Welcome to FlyingFiendsinKoreanWar.com. This site is dedicated to my uncle, Raoul P. Mouton Jr., all of the pilots of the 36th Fighter-Bomber Squadron who flew the F-80C and F-86F out of K-13, Suwon, Korea during the Korean War, and all of the service members of the 36th FBS who kept 'em flyin'. (This is a big project and a work in progress. Eventually, I will get all the hundreds of photos I've acquired downloaded. So check back with us from time to time.)

Uncle "Jr.", as my brothers and sisters and I later came to know of him, died tragically along with 128 other U.S. Service Personnel in the crash of a C-124 Globemaster, just outside of Tachikawa, Japan on 18 June, 1953. The aircraft was returning U.S. Service Personnel from R&R in Japan, to the Korean theatre of war. A small blessing; at least the ill-fated were returning from R&R at the time of the crash. The 36th FBS lost 3 pilots; Raoul Mouton, Albert Hamilton, Bill Stacey, and their Flight Surgeon, Ken Mayo in the crash.

The above picture is of the 36th Fighter-Bomber Squadron flight line, in Suwon, Korea, taken by then Lt. Paul Gushwa sometime between Feb. and June, 1953. The second aircraft from the right, Tail No. 52-4405, is named "Cajun Express," briefly assigned to and named by Lt. Raoul P. Mouton Jr., a "Cajun" from Louisiana, before his untimely passing on 18 June, 1953.

I offer grateful and humble appreciation to Mr. Jimmy Escalle, nephew of Lt. Jimmy L. Escalle Jr. of the 36th FBS, who went missing in action on a Fighter-Bomber mission in North Korea on 19 June, 1953, one day after my Uncle Raoul Mouton perished in the C-124 Globemaster crash. It was the work of Mr. Escalle who brought to light the many pictures and stories of the pilots of the 36th FBS, which you'll see here and through his terrific web sites:

www.36thfbs.com   and   www.jimmylescalle.com

After viewing Jim Escalle's web sites, I took information from those sites; chief among those, the 36th FBS photograph taken in April, 1953, and began trying to contact the pilots named in the picture.   To date, I have contacted and/or spoken with 21 pilots, 1 "Admin type," 1 "Intel type," and two Crew chiefs who served with the 36th FBS. All of these gentlemen were extremely gracious with their time and some took the added time and expense to entrust me with their invaluable 35mm slides taken during their time in Korea. I can not express enough gratitude to these men for their friendship to me,   and for their service to our country.

A number of the gentlemen who served with the 36th FBS are sadly no longer with us, and of course one day we'll all be gone. It is my goal through this web site to preserve the pictures and stories of these American heroes for their children, grandchildren, and so on to enjoy, reflect upon, and hopefully never forget. So I'm hoping that I can convince the fellas who are still with us to sit down  and write a little of what they remember about each photo. I can tell you, I've heard some great stories from these guys, and they tell 'em so good  it makes you feel like you were right there with 'em at K13.

I certainly hope that you'll enjoy your time here, and I invite any serviceman, Officer or Enlisted, or family member of any service member who served with the 36th FBS while stationed at K-13, Suwon, Korea from 1950-1953, who wishes to have their photos and stories posted here to contact me via e-mail at:

mperremail@yahoo.com

P.S. I have HUNDREDS of photos to post on this site and I'm learning how to create a web site via OJT, so please be patient while the site is under construction.  Thanks and best regards,

Mike Perry

P.P.S.  At this time, I would like to implore all persons reading this, to read up on the Korean War, and what it meant to our nation and the nation of South Korea. Please learn of the extraordinary sacrifices made by tens of thousands of Americans, to preserve the mantle of liberty both in America and abroad. If you'll do just a little internet research into the Korean War, you will discover personal sacrifices made in the name of freedom, which are beyond  your imagination. A great place to start is: www.koreanwar-educator.org