A2/C James J. O'Meara USAF
28th Bomb SQ 19th Bomb Group
By Noreen L. Loper, Sister
 
Flying his finl mission as ECM Operator, my brother James J. O'Meara, was shot down over North Korea January 29th, 1953. Although 3 of the 14 crewmembers were subsequently repatriated and 1 died in a POW camp, 20 of the B-29 crew including my brother remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.

A fellow crewmember, repatriated during Operation Big Switch, indicated that O'Meara bailed out of the damaged aircraft uninjured. Ground contact was made in April 1953 with 5 of the downed B-29 crew who were known to be alive in North Korea. A rescue attempt was made in May 1953 but was abandoned when the rescue plane was shot at. The last radio contact with the downed airmen was in August 1953. Now a priority case file, I can only hope and pray that the endless years of waiting for an answer to his fate and/or whereabouts will be forthcoming soon.

Additional Crew Info:

GROUND CONTACT

1st LT Gilbert L. Ashley

1st LT Harold P. Turner

2nd LT John P. Shadduck

1st LT Arthur R. Olsen

A2/C Hidemaro Ishida

UNACCOUNTED FOR

1st LT Dewey R. Henry

A2/C Edward A. Schwab

A2/C James D. Pope

A2/C Frank Stevenson

A2/C James J. O'Meara

REPATRIATED DURING OPERATION LITTLE SWITCH

A2/C Robert L. Weinbrandt

REPATRIATED DURING OPERATION BIG SWITCH

A2/C Gerald D. Abrahamson

S/SGT Lee H. Miller

DIED IN POW CAMP

2nd LT Dewey Stopa