Daryl Hunt wrote:

The 51st Fighter Wing of Osan AB, Korea had a few P-38s as in 1950. They
were trying to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Lose one and you
get a brand new F-80. Didn't take them long. They also had a few P-51s
as well.

The 82nd Fighter Wing used the P-38s for Escort Duties as well during Korea
before they were replaced.

There isn't a lot of info on the P-38, the P-47 or the P-51 but just enough
to verify that they were still in service in 1950 at the beginning of the
Korean War. But talking with some Korean Air Vets, they stated that the
buried many of them to get the new jets.

Martin Caidin, not that he's necessarily a valid source, stated such in
the intro to his book "Fork-Tailed Devil: The P-38". Claimed that orders
came down to "dispose" of the Lightnings - but they weren't to be handed
to our nominal allies, the South Koreans, so they were bulldozed into a
ditch and covered over. (He then maunders about how much those planes
would be worth today, yadda yadda yadda.) The implication was that he
had witnessed it personally, but again, it was Caidin, so who knows if
that was true.

-Marc

(actually, my bull**** alarm is pinging - he may have been referring to
the initial withdrawal of US troops from Korea that led the DPRK to
think it'd be safe to invade. I'll have to dig up the book & check.)
--
Marc Reeve
actual email address after removal of 4s & spaces is
c4m4r4a4m4a4n a4t c4r4u4z4i4o d4o4t c4o4m