Evening star., 1954-05-05
Air Force Orders IA
To Show Cause for
Conduct as POWS


The Air Force has ruled that
IA out of 220 of its personnel
who were prisoners of the Com
muniSts in Korea must show
cause why they should be re-
tained in service.
Air Force Secretary Harold
E. Talbot and Gen. Nathan F.
Twining, Chief of Staff. an
nounced this yesterday in ap-
proving the recommendations of
a special board which inveSti-
gated the records of 80 former
POWS whose conduct was under
question.
The board urged that SO cases
be CLOSED without prejudice of
any sort to the individuals con-
cerned" and found mo case"
against 1877 others.
IL Officers Involved.
: Twelve officers and two en-
listed men were involved in the
show-cause cases. Nine of these
concerned germ warfare "con-
fessions." which when consid-
cred with other elements"
raised a question as to the con-
tinued usefulness of the individ-
uals. OF the other five cases, the
Air Force merely referred to
their reported actions" as rails
ing sufficient doubt as to their
future usefulness.
The Air Force board also rec
commended that germ-warfare
false confessions by q other
persons. "uncomplicated by other
acts of collaboration" should
not bring punishment and that
the cases should be closed with
out prejudice.
This would appear to reflect
a more lenient attitude on the
part of the Air Force than that
showed by the Marine Corps in
the case of Col. Frank Schwable.
Last week, the Marines an
nounced that the 45-year-old
flyer would not be punished for
his false germ-warfare confess
sion. but that his usefulness had
been seriously impaired. His fu-
ture is cloudy. ,
No Names Revealed.
The Air Force said it had no
intention of making public the
names of the IA men involved
in the show-cause cases. It said
that the individual may resign,
retire, apply for honorable dis
charge or present his case before
a board of inquiry. In the latter
instance, the board would rec
Ommend retention, demotion or
separation.
The individual then could take
his case to the Air Force Per-
Sonnel Board. If this higher
panel recommends retention. the
case would be closed. If not, the
final decision would be put up
to the Secretary of the Air Force.
According to yesterdays an
nouncement. the special board
of generals gave sympathetic
consideration to the fact that
mental and physical torture of
prisoners of war by the Commu-
nists was something unprece-
dented in our military history,
and to the fact that briefing of
combat crews as to their conduct
in event of capture permitted
considerable discretion to the
individual and often was confus-
ing"
DuresS Found.
1t was the boards opinion
after five weeks of study, that
duress and other extenuating
circumstances existed in all 80
cases to such a degree as to
eliminate further consideration
of court-martial action.
The board applied the follow
ing criteria in each case: The
nature and extent of collabora-
ton as measured by it's possible
detrimental effect on national
security, the war effort, and the
welfare of other POWs; the ma
ture and extent of duress applied
by the enemy; the amount of
resistance displayed by the in
dividual; the nature and extent
of previous instruction, guidance
and indoctrination given to each
individual pertaining to conduct
as a POW; the conclusiveness of
the evidence substantiating the
offense, and the possible effects
of the action of the board on
discipline and morale of the
armed forces, both present and |
future.
1t. Gen. Idwal H. Edwards, !
U. S. A. F., retired, was presi- |
dent of the board. Other mem
bers were Maj. Gems. Glenn o. |
Barcus and Jared v. Crabb, and
Brig. Gems. Monroe MacCloskey
and Richard H. Carmichael.