Thanks Prez Carter but why was Aijalon Gomes in North Korea?

President Jimmy Carter and released prisoner Aijalon Gomes.

Since Jesse L. Brown plane was shot down during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in North Korea in October 1948, I am not aware of any other African American entering the most mysterious, most elusive, most isolated and least known place in the world. North Korea is so elusive that it doesn't even register on Google Maps.

For some unexplainable reason, an African American, Aijalon Gomes (pronounced EYE-jah-lahn GOHMS), 31 year-old, crossed the border into North Korea and has been in jail for the past seven months.

The news had reported three or four days ago that former President Jimmy Carter had flown to Pyongyang, North Korean on a rare private mission to negotiate Gomes' release.

Gomes was sentenced in April to eight years of hard labor and a hefty fine for trespassing and committing a "hostile act."

According to the North Korean state media, Kim Jong Il granted “the former president a courteously requested," and “a special pardon for Gomes.”

Gomes was the fourth American arrested in North Korea for illegal entry in the same year when he was arrested in January.

Back to Jessie L. Brown, or should I say a little know Black history? Brown was the first black U.S. Navy aviator. In October of 1948, he was killed when his plane was shot down over North Korea. He was unable to eject from his crippled F4U Corsair and crash-landed successfully. His injuries and damage to his aircraft prevented him from leaving the plane. A white squadron mate, Thomas Hudner, crash-landed his F4U Corsair near Brown and attempted to extricate Brown but could not and Brown died of his injuries. Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts. The U.S. Navy honored Jesse Brown by naming an the U.S.S. Jesse L. Brown, an escort ship after him.