Korea Memoir by Evan Rosencrans

"I was in Korea from July 1950 to April 1951. On several occasions I had the opportunity to exchange firepower with the Mig-15s. At that time the Mig pilots were terrible gunners despite the sizable advantages of the Mig over our Shooting Stars.

About the seventh of December, 1950, I was leading a flight of four F-80s flying top cover for another flight of four F-80s which were bombing and strafing the Sinuiju Air Field, on the east side of the Yalu opposite Antung. We were being hosed by the triple A from China. We saw a bunch of Migs launch from Antung. Shortly after that the triple A stopped and there were 12 Migs about three thousand feet above us; four off the left wing, four off the right wing, and four behind us. A lively engagement followed.

At some time during that contest I saw my bullets hit one Mig from the intake to the tail pipe, along the center of the fuselage. When de-briefing I claimed one Mig damaged.

About two months later I mouthed off to my squadron commander, and as a reward I was sent off to be a forward air controller for six weeks. On return, I walked into squadron ops and the operations sergeant said, 'Lieutenant, you remember that Mig you damaged? Well, you shot it down. Radio reports say it was a kill.' The sergeant's last name was Purcell. This happened around April 1951.

You should find that during late June and early July 1950, Harry Sandlin and Orrin Fox shot down North Korean aircraft too.

Would be glad to tell you more, but you now know all I know. Good luck with your project."

- Evan Rosencrans