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to remember
Blinkinsop, Paul H., Maj.
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Contact Info
Home Town Clinton
Last Address Colorado Springs area
Date of Passing Oct 12, 2010
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Maj. (Ret) Paul Blinkinsop (82) entered into God's presence October 12, 2010. He was preceded in death by his father LeVern Blinkinsop, mother Mabel J. Carnen of Clinton, Iowa and son Tim E. Blinkinsop of San Raphael, California. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sonya R. Jenson Blinkinsop, their children Diane (Jeryl) Johnson, Walter (Miriam) Blinkinsop, Jay (Cynthia) Blinkinsop, Paula (Glenn) VanRoy, Tom (Suzanne) Blinkinsop, Sonny (Carolynn) Blinkinsop, 12 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, Blink's brother David (Linda) Blinkinsop and sisters Norda (Charles) Byers, Lois Steele and Joyce Hall.
Blink had a remarkable life. He served 23 years in the U.S. Air Force starting with pilot and navigator training and 36 missions over Korea, for which he was honored with many Air Medals. Stateside assignments included navigation instructor where he taught celestial navigation and wrote a book, Celestial Navigation for the Layman, tankers (KC-97 and KC -135), bombers (B-29) and base administrator. His military career was highlighted by service with the United Nations (UNTSOP) in the Middle East with the peace keeping forces. He was selected from 125,000 officers for this duty. During another assignment he sold life insurance and securities and wrote another book, Why the Rich Get Richer He retired at Beale AFB, California in 1967.
During this incredible life he also owned and operated numerous businesses including auto shops, gas stations, an egg business, one of the world's largest art galleries, a ballroom, and he sold real estate. He served his communities in Cub Scouts, PTA, church, political activities, school boards and coached many sports. He moved around many parts of the country before settling in the Colorado Springs area in 1984 where he and Sonya became local business owners of The Pawn Shops. Blink enjoyed car racing, boating, birds and trees and the beauty of living in the Rockies. Blink liked to say his greatest accomplishment was his family. He was loved and admired as he was a people person who found the good in everyone. He had integrity in all of his endeavors. No one will forget his uncanny sense of humor.
Visitation is Friday, October 15, 2010 5-8pm at Shrine of Remembrance with funeral services Saturday, 2pm at Shrine of Remembrance America the Beautiful Chapel. Entombment will be at Shrine of Remembrance Mausoleum. Memorial contributions may be made in his name to Pikes Peak Hospice.
Published in The Gazette on October 14, 2010
Korean War/Third Korean Winter (1952-53)
From Month/Year
December / 1952
To Month/Year
April / 1953
Description The military stalemate continued throughout the winter of 1952-1953. Allied Sabrejet pilots, meantime, persisted in destroying MiGs at a decidedly favorable ratio. In December the Communists developed an ambush tactic against F-86 pilots patroling along the Yalu River: MiG pilots would catch the UN aircraft as they ran short of fuel and headed south to return to base. During these engagements, some of the F-84 pilots exhausted their fuel and had IO bail out over Cho-do Island, 60 miles southwest of Pyongyang.
United Nations forces held the island and maintained an air rescue detachment there for such emergencies. To avoid combat while low on fuel, Sabre pilots began to fly home over the Yellow Sea. MiG pilots at this time generally sought the advantages of altitude, speed, position, and numbers before engaging in aerial combat. The UN pilots, on the other hand, relied on their skills to achieve aerial victories, even though they were outnumbered and flying aircraft that did not quite match the flight capabilities of the MiG-15s.
One memorable battle occurred on February l8, 1953, near the Sui-ho Reservoir on the Yalu River, 110 miles north of Pyongyang; 4 F-86Fs attacked 48 MiGs, shot down 2, and caused 2 others to crash while taking evasive action. All 4 U.S. aircraft returned safely to their base. While the Fifth Air Force maintained air superiority over North Korea during daylight hours, the Far East Air Forces Bomber Command on nighttime missions ran afoul of increasingly effective Communist interceptors. The aging B- 29s relied on darkness and electronic jamming for protection from both interceptors and antiaircraft gunfire, but the Communists used spotter aircraft and searchlights to reveal bombers to enemy gun crews and fighter-interceptor pilots.
As B-29 losses mounted in late 1952, the Bomber Command compressed bomber formations to shorten the time over targets and increase the effectiveness of electronic countermeasures. The Fifth Air Force joined the Navy and Marines to provide fighter escorts to intercept enemy aircraft before they could attack the B-29s. Bomber Command also restricted.missions along the Yalu to cloudy, dark nights because on clear nights contrails gave away the bombers' positions. FEAF lost no more B-29s after January 1953, although it continued its missions against industrial targets. On March 5 the B-29s penetrated deep into enemy territory to bomb a target at Chongjin in northeastern Korea, only 63 miles from the Soviet border. While Bomber Command struck industrial targets throughout North Korea during the winter of 1952-1953, the Fifth Air Force cooperated with the U.S. Navy's airmen in attacks on supplies, equipment, and troops near the from fines.
In December 1952 the Eighth Army moved its bombline from 10,000 to 3,000 meters from the front lines, enabling Fifth Air Force and naval fighter-bombers to target areas closer to American positions. Beyond the front lines, the Fifth Air Force focused on destroying railroads and bridges, allowing B-26s to bomb stalled vehicles. In January 1953 the Fifth Air Force attempted to cut the 5 railroad bridges over the Chongchon Estoary near Sinanju, 40 miles north of Pyongyang. Expecting trains to back up in marshaling yards at Sinanju, Bomber Command sent B-29s at night to bomb them, but these operations hindered enemy transportation only briefly.
As the ground thawed in the spring, however, the Communist forces had greater difficulty moving supplies and reinforcements in the face of the Fifth Air Force's relentless attacks on transportation. At the end of March 1953, the Chinese Communist government indicated its willingness to exchange injured and ill prisoners of war and discuss terms for a cease-fire in Korea. On April 20 Communist and United Nations officials began an exchange of POWs, and 6 days later, resumed the sessions at Panmunjom.
