U.S. Finds Possible Remains of Two CIA Pilots Shot Down on 1952 Mission Over China

Tampa Bay on line (AP) ^ | July 2, 2004 | by Robert Burns, The Associated Press

[aculeus]

Forgotten heroes.

[atlhobo]

Hi Im new here.

thanks

[aculeus]

Welcome aboard!

[Pontiac]

Welcome to the ranks of the unwashed conservatives.

[StarCMC]

WOW! ping

[AndyJackson]

The CIA operatives ... were captured alive, imprisoned by China for two decades and released only after Washington acknowledged they were spies. The U.S. government initially told family members the men went down in the Sea of Japan on a routine flight to Tokyo, maintaining a cover story in order to keep a lid on the CIA's covert actions in China.

This is the CIA that predicted the collapse of Iran, the invasion of Afghanistan and the 9/11 bombings.

Although the Chinese shot the plane down and captured the agents - alive - the CIA thought they could keep a lid on the fact that they were conducting "clandestine" operations? I wonder if they signal each other with their Captain Marvel decoder rings too?

[OldFriend]

Other debris meaning the missile that shot the plane out of the sky?

[Caesar Soze]

Covert operations, not clandestine operations. There's a difference, and the article used the correct word. Your use of quote marks makes it look like you're quoting the article.

[Sunshine55]

Welcome!

[AndyJackson]

While you are focused on whether I correctly used quotes, "covert," or "clandestine" I was amused by the irony in trying to maintain the appearance of any of these in the face of the obvious fact that the cover had been blown.

[Chu Gary]

"I wonder if they signal each other with their Captain Marvel decoder rings too?"

It would do you wonders to do some research on the intelligence services of the U.S., incl. the DIA, NSA, CIA, etc. You are obviously uninformed and have a low opinion of these groups.

[piasa]

This is what an uncle of mine used to do... first time I have ever seen a news article on the topic. He must have had some big brass ones. I'm glad he was never caught!

[piasa]

It's done because sometimes 'the obvious' isn't so obvious to everyone else. The intentional uncertaintly and confusion around an already confused event may very well save lives and/or time. Certainly the alternative, running to a soapbox and announcing to your enemies that your personnel are spies and have 'obviously' crashed in enemy territory, is not a good idea.

[PhilDragoo]

FLYNN, ROBERT JAMES

In May of 1998, the NETWORK had a long conversation with CDR Flynn. He related, in great detail, time in captivity with civilian John T. Downey, captured 11/29/52 and held until 03/12/73. He also spent time with civilian Richard Fecteau, captured 11/29/52 and released from China 12/12/71. He said Richard was a Yale Football player who spent his time in captivity jumping rope. Flynn never understood where the energy came from! One day he said, he noticed him eating the "meal of the day," rice gruel. "I had all I could do to eat one bowl," and he was eating SIX! Fecteau went on, he says, to Harvard, married, and became a lawyer. All three speak about once a year. Flynn is still searching the Guinness Book of World Records for the jump rope record Fecteau should have, he says. John Downey has a book relating his story, on the market.

[SAMWolf]

Bump.

[PhilDragoo]

FECTEAU, RICHARD

[PhilDragoo]

Remarks of the Director of Central Intelligence George J. Tenet on Presentation of the Director's Medal to John T. "Jack" Downey and Richard G. Fecteau

[Squantos]

God Bless your Uncle for the risks he took . The risks they all take to help keep this nation free......

Stay safe Piasa !

[SAMWolf]

Richard Fecteau was returned in 1971 and John Downey in 1973, over 19 years after Steve Kiba had reported seeing them in captivity in 1954

The Commies have a history of these things. German prisoners taken at Stalingrad (those that survived captivity) where "returned" in the 60's.

[CalifornianConservative]

Wonder if the Cambridge spies in British Secret Service, Philby and company, had anything to do with this shoot down?

I read that because of Burgess and McClean, much of our military strategy against China/ N.Korea was blown in the Korean War and Truman acted unwisely. (Truman never got it that there were Commies in our State Dept. as well as in Brit. Intel services, which had access to our CIA Intel.)

We sure did "lose" China that fateful day in 1949.