Air Force Museum
1st Lt. Bryce Poe II
Before the outbreak of hostilities in Korea in June 1950, 1st Lt. Bryce Poe II flew the first Cold War reconnaissance mission over the Soviet Union. In May 1949 he overflew the Kurile Islands in a specially-equipped RF-80A, and in March 1950 he flew over Vladivostock. Poe briefed the results of his flight directly to Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the USAF theater commander, Lt. Gen. George Stratemeyer.
In depth
History & service
On June 28, 1950, Poe flew the first jet reconnaissance mission of the Korean War. In addition to his 90 combat flights over North Korea, he flew a total of 19 top secret reconnaissance missions near or over communist China and the Soviet Union. In January 1951 Poe returned to the United States for assignment to a Strategic Air Command fighter escort squadron at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas.
After 35 years of service, General Poe retired from his last post as commander of the Air Force Logistics Command in 1981.
Air power in a limited war
The Korean War brought early jet combat into the same theater as piston fighters, large bombers, helicopters, and transports. Different technologies served different needs. Fast fighters contested the air, while other aircraft attacked supply routes, supported troops, carried equipment, gathered information, and evacuated casualties. The mountainous terrain and severe weather made those tasks especially demanding.
The conflict also exposed the limits of air power used within a larger political and military struggle. Aircraft could damage bridges and transportation networks, but opposing forces adapted, repaired, dispersed, and moved under cover. Supporting troops required communications and coordination close to the ground. Maintaining operations depended on suitable bases and an extensive flow of supplies.
The surviving artifacts show why a gallery cannot be understood through jet fighters alone. A tent, vehicle, radio, flight nurse's equipment, or rescue helicopter belongs to the same operational history. The stories of individual airmen are compelling because they took place within that complicated setting. Cross-links to the Second World War and later Cold War galleries reveal both continuity and change: familiar aircraft found new roles, jet performance expanded, and rescue systems developed further. The war ended in an armistice, making its history one of service and sacrifice within an unresolved division as well as one of technological change.
