Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-12-20
BY The Associated Press

TOKYO, Dec. 20.-It was a liSt
Of names. such as you might find
in any city directory. Each name
was followed by scramble Of
numerals and letters.
But to Associated Press war cor
respondent in Korea. to veteran
deskmen in the Tokyo and San
Francisco AP bureaus and otheia
across the United States and tc
the skilled radio communications
and teletype operators all along
the line it was far more than a
mere compilation Of names.
It was the tombstone that
would ease the burdens Of grief
and anguish in thousands OF
homes where loved ones mourned
their warriors-the fighters in
|Korea-whose fate had been
|obscured in three words, missing
in action"
There could be no man-caused
delay in speeding these names
from the shadow of the Korean
battle front to the hearths OF
home. All knew how important
each name was to some one back
home.
Planned Weeks Ahead.
The facilities of the worlds
greatest news gathering agency
were geared to the tremendous
task of moving these names in q
smooth and steady stream tt
newspapers in the United States
and abroad and to television ant
radio rooms.
They were the last-and a mos
important-link in the chain from
the Communists to the familie!
Iof United Nations fighters.
The task was the kind in which
the Associated Press takes it
greatest pride-a team job.
The planning began weeks ago
The operation began Tuesda,
when the Communists handel
over a list of 1859 names in tn,
conference tent at Panmunjom.
Signals had to be changed al
most hourly as the U. N. com.
lmand delayed release of the lis
and revised its plan on how t.
release it.
1t finally was decided to carr,
the list to Tokyo by plane ane
to distribute 1t to correspondent.
there. Hours were spent at Nun.
san mimeographing the list anc
checking and rechecking for er.
rors. The list included the name
serial number, rank, unit designa.
ton and prison camp of each
prisoner.
Plane Delayed by Fog.
When duplicate lists finally were
ready, they were taken to Kimpe
Airfleld, II miles northwest oil
Seoul. There a black, twin.
engined B-26 - the Juanita-
waited on the parking strip with
Capt. Melford Lewis of Onida
is. OAK, at the controls.
Maj. Robert P. Hotaling of Blue
Falls. N. Y, was in charge of the
bulky packages. He had brought
them by plane from Munsan
where he Is headquarters com.
mander Of the advance U. N. base
1t. Alastair Currier, Wakefield
r. l.. also was in the plane.
But cotton-th thick layers of mis-
chung to the runway. Aloft in tn
gloomy blackness, severe icin,
conditions prevailed.
Pilot Lewis had tucked insid,
his pocket. a green card'-an un
limited license for instrumen
navigation. But safe delivery wa!
more important than doubtful
speed. The plane and men waitec
from midnight Tuesday until 3:3:
am. Wednesday d:55 pm, EST
Tuesday,. Then the fog begar
to lift and Capt. Lewis TAXED thu
Juanita onto the runway.
But before the plane could tax,
of, new blankets of fog drifted il
and blotted out the runway.
The fog broke again in the
craving dawn. Finally Capt. Levi.
Igunned both motors at 5:12 am
(3:12 pm, EST. Tuesday,. Tit
B-26, hidden from sight of anxious
watchers in the Kimpo operations
tower, roared off the field.
At 1925 am, (6:25 pm, EST
Tuesday, he nosed the Juanits