and other returning prisoners of war were condemned by Senator Richard Russell, Jr. and others because of their confessions. He was subsequently promoted to full colonel. Civilian life After his release, Colonel Mahurin was assigned as vice commander of the 27th Air Division. Because of his position on the promotion list, it seemed unlikely that he would be promoted to full colonel and be considered for a star and a higher command in his remaining years of service. He therefore resigned his commission in 1956 to accept a senior position with the aircraft industry. Later he joined the Air Force Reserve, subsequently retiring as a Colonel. While the Air Force attributed this to his own choice, stating he was low on the promotion list to colonel and unlikely to make general, a pilot under his command in Korea, Robert Smith, asserts that the Air Force dishonored itself by pressuring Mahurin to resign from the service as a result of political infighting over the confessions, four years short of becoming eligible for retirement benefits. Mahurin died of "complications from a stroke" at his home in Newport Beach, California, on May 11, 2010, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He married twice. His first marriage, to Patricia (née Sweet), ended in a divorce. His second wife was Joan (née Gill). He had two sons and a daughter from his first marriage. Aerial combat credits SOURCES: Air Force Historical Study 85: USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II and Air Force Historical Study 81: USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, Korean War, Freeman, The Mighty Eighth Awards and decorations Command pilot Philippine Liberation Medal Philippine Independence Medal Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass device Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Croix de Guerre with Palm (France) Croix de Guerre, with Palm (Belgium) Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation United Nations Service Medal Korean War Service Medal Distinguished Service Cross citation Mahurin, Walker Captain, U.S Army Air Corps 63d Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force Date of Action: October 4, 1943 Headquarters, European Theater of Operations: General Orders No. 96 (December 16, 1943) Citation: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished SERVICE Cross to Captain (Air Corps) Walker M. Mahurin, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection