This Military Service Page was created/owned by
SMSgt James E. Franklin
to remember
Black, Vance Eugen, Lt Col.
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n his first interview, Colonel Korotkov stated that he had interviewed a U.S. officer, LTC Black. We believe that this may have been USAF LTC Vance Eugene Black who was reported by other POWs to have died of mistreatment and malnutrition in a North Korean POW camp.F55 Another retired Soviet officer, GRU Colonel Aleksandr Semyonovich Orlov, stated that he had arranged for an interview by a Pravda correspondent with LTC Vance Black.F56 In his subsequent interview with MG Loeffke, Colonel Korotkov denied having interrogated LTC Black, stating that he perhaps we had confused the name with a black POW. Task Force Russia interviewers, however, were adamant that he had been referring to
54 Amembassy Moscow Message, 241259Z Aug 92 Subject: POW/MIA Team Interview with Colonel Korotkov.
55 Lieutenant Colonel Vance Eugene Black, assinged to the headquarters of the l9th Air Force, was on a B-29 of the 98th Bomb Group that was shot down by enemy flak on 2 May 1951 over Pyongyang, North Korea. He died in captivity on or about 1 November l951. His death was witnessed by 1Lt Robert J. O'Shea, USMC. Lt. Col. Black died of mistreatment, and starvation at the infamous North Korean POW camp called "Pak's Palace".
56 Amembassy Moscow Message, 151645Z Oct 92, Subject: POW/MIA: POW/MIA Team Interview With Colonel (Ret) Orlov. See also Pravda Special Correspondent, "The Way of Interventionists," Pravda, 14 August 1951, p. 4 translated in TFR 31-1). Colonel Orlov stated that LTC Black was considered a suitable subject for interview because of his position as a staff officer.
Comments/Citation:
Name:
VanceEugeneBlack
Birth Date:
15 Aug 1916
Birth City:
Fairfax
State Registered:
Oklahoma
Death Date:
1 Nov 1951
Death Country:
Korea
Death Description:
Died while Prisoner of War
WAR:
Korean War
Title:
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force
Rank:
Lieutenant Colonel
Service:
U.S. Air Force
Service ID:
4197A
Notes:
Lieutenant Colonel Black was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, 15th Air Force. On May 7, 1951, he was a aircraft commander of "Shady Lady", a B-29A Superfortress Bomber with the 345th Bomber Squadron, 98th Bomber Wing. While on a bombing mission over Pyongyang, North Korea, the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and lost a wing. Several parachutes were seen leaving the plane. He was taken Prisoner of War and died while a prisoner on November 1, 1951. His remains were not recovered. For his leadership and valor, Lieutenant Colonel Black was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Prisoner of War Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
