Air Force Korean War advisory group holds reunion Published Sept. 21, 2007 By Mike Wallace Skywrighter Staff WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Veterans and family members of the 6146th Advisory Group, an Air Force unit that trained South Korean Air Force pilots during the Korean War, held a reunion at the Wright-Patterson Club and Banquet Center Sept. 8. The unit commander, retired Col. Dean Hess, was unable to attend due to illness, but his sons, Edward and Larry, who work at the Air Force Institute of Technology and Air Force Materiel Command headquarters, respectively, represented him. Hess, a Huber Heights resident, is credited with helping save the lives of nearly 1,000 South Korean orphans. Hess' wingman and Tuskegee Airman, retired Col. Ernest Craigwell, attended and received letters of appreciation and medallions from representatives of the South Korean Air Force, Lt. Col. Oh Sangsub and Maj. Jiman Noh. Retired Col. (Dr.) Bae-Seok Lee, an anesthesiologist, also spoke. "It is a pleasure and privilege to honor Americans who were the first group to train Korean pilots. Most of them became leaders of the Korean Air Force," said Lee. He added that it was his honor to present letters of commendation for the unit's "contributions a half-century ago. For peace and freedom, you gave your blood. Korea became a free and prosperous country. The world is a safer and better place for what you did." Craigwell responded, "I am very proud of the Korean people. When I got to your country in 1950, you had nothing. Today there are steel plants and car manufacturers. (Above the Korean peninsula at night), South Korea is all lit up. North Korea is dark. Your struggle is parallel to what we did. I'm very proud of what you did with your freedom."