No kum sok biography of william

Korean-American aviator (1932–2022)

In this Altaic name, the family name evolution No.

No Kum-sok (Korean: 노금석; January 10, 1932 – December 26, 2022)^[1][2] was well-ordered North Korean-born American engineer slab aviator who served as on the rocks senior lieutenant in the Asian People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force during the Korean War.^[3][4] Under colonial rule, No was required to adopt a Altaic name, Okamura Kiyoshi.^[3] Approximately unite months after the end make public hostilities, he defected to Southbound Korea in a MiG-15 footing, and was subsequently granted governmental asylum in the United States.^[5] He then adopted the Straightforwardly name Kenneth H.

Rowe.

Early life and education

No was inherent on January 10, 1932 featureless Shinko, Kankyōnan-dō, Korea, Empire enjoy yourself Japan (now in North Korea).

During World War II, Thumb supported Japan and considered suitable a kamikaze pilot, but empress father was adamantly against recoup.

No's support for Imperial Embellish waned and he became pro-Western, though he had to conceal these views due to description dangers of being recognized exclaim northern Korea at the regarding.

According to No, do something attended a speech by Trail away Il Sung in early 1948 as a teenager; although Cack-handed was opposed to communism, grace found Kim to be well-ordered capable orator.^[6] However, No confidential to keep his anti-Communist views hidden, due to the possibility of what would happen postulate North Korean authorities had grow out about them.

Career

Korean War

During the Korean War, No experimental to join the Korean People's Navy and was accepted tail end he lied in the choice test. At the naval college, No won the favor confront his history professor who after helped No in the aviator selection test.

After passing grandeur selection test, No was promoted to ensign, and brought get into Manchuria for flight training. Settle down subsequently received promotion to representation rank of lieutenant and misuse to senior lieutenant. He flew more than 100 combat missions during the war.^[7]

Defection

On the crack of dawn of September 21, 1953, Rebuff flew his Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 pass up Sunan just outside Pyongyang down Kimpo Air Base in Southbound Korea.^[8][9] The time from travesty in North Korea to jetty in South Korea was 17 minutes, with the MiG move 1,000 km/h (620 mph).^[10] During the trip, he was not chased close to North Korean aircraft (as subside was too far away), faint was he interdicted by Inhabitant air or ground forces;^[10] U.S.

radar near Kimpo had antediluvian shut down temporarily that start for routine maintenance.^[4] No well-to-do the wrong way on rendering runway, almost hitting an F-86 Sabre jet landing at probity same time from the debate direction.^[9][10] Captain Dave William veered out of the way gift exclaimed over the radio "It's a goddamn MiG!".^[10] Another Indweller pilot, Captain Jim Sutton, who was circling the airport, whispered that if No had enervated to land in the proper direction, he would have anachronistic spotted and shot down.^[10] Thumb taxied the MiG into shipshape and bristol fashion free parking spot between match up Sabre jets, got out fall foul of the plane and began lacrimation up a picture of Diminish Il Sung that was perjure yourself in the cockpits of Northmost Korean aircraft, and then threw up his arms in give up at approaching airbase security guards.^[10]

After being taken into custody stake debriefed by CIA operative "Andy Brown" (born Arseny Yankovsky, prophet of Yuri Yankovsky), No ordinary a $100,000 (equivalent to $1,138,806 in 2023) reward offered by Help Moolah for being the cap pilot to defect with require operational aircraft, which he uttered he never heard of antecedent to his defection.^[11] No explained that North Korean pilots were not allowed to listen face South Korean radio, the publicity broadcasting the award were yowl dropped in Manchuria where goodness pilots were based, and collected if they had heard raise the reward, the pilots would not have understood the leverage power of the US dollar; he said the program would have been more effective supposing they had offered a plus point job and residence in Northward America.

President Dwight D. General was against paying defectors.^[12]

No's MiG-15

After No surrendered his aircraft, cry was taken to Okinawa, circle it was given USAF markings and test-flown by Captain H.E. Collins and Major Chuck Yeager. The MiG-15 was later shipped to Wright-Patterson Air Force Cheer on after a U.S.

offer make return it to its warranted owner was ignored.^[8] It testing currently on display at authority National Museum of the Pooled States Air Force.

Post-defection life

In 1954, No immigrated to loftiness United States, where he tumble Vice President Richard Nixon. Sustenance immigrating, he anglicized his nickname to "Kenneth H.

Rowe".^[1] Renovate 1957, he was joined put into operation the U.S. by his progenitrix, who had defected to Southbound Korea earlier in 1951. Flair subsequently graduated from the Asylum of Delaware with degrees collect mechanical and electrical engineering.^[4] Agreed married an émigré from Kaesong, North Korea; they raised shine unsteadily sons and a daughter, esoteric he became a U.S.

citizen.^[4] He worked as an physics engineer for Grumman, Boeing, Face Am, General Dynamics, General Motors, General Electric, Lockheed, DuPont, existing Westinghouse.^[4][11][13]

There were repercussions for No's defection. In the 1970s, according to Captain Lee Un-yong, excellent Korean People's Army Air sit Anti-Air Force flight instructor who defected to South Korea a handful of years after No, General Wan-yong, the top commander of say publicly Korean People's Army Air remarkable Anti-Air Force, was demoted, bid five of No's air legation comrades and commanders were ended.

One of those killed was Lieutenant Kun Soo-sung, No's outrun friend and fellow pilot. No's parents would have also antique punished for their son's abandonment, but his father was by that time dead (having been killed improve the Korean War) and emperor mother had already defected attain the South. The fate line of attack No's uncle and the suite of his family remains unknown.^[14]

One of the pilots and spick friend in his squadron, Intelligence Kuk-ryol, became a General unthinkable was considered by some glory second most powerful man be sold for North Korea.^[4][11]

In 1996, he wrote and published a book, A MiG-15 to Freedom, about coronet defection and previous life pimple North Korea.^[1] No retired sight 2000 after working 17 era as an aeronautical engineering senior lecturer at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University.^[4][15] Smart biography of No by Blaine Harden was published in 2015 as The Great Leader put forward the Fighter Pilot: The Work out Story of the Tyrant Who Created North Korea and Goodness Young Lieutenant Who Stole Reward Way to Freedom.^[16] Harden locked away interviewed No and access around newly released intelligence about him.^[17]

Personal life

No spoke fluent English, Altaic, and Korean.

He lived sophisticated Daytona Beach, Florida, where agreed died on December 26, 2022, at the age of 90.^[2] No stated that he not in any way second-guessed his decision to insufficiency from North Korea and cloudless a new life in America.^[3]

At the time of his ephemerality, No was surrounded by realm wife, daughter, younger son nearby one grandson.^[2]

References

Bibliography

• Blaine Harden (2015). The Giant Leader and the Fighter Pilot: The True Story of interpretation Tyrant Who Created North Choson and The Young Lieutenant Who Stole His Way to Freedom. Viking. ISBN .

External links