On June 1, 1951, Captain Harry Cecil Moore, an Air Force Pilot during the Korean War, was shot down by enemy fire in North Korea. Because Captain Moore’s plane landed in enemy territory, the military could not search for him.
His wife Lois, who was 22 years old and caring for their newborn child, received a letter telling her of the news that her husband was Missing in Action. In December 1953, Lois received another letter stating that Harry had not been sighted since the crash, and sadly, he was now presumed dead. His status was changed to Killed in Action.
Lois went on to fall in love with and marry Bob Moore, Harry’s brother. They had a child together, raised a beautiful family, succeeded in business and lived a happy life until another letter arrived.
In August 2002, over 50 years since Harry’s plane had been shot down, Lois Moore was notified by the Department of the Air Force that interviews were conducted with former Soviet pilots/veterans of the Korean War who indicated that Captain Moore may have survived the shoot-down in 1951. Russian archival research and additional interviews further indicated that Harry was sighted and may have been sent to the Soviet Union to serve as an instructor at a Soviet Air Force Academy. In light of this, Harry’s status was changed to Missing in Action.
Why would Captain Moore be transferred from North Korea to the Soviet Union? How many others were taken as Prisoners of War and never returned? Did Harry survive and live his days under the guard of the Soviet Union regime?
The Moore family had questions too. ‘What did happen to him?’ ‘Was he injured?’ ‘Was he treated well?’ And the biggest question was, ‘Could Harry still be alive?’
Americans may be surprised to know there are still nearly 8,000 American service members from the Korean War alone who remain unaccounted for. As a result, the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) was created to oversee, manage and research all possible leads pertaining to POW/MIA cases for current and past conflicts. The DPMO was instrumental in the new developments pertaining to Captain Moore, but many questions remain unanswered. The Moore family has been seeking closure for the past 11 years. They want to bring Harry home.
We make a solemn promise to the men and women who protect our nation that we will ‘leave no one behind.” Yet, our Administration, including the Department of Defense and the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office maintain that American servicemen being taken to the Soviet Union, during and after the Korean War and never returned, is ‘possible” but not ‘credible.’ It is a contradiction that is explored in the documentary and the primary reason why the Moore family came forward after living so many years in the shadow of a promise.
This is Harry’s story and about Keeping the Promise Alive.