July 1950

Combat Losses

2nd Lt. Billie R. Crabtree, 25 July 1950, “was the first casualty of the unit [51st Provisional Squadron] … when he dove his F-51 too close to his target,” S/Sgt. Sandy Colton recorded. [USAFHRA. “The Story of the 18th Fighter-Bomber Group in the Korean United Nations Police Action.” 6002 Tactical Support Wing, Public Information Office. S/Sgt Sandy Colton]

The average experience level of the Dallas (12th) squadron pilots, “with a median age of 27, and 600 flying hours, paid dividends during those first couple of weeks of the Korean war,” Biteman remembered.

“Even though we lost a couple of airplanes, we didn’t lose any pilots until the 25th of July. On that day, Billie Crabtree, a sharp young 2nd Lieutenant was our first casualty. He was working over a railroad on the west coast near Kwangju, trying to skip-bomb a locomotive in a tunnel. He apparently started his pullout a fraction of a second too late for the heavy load he was carrying, for he mushed into the top of the hill at the same time that his bombs went off inside the tunnel. He wrapped his Mustang into a great ball of fire. Two days later the North Koreans had the tunnel open and usable again.”