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November 19, 1952...Fifty years have passed since the Russian MIG15
pilot, Guard Senior Lieutenant Dobrovichan, flying out of Myaogou Air
Field, attacked the B-29 carrying Major Sawyer’s seasoned crew on, I
understand, one of their last missions. Also on board that aircraft on their
initial orientation flight was Lt. Myron Sestak and Major Kassel Keene.
My mother, Ferol Keene, was so proud of them. She often spoke of Kass’
Kiddies. Myron, “Smokey”, was a favorite of hers. I have pictures of
a
crew picnic where everyone had their fluorescent pink, black polka-dot
baseball caps with their crew position emblazoned in bold letters, AC,
CO, etc. My mothers had the CO, of course. She died November 6, 1956,
leaving her and Kass’ three children Elaine, Kenny and Barbara
orphans.
I applied for guardianship. My wife, Genie, and I raised them along with
our three girls. All three Keene kids now reside in Phoenix, AZ. My
mother died not knowing Smokey had been executed. And Kass was still
MIA, declared dead a year and a day later. It has been revealed, thanks
to the Freedom of Information Act, that he had been a prisoner and, in a
North
Korean Civil trial, sentenced to 21 ½ years for fighting with another
prisoner. The people who knew Kass also know if Kass accosted another
prisoner that other prisoner was a collaborator or at least damn well
deserved a beating. As Kass would say “damn straight”.
He was a man of principal of whom I admired greatly. He taught me logic,
patience, fairness and honesty. I only wish I were as good as he in
these attributes. Hands down he was the finest person I have ever known.
In a recent email from R. D. Round, he stated that Kass’ name was not
listed
among the names at the Punch Bowl Memorial. I’ve been told by two
people
that they found his name there. I’ll be there probably within a year
and
we’ll see.
Recently I had a visitor from Australia, James Morrison, USMC Ret., dual
citizen and Kass’ nephew. Before he arrived I obtained a DNA kit from
DPMO Randolph AFB. We have needed a blood sample from a maternal member
of Kass’ family. Jim was going to visit his sister in Houston upon
leaving California, so I had him take his sister Shirley by the hand to
a doctor’s office and now the AF has a sample for a DNA match,
hopefully.
To express the futility of trying to obtain information from the
Government is legendary, and as Walt Stoll extols, it is a brick wall we
have hit. The Government has something to hide. They picked up their
briefcases at Panmunjom on July 27, 1953, and left the table knowing
Kass (and many, many more, reported to be 137) were still alive and were
being used as pawns in a conflict the Government wanted to forget.
I wrote a letter (a copy of which is attached) to Senator John McCain,
R-AZ, in Kenneth Keene’s name (as he resides in Arizona and is the
natural son) pleading to use his influence to break the AF intelligence
stone-walling. Senator McCain did not even acknowledge receiving the
letter. He is alleged to have received preferential treatment while he
(an Admiral’s son) was a POW. He also sponsored a bill to make it
harder
for relatives of POW’s to obtain information from the Government.
Surely
something is “rotten in Denmark” or Arizona?
I would like to write a bio on Kass but I just don’t have access to
dates and names, being a step-son. I do know he was born in WashingtonCounty, Tennille, GA
on 11-30-1918, father Charlie Alford Keene, mother
Annie Hudson Wood Keene. He graduated from Tech High School in Atlanta, GA.
He attended Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) college for a time, and joined the Army Air Corps
prior to December 7, 1941. Married Ferol on 12-29-41. Discharged after
WWII, he attended UC Berkley and Hastings School of Law, San Francisco. He was a salesman for Corcoran Paper Co.,
Long Beach, CA. He, being a
reserve officer, volunteered to active duty in the Korean conflict.
Training at Forbes AFB and survival school in Reno, with an all
volunteer crew of which he was extremely proud. Only room for he and
Smokey on a flight out of Travis AFB, they left leaving the rest of the
crew to follow. When the remaining crew members arrived at Yakota AFB,
Japan, Kass and Smokey were MIA. What emotions must have raced through
these men? Why? They must be kidding ! Will it happen to me next ?
They had to be some of our bravest to board their newly assigned
aircraft with that knowledge and an unfamiliar crew. They had to be the
bravest of the brave. I salute them, they done good. Thank you.
I was in the AF at Tague and Pusan when the POW’s were being
repatriated. Anxiously I scanned the returnee’s listed in the Stars
and
Stripes. No Kass. No Smokey. But they* knew and did not tell us. Kind of
makes you suspicious of our Government and the current events evolving
in the world. Do we know it all this time?
Sheldon S. Olson
*The Truce Negotiators in part were:
Maj. Gen. Howard Turner
Rear Admiral R. E. Libby
Rear Admiral Arleigh Burke
Maj. Gen. Lee Hyung Keun, R.O.K.
Vice Admiral C. Turner Joy (Chief of Delegation)
Lt. Gen. William K. Harrison, Jr. (Chief during exchange)
To them, living or dead, I say WHY? |
