Evening star., 1953-09-13
Gen. Van Fleet S Son
In 900 Americans
Not Accounted For

mander, is among more than 900
Americans still unaccounted for
by the Communists, the Penta-
gon said yesterday
Seven area men are also in
the list. Originally the United
Nations asked about 944. The
Defense Department yesterday
listed names of 9l5.
Pentagon officials said they
have no way of knowing whether
the men listed are dead or alive
OF the 915 names listed. BOT were
sent in by the Air Force.
Capt. Van Fleet commanded
a B-26 bomber reported to have
crashed during a raid near Sun
chon. in northwest Korea April
5. 1852. -s.
No Direct Evidence.
The Air Force said it had re-
ceived a report that one of three
men in Capt. Van Fleets bomber
was killed in the crash but the
other two survived.
The report. bearing the nota-
ton "untruStWorthy." did not
specify which of the three died.
The Air Force said that it was
on the basis Of this report that
Capt. Van Fleets name was
placed on the unaccounted for
list.
A spokesman for the Air Force
stressed that there is no direct
evidence that Capt. Van Fleet
was captured. but. it is presumed
that. if he were one of the sur
vivors, the Communists know
what happened to him subse-
quently.
Seven From d. C. Area.
Names of the seven area men
not accounted for by the Reds
are:
Col. John r. Lowell. 48. whose
wife, Mrs. Norma M. Lowell, lives
at 4012 North Twenty sixth
street, Arlington.
Col. John K. Arnold, jr.. 80,
whose wife. Mrs. May L. Arnold,
lives at 8709 Sundale drive, Sill
YER Spring.
Capt. John S. Walmsley, "a,
whose wife. Mrs. Flora c. Waims-
ley, lives at 8503 Old Bladens-
burg road. Silver Spring.
1t. Warren F. Polk, "a. whose
wife. Mrs Betty L. Polk, lives at
25 Cypress street, Potomac
Heights, Indian Head, Md.
1t. William j. Beall, whose
wife, Mrs Jane G. Beall, is
listed at 1908 Rowland place
NV.
Sergt Philip w. Tilch, 81. son
Of Mrs. Edith M. Tilch, 1880 Liv-
irgston road Sc.
Sergt. Charles E. farrell. listed
as the brother of Mrs. Louise
Mullens. $500 Fifty-seventh ave-
nue., East Riverdale.
Reds Change Minds.
From Panfnunjom. the Asso-
ciated Press reported that nine
Reds who changed their minds
twice headed north yesterday.
The nine are the first DISPOSE
tions among more than $4,000
Reds who renounced Red rule
after being captured. The nine
changed their minds again after
being brought to United Nations
stockades in the demilitarized
zone.
The neutral nations repatria-
tion commission promptly heard
their verbal applications and de-
cided unanimously to hand over
the nine to the Communists
yesterday.
In contrast, long period of
d1ckering and investigation prob
ably lay ahead in determining
the fate of the more than 900
Americans, with no guarantee
how many of them may still be
alive.
1000 Are Handed Over.
The nine North Koreans de-
Gliding after all to return to Com
munism were among about 1000
handed over by the U. N. Com
mand to neutral Indian guards
in the demilitarized zone.
A shipment of about 1000
anti-Red Chinese captives is to
be handed over to Indian Gus
tody today at the collection camp
near Panmunjom.
In all. nearly ] 900 North Ko-
reans and 1000 Chinese who
refuse to go home already have
been put under guard of Indian
soldiers. They are the vanguard
of 14,700 Chinese and 5000
North Koreans being moved from
allied island camps off the tip
of South Korea to the demili-
tarized zone so that the Com
muniSts may try to persuade
them to return.
The Reds say they hold 800
South Koreans and 20 non-Ko-
reans who refuse repatriation.
They are expected to be turned
over to Indian custody about
September II.
About September 25, both
sides will be allowed to begin
90-day periods of talks with these
men in efforts to convince them
they should come back.
Capt. Fischer Listed.
The new Pentagon list of
Americans unaccounted for also
contained the name of Capt
Harold Fischer of Swea City.
Iowa, whose Saber Jet was shot
down by the Reds last April
after he had compiled a record
of 10 Russian-built MIG jet
kills.
Another noted airnan on the
list was 1t. Col. Edwin L. Heller,
a Sabre pilot shot down over
North Korea last January. Like
Capt. Fischer. the Communist
Peiping radio boasted of his
capture and said he had crashed
on Manchurian soil.
The WynneWood (PaD flyer
had a record of 3l2 MICS de-