POW/MIA Part II: The 1918 Russian Expedition

In November of 1918, much of the world was joyfully celebrating the end of World War I, and our American “Doughboys” were coming home. But for one group of American Doughboys, the war had just begun. Around 5,000 American soldiers were part of an allied expedition to intervene in the ongoing Russian civil war against the "Red" Bolshevik forces. Soldiers from the 339th Infantry Regiment (now known as the 31st Infantry Regiment) headquartered in Michigan and known as the Polar Bears deployed to bleak North Russia. For a little over a year, the American Expeditionary Force in North Russia fought to give the anti-Bolshevik "White" Russians the upper hand. As Americans in this expedition went missing or were captured, the U.S. Army labeled them as “Killed in Action/Body not Recovered.” This was because the U.S. would not recognize the new communist Bolshevik government, and refused to negotiate with them. Thus, our Prisoners of War (POW) and Missing in Action (MIA) were officially dead. This is the story of the expedition and our government’s betrayal of American soldiers.
I mispronounced one city - it is ARK angel, not ARCH angel.
Please see my video on our Vietnam War POWs The Documented Cases: POWs Left Behind • POWs: The Documented C...
‪@CarterOnConflict‬

[@TADAMS-zt4zz]

Great video on a little known slice of military history. Great photos and movie clips... thank you Dr. Carter!

[@CarterOnConflict]

Thank you sir for watching and your comment!

[@joepvanderijt3725]

Leaving the safety of your home and country, walking away from family and loved ones, risking your life for your country and government, only to be called KIA so that said country and government can forget about you asap. Instead of being called KIA this group of heroes should be called; M&A; Missing & Abandoned Wowwww- Let’s all volunteer for service the next war!!! (Not). Paul; Great Video again - Thanks for keeping the memories of the so-called ‘KIA’ ALIVE!!

[@CarterOnConflict]

Joep, great points, thank you for watching and commenting!!

[@darrellbrown9098]

Thanks for this, Paul. This is an interesting and well researched film. I knew we had soldiers in Russia at the end of WWI who were assisting the White Russians in their fight against Bolshevism, but I had no idea we left men behind when we withdrew. I am still struggling to digest the fact that we knew they were there and left them to their fate.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Darrell, thank you for watching - and I always appreciate your comments.

[@schoolingdiana9086]

@@CarterOnConflict I’m researching the ones from WW2 that ended up in West Siberia, looking for information on my Cherokee great uncle (B-17 F pilot and parachutist who could speak Plautdietsch fluently due to childhood friends). His last known location in late 1945/early 1946 as reported to the family was West Siberia. I’d love to see anything you might have on US POW/MIAs that were taken from German Luft Stalags into the Soviet Union. It’s super hard to find any information on them, even collectively. I found a Los Angeles Times article from 1992 that said Yeltsin had told the Senate Select Committee that they took 930 US pilots into Russia when they liberated the Stalags, so it’s not just family info.

[@CarterOnConflict]

@@schoolingdiana9086 I have not done any research on these pilots from this era Diana, but let me tell you where to start - the Senate Select Committee POW/MIA report. For both of my POW/MIA videos here, that was the starting point. From there, you should start developing leads.

[@longshotny]

😡Unconscionable! 100s of known POWs were intentionally left in Korea & Vietnam😮! Beyond Unbelievable. The more U learn about our government, corporate $$ & USA Politicians are abominable evil. How could U ever leave them??

[@heatherharper3406]

I have been studying Russian history on my own since 1990. Have read so many books on Russian history, about the civil war after the tsar abdicated, you name it, I have read everything I could find on this, on Gulag, on the culture, on everything from the Kievian Rus to now. Why have I sadly missed this? Oh, to take a class from you, heaven on earth. Wow. My folks never had anything good to say about Woodrow Wilson....humm. They were born in 1912 and 1913. They said the killing of the tsar and his family shook the world. Though they were just kids when this went down, it was spoken of by their families for years, like the Titanic, a huge deal....

[@CarterOnConflict]

Thank you for watching and your comment.

[@maxsangorgonio6647]

You definitely won't learn about this in school! As a kid in the 1980's I can remember asking my Dad why the Russians (Soviets) hated us, and he replied "Well, we landed troops there in the early 1900's to try and influence the outcome of their civil war". Typical US Government, meddling in the affairs of other countries for over 100 years!

[@ryanh4775]

First off I'm so happy you made this video and brought this to light because people think I'm crazy anytime I talked about this. Secondly I have researched this for almost 20 years and you're finding stuff and pictures and footage that I can't even find so you really must have gone above and beyond. Thirdly I don't know how but you definitely should do some kind of a follow-up to this. Ive seen pictures of Americans buried in an actual cemetery online that are apparently still there.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Well thank you so much for watching and commenting. You probably have been frustrated that people just kind of blew your arguments off, and likewise I’ve been so surprised that so few people have watched this video. If all my videos, it is among the most important. As far as a follow up, I thought I had exhausted all the material so if you have any more to add, email me at [e-mail]. Thank you so much for your comments.

[@ManiacMayhem7256]

Great video. You do very deep dives

[@CarterOnConflict]

I appreciate that - thank you for watching and your comment.

[@winaiwongsurawat7080]

Well explained with hard facts and fascinating images! Very nice!

[@CarterOnConflict]

Dr. Winai, thank you for watching and your comment. I am always grateful.

[@sportcardcollector9599]

Great video very interesting thanks for sharing 🇺🇲🇺🇲

[@CarterOnConflict]

Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@LittleLouieLagazza]

Commenting for viewer engagement. Thank you!

[@CarterOnConflict]

I appreciate that very much, thank you.

[@CarterOnConflict]

@UniversityOfMichigan will want to see this as you hear the Naval band from the US Olympia play the University of Michigan Fight song as the 339th disembarks from ship.

[@michaelgross7016]

Very good job. thanks for sharing. Now if we could only figure out the fate of the 1000s of usa pows "liberated" by the Russians at the end of ww2 and never repatriated. We know it happened; we have memos from General Eisenhower on this topic.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Thank you for watching Michael! And commenting. Yes, I may do a video on the WW2 and Korean War POWs.

[@jefferyashmore6477]

@@CarterOnConflict please do so sir, yeltsin admitted to having prisoners from ww2 on up. And we said no you don't, so I am sure they were killed. Usa has horrible record for mia's.

[@CarterOnConflict]

@@jefferyashmore6477 Geez, we do indeed have a horrible record on this. Thank you for watching, and commenting.

[@howardjohnson6189]

I live in western Michigan and my extended family are diehard U of M fans. That “fight” song, played at all home sporting events, will never be the same to me again!! Very disturbing and sad.

[@longshotny]

​@@CarterOnConflictDr. Paul ur 2 abandon POWs videos are impeccable! I feel beyond troubled for our men & families. This video (link below) says the POWs were held to extort, embarrassed, & blackmail the USA out of billions as 'reconstruction aid'. Dr. In all your studies, My question is: 1) Was it absolutely necessary to abandoning our known POWs? 2) if this issue would have been made public in '73 by the US Military, and presuming the Soviets still did not return our POWs, Dr. What is ur estimate, would/could this ultimately risk a new war? Yelson admitting to holding POWs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2rGqnpvaciXZtUsi=HjVfzGTj6ISvm4dt

[@jonmeek3879]

Shocking!

[@CarterOnConflict]

Thank you for watching.

[@IntheBlood67]

I only am interested in American G.I.'s held against their will but I believe many Americans traveled to Russia to help build her up after the Revolution. Remember the IWW(Wobblies)? One can only imagine how many were trapped, never to return!

[@CarterOnConflict]

I think you are right!! Thank you for that comment.

[@samiam1254]

interesting, Dr Carter.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Sam, you know I always appreciate your support, and your comments.

[@aphilippinesadventure9184]

Excellent video. Your content is first rate and you are going to do well. I guess you are living in Thailand, so you easily understand my " Going native" references. As you are likely aware, at least one of those "big" history channels based in the UK is quite strongly biased.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Ah, well thank you sir. I appreciate your comment. Yes, that accusation of 'going native' is thrown out there quite easily isn't it 🙂

[@aphilippinesadventure9184]

@@CarterOnConflict Well, armchair observers throw a lot out there quite easily. I do not think of "Going native" as a bad term, but going semi-native is a lot more likely. Our home is on a mid-sized island in the Philippines...a lot of traditions still exist around us.

[@CarterOnConflict]

@@aphilippinesadventure9184 agree with you. Please shoot me an email at [e-mail]. I've traveled to the PI from Thailand 7-8 times, but as you well know its not the same as living there. Would appreciate hearing on where you live and how you like it. Paul

[@aphilippinesadventure9184]

@@CarterOnConflict first mail sent.

[@pauljones3073]

A British Great Uncle fought for the White Army, he lost half his body weight, he travelled from Riga to Vladivostok, where he caught a ship to America. He spoke about the cold and the number of dead.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Paul, thanks for sharing. These battles between the White Army and Boshelvicks and others are greatly under studied. Some fascinating- but tragic - history. You were fortunate you got to hear his stories. Thank you for watching and posting.

[@Heathen22]

Dreadful, but unfortunately not surprising.

[@CarterOnConflict]

@@Heathen22 yes sir on both counts. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@564df6g5h4d6f5g4h6d5]

It’s pronounced ARK not ARCH.

[@CarterOnConflict]

@@564df6g5h4d6f5g4h6d5 I will note this correction in the video description - I’m not surprised, this is something a Kentuckian would do. Thank you for the correction. Too late to correct the video itself.

[@step1drag1dwnunda]

The Australians got forgotton as usual, reference, www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/north_russia www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/north_russia/doc but apart from that, good job, lest we forget.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Ah, well thank you for pointing that out. Aussies have been - and are - great fighters. I served with one of your units from Perth in Afghanistan. Thank you for reminding we Americans what great Allies we have who share burdens.

[@dickkehoe6136]

VIVA CCCP VIVA RUSSIA !!!!!!!!!!!! from Australia

[@CarterOnConflict]

Why Australia? Sounds miserable. China and Russia sounds much better (must give up your internet access of course)