Dean Hess

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Dean E. Hess
1917 -

Colonel Hess in Korea
Place of birth Ohio
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Air Force
Years of service 1941-1969
Rank Colonel
Battles/wars World War II
Korean War
Awards Silver Star, Order of the White Elephant, Legion of Merit, Air Medal

Dean E Hess (1917[1] - ) was an American minister and United States Air Force colonel who was involved in the so called "Kiddy Car Airlift", the documented rescue of 950 orphans and 80 orphanage staff from the path of the Chinese advance during the Korean War, on December 20, 1950. He is the subject of autobiography Battle Hymn, published in 1956, which later served the basis for the 1957 film of the same name, where he was played by Rock Hudson.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Hess attended Marietta College, Ohio, graduating in the class of 1941. Following this, he was ordained as a church minister in Cleveland, Ohio. Following the December 7, 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor, Hess enlisted in the United States Air Force. He served as a combat pilot in France after the Normandy Landings, and flew a total of 63 combat missions in P-47s.[2]

Despite returning to civilian life, Hess was recalled to active service in July 1948, and was stationed in Japan as part of the American occupation there. In June of 1950, he was transferred to Korea at the outbreak of the Korean War, as the commander of a cadre of USAF instructor pilots to train South Korean pilots in flying the F-51D Mustang. Hess served in Korea until June the following year, at which time had flown 250 combat missions.[3] Also during his tour, he became involved in charity organizations for orphaned children in the war zone, and his airfield was reportedly full of such children.[4]

[edit] Kiddy Car Airlift

With the airfield over capacity, Hess sent the orphans to an orphanage in Seoul. When the North Korean forces began to capture the city, Hess reportedly organized 15 C-54 aircraft to airlift the orphans to safety on Cheju Island.[5] At the time of Hess' departure from Korea, a new orphanage on this island held over 1000 Korean children.[6]

[edit] Later life

Hess published his autobiography in 1956, and used the royalties to fund a new orphanage in Seoul.[7] He retired from the air force in 1969. For his actions in Korea, he was awarded the Republic of Korea Honor, and the of Korean Order of Cultural Merit.[8] He has received numerous other awards, including the Order of the White Elephant, a Presidential Citation,[9] the Legion of Merit, Silver Star, Air Medal with 19 Clusters, and the Ohio Governor's Award.[10] He was inducted into the Miami Valley Walk of Fame, and his actions are also the subject of an exhibit at the USAF Museum[11] As of April, 2004, Hess still lived in Ohio.

[edit] Criticism

Some historians criticize Hess' portrayal of the Kiddy Car Airlift, claiming that Hess took more credit than deserved for the evacuation of the Korean orphans. These historians give Air Force Chaplain Russell L. Blaisdell and Staff Sergeant Merle Y. Strang the credit for arranging the transport for the evacuation, with Hess's role being reduced to providing accommodation on the island of Cheju itself. According to this criticism, Colonel Blaisdell was reportedly originally credited with the evacuation by the media[12] until Battle Hymn was published. The book cover of which states "Colonel Hess will perhaps be best remembered for his heroic efforts in Seoul, Korea, in 1951 on behalf of thousands of defenceless Korean orphans about to be engulfed by the Chinese Communist armies".[13]

Blaisdell, however, did receive later recognition in 2000 when he returned to Korea, where he was referred to as the "Schindler of Korea."[14], credit which Hess appeared to have agreed with, having in that same year acknowledged Blaisdell's contribution.[15] Strang, however, received no recognition, and died in 1998.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ News: Walk of Fame Induction
  2. ^ Fact Sheets : Col. Dean Hess : Col. Dean Hess
  3. ^ Fact Sheets : Col. Dean Hess : Col. Dean Hess
  4. ^ Fact Sheets : Col. Dean Hess : Col. Dean Hess
  5. ^ Fact Sheets : Col. Dean Hess : Col. Dean Hess
  6. ^ Fact Sheets : Col. Dean Hess : Col. Dean Hess
  7. ^ Fact Sheets : Col. Dean Hess : Col. Dean Hess
  8. ^ Hess: Fraudulent Hero George F. Drake
  9. ^ Note: The source does not state whether it was a US Citation or a Korean one
  10. ^ http://www.marietta.edu/alumni/honor/1999/hessd.html
  11. ^ News: Walk of Fame Induction
  12. ^ Hess: Fraudulent Hero George F. Drake
  13. ^ Hess: Fraudulent Hero George F. Drake
  14. ^ Chaplain Blaisdell and the Kiddy Car Airlift
  15. ^ Korean War Children's Memorial

[edit] References