of the ocean. Any service member is entitled to receive our free shipments of books throughout their deployment.

We fulfill those requests by shipping gently used books collected by our network of 14,000+ volunteers nationwide.

These volunteers search their personal bookshelves, yard sales and used bookstores for popular genres like action/adventure, military history, fantasy and science fiction.

Then, using our website (www.operationpaperback.org), the volunteers match the genres of books they have on hand with the hundreds of open requests from troops that we have in our system.

We provide our volunteers with the shipping address and mailing instructions. The process is pretty simple, and volunteers appreciate the personal touch associated with packing and shipping books directly to troops in need.

Over 90% of the books sent through our program come from volunteers across America (the remainder are specially purchased and shipped by volunteer staff at Operation Paperback).

Some do a one-time shipment; others involve their local church, school, or work place to do large book drives, sending shipments on a monthly or seasonal basis.

In the 12 years since we started, we strive to maintain our personal, grassroots origins.

Operation Paperback began when family members of Chief Master Sergeant Rick Honeywell sent a giant care package to Kuwait that included books. The books were quickly distributed and soon others began to ask for more.

We have since grown to shipping over 20,000 books a month overseas and also providing books to wounded troops and veterans here at home.

However, the Honeywell family still plays an active role in running the Operation Paperback program, and we encourage volunteers to involve their family and local community in support of our cause.

If you’re interested in supporting Operation Paperback, there are two ways you can help: Make a monetary donation or send books directly to the troops.

By making a monetary donation you will help fund the purchase and shipment of high-demand genres and other special request books.

As a volunteer shipper, you will collect and ship your own books using the addresses that we provide.

We welcome any support that you can provide! Visit our website at www.operationpaperback.org for more information.

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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the eBook technothriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company Miller Mosaic LLC, which works with clients to attract more business. Read her posts at the company's social media marketing blog.