ek , ▁inf lic ting ▁many ▁cas ual ties , ▁twenty - n ine ▁of ▁them ▁fatal . ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁mission , ▁Sp ence ▁had ▁raised ▁concerns ▁that ▁the ▁North ▁Kore ans ▁could ▁not ▁have ▁pen etr ated ▁so ▁far ▁south , ▁but ▁was ▁assured ▁by ▁US AF ▁controllers ▁that ▁the ▁target ▁was ▁correct . ▁The ▁incident ▁was ▁widely ▁reported ▁in ▁American ▁newsp apers ▁but ▁a ▁public ▁statement ▁by ▁Lieutenant ▁General ▁George ▁E . ▁Str atem ey er , ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁Far ▁East ▁Air ▁Force , ▁cleared ▁the ▁RA AF ▁of ▁bl ame . ▁Sp ence ▁was ▁recommended ▁for ▁the ▁US ▁Air ▁Medal ▁for ▁" mer itor ious ▁service " ▁in ▁operations ▁from ▁ 2 5   J une ▁to ▁ 1 5   J uly . ▁His ▁increasing ly ▁heavy ▁task load ▁included ▁diplom atic ▁duties ▁and ▁public ▁relations , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁squad ron ▁administration ▁and ▁many ▁combat ▁sort ies . ▁ ▁No .   7 7 ▁Squadron ▁did ▁not ▁encounter ▁enemy ▁aircraft ▁in ▁the ▁opening ▁phase ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁but ▁often ▁faced ▁inten se ▁ground ▁fire . ▁During ▁July ▁and ▁August ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁bomb s , ▁rock ets ▁and ▁nap alm , ▁the ▁Must angs ▁supported ▁UN ▁troops ▁retre ating ▁before ▁the ▁North ▁Korean ▁advance . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁official ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Air ▁Force ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 – 1 9 7 1 , ▁the ▁squad ron ' s ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁P us