From Pasadena to Korea: The Story of a Forgotten War and a Fallen Pilot

Memorial Park in Pasadena (Photo – W.K.)

We often learn about wars in terms of numbers:

By Susana Porras

• American Revolutionary War (1775–1783): Estimated deaths: 4,435–6,800
• War of 1812 (1812–1815): Estimated deaths: 20,000
• Mexican-American War (1846–1848): Estimated deaths: 13,283
• American Civil War (1861–1865): Approximate deaths: 623,026
• World War I (1917–1918): Approximate deaths: 116,516
• World War II (1939–1945): Approximate deaths: 405,399
• Korean War (1950–1953): Approximate deaths: 36,574
• Vietnam War (1955–1975): Approximate deaths: 58,220
• War on Terror (2001–Present): Approximate deaths: 7,078

It’s customary to explain the outcomes of war using dates and statistics. But in doing so, we risk dehumanizing the people who lived—and died—through it.

Who were they?
What were their lives like?
Where did they live?

On the 600 block of Atchison Street, with its turn-of-the-century bungalows, tree-lined parkways, and lemonade-ready porches, lies a typical Pasadena neighborhood. It was there, in the 1940s, in a traditional California home, that Mr. and Mrs. Neel lived with their five children: Arthur, Walter, Phyllis, Barbara, and the youngest, David.

As many can relate, Walter, being the second oldest, was likely adaptable, independent, and fair—traits well-suited for a career in the U.S. Armed Forces. By 1942, at the age of 19, he had already left home, moved to Temple City, and enlisted in the military during the Second World War. There, he rose through the ranks to become a Lieutenant Commander (LCDR).

In his military photo, LCDR Walter Philip Neel poses in a high-collared white tunic with shoulder boards and a Navy cap, bearing a strong resemblance to Richard Gere’s character, Zack Mayo, in An Officer and a Gentleman. But unlike Mayo, whose Navy career was just beginning, LCDR Neel’s call to duty extended into the Korean War—a conflict that some consider forgotten, though it claimed an estimated 2.5 million lives, both military and civilian.

On Friday, April 18, 1952, LCDR Neel, pilot of an AD-4 Skyraider dive bomber assigned to Attack Squadron 65 aboard the USS Boxer (CVA-21), was on a mission approximately 20 miles northeast of Wonsan, North Korea. His aircraft was struck by anti-aircraft fire, shearing off a portion of its wing and causing it to crash.

For his valor, Neel was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. His body was never recovered. His name is inscribed on the Court of the Missing in Honolulu, Hawaii—a structure erected in honor of those whose remains lie elsewhere.

This Memorial Day, we remember those who fought for our freedoms, those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and those for whom we still wait to come home.

For more information on how you can support the efforts of the Pasadena Korean War Memorial Committee (KWMC) to honor the casualties of the Korean War from the greater Pasadena area, please contact KWMC President Robert Monzon at info@pasadenakoreanwarmemorial.org.