En route to South Korea, the C-54 crashed into a 2,000-foot high hill five miles northwest of Pusan. Everyone on board died in the crash.  This aircraft is sometimes confused with a C-54D (tail number 42-72648) involved in a North Korean airstrike on Suwon airfield in June 1950.  The 23 casualties who actually died in C-54D #45-518 are incorrectly listed as fatalities on the government's KORWALD compilation under C-54D #42-72648.

If any of our KWE readers has biographical information or photographs of the fatalities on this C-54, they are invited to share the material on this website in memory of their loved one.  Contact Lynnita.

Most recent update to this page: August 27, 2019

Fatalities

1. Brown, Cpl. John C.
2. Crays, 2Lt. Edward Merle
3. Elam, Sgt. Boyd W.
4. Gogoj, Pfc. Stanley A.
5. Hardy, Cpl. Elmer Everett
6. Huff, Pfc. Emerson P. Jr.
7. Kiezanowski, Cpl. Edmund A.
8. McPherson, 1Lt. Gerald W. - crew member (navigator)
9. Magers, Pfc. Dale L.
10. Marble, Pfc. Myron P.
11. Millis, Cpl. Richard E.
12. Morrison, TSgt. Jack A. - crew member
13. Morrissey, Cpl. Raymond G.
14. Odle, Capt. Clarence B. - crew member (pilot)
15. Parks, TSgt. Robert F. Sr. - crew member
16. Peska, Pfc. Edward
17. Pitre, Cpl. Ernest J.
18. Riggs, 1Lt. Roy T.
19. Rolek, Sgt. Alex
20. Selig, 1Lt. Louis G. Jr.
21. Spradley, 1Lt. Glen L. - crew member (co-pilot)
22. Ternes, Pfc. Peter
23. Tomlinson, 1Lt. Charles R.

Biographies of Fatalities

Brown, Cpl. John C.

Born in 1928, John was the son of John Edmond Brown (1892-1960) and Theresa M. Ryer Brown (died 1963).  He was a member of the 8th Army's 71st Signal Battalion.  Corporal Brown is buried in New Cathedral Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland.

Crays, 2Lt. Edward Merle

Edward was born on September 23, 1921 in Garland County, Arkansas, a son of Merle and Eva Murphy Crays of Lock Haven, Arkansas.  His siblings were brothers Francis Murphy and Harold Crays and sister Miriam Arlene Brown (1930-2003).  He was a member of the 71st Signal Service Battalion at the time of the crash.  He is buried in Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Elam, Sgt. Boyd W.

Born November 04, 1920, Boyd was a World War II and Korean War veteran.  He was serving with the 71st Signal Battalion when he was killed in the collision.  He is buried in Hollywood Cemetery, Jackson, Tennessee.

Gogoj, Pfc. Stanley A.

Stanley was born November 07, 1929 and attended Northeast Catholic High School in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He sang with the Polish American String Band before entering the service.  He was a member of the 71st Signal Battalion at the time of the aircraft loss.  He is buried in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Philadelphia.  The Korean War Veterans Association Chapter 38 (now dissolved) was named in Pfc. Gogoj's memory.

Hardy, Cpl. Elmer Everett

Elmer was born May 31, 1926 in Lucasville, Ohio, a son of Walter Hardy (1892-1957) and Rosa Beulah Sizemore Hardy (1908-2005).  His siblings were Mrs. Forrest (Margaret Jean Hardy) Gregory (1923-2018), Ray Hardy (1935-1961), Robert Hardy (1933-2015), Donald Eugene Hardy (1938-1990), and Larry Lee Hardy (1948-1948).  Elmer was Scioto County, Ohio's first Korean War casualty.  A graduate of Valley High School in the Class of 1944, he joined the military in 1945.  He was a World War II and Korean War veteran.  At the time of the strike in Suwon, he was a member of the 71st Signal Service Battalion.  He is buried in Mound Cemetery, Piketon, Ohio.

Huff, Pfc. Emerson Paul Jr.

Emerson was born February 25, 1922, son of Emerson Paul Huff Sr. (1894-1949) and Lenna F. Sheeks Huff (1893-1975).  He was a member of the 71st Signal Battalion when he was killed in the plane crash.  He is buried in Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Kiezanowski, Cpl. Edmund A.

Edmund was born on July 20, 1927.  He was from Hampden County, Massachusetts and was serving as a motion picture cameraman with the 71st Signal Service Battalion at the time of the plane crash.  He is buried in St. Marys Cemetery, Westfield, Massachusetts.

McPherson, 1Lt. Gerald W.

Gerald was born September 25, 1920.  He married Naomi Faye Laughlin (1926-2000) in 1944.   He is buried in Westlawn Cemetery, Cullom, Illinois.  Lieutenant McPherson enlisted in the Air Corps on January 02, 1942 at Chanute AFB, Rantoul, IL.  He was a crew member of the aircraft that crashed.

Magers, Pfc. Dale Lee

Dale was born June 16, 1930 in Prescott, Arizona, son of Francis Marion Magers (1905-1991) and Gladys L. Magers (1909-2008).  Her sister was Betty Lou Magers Hammond (1926-1993).  Pfc. Magers is buried in Ephrata Cemetery, Ephrata, Washington.

Marble, Pfc. Myron Platt

Myron was born April 01, 1928 in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.  He was a combat photographer with the home town of Alleghan, Michigan at the time of the crash.  Pfc. Marble is buried in Riverside Cemetery, Kalamazoo.

Millis, Cpl. Richard E. "Dick"

Richard was born in Greensboro, Indiana in 1926, a son of Ervin Millis (1900-1945) and Esther Thomas Millis-Pope (1906-1995).  He attended Kennard High School and then joined the Army infantry in World War II.  He fought in the battle to recapture the Philippine Islands and contracted malaria there.  After the war he worked at Delco-Remy in Anderson, Indiana.  Because he had a keen interest in photography, he attended and graduated from Baltimore Institute of Photography.  He then reenlisted in the Army and went to Japan to become a member of General MacArthur's staff as a photographer.  When the Korean War broke out he was sent to Korea to photograph scenes of the war.  He was the first Hoosier to be killed in the Korean War.  He was voted Hoosier of the Year for 1950.  Richard's siblings were Charles E. Millis, Thelma Millis Nelson, Carl Millis, and Fredrick Millis.  Corporal Millis is buried in Hicksite Cemetery, Greensboro, Indiana.

Morrison, TSgt. Jack Allen

Jack was born on September 09, 1926.  He was a World War II and Korean War veteran.  During the Korean War he served with the 22nd Air Force Troop Carrier Squadron.  He is  buried in Cedarlawn Memorial Park, Sherman, Texas.

Morrissey, Cpl. Raymond G.

Raymond was born on November 08, 1927, a son of Francis R. Morrissey (1904-1943) and Charlotte Anna Gottschalk Morrissey (Burton).  His siblings were Edwin Paul Morrissey (1934-1944) and Willis D. Morrissey (1941-1966).  The Morrissey family was from Bloomington, Illinois.  He is buried in Saint Mary's Cemetery, Bloomington, Illinois.  Morrissey Street in Bloomington was named after him.  Raymond's siblings were Edwin Paul Morrissey (1934-1944) and Willis D. Morrissey (1941-1966).

Odle, Capt. Clarence B.

Clarence was born May 19, 1921 on a farm near Milford, Illinois, a son of Thomas Roe Odle (1889-1961) and Huldah Louise Butzow Odle (1890-1955).  His siblings were Mrs. Ferne Christina Eliza Odle Kinder (1913-1980), Mrs. Opal Ida Ethel Odle Griffith (1915-1997), Thomas Adolph Odle (1917-1917), Melvin Roe Odle (1923-1999), and Mrs. Huldah Louise Odle Miller (1928-1963).  In 1943 he married Nadine Louise Dice (1923-2017) of Hoopeston, Illinois.  They had two children: Janet Kay Odle (age 4 years at the time of the crash) and Clarence "Ben" Odle Jr. (five weeks old at the time of the crash).  Captain Odle never saw his newborn son.  For five years he was stationed at Chanute AFB in Rantoul, Illinois before receiving orders for Korea.  He entered the military in 1942.  During World War II his B-24 was shot down by Nazis in 1944 while bombing Ploesti oil fields.  He was captured and placed in a Bulgarian Hospital and was later freed by Russians.  Captain Odle is buried in Floral Hill Cemetery, Iroquois County, Illinois.

Parks, TSgt. Robert F. Sr.

Born March 9, 1919, Robert was survived by his widow, Vivian M. Grice (Weaver) (1923-1999).  He is buried in Ft. Benning Post Cemetery, Ft. Benning, Georgia.

Pitre, Cpl. Ernest J.

From New Iberia, Louisiana, Ernest was born October 09, 1927.  During the Korean War he served as a field repeaterman with the Army's 71st Signal Battalion, Company C.  He is buried in Saint Johns Cemetery, New Iberia.

Peska, Pfc. Edward

Edward was born February 09, 1924 in Pennsylvania, a son of Frank Joe Peska (1894-1964) and Mary Lucksa Peska (1902-1966).  He was a World War II veteran who served 36 months in the Signal Corps in 1943.  He reenlisted in 1948.  His siblings were James Peska (1921-1959), John George Peska (1924-1925), Robert Peska (1929-1997), William Peska, Fred Peska, Mrs. Jack (Dorothy Peska) Zupancic, Florence Peska, Delores Peska, Lester Peska (1934-2010), and Frank Peska (died 1944).  Pfc. Frank Peska died on September 06, 1944 while crossing the Rhine River during World War II.  Pfc. Edward Peska is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio.

Riggs, 1Lt. Roy Theodore

Born September 15, 1913, Roy was a son of Royal Ruben Riggs and Theodora Rogers Riggs (1888-1970).  He graduated from Central High School in the Class of 1933.  1st Lt. Roy Riggs was a graduate of the WWII Signal Corps OCS program at Fort Monmouth New Jersey, Class 22 in 1943.  He is interred in Arlington National Cemetery.  He was married at the time of his death.  His siblings were James Havely Riggs (1917-1918) and John Alan Riggs (1919-1967). 

Rolek, Sgt. Alexander

Alex was born July 23, 1916 in Granby, Missouri.  He married Norma Nadine Sitler (1920-2011).  Sergeant Rolek is buried in Granby Memorial Cemetery, Granby.

Selig, 1Lt. Louis G. Jr.

Born July 02, 1922 in Arkansas, Louis was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis G. Selig Sr. of Stuttgart, Arkansas.  Louis Jr. was the first Arkansan killed in the Korean War.  He is buried in Oakland Cemetery.  Lieutenant Selig was with the Far East Command, Headquarters Service Group, 8075th Theater Headquarters Radio Relay.

Spradley, 1Lt. Glen Leon

Glen was born October 06, 1923  in McFarland, Kern County, California, son of Sherman Spradley (1901-1986) and Cora Alice Boydstun Spradley (1905-1927).  He was a World War II and Korean War veteran.  His half-siblings were James W. Spradley (1932-2000) and Richard Gordon Spradley (1943-1984).  Glen's step-mother was Aileen Spradley (1911-1995).  Aileen and Sherman were married in May of 1931.  Glen is buried in Tulare Cemetery, Tulare, California.

Ternes, Pfc. Peter

Peter was born September 11, 1930.  He is buried in Saint Gertrude's Catholic Cemetery, Raleigh, North Dakota.

Tomlinson, 1Lt. Charles R.

Born on October 09, 1926, Charles is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.  He enlisted from Fountain, Colorado.  His home of record was El Paso County, Colorado.