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In 1950, at the
start of the Korean War,
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Russian and American fighters
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clashed over Korea
in the world's first jet war.
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These were the fastest
dogfights yet.
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Out of the blue they came...
Two machines well-matched,
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both technological marvels
of their day.
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Through their rivalry,
the superpowers of the cold war
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played out a high-tech,
high-stakes, aerial arms race.
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Caught in its crossfire
were the men who flew.
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Over 30 American and British
pilots who were shot down
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are still missing
in mysterious circumstances.
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Their bodies
have never been found.
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No one knows
if they're dead or alive.
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There are even rumors
some were spirited away
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to the Soviet Union.
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Would they have
taken Americans? Absolutely.
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It was something that the public
was not aware of.
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It was not publicized.
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Why?
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We didn't want
to have World War III.
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Today,
investigators are scouring
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the prison camp records,
in search of clues.
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The families of the missing
are desperate to know the truth.
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You could just imagine
what he had gone through.
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Geez, was he possibly...
possibly even still alive?
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For 50 years,
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the Korean Conflict has been
known as "the forgotten war,"
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but now, the stories
of the pilots who disappeared
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and the secrets
behind the planes they flew
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are finally being revealed.
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Up next on NOVA:
"Missing in MiG Alley."
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MFor the young
pilots A sent to war,
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Korea was a barren
and foreboding place.
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When I stepped off the
airplane just at the crack of dawn
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at 6:00 in the morning...
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...and I took a whift
of the air,
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it was the worst-smelling place
I had ever been,
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and my first thought was,
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"My God, I'm going to die
in this place."
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It was cold,
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and it was wintertime, and...
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typical Korean with mud,
and gray and ugly-looking.
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There was a war going on,
and it sounded like
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that's where a fighter pilot
would like to be,
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to see what that
jet-propelled war was like.
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Five, four,
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three, two, one...
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11:10.
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These pilots
were about to take part
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in a new kind of air war.
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They would fight
at over 600 miles per hour,
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but had little idea
of the risks they faced
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if they were shot down.
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The war started
in the summer of 1950
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when Communist forces from
the north invaded the south.
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The United States led
a U.N. ground force
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to repel the invasion
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and push the Communists back
into North Korea.
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But then, in the autumn,
hundreds of thousands
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of Chinese reinforcements
came streaming over the border
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into Korea to support
their comrades in arms.
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Outnumbered on the ground,
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the U.N. still had an edge
in the sky
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with the United States
Air Force.
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Troops, ten hut!
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Anybody got any questions?
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Okay, let's go get 'em.
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They went into action
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without delay, striking
at military targets,
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with special attention
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to the enemy's lines
of communication and supply.
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American bombers
struck at the bridges
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across the Yalu River
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that forms the border
between China and Korea.
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It was across this river
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that crucial supplies
for the Communist army
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came into the country.
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Now, those aircraft...
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They were able to operate
essentially unopposed.
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There was no Korean air defense.
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There was no North Korean
air forces.
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And that's the way it was.
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It was a happy time
for them almost,
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until the MiG-15s appeared.
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When this sleek silver
jet came swooping into Korea,
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it was the fastest plane
in the sky.
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The Russian-built fighter
took everyone by surprise.
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The United States scrambled
to respond.
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One week after the MiGs'
first appearance,
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the Air Force chief of staff
ordered two wings
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of F-86 Sabres to be shipped
by aircraft carrier
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from the U.S. to Korea.
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It had entered the service
only a year and a half before.
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Now the Sabre was America's
sole hope
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of taking on the formidable MiG.
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The MiG-15s were fast,
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they were very heavily armed,
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they'd climb quickly,
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they could slice
through the American formations
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and be gone again,
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almost before the pilots knew
what had happened.
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The first men
who piloted MiGs in Korea
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were actually Russians
flying in secret.
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If word of
their involvement got out,
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the Soviets feared it might
provoke their cold war enemies,
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so pilots were prohibited
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from flying across territory
the Communists didn't control.
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U.S. pilots were also
reined in...
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Barred, with exceptions,
from crossing into Red China,
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where the MiGs were based.
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The result?
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The two jets met along
the Chinese border,
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south of the Yalu River,
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in a notorious patch of sky
known as MiG Alley.
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Here, at close
to the speed of sound,
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a new episode of cold war
confrontation erupted.
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The Russian motivation
was quite straightforward.
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They wanted
to test their aircraft,
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and the best testing ground
there is is war.
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They had a new aircraft.
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They needed to know
how they were going to perform
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against their former
American allies
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who they knew now
would be their future opponents.
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In fact, the MiG and
Sabre were so well matched,
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pilots found it hard
to tell them apart.
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One reason lay in Nazi Germany.
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At the end
of the Second World War,
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the Soviet Union and America
both studied Nazi breakthroughs
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in aeronautics.
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The Messerschmitt 262
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was the world's first
operational fighter jet.
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It had a heavy engine,
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so to keep the design
in balance,
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its wings were angled back
slightly.
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Taken farther,
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that swept-wing design
would one day hold the key
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to supersonic flight.
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The first aircraft
to have a swept wing,
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even though
it was a very modest swept wing,
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was the German Messerschmitt 262
of 1944.
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The swept wing enabled you
to fly an aircraft much faster.
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It completely
changed their thinking
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about aircraft design.
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It revolutionized their ideas
of aircraft design.
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Straight wings work
well on propeller-driven planes,
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which operate
at relatively low speeds.
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At high speeds, though,
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straight wings create
aerodynamic problems.
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Shock waves form, causing drag.
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But if you use a swept wing
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and a swept tail,
all of a sudden,
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you have a much more sleeker,
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much more efficient
aerodynamic design
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that lets you move
at much higher speeds.
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The United
States and the Soviets
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were both inspired
by the German wing design,
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but the Soviets looked elsewhere
for the MiG's remarkable engine.
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The MiG was a good,
well-armed aircraft,
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but what made it great
was its engine,
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and the reason
it was great is because
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it was a great British engine.
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And the reason that
there was a British engine there
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is because
Britain gave it to them.
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In 1946,
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the British government,
as a gesture of friendship
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to a wartime ally,
gave permission to Rolls-Royce
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to send a batch of Nene engines
to the Soviet Union.
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Now, the Nene was the most
powerful jet engine of its day,
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Rolls-Royce
were the undisputed leaders
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in jet engine technology
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at the time,
but the sad irony of this is
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that just a few years later,
when the Korean War broke out,
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Allied pilots, British pilots,
found themselves being shot at
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by an aircraft powered
by a British engine.
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A jet engine fires up
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by igniting fuel
combined with air
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under tremendous pressure.
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But there are different ways
to compress air.
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The MiG's British Nene engine
does it with centrifugal force,
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propelling the air outward
to pressurize it.
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But there's another approach.
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The more efficient axial flow
engine packs air in,
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straight on.
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This design was developed
by the Nazis
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and adapted by the Americans.
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It would one day usher in
the modern jet age.
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But the Sabre's engine
had more weight to pull.
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The F-86 was loaded up
with extra features
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and added fuel
to increase its range.
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As a result, the MiG,
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rugged and simple,
could outclimb it.
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It had a much
lighter construction,
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and when you coupled
that lightweight construction
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with the power of its engine,
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this meant that the MiG could
climb more rapidly,
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accelerate more rapidly
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and operate
to a higher altitude.
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And fighter pilots always like
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to operate
above their opponents,
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so this advantage was a very
strong one in favor of the MiG.
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And yet, the Sabre had
one crucial edge over its rival...
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Its pilots were better trained.
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Many were heroes
from the Second World War.
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Our job is to patrol MiG Alley
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and keep the MiGs off the backs
of the fighter bombers
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when they're up there
dropping their bombs
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on targets in that area.
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Some went on to be astronauts,
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including
Lieutenant Buzz Aldrin,
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who became the second man
to walk on the moon,
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many years after flying
66 missions in Korea.
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I do, however,
remember my 37th mission
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rather vividly.
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That was the mission
I got my first MiG destroyed.
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In contrast, the
North Korean Air Force
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had never flown jets before.
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The Russians began training them
and the Chinese
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in the early months of the war.
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One of the first North Koreans
to fly a MiG was Ken Rowe,
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formerly Lieutenant No Kum-Sok.
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What it all boils down to
is pilot on pilot,
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and whoever comes into the
dogfight with more experience
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and better training, he's the
one that's going to dominate.
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And if you look at the training
that both sides had,
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the Sabre pilots had more hours
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and had more latitude
during their training phase
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to learn all the intricacies
of a swirling dogfight.
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But training in the cockpit
could prove to be a liability.
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If a pilot were captured,
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he'd have more information
to give his interrogators.
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To this day, there are those
who went down over Korea
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who are still unaccounted for.
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It's not clear whether
they were killed in combat
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or taken prisoner.
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Some believe
there's a small chance
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they could still be alive.
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Among the missing
is Wing Commander John Baldwin,
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a legendary World War II ace
with 16 kills to his name.
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00:13:09,589 --> 00:13:14,025
In March 1952, he disappeared
on a reconnaissance mission.
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Today, his son, Michael,
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is determined to find out
what happened to him.
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There was always one,
uh, particular cutting,
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and it says,
"..the tales that told
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00:13:28,275 --> 00:13:31,142
"of an almost
unrecognizable prisoner
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"in a North Korean compound
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00:13:33,914 --> 00:13:37,248
who was said to be Baldwin."
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I mean, if he were still alive,
that would be amazing,
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00:13:40,153 --> 00:13:43,888
and that is possible, he could
still be alive now, as we speak.
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Was Michael's father killed
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or captured,
as the article suggests?
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To uncover the truth,
he embarks on a painful journey.
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Danz Blasser is a senior analyst
253
00:14:05,612 --> 00:14:06,892
with the
United States government
254
00:14:06,947 --> 00:14:08,413
Department of Defense.
255
00:14:08,481 --> 00:14:10,949
He has spent 13 years
on the trail
256
00:14:11,017 --> 00:14:13,651
of these missing British
and American men.
257
00:14:16,189 --> 00:14:19,257
My job is like doing
a million-piece jigsaw puzzle
258
00:14:19,326 --> 00:14:22,393
where I have no picture
to go from,
259
00:14:22,462 --> 00:14:25,396
and I have to find the pieces
to the jigsaw puzzle
260
00:14:25,465 --> 00:14:28,199
which are scattered
around the world.
261
00:14:28,268 --> 00:14:31,803
Uh, there were 31 F-86 pilots
262
00:14:31,872 --> 00:14:34,339
whose circumstances of loss
led us to believe
263
00:14:34,407 --> 00:14:38,109
they may have survived their...
the shoot-down of their plane.
264
00:14:41,715 --> 00:14:45,617
Danny Cope's father, Troy,
265
00:14:45,685 --> 00:14:49,687
is one of the 31 American Sabre
pilots missing in action.
266
00:14:49,756 --> 00:14:53,992
Danny has always wanted
to know his fate.
267
00:14:54,060 --> 00:14:57,228
I remember seeing in a telegram
268
00:14:57,297 --> 00:15:01,699
from, uh, from the military
to my... my Uncle Laurel
269
00:15:01,768 --> 00:15:05,036
that my dad
was missing in action,
270
00:15:05,105 --> 00:15:06,145
and it was pretty cryptic.
271
00:15:06,206 --> 00:15:08,373
I mean, just a few lines
on a telegram.
272
00:15:10,577 --> 00:15:13,978
My older brother, Johnny,
was four and I was two,
273
00:15:14,047 --> 00:15:17,682
and my younger brother, Mike,
was just, uh,
274
00:15:17,751 --> 00:15:20,752
eight months, nine months old.
275
00:15:20,820 --> 00:15:23,388
So we spent much
of our childhood
276
00:15:23,456 --> 00:15:28,393
not knowing much about my dad.
277
00:15:28,461 --> 00:15:32,363
On September the 16th, 1952,
278
00:15:32,432 --> 00:15:35,633
Captain Troy Cope's Sabre
was attacked by MiGs,
279
00:15:35,702 --> 00:15:38,303
and he disappeared.
280
00:15:40,573 --> 00:15:44,208
"It is with deep regret
that I officially inform you
281
00:15:44,277 --> 00:15:46,811
"that your husband,
Captain Troy G. Cope,
282
00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:51,149
"has been missing
since 16 September, 1952,
283
00:15:51,217 --> 00:15:55,687
as a result of participating
in Korean Operations."
284
00:15:55,755 --> 00:15:58,323
Danny's father was shot down
285
00:15:58,391 --> 00:16:01,326
in one of the most dangerous
parts of MiG Alley,
286
00:16:01,394 --> 00:16:05,363
just across the border in China.
287
00:16:05,432 --> 00:16:09,267
And it was from China that
Danz Blasser got his first lead
288
00:16:09,336 --> 00:16:13,304
in the hunt
for Captain Troy Cope.
289
00:16:13,373 --> 00:16:16,240
In the mid-1990s,
290
00:16:16,309 --> 00:16:19,243
an American businessman
traveled to Andung, China,
291
00:16:19,312 --> 00:16:21,579
and he went to the museum there.
292
00:16:21,648 --> 00:16:24,549
He came across three sets
of American dog tags
293
00:16:24,617 --> 00:16:26,551
that were on display there.
294
00:16:26,619 --> 00:16:30,388
One of them was for Troy Cope.
295
00:16:30,457 --> 00:16:32,377
Somebody went down
to verify this,
296
00:16:32,392 --> 00:16:36,728
and lo and behold, they were
Captain Cope's dog tags.
297
00:16:36,796 --> 00:16:39,030
When I heard about the...
298
00:16:39,099 --> 00:16:40,398
the dog tags being discovered,
299
00:16:40,467 --> 00:16:42,633
then, of course,
I immediately...
300
00:16:42,702 --> 00:16:44,736
Because of his name
being on the P.O.W. list,
301
00:16:44,804 --> 00:16:48,106
and then was that because
then he was captured
302
00:16:48,174 --> 00:16:49,907
and was really a P.O.W.,
303
00:16:49,976 --> 00:16:54,145
or was it because these were
taken from a crash site?
304
00:16:59,853 --> 00:17:02,620
Although the dog
tags were found in China,
305
00:17:02,689 --> 00:17:06,524
the information Danny Cope seeks
is most likely to be found
306
00:17:06,593 --> 00:17:09,560
locked away
in a Russian archive.
307
00:17:09,629 --> 00:17:11,662
Unless the archives are opened,
308
00:17:11,731 --> 00:17:13,931
the mystery of what became
of Troy Cope
309
00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:18,169
and his fellow MIAs
may never be known.
310
00:17:20,407 --> 00:17:24,409
For 40 years, Russia's role
in Korea remained a secret.
311
00:17:24,477 --> 00:17:28,446
Now, one of the Soviets'
top aces, Sergei Kramarenko,
312
00:17:28,515 --> 00:17:33,751
can finally talk about
his exploits in MiG Alley.
313
00:17:37,157 --> 00:17:38,637
It was a secret mission.
314
00:17:38,691 --> 00:17:42,593
Neither before nor after the war
were we allowed to reveal
315
00:17:42,662 --> 00:17:45,863
that we were going to fly
for the North Koreans
316
00:17:45,932 --> 00:17:48,566
against the Americans.
317
00:17:48,635 --> 00:17:50,068
It was top secret.
318
00:17:54,574 --> 00:17:57,141
We were told that
in case we were shot down
319
00:17:57,210 --> 00:18:01,012
beyond the front line,
we had to kill ourselves.
320
00:18:01,081 --> 00:18:05,583
Not to surrender was
in the interests of the state...
321
00:18:07,620 --> 00:18:10,688
...of keeping
the military secret.
322
00:18:14,194 --> 00:18:16,327
If word got out
of their involvement,
323
00:18:16,396 --> 00:18:18,429
the Russians feared
the Korean Conflict
324
00:18:18,498 --> 00:18:21,165
might trigger World War III.
325
00:18:21,234 --> 00:18:25,636
But then, this was not
a secret easily kept.
326
00:18:25,705 --> 00:18:28,139
I had a friend
that was over there fighting
327
00:18:28,208 --> 00:18:33,244
and he shot at a MiG and...
and the MiG pilot bailed out,
328
00:18:33,313 --> 00:18:36,414
and when he was down, he
was floating in his parachute,
329
00:18:36,483 --> 00:18:39,617
and my friend went by him
in his airplane
330
00:18:39,686 --> 00:18:42,153
and the guy was coming down
with a red beard,
331
00:18:42,222 --> 00:18:45,256
shook his fist at my guy
as he went by,
332
00:18:45,325 --> 00:18:48,826
so it was obviously
that he was Caucasian.
333
00:18:48,895 --> 00:18:53,931
So I got permission to go
to one of our heavy radar sites.
334
00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:58,202
There was a transmission coming
that was being relayed to us
335
00:18:58,271 --> 00:19:00,238
from people that spoke Russian
336
00:19:00,306 --> 00:19:03,074
and could hear
the Russian transmissions
337
00:19:03,143 --> 00:19:06,244
from Northern Manchuria.
338
00:19:06,312 --> 00:19:10,481
So we were obviously involved
with Russian combat pilots.
339
00:19:10,550 --> 00:19:14,252
And yet, while the pilots
knew who they were up against,
340
00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:17,989
the American public did not.
341
00:19:18,057 --> 00:19:22,126
Both sides, Western
and Communist, kept the secret.
342
00:19:22,195 --> 00:19:24,462
Colonel Orlov was a Soviet
intelligence officer
343
00:19:24,531 --> 00:19:26,164
in North Korea.
344
00:19:27,967 --> 00:19:29,901
It was
kept from the American public
345
00:19:29,969 --> 00:19:34,071
in case they demanded action
against the Soviet Union.
346
00:19:34,140 --> 00:19:37,909
By this time,
Russia had the atomic bomb
347
00:19:37,977 --> 00:19:40,111
and neither Washington
nor Moscow
348
00:19:40,180 --> 00:19:44,849
wanted to risk full-scale
nuclear war.
349
00:19:44,918 --> 00:19:50,421
Whenever veteran Soviet
and American pilots squared off,
350
00:19:50,490 --> 00:19:52,423
the playing field was leveled.
351
00:19:52,492 --> 00:19:54,425
Each took advantage
of the two planes' strengths
352
00:19:54,494 --> 00:19:57,695
and weaknesses.
353
00:19:57,764 --> 00:20:01,132
It's like two professional
athletes looking for the edge.
354
00:20:01,201 --> 00:20:03,534
So when you have
two very similar aircraft,
355
00:20:03,603 --> 00:20:05,269
what the pilot needs to do
356
00:20:05,338 --> 00:20:08,472
is take advantage of whatever
small advantage you might have.
357
00:20:08,541 --> 00:20:11,676
The MiG had
more powerful weaponry.
358
00:20:11,744 --> 00:20:15,813
Because of its lighter load, it
could climb faster and higher.
359
00:20:15,882 --> 00:20:18,649
But the Sabre
had more fuel capacity,
360
00:20:18,718 --> 00:20:22,220
could fly with greater control
and, most important,
361
00:20:22,288 --> 00:20:24,956
was more user-friendly
for the pilot.
362
00:20:25,024 --> 00:20:26,891
The F-86 pilot
363
00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:30,428
sat in a heated,
relatively comfortable,
364
00:20:30,496 --> 00:20:34,098
relatively spacious cockpit
under a beautiful bubble canopy
365
00:20:34,167 --> 00:20:37,401
that gave him superb visibility
in all directions.
366
00:20:37,470 --> 00:20:42,039
The MiG-15 pilot sat
in a much more constrained,
367
00:20:42,108 --> 00:20:46,043
cramped, cold environment,
much more uncomfortable.
368
00:20:46,112 --> 00:20:50,214
At stake was more
than just a comfortable ride.
369
00:20:50,283 --> 00:20:54,752
At close to the speed of sound,
the body gets slammed.
370
00:20:54,821 --> 00:20:58,489
At each burst of thrust,
in a turn or when accelerating,
371
00:20:58,558 --> 00:21:03,227
a pilot must fight against
the force of gravity, or g's.
372
00:21:03,296 --> 00:21:05,529
His bloodstream can literally
get cinched off,
373
00:21:05,598 --> 00:21:11,335
putting him at risk
of blacking out.
374
00:21:11,404 --> 00:21:13,471
You are under g's, so the body
weighs 600, 700, 800 pounds.
375
00:21:13,539 --> 00:21:15,673
The blood is draining
from your eyes.
376
00:21:15,742 --> 00:21:17,074
You are getting tunnel vision.
377
00:21:17,143 --> 00:21:19,043
You're having to deal
with an oxygen mask
378
00:21:19,112 --> 00:21:22,313
and all the accouterments that
are wrapped around your body,
379
00:21:22,382 --> 00:21:24,515
and people are shooting at you.
380
00:21:24,584 --> 00:21:28,686
The remedy... a
stroke of American ingenuity.
381
00:21:28,755 --> 00:21:33,724
The g-suit is connected by
this hose to a fitting in the cockpit
382
00:21:33,793 --> 00:21:37,061
and compressed air is blown
through this tube into the suit.
383
00:21:37,130 --> 00:21:39,597
What happens is
the bladders inflate
384
00:21:39,666 --> 00:21:41,799
and squeeze tight
against those body parts,
385
00:21:41,868 --> 00:21:45,903
restricting the flow of blood
to the lower extremities.
386
00:21:45,972 --> 00:21:50,107
That allows extra blood
to reach the brain and the eyes.
387
00:21:50,176 --> 00:21:52,209
So a pilot wearing a g-suit
388
00:21:52,278 --> 00:21:54,679
can pull approximately
one additional g
389
00:21:54,747 --> 00:21:56,480
for a long period of time
390
00:21:56,549 --> 00:21:58,916
over a pilot
who does not have a g-suit.
391
00:21:58,985 --> 00:22:02,053
This is a tremendous advantage
in a swirling,
392
00:22:02,121 --> 00:22:06,657
turning dogfight between
the MiG-15 and the Sabre jet.
393
00:22:08,461 --> 00:22:12,363
Add to that another
advantage... tactics.
394
00:22:12,432 --> 00:22:14,512
The tactical formation of Sabres
395
00:22:14,534 --> 00:22:19,136
was based around the leader
and the wingman...
396
00:22:19,205 --> 00:22:23,107
Basically, the leader and the
wingman operating off his wing
397
00:22:23,176 --> 00:22:25,843
as an extra pair of eyes to
look out and protect the leader
398
00:22:25,912 --> 00:22:28,412
while the leader engages
in combat against the foe.
399
00:22:28,481 --> 00:22:29,980
If we put another element
with that,
400
00:22:30,049 --> 00:22:33,884
now we have the finger of four,
we have a group of four.
401
00:22:33,953 --> 00:22:37,655
What this meant was that we had
402
00:22:37,724 --> 00:22:40,558
a very fluid formation here
that, if bounced,
403
00:22:40,626 --> 00:22:42,293
could break
into two elements of two
404
00:22:42,362 --> 00:22:45,296
and you would still not break
that inviolate bond
405
00:22:45,365 --> 00:22:47,665
between the leader
and the wingman
406
00:22:47,734 --> 00:22:50,568
as they prosecute air combat
against the foe.
407
00:22:50,636 --> 00:22:54,171
American pilots had to
make their own decisions in combat.
408
00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:57,775
But the Soviets were directed
from bases on the ground,
409
00:22:57,844 --> 00:23:00,811
known as "Ground Control
Intercepts."
410
00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:04,849
Ground control
interception officers
411
00:23:04,917 --> 00:23:06,717
would position the MiGs
412
00:23:06,786 --> 00:23:09,253
so that they would
fly across the Yalu
413
00:23:09,322 --> 00:23:11,455
at very high altitude
and high speed,
414
00:23:11,524 --> 00:23:14,492
just at the point where
Sabre pilots, having made
415
00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:16,460
a routine patrol,
were getting very low on fuel.
416
00:23:16,529 --> 00:23:17,928
The MiGs would dive down
417
00:23:17,997 --> 00:23:20,698
on the Sabres
from high altitude,
418
00:23:20,767 --> 00:23:22,933
make a single pass
through their formation
419
00:23:23,002 --> 00:23:25,302
and then blast back
toward the Yalu
420
00:23:25,371 --> 00:23:27,405
to try to get
into North Korea again,
421
00:23:27,473 --> 00:23:29,553
before the Sabres
could follow after them.
422
00:23:31,477 --> 00:23:35,379
If there were no MiGs flying,
we'd patrol up and down
423
00:23:35,448 --> 00:23:39,517
the Yalu River and then,
as we called "Bingo"...
424
00:23:39,585 --> 00:23:42,086
Meaning "minimum fuel
to get back home"...
425
00:23:42,155 --> 00:23:45,389
We'd turn to leave and the MiGs,
sometimes, would come up
426
00:23:45,458 --> 00:23:47,858
and then try to engage us
when we were leaving.
427
00:23:49,529 --> 00:23:54,598
Low on fuel, the
Sabres were easy targets.
428
00:23:54,667 --> 00:23:57,401
The only way
to escape was to dive
429
00:23:57,470 --> 00:24:00,471
at close to the speed of sound.
430
00:24:03,876 --> 00:24:05,109
I'll never forget.
431
00:24:05,178 --> 00:24:07,678
My flight leader was
physically shooting at a MiG
432
00:24:07,747 --> 00:24:11,382
when another MiG came in on me.
433
00:24:11,451 --> 00:24:13,571
And that was the first time
I'd been shot at.
434
00:24:15,054 --> 00:24:16,487
He had about 12 foot of flames
435
00:24:16,556 --> 00:24:18,889
coming out of that
37-millimeter cannon,
436
00:24:18,958 --> 00:24:21,592
and I saw the red balls
going by.
437
00:24:23,296 --> 00:24:25,663
The rule that we were taught was
438
00:24:25,731 --> 00:24:27,131
you don't dogfight with them
439
00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,300
when they have the advantage.
440
00:24:29,368 --> 00:24:32,770
You just go ahead
and dive and lose 'em.
441
00:24:32,839 --> 00:24:35,005
For a MiG pilot to follow
442
00:24:35,074 --> 00:24:37,508
was a risky proposition.
443
00:24:37,577 --> 00:24:42,546
In a high-speed plunge, his jet
became unstable.
444
00:24:42,615 --> 00:24:44,715
But why could the Sabre
maintain control
445
00:24:44,784 --> 00:24:47,017
at speeds MiGs couldn't handle?
446
00:24:48,821 --> 00:24:51,755
The Soviets were determined
to find the answer
447
00:24:51,824 --> 00:24:55,960
by capturing and interrogating
Sabre pilots.
448
00:24:57,830 --> 00:24:59,396
I didn't worry about death
449
00:24:59,465 --> 00:25:01,098
as much as I did
getting captured.
450
00:25:01,167 --> 00:25:04,568
The fear of being shot down was
451
00:25:04,637 --> 00:25:07,972
bad enough, but ending your days
in a Russian gulag
452
00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:11,208
seemed even worse,
yet it still didn't deter
453
00:25:11,277 --> 00:25:13,244
some foolhardy acts.
454
00:25:13,312 --> 00:25:15,913
Biggest dumb thing
I ever did in my life...
455
00:25:15,982 --> 00:25:19,316
In an effort to try and entice
456
00:25:19,385 --> 00:25:22,319
the MiGs to come down
and do battle with us,
457
00:25:22,388 --> 00:25:26,023
we decided we would try
to drop bombs
458
00:25:26,092 --> 00:25:28,325
so they'd have to come in
and look at us.
459
00:25:29,662 --> 00:25:31,662
We dropped our bombs and...
460
00:25:31,731 --> 00:25:34,965
I circled to see
if we were accurate.
461
00:25:35,034 --> 00:25:39,203
And, in doing so, I saw
a truck going down the highway,
462
00:25:39,272 --> 00:25:42,973
so I thought, "I'll just go by
and shoot that truck up,
463
00:25:43,042 --> 00:25:44,875
"and I'll have a good story
464
00:25:44,944 --> 00:25:49,046
to tell the guys at the bar
tonight when I get home."
465
00:25:49,115 --> 00:25:53,017
And so I slowed down,
opened the speed brakes,
466
00:25:53,085 --> 00:25:55,419
and got ready to shoot at it
467
00:25:55,488 --> 00:25:59,156
just as it turned off of
the highway into a forest.
468
00:26:01,727 --> 00:26:05,296
And I couldn't turn sharp enough
to go over and get it,
469
00:26:05,364 --> 00:26:09,633
but in doing the slowdown,
I got hit by ground fire.
470
00:26:13,706 --> 00:26:15,639
My cockpit filled with smoke.
471
00:26:18,578 --> 00:26:22,479
Had to fly over
another heavily defended town
472
00:26:22,548 --> 00:26:24,815
and got hit another
couple of times.
473
00:26:29,021 --> 00:26:31,956
I have a fire warning light
in the front compartment
474
00:26:32,024 --> 00:26:34,558
and fire warning
in the aft compartment,
475
00:26:34,627 --> 00:26:36,707
and I know that I don't have
enough power
476
00:26:36,729 --> 00:26:37,995
to keep on flying,
477
00:26:38,064 --> 00:26:40,531
and I'm going to end up
by flying into the ground,
478
00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:42,933
which, of course, I did.
479
00:26:43,002 --> 00:26:46,837
Mahurin crashed,
but miraculously survived,
480
00:26:46,906 --> 00:26:49,039
only to be captured.
481
00:26:49,108 --> 00:26:52,009
As a senior officer
and Air Force tactician,
482
00:26:52,078 --> 00:26:55,613
he was a valuable prize
for the enemy.
483
00:26:55,681 --> 00:26:58,282
I was kept in
solitary confinement
484
00:26:58,351 --> 00:27:00,551
all the time I was in prison.
485
00:27:02,088 --> 00:27:04,655
I got interrogated
almost continuously.
486
00:27:06,058 --> 00:27:08,425
It was the kind of thing
you see on TV,
487
00:27:08,494 --> 00:27:11,662
where there'd be four or five
guys sitting at a table
488
00:27:11,731 --> 00:27:13,811
and they would start
to ask me questions.
489
00:27:17,503 --> 00:27:21,605
For example, "How many F-86's
are there in South Korea?"
490
00:27:21,674 --> 00:27:23,207
That kind of stuff.
491
00:27:25,578 --> 00:27:28,979
They were using what we call
492
00:27:29,048 --> 00:27:33,083
"Brainwashing Pavlov Reflex
Conditioning."
493
00:27:33,152 --> 00:27:35,552
Trying to break me down
so I'd tell them anything
494
00:27:35,621 --> 00:27:36,687
just to get away.
495
00:27:38,124 --> 00:27:39,757
After months of interrogation
496
00:27:39,825 --> 00:27:41,825
by the North Koreans
and Chinese,
497
00:27:41,894 --> 00:27:44,928
Mahurin was close
to the breaking point.
498
00:27:46,532 --> 00:27:49,099
I'm getting to the point
where I'm sort of losing
499
00:27:49,168 --> 00:27:50,768
my sensibilities.
500
00:27:50,836 --> 00:27:54,304
And so one night I decided
501
00:27:54,373 --> 00:27:56,573
I was going to attempt
to commit suicide.
502
00:27:58,310 --> 00:27:59,610
He convinced a guard
503
00:27:59,679 --> 00:28:04,982
he needed a knife
to sharpen a pencil.
504
00:28:05,051 --> 00:28:08,118
I ended up by cutting my wrists
505
00:28:08,187 --> 00:28:10,754
and causing what, in my view,
506
00:28:10,823 --> 00:28:12,256
was a pretty good flow of blood.
507
00:28:12,324 --> 00:28:16,994
And at that time, we had just
bombed what was called
508
00:28:17,063 --> 00:28:19,830
the Sui-ho Reservoir,
which was the big
509
00:28:19,899 --> 00:28:23,200
power generation station
on the Sui-ho River.
510
00:28:25,838 --> 00:28:28,138
The lights in my cell went off,
511
00:28:28,207 --> 00:28:29,973
and when they went off,
the guards came
512
00:28:30,042 --> 00:28:33,711
rushing into the cell,
reached up to tap the light,
513
00:28:33,779 --> 00:28:36,046
and they found flecks of blood
on the light
514
00:28:36,115 --> 00:28:38,449
and came over instantly to me
515
00:28:38,517 --> 00:28:40,651
and saw me sitting
in a pool of blood...
516
00:28:45,091 --> 00:28:48,025
...and immediately
got medical assistance
517
00:28:48,094 --> 00:28:51,795
to keep that
from going any farther.
518
00:28:51,864 --> 00:28:54,965
The rescue was not
for humanitarian reasons.
519
00:28:55,034 --> 00:28:57,201
Uh, I made a confession.
520
00:28:57,269 --> 00:29:00,070
It was not a confession
that had any basis in fact...
521
00:29:00,139 --> 00:29:02,139
Mahurin was saved
so that he could sign
522
00:29:02,208 --> 00:29:04,108
a trumped-up confession
523
00:29:04,176 --> 00:29:07,711
that America was
waging germ warfare.
524
00:29:07,780 --> 00:29:11,515
After 16 months,
he was sent home.
525
00:29:11,584 --> 00:29:14,451
Others were not so lucky.
526
00:29:17,123 --> 00:29:19,523
Intelligence reports suggest
527
00:29:19,592 --> 00:29:23,060
a sinister reason why
some pilots never returned.
528
00:29:24,430 --> 00:29:26,350
There was an air attaché
529
00:29:26,398 --> 00:29:28,766
in Hong Kong by the name
of Delke Simpson,
530
00:29:28,834 --> 00:29:31,602
who sent a report out saying
that there were trainloads
531
00:29:31,670 --> 00:29:34,705
of American prisoners of war
being trans-shipped
532
00:29:34,774 --> 00:29:36,854
through China,
to the former Soviet Union.
533
00:29:38,878 --> 00:29:41,578
Was it possible
some Sabre pilots were taken
534
00:29:41,647 --> 00:29:44,515
to the Soviet Union?
535
00:29:48,854 --> 00:29:51,121
Michael Dearmond is one
of the few captured pilots
536
00:29:51,190 --> 00:29:54,158
who was interrogated
by a Russian
537
00:29:54,226 --> 00:29:56,493
and lived to tell the tale.
538
00:29:56,562 --> 00:29:58,328
One day, when I
went for interrogation,
539
00:29:58,397 --> 00:30:00,931
there was a Caucasian...
540
00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:05,135
officer in a Korean uniform,
but with no rank on him.
541
00:30:07,773 --> 00:30:11,175
I turned to the captain
and I said, "Who's this?"
542
00:30:11,243 --> 00:30:14,778
And he said, "This is one
of our Russian advisors,
543
00:30:14,847 --> 00:30:17,881
who would like the answers
to a few questions."
544
00:30:22,121 --> 00:30:25,455
I became more and more concerned
about the purpose
545
00:30:25,524 --> 00:30:28,525
of this Russian
running my interrogation,
546
00:30:28,594 --> 00:30:31,595
because one of
my frankly deepest fears
547
00:30:31,664 --> 00:30:34,565
was to wind up
in a gulag someplace.
548
00:30:34,633 --> 00:30:37,935
So I tried to be
the dumbest F-86 pilot
549
00:30:38,003 --> 00:30:39,570
he had ever interrogated.
550
00:30:39,638 --> 00:30:41,538
Apparently, it was effective.
551
00:30:41,607 --> 00:30:44,374
He became
more and more exasperated,
552
00:30:44,443 --> 00:30:47,744
until one day he said something
to the Korean major.
553
00:30:47,813 --> 00:30:50,714
Again, the slapping and pounding
about the head and shoulders.
554
00:30:50,783 --> 00:30:53,116
He folded up his stuff
and disappeared,
555
00:30:53,185 --> 00:30:55,319
and I never saw him again.
556
00:31:01,627 --> 00:31:05,262
Ultimately, a Sabre
pilot could only reveal so much.
557
00:31:05,331 --> 00:31:10,434
What the Russians really needed
was to capture the plane itself.
558
00:31:12,004 --> 00:31:16,273
We wanted to capture a Sabre
559
00:31:16,342 --> 00:31:19,676
and they wanted
to capture a MiG.
560
00:31:19,745 --> 00:31:21,478
That's quite natural.
561
00:31:21,547 --> 00:31:23,580
Descriptions can be inaccurate
562
00:31:23,649 --> 00:31:26,783
due to translation and decoding.
563
00:31:26,852 --> 00:31:30,087
It's much better to see
with your own eyes
564
00:31:30,155 --> 00:31:32,289
and to touch
with your own hands.
565
00:31:35,995 --> 00:31:38,528
Soviet pilots were under orders
566
00:31:38,597 --> 00:31:41,798
to bring down a Sabre
without destroying it.
567
00:31:41,867 --> 00:31:44,034
This was easier said than done,
568
00:31:44,103 --> 00:31:47,738
but one day they got the chance
they'd been waiting for.
569
00:31:47,806 --> 00:31:51,208
Yevgeny Pepelyayev was a top
Communist ace of the war,
570
00:31:51,277 --> 00:31:56,680
claiming 23 kills to his name.
571
00:31:56,749 --> 00:32:00,117
The squadron took off
to intercept the enemy fighters.
572
00:32:07,092 --> 00:32:10,560
I decided to use
my tried and tested maneuver.
573
00:32:10,629 --> 00:32:12,763
I made it look like
I was drifting
574
00:32:12,831 --> 00:32:15,432
to the left,
then immediately moved right.
575
00:32:20,072 --> 00:32:23,440
I had almost drawn
level with the Sabre,
576
00:32:23,509 --> 00:32:27,344
so I rolled my aircraft
and took aim.
577
00:32:34,153 --> 00:32:37,287
I didn't bother to follow him
once he went down.
578
00:32:45,464 --> 00:32:48,598
The Sabre pilot managed
579
00:32:48,667 --> 00:32:51,768
to land the plane
without it exploding.
580
00:32:51,837 --> 00:32:54,438
The plane buried itself
in the sand.
581
00:32:54,506 --> 00:32:56,840
The pilot was saved
by the rescue team
582
00:32:56,909 --> 00:32:59,176
and the plane was left behind.
583
00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:04,147
The pilot, Bill
Garrett, fled to safety,
584
00:33:04,216 --> 00:33:07,884
while U.N. forces tried
to protect his downed Sabre.
585
00:33:09,321 --> 00:33:11,855
The Americans tried
to destroy it,
586
00:33:11,924 --> 00:33:14,291
to prevent us taking it.
587
00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:16,026
But they failed.
588
00:33:16,095 --> 00:33:19,730
The Communists
succeeded in securing an F-86,
589
00:33:19,798 --> 00:33:21,798
despite all efforts
to keep them away.
590
00:33:23,202 --> 00:33:24,668
For the Russians,
it was the chance
591
00:33:24,737 --> 00:33:26,203
they had been waiting for.
592
00:33:26,271 --> 00:33:29,039
Now, they could send
the Sabre back to Moscow
593
00:33:29,108 --> 00:33:31,742
to investigate
its top secret technology.
594
00:33:31,810 --> 00:33:35,645
One of America's
worst fears had been realized:
595
00:33:35,714 --> 00:33:39,950
Its most prized fighter had
fallen into Soviet hands.
596
00:33:41,754 --> 00:33:44,588
Of course it was
great to get such a prize.
597
00:33:44,656 --> 00:33:46,390
We sent it to Moscow
straight away.
598
00:33:46,458 --> 00:33:50,994
There it remained,
hidden behind the Iron Curtain.
599
00:33:52,998 --> 00:33:55,966
One of the original members
of the top secret team
600
00:33:56,035 --> 00:33:58,101
that studied the captured Sabre
601
00:33:58,170 --> 00:34:00,971
still lives in a Russian
Air Force housing complex
602
00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,206
just outside Moscow.
603
00:34:05,077 --> 00:34:08,412
Vadim Matskevich's job
was to evaluate
604
00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:12,682
and adapt Western technology
for use on Soviet aircraft.
605
00:34:12,751 --> 00:34:15,652
He was able to learn a lot
from the captured Sabre.
606
00:34:19,458 --> 00:34:21,958
All the
equipment was stripped off the aircraft,
607
00:34:22,027 --> 00:34:23,947
including the electronic
gunsight.
608
00:34:23,996 --> 00:34:27,230
It was sent to our institute
in Chkalovskaya.
609
00:34:27,299 --> 00:34:29,166
I was given the task of studying
610
00:34:29,234 --> 00:34:31,468
the Sabre's electronic gunsight,
611
00:34:31,537 --> 00:34:34,504
its design, how it worked,
its performance.
612
00:34:34,573 --> 00:34:37,541
I wrote a report explaining
its exceptional qualities
613
00:34:37,609 --> 00:34:42,112
compared with the equipment
on Soviet aircraft.
614
00:34:47,419 --> 00:34:50,487
Here's what
Matskevich discovered.
615
00:34:52,558 --> 00:34:55,659
The Sabre
was equipped with radar
616
00:34:55,727 --> 00:34:59,362
to give the pilot
his target's exact range.
617
00:34:59,431 --> 00:35:03,500
That information, processed
by a rudimentary computer,
618
00:35:03,569 --> 00:35:06,937
automatically positioned
his gunsight,
619
00:35:07,005 --> 00:35:12,843
telling him where he should
point his nose and shoot.
620
00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:18,882
The Soviet Union, cold war enemy
of the United States,
621
00:35:18,951 --> 00:35:20,617
had learned
one of the key secrets
622
00:35:20,686 --> 00:35:22,886
of America's top fighter.
623
00:35:26,592 --> 00:35:29,359
I explained
that all the gunsight data
624
00:35:29,428 --> 00:35:31,962
was projected
on the forward windscreen.
625
00:35:32,030 --> 00:35:35,298
The range and the target
was automatically encircled.
626
00:35:35,367 --> 00:35:37,467
It was absolutely outstanding.
627
00:35:37,536 --> 00:35:40,003
This information was vital,
628
00:35:40,072 --> 00:35:43,039
enabling Matskevich to create
a warning receiver
629
00:35:43,108 --> 00:35:45,348
that could pick up
the gunsight's radar frequency
630
00:35:45,377 --> 00:35:49,546
and alert MiG pilots
to a Sabre's approach.
631
00:35:49,615 --> 00:35:52,949
It warns you
that there is an aircraft
632
00:35:53,018 --> 00:35:54,551
approaching from behind.
633
00:35:54,620 --> 00:35:57,954
At the furthest distance, it
gives you a single sound like...
634
00:36:00,225 --> 00:36:01,925
When the aircraft gets closer...
635
00:36:03,495 --> 00:36:05,529
And when it gets really close...
636
00:36:07,900 --> 00:36:11,201
The last is a really
alarming noise.
637
00:36:13,438 --> 00:36:18,742
It saved the lives
of a lot of our pilots.
638
00:36:18,810 --> 00:36:20,977
By snatching Sabres,
639
00:36:21,046 --> 00:36:24,414
the Russians could exploit
Western technology.
640
00:36:24,483 --> 00:36:28,318
When Bud Mahurin was captured,
so was his jet,
641
00:36:28,387 --> 00:36:33,557
a later generation Model E
with a special tail.
642
00:36:33,625 --> 00:36:36,593
Like the MiG,
earlier model Sabres
643
00:36:36,662 --> 00:36:38,895
had a tail that was split.
644
00:36:38,964 --> 00:36:43,767
But the tail on the Model E
Sabre moved as one fixed piece.
645
00:36:43,835 --> 00:36:47,137
This design, along with enhanced
flight controls,
646
00:36:47,206 --> 00:36:51,975
was why the F-86 could dive
so well at high speeds.
647
00:36:52,044 --> 00:36:55,912
Steadily, the F-86 was refined.
648
00:36:55,981 --> 00:36:58,014
In June of '52,
649
00:36:58,083 --> 00:37:02,452
the ultimate Korean War-era
Sabre was unleashed.
650
00:37:02,521 --> 00:37:06,423
The F-86F had an even more
powerful engine,
651
00:37:06,491 --> 00:37:11,828
with 770 added pounds of thrust.
652
00:37:11,897 --> 00:37:14,898
The leading edge of the wings
was streamlined,
653
00:37:14,967 --> 00:37:18,301
while the size of the wings
was increased.
654
00:37:18,370 --> 00:37:23,273
The result: improved
aerodynamics and stability.
655
00:37:23,342 --> 00:37:26,676
Here was a plane that, even
when weighed down with fuel,
656
00:37:26,745 --> 00:37:29,713
could climb nearly as fast
as a MiG
657
00:37:29,781 --> 00:37:33,216
and take on the MiG
at any altitude.
658
00:37:33,285 --> 00:37:36,920
The U.S. finally got its chance
to inspect a MiG
659
00:37:36,989 --> 00:37:41,558
in September 1953,
when a young North Korean pilot,
660
00:37:41,627 --> 00:37:43,760
disillusioned with Communism,
661
00:37:43,829 --> 00:37:48,632
set out on a dangerous bid
to defect to the West.
662
00:38:40,252 --> 00:38:42,986
The Americans put
their prize to the test
663
00:38:43,055 --> 00:38:45,655
when flying legend Chuck Yeager,
664
00:38:45,724 --> 00:38:48,525
first man to exceed
the speed of sound,
665
00:38:48,593 --> 00:38:51,227
put it through its paces.
666
00:38:51,296 --> 00:38:55,832
Unimpressed, he called the MiG
a "flying booby trap."
667
00:39:17,789 --> 00:39:21,424
The MiG could still
climb slightly faster and higher.
668
00:39:21,493 --> 00:39:24,227
But that was matched
by the superior handling,
669
00:39:24,296 --> 00:39:27,697
gunsight and g-suit
of the late-model Sabre.
670
00:39:31,403 --> 00:39:34,671
The U.S. had dropped leaflets
promising $100,000
671
00:39:34,740 --> 00:39:37,340
as incentive to lure pilots.
672
00:39:37,409 --> 00:39:40,377
But Lieutenant No Kum-Sok
was not even aware
673
00:39:40,445 --> 00:39:42,879
of the reward he waso receive.
674
00:39:42,948 --> 00:39:45,215
He went on to become
an American citizen
675
00:39:45,283 --> 00:39:48,017
and an aeronautical engineer.
676
00:39:48,086 --> 00:39:51,554
He changed his name to Ken Rowe.
677
00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:57,594
And what became of
his Western counterparts,
678
00:39:57,662 --> 00:40:00,230
those American
and British pilots
679
00:40:00,298 --> 00:40:02,365
who ended up in enemy hands?
680
00:40:05,604 --> 00:40:10,440
In July 1953,
a cease-fire was declared.
681
00:40:10,509 --> 00:40:12,942
15 Sabre pilots
were repatriated,
682
00:40:13,011 --> 00:40:16,012
Michael Dearmond and Bud Mahurin
among them.
683
00:40:16,081 --> 00:40:19,849
More than twice that many
failed to return home.
684
00:40:19,918 --> 00:40:23,253
Some may have been killed
in action.
685
00:40:23,321 --> 00:40:26,623
But Michael Dearmond believes
others remained behind,
686
00:40:26,691 --> 00:40:29,926
imprisoned by the Soviets.
687
00:40:29,995 --> 00:40:34,230
In hindsight,
I think I'm probably alive today
688
00:40:34,299 --> 00:40:36,399
because of the ignorance
I portrayed
689
00:40:36,468 --> 00:40:38,134
to this Russian interrogator.
690
00:40:38,203 --> 00:40:39,803
I had at least
three close friends
691
00:40:39,871 --> 00:40:44,007
who I think disappeared
in the gulag.
692
00:40:44,075 --> 00:40:48,211
If men were taken by the
Russians, what became of them?
693
00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:51,681
During the cold war,
there was no way to find out.
694
00:40:51,750 --> 00:40:56,453
Then, in 1992, in a bid to gain
congressional approval
695
00:40:56,521 --> 00:40:59,756
for an aid package,
Russian President Boris Yeltsin
696
00:40:59,825 --> 00:41:03,493
made a startling concession.
697
00:41:03,562 --> 00:41:07,630
Even if one
American has been detained in my country
698
00:41:07,699 --> 00:41:10,567
and can still be found,
I will find him,
699
00:41:10,635 --> 00:41:12,802
I will get him back
to his family.
700
00:41:12,871 --> 00:41:16,773
For the first time,
a Russian leader promised
701
00:41:16,842 --> 00:41:21,411
that any captured Americans
would be sent home.
702
00:41:21,480 --> 00:41:23,947
Yeltsin's speech
gave renewed hope
703
00:41:24,015 --> 00:41:27,550
to the relatives
of missing pilots.
704
00:41:27,619 --> 00:41:30,987
It's the same
markings as from Korea.
705
00:41:31,056 --> 00:41:36,326
Among them is Ann Bakkensen,
whose father flew an F-86E.
706
00:41:36,394 --> 00:41:40,129
I'm just amazed... I
mean, the markings on the plane
707
00:41:40,198 --> 00:41:43,233
are the same,
the yellow and black.
708
00:41:43,301 --> 00:41:45,134
And how many times have I...
709
00:41:45,203 --> 00:41:48,671
Oh, how many times
have I looked at pictures of that
710
00:41:48,740 --> 00:41:51,407
and thought about my dad?
711
00:41:53,712 --> 00:41:56,579
Bakkensen's father,
Lieutenant Robert Niemann,
712
00:41:56,648 --> 00:41:58,214
was shot down three months
713
00:41:58,283 --> 00:42:00,383
before the end
of the Korean War.
714
00:42:00,452 --> 00:42:04,287
She never believed
that he died in combat.
715
00:42:04,356 --> 00:42:07,490
I naturally assumed that
he had been taken to the Soviet Union
716
00:42:07,559 --> 00:42:11,561
and had lived out
his time there.
717
00:42:11,630 --> 00:42:13,630
Our government is more cautious
718
00:42:13,698 --> 00:42:15,465
about making any type
of conclusion
719
00:42:15,534 --> 00:42:19,469
and so I want to believe
that he was captured
720
00:42:19,538 --> 00:42:22,805
and was alive,
because that gives me hope
721
00:42:22,874 --> 00:42:24,841
that he might still be alive.
722
00:42:24,910 --> 00:42:27,110
With the collapse of communism,
723
00:42:27,178 --> 00:42:28,878
it was hoped
that new information
724
00:42:28,947 --> 00:42:30,580
on the missing pilots
might emerge
725
00:42:30,649 --> 00:42:32,882
from the former Soviet Union.
726
00:42:32,951 --> 00:42:35,585
Danz Blasser received a document
727
00:42:35,654 --> 00:42:38,121
from Russia's newly opened
archives.
728
00:42:38,189 --> 00:42:41,591
It lists Ann's father as being
one of the prisoners
729
00:42:41,660 --> 00:42:43,426
who passed through
an interrogation point
730
00:42:43,495 --> 00:42:45,728
in either China or North Korea,
731
00:42:45,797 --> 00:42:48,731
indicating he hadn't died
in combat.
732
00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:51,367
Well, the Russians
went and dug further
733
00:42:51,436 --> 00:42:54,103
and came up with another
document for us.
734
00:42:54,172 --> 00:42:57,040
And the title of the document
was "An Inventory of Documents
735
00:42:57,108 --> 00:43:00,109
"Taken From an F-86 Pilot,
Robert Niemann,
736
00:43:00,178 --> 00:43:03,646
Who Was Shot Down
and the Pilot Perished."
737
00:43:03,715 --> 00:43:06,316
It seemed contradictory.
738
00:43:06,384 --> 00:43:10,787
Had Niemann been killed, or did
he survive to become a prisoner?
739
00:43:10,855 --> 00:43:13,089
For many families,
740
00:43:13,158 --> 00:43:15,191
such confusing accounts
are dashing any hope
741
00:43:15,260 --> 00:43:18,161
of finally getting answers.
742
00:43:18,229 --> 00:43:21,798
It's really difficult
to try to be realistic
743
00:43:21,866 --> 00:43:25,802
and reasonable about this when
you don't have the information.
744
00:43:25,870 --> 00:43:27,837
Every time you think
something happened,
745
00:43:27,906 --> 00:43:31,574
it means you have to adjust
your thinking to that
746
00:43:31,643 --> 00:43:35,378
and then information will come
along that says something else.
747
00:43:35,447 --> 00:43:38,448
I mean, what if his plane went
down...
748
00:43:38,516 --> 00:43:41,818
And burst into flames, and he
was burned beyond recognition,
749
00:43:41,886 --> 00:43:43,620
and someday
I see a photograph of him
750
00:43:43,688 --> 00:43:46,289
as just a few pieces
of singed flesh
751
00:43:46,358 --> 00:43:48,458
and some equipment
on the ground?
752
00:43:48,526 --> 00:43:51,894
Well, that would...
would be hard to deal with, too.
753
00:43:51,963 --> 00:43:55,064
But any outcome would be hard
to deal with, so I really...
754
00:43:55,133 --> 00:43:57,867
I guess I've tried not to make
a definite conclusion,
755
00:43:57,936 --> 00:43:59,802
but you always hope.
756
00:43:59,871 --> 00:44:02,805
To date, there
is no documented proof
757
00:44:02,874 --> 00:44:06,075
that missing pilots
were actually taken to Russia.
758
00:44:06,144 --> 00:44:09,612
The only evidence is anecdotal.
759
00:44:09,681 --> 00:44:11,881
For those seeking closure,
760
00:44:11,950 --> 00:44:15,418
the search for hard facts
has become a vigil.
761
00:44:15,487 --> 00:44:17,854
Danny Cope's father, Troy,
762
00:44:17,922 --> 00:44:22,992
disappeared during a dogfight
on the 16th of September, 1952.
763
00:44:23,061 --> 00:44:27,263
Search-and-rescue teams could
find no trace of a crash site.
764
00:44:27,332 --> 00:44:31,801
His family had no idea
what had happened to him.
765
00:44:31,870 --> 00:44:35,838
But 40 years later, Danz Blasser
made a major breakthrough
766
00:44:35,907 --> 00:44:39,042
in his quest to discover
Cope's fate.
767
00:44:39,110 --> 00:44:40,543
In the Soviet archives,
768
00:44:40,612 --> 00:44:42,745
he found a description
of a Sabre shoot-down
769
00:44:42,814 --> 00:44:46,416
that matched the date
of Troy Cope's disappearance.
770
00:44:46,484 --> 00:44:49,652
That document said
the plane crashed
771
00:44:49,721 --> 00:44:53,322
over the North Korean border,
in China.
772
00:44:53,391 --> 00:44:57,727
It said that it crashed
into the house of Lee Dyeung Chen
773
00:44:57,796 --> 00:45:00,630
in the 8th District of Dandong.
774
00:45:00,699 --> 00:45:02,832
Well, it was like, "Eureka."
775
00:45:02,901 --> 00:45:04,767
We went there,
we did a site survey,
776
00:45:04,836 --> 00:45:09,706
we found evidence that there was
a plane crash in that location.
777
00:45:09,774 --> 00:45:13,543
Uh, they discovered high
concentrations of hydrocarbons,
778
00:45:13,611 --> 00:45:15,211
which indicated jet fuel,
779
00:45:15,280 --> 00:45:17,547
and some pieces
of aircraft wreckage.
780
00:45:19,350 --> 00:45:20,870
At the crash
site, they had found
781
00:45:20,919 --> 00:45:23,352
a number of things
that belonged to my father.
782
00:45:23,421 --> 00:45:25,655
They found, you know,
they found a...
783
00:45:25,724 --> 00:45:28,691
uh, a sole of the shoe,
that they compared it
784
00:45:28,760 --> 00:45:31,828
to the American issue
of boot at that time,
785
00:45:31,896 --> 00:45:34,897
and it matched the size
of my dad's shoe.
786
00:45:34,966 --> 00:45:38,634
They had found a watch band
and a watch back.
787
00:45:38,703 --> 00:45:40,703
And in the picture of Rosie
788
00:45:40,772 --> 00:45:42,932
of which he's, you can see
the watch and it...
789
00:45:42,974 --> 00:45:45,575
and it's that watch.
790
00:45:45,643 --> 00:45:47,610
A pocket knife that was...
791
00:45:47,679 --> 00:45:51,614
uh, totally rusted.
792
00:45:51,683 --> 00:45:56,853
There was pieces of the map
that he'd used, of Korea,
793
00:45:56,921 --> 00:45:59,622
and then pieces of a magazine
that he was reading at the time.
794
00:45:59,691 --> 00:46:02,024
This was probably the site
795
00:46:02,093 --> 00:46:04,694
where Cope's dog tags
had been discovered,
796
00:46:04,763 --> 00:46:07,730
by civilians or perhaps
the Chinese authorities.
797
00:46:10,001 --> 00:46:12,335
The American recovery team
also unearthed
798
00:46:12,403 --> 00:46:14,937
human remains, which were taken
799
00:46:15,006 --> 00:46:18,741
to a government lab
for DNA analysis.
800
00:46:18,810 --> 00:46:23,813
This confirmed, beyond doubt,
that Troy Cope had been found.
801
00:46:23,882 --> 00:46:26,115
We actually went into the lab
802
00:46:26,184 --> 00:46:30,253
to where my dad's stuff
was laid out.
803
00:46:30,321 --> 00:46:32,755
Small pile of...
804
00:46:32,824 --> 00:46:35,324
fragments of... bones.
805
00:46:35,393 --> 00:46:38,394
Being with the remains
806
00:46:38,463 --> 00:46:41,330
and being able
to touch them and...
807
00:46:41,399 --> 00:46:44,000
that was just beyond words.
808
00:46:44,068 --> 00:46:46,335
Can't describe it.
809
00:46:46,404 --> 00:46:48,271
So...
810
00:46:51,376 --> 00:46:54,510
Troy Cope's story
was finally resolved,
811
00:46:54,579 --> 00:46:58,915
but the case of Wing Commander
John Baldwin is still open.
812
00:46:58,983 --> 00:47:03,519
Michael Baldwin has heard
of Danz Blasser's successes.
813
00:47:03,588 --> 00:47:04,887
Now he's holding out hope
814
00:47:04,956 --> 00:47:07,456
that Danz may have come across
some reference
815
00:47:07,525 --> 00:47:11,727
in the Russian archives to
his missing father, as well.
816
00:47:11,796 --> 00:47:14,630
Back in 1994,
we did an interview
817
00:47:14,699 --> 00:47:17,033
of a retired Soviet officer
818
00:47:17,101 --> 00:47:18,701
who was
in the Intelligence Branch
819
00:47:18,770 --> 00:47:21,037
at the 64th Fighter
Aviation Corps.
820
00:47:21,105 --> 00:47:22,638
And in this interview,
821
00:47:22,707 --> 00:47:26,108
he gave a lot of information
that checked out.
822
00:47:26,177 --> 00:47:28,044
I mean, it was factual.
823
00:47:28,112 --> 00:47:32,248
He gave this
little statement here
824
00:47:32,317 --> 00:47:34,083
about three Canadian aircraft
825
00:47:34,152 --> 00:47:36,118
being shot down in Korea.
826
00:47:36,187 --> 00:47:37,920
But he says here
that he recalled
827
00:47:37,989 --> 00:47:40,456
one of the pilots was
a Colonel Baldwin,
828
00:47:40,525 --> 00:47:43,793
or Balwin,
and he died in the crash.
829
00:47:43,862 --> 00:47:46,796
And that's what led
to this document being put
830
00:47:46,865 --> 00:47:48,865
into the file for your father.
831
00:47:48,933 --> 00:47:52,301
The report is disturbing.
832
00:47:52,370 --> 00:47:54,804
If Michael's father
did die in this crash,
833
00:47:54,873 --> 00:47:57,573
the site lies deep
in North Korea,
834
00:47:57,642 --> 00:48:00,476
where the U.S. has suspended
recovery operations
835
00:48:00,545 --> 00:48:03,946
because of concerns
for the safety of investigators.
836
00:48:04,015 --> 00:48:09,485
Michael's hopes that his father
survived are slowly fading.
837
00:48:09,554 --> 00:48:11,587
The most painful thing...
838
00:48:11,656 --> 00:48:16,959
I would suppose that he died
in really painful circumstances.
839
00:48:17,028 --> 00:48:19,528
Whether that was a crash,
840
00:48:19,597 --> 00:48:23,666
you sort of half expect
that that may be the truth.
841
00:48:25,303 --> 00:48:28,604
And it'll be shocking when it...
If it does come,
842
00:48:28,673 --> 00:48:31,374
but you still want
to know the truth.
843
00:48:31,442 --> 00:48:35,344
You'd much rather know the truth
than some fairy story.
844
00:48:45,256 --> 00:48:47,290
As I look back on it now
845
00:48:47,358 --> 00:48:51,794
and all the events that led up
to where we are today,
846
00:48:51,863 --> 00:48:55,798
I just have a real sense
of well-being
847
00:48:55,867 --> 00:48:59,235
that made that trip,
848
00:48:59,304 --> 00:49:02,905
as emotional and difficult
as it was, worth it.
849
00:49:05,209 --> 00:49:09,378
53 years after he crashed
near the North Korean border,
850
00:49:09,447 --> 00:49:11,914
Danny's father,
Captain Troy Cope,
851
00:49:11,983 --> 00:49:15,084
was buried
with full military honors
852
00:49:15,153 --> 00:49:18,454
in Dallas-Fort Worth
National Cemetery in Texas.
853
00:49:20,825 --> 00:49:23,592
We've only
looked at approximately
854
00:49:23,661 --> 00:49:25,361
a quarter of the documents
855
00:49:25,430 --> 00:49:27,630
that we know to exist
on the Soviet involvement
856
00:49:27,699 --> 00:49:29,265
during the Korean War.
857
00:49:29,334 --> 00:49:32,101
Do I expect that we can solve
some more of these cases?
858
00:49:32,170 --> 00:49:33,402
I do. I do.
859
00:49:37,342 --> 00:49:38,941
I hope that other families
860
00:49:39,010 --> 00:49:43,579
get to have
the end experience that I do,
861
00:49:43,648 --> 00:49:47,049
that they don't go through their
entire lives never knowing.
862
00:49:47,118 --> 00:49:48,918
Because I think
that's the most difficult part
863
00:49:48,987 --> 00:49:51,954
is not knowing.
864
00:49:56,394 --> 00:49:58,527
If you have
a loved one that dies,
865
00:49:58,596 --> 00:50:00,997
you will never stop thinking
about that loved one.
866
00:50:01,065 --> 00:50:02,698
And for my dad,
867
00:50:02,767 --> 00:50:05,001
it's a loved one
that I never knew, so...
868
00:50:05,069 --> 00:50:09,205
besides the fact that he's gone
and I still think about him,
869
00:50:09,273 --> 00:50:10,673
I still wonder what he's like.
870
00:50:16,914 --> 00:50:19,782
These last few days
has given me renewed optimism
871
00:50:19,851 --> 00:50:21,917
that there will be an answer.
872
00:50:21,986 --> 00:50:26,155
It may be a very simple one...
That he died in the crash.
873
00:50:26,224 --> 00:50:29,258
It may be that he was
a prisoner of war.
874
00:50:29,327 --> 00:50:33,095
The possibilities
are still endless.
875
00:50:33,164 --> 00:50:35,664
But I'm absolutely sure
876
00:50:35,733 --> 00:50:39,335
that there will be a conclusion
to this, somehow or other.
877
00:50:39,404 --> 00:50:42,238
It may take four, five,
ten years,
878
00:50:42,306 --> 00:50:45,408
but I won't be happy
until I find it.
879
00:50:45,476 --> 00:50:47,476
But I will find it.
880
00:50:57,922 --> 00:51:00,222
On NOVA's
"Missing in MiG Alley" website,
881
00:51:00,291 --> 00:51:03,559
learn more about America's
program to locate, identify
882
00:51:03,628 --> 00:51:07,863
and bury the remains of all
missing U.S. service personnel.
883
00:51:07,932 --> 00:51:09,498
Find it on pbs.org.
884
00:51:27,952 --> 00:51:30,486
M To order this show,
or any other NOVA program,
885
00:51:30,555 --> 00:51:33,556
for $19.95,
plus shipping and handling,
886
00:51:33,624 --> 00:51:40,763
call WGBH Boston Video
at 1-800-255-9424.
887
00:51:43,634 --> 00:51:47,336
Captioned by Media Access
Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org