What did the declassified documents reveal?

Declassified. Today we examine a declassified United States Air Force record from August eighth, nineteen-fifty, concerning potential bombing targets in China. This document offers a glimpse into early American strategic considerations regarding China during the Korean War period. You can find this record at documents2.theblackvault.com. This document was released to the public under the Freedom of Information Act. While a specific F-O-I-A case number is not provided on the available copy, it was declassified by an authorized review team. The copy we are reading today is from the John Greenewald Junior archive, also known as The Black Vault. The document is marked TOP SECRET and begins with a routing notation: "4 D-b C-h - Mr. Stuart G C-A - Mr. Clubb B-N." It is titled "U-S-A-F Targets in China." The memorandum states, "Please consult with Park Armstrong with the idea of effecting any necessary coordination for the determination of appropriate possible U-S-A-F bombing targets." It continues, "The C-A function of course would be to set forth political considerations which might be pertinent in connection with the selection of such targets, as well, as to provide any pertinent data which might be available in State files or might be made available from the observations of F-S-Os." The document concludes with the initials "F-E: C-A-s O-E-Clubb:1-a" and the TOP SECRET marking repeated at the bottom. According to the archival summary provided by The Black Vault, this memorandum indicates that the United States Air Force was actively identifying potential bombing targets in China as early as August nineteen-fifty. The document specifically calls for coordination with the Department of State to factor in political considerations and leverage available intelligence from State Department files and Foreign Service Officers. This context highlights the inter-agency collaboration involved in strategic planning during the early phase of the Korean conflict, demonstrating the integration of diplomatic and military intelligence in target selection. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. storyflo.com, and the document's canonical U-R-L: archive.org/download/us-china-intel-C-I-00436/C-I-00436djvu.txt.

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

Case File · ARCHIVE-004Declassified

Filed NOV 5 · 2026Runtime 1 min

United States Air Force Record From August Eighth, Nineteen Fifty

U.S. public record · FOIAUpdated November 5, 2026

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◆ BLUF — The short version

Declassified. Today we examine a declassified United States Air Force record from August eighth, nineteen-fifty, concerning potential bombing targets in China. This document offers a glimpse into early American strategic considerations regarding China during the Korean War period. com. This document was released to the public under the Freedom of Information Act.

Date: NOV 5 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was United States Air Force Record From August Eighth, Nineteen Fifty about?: Declassified. Today we examine a declassified United States Air Force record from August eighth, nineteen-fifty, concerning potential bombing targets in China. This document offers a glimpse into early American strategic considerations regarding China during the Korean War period. com. This document was released to the public under the Freedom of Information Act.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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United States Air Force Record From August Eighth, Nineteen Fifty

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