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This Remembrance Profile was originally created by Sgt Stephen Willcox - Deceased
Casualty Info
Home Town Philadelphia, PA
Last Address Hartford, CT
Casualty Date Jun 14, 1951
Cause MIA-Died in Captivity
Reason Gun, Small Arms Fire
Location Korea, North
Conflict Korean War
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
"Captain Sirman was the pilot of a F-80C Shooting Star fighter interceptor with the 35th Fighter Bomber Squadron, 8th Fighter Bomber Group. On July 7, 1950, while on a combat mission, his aircraft received a direct hit by anti-aircraft fire. He survived the crash and was taken Prisoner of War, forced to march to North Korea on the 'Tiger Death March,' and was killed by a guard at An-Dong, North Korea on June 14, 1951. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial...Source: American Battle Monuments Commission, The Korean War Honor Roll, http://www.abmc.gov
"Captain Sirman was my mother's older brother. She has scant memories of the circumstances surrounding her brother's death, but recalls the family was told that Capt. Sirman and some other prisoners left the camp, unnoticed, to gather food. They were caught and Capt. Sirman was shot and killed. His remains were left in Korea."
Source: Susan Burgess, http://www.koreanwar.org
"Lt. Donald Sirman. He was USAF, shot down early in the war. (July 7, 1950). You would remember him being shot while scrounging outside the camp for dikons. The North Koreans refused Colonel Dunn and Doc Boysen to look at his body and as far as is known the North Koreans disposed of the body...Source: http://www.kwva.org
Comments/Citation:
Donald Stainthorpe Sirman was the son of Emory Thomas Sirman and Nancy Stainthorpe. He attended Mt. Hermon Prep School in Gill, Massachusetts and attended Emory University until he left to join the Army the day after Pearl Harbor. During WWII he completed 95 missions and received the Purple Heart and an Air Medal.
"Name: Donald Stainthorpe Sirman
Birth Date: 4 Mar 1922
Gender: Male
Home City: Philadelphia
Home State: Pennsylvania
Citizen Status: US Citizen
Death Date: 14 Jun 1951
Processed Date: Nov 1976
Casualty Country: Korea
Casualty Type: Hostile-Died while captured/interned
Casualty Cause: Aircraft Loss/Crash Not at Sea (Note: Capt. Sirman was shot by a guard in a prison camp in North Korea)
Casualty Air: Fixed Wing Air Casualty-Pilot
Service Branch: US Air Force
Component: Reserve
Rank: Captain
Pay Grade: Captain" Source: Korean War Casualties, 1950-1957, Ancestry.com
A memorial headstone was established at Arlington National Cemetery. Source: U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca. 1775-2006, Ancestry.com
