Tag: Daejeon

Political/Military Tags

1950 Pusan Perimeter, 8/4-9/18 1950 Inchon Landing, 9/15-9/19 1950 Seoul Recapture, 9/22-9/25 1950 Battle of Pyongyang, 10/15-17 1950 Wonsan Landing, 10/25 1950 Battle of Chosin Reservoir, 11/27-12/13 1950 Hamheung Evacuation, 12/10-12/24 1951 January 4 Withdrawal, 12/31-1/7 1951 Battle of Bloody Ridge, 8/18-9/15/1951 Battle of Heartbreak Ridge, 9/13-10/15/1951 Battle of Jipyeongri, 2/13-15 1952 Battle of Old Baldy, 6/26-8/4 1952 Battle of White Horse, 10/6-15 1952 Battle of Triangle Hill, 10/14-11/25 1952 Battle of Hill Eerie, 3/21-6/21 1953 Battle of the Hook, 5/28-29 1953 Battle of Pork Chop Hill, 3/23-7/16 1953 Sieges of Outpost Harry, 6/10-18 1953 Armistice 7/27 1968 Pueblo Abduction 1968 Blue House attack 1969 EC-121 1976 Poplar Tree Ax Incident 1983 Langgoon blowup 1996 Gangneung attack 1999 Yeonpyeong naval battle 2000 South-North Summit 2002 2nd Yeonpyeong naval battle 2008 Geumgang Mountain killing 2006 1st nuclear test, 10/9 2009 2nd nuclear test, 5/25 2010 Cheonan sinking 2010 Yeonpyeong Island bombing 2013 3rd nuclear test, 2/12 2016 4th and 5th nuclear tests, 1/6 and 9/9

Geographic Tags

Anyang Aprokgang (Yalu River)Busan Byeokdong Cheonan Cheongcheongang (River)Chuncheon Daegu Daejeon Dongducheon East Sea Euijeongbu Gaesong Gangneung Geojedo Geumgang Geumgang (River)Gotori Hagalwoori Hamheung Hangang (River)Heungnam Hwacheon Hwangchoryeong Imjingang (River)Incheon Jangjin Jipyeongri Kunsan Kunwoori Langgoon Masan Nakdonggang (River)Osan Panmunjeom Pohang Pyungyang Seokdong Seoul Sudong Suwon Wolmido Wonju Wonsan Yellow Sea Yeongdeungpo Yeonpyeong Yudamri

Social Tags

Basic training Chinese Civilians Cold winters Communists Depression Fear Food Front lines G.I. Bill Home front Impressions of Korea KATUSA Letters Living conditions Message to Students Modern Korea Monsoon North Koreans Orphanage Personal Loss Physical destruction Poverty POW Pride Prior knowledge of Korea Propaganda Rest and Relaxation (R&R)South Koreans Weapons Women

Albino Robert “Al” D’Agostino

Radio Communication Defense and Guerillas

Al D'Agostino describes his role in establishing a radio relay to communicate with the soldiers. He explains the winters were very cold and they had to set up shelter on a mountain. He expresses they handled their own defense against the guerilla fighters which was an extremely difficult job.

Charles Falugo, Jr.

Driving through Korea

Charles Falugo recounts driving through South Korea. He reports he was able to to get along with his men because he would never ask them to do anything he would not do. He recalls the roads being so bad that their truck chassis would constantly break and every time his division would stop to fix its trucks, they would encounter starving children begging for food. He shares moving into Seoul and only seeing the blue capitol building and the railroad station.

Charles Fowler

Pusan Perimeter in July

Charles Fowler describes the intense July heat at the Pusan Perimeter when he arrived in Korea. He recounts suffering severe blisters due to taking his shirt off as he attempted to cool down while digging a foxhole. He also recalls helping build the "Al Jolson Bridge" which he later helped blow up during a retreat from enemy forces.

Charles L. Hallgren

Back to Korea During the Vietnam War

Charles Hallgren describes being deployed to Japan in 1970 for the purpose of inspecting Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units in Korea. He explains that Korea had tactical nuclear weapons which had to be inspected in various base locations on the peninsula. He describes his impressions of seeing a modernized Korea in 1970.

Juan Andres Arebalos

The Battle of Taejon

Juan Andres Arebalos provides an overview of the North Korean's advancements in Taejon. He recounts retreating from the city to reinforce his troops. He remembers observing the city burning after the North Koreans seized it. He provides information about General William Dean, the United States general who was captured during the retreat from Taejon.

Tales of Survival

Juan Andres Arebalos admits he did not feel he would survive the situation in Taejon. He comments on how enemy troops would snatch the food and supplies dropped by United Nations airplanes. He recalls being so hungry he ate fly-infested rice in a South Korean village. He recalls an enemy sniper shooting at them as they filled their canteens with water at a creek. He admits to being unable to sleep at night because of his fear.

Philip Davis

I narrowly escaped death

Philip Davis believes that he and his fellow soldiers at that time were not really ready to fight. He describes the ammunition they were given and how many American soldiers died helplessly in rice paddies in Korea. He was very fortunate to escape with an army captain, but still struggles today knowing that those soldiers were left to die without any help coming.

Robert Kodama

An Unfortunate Surprise at the Prisoner of War Camp

Robert Kodama describes what it was like moving with a company of five tanks which had to stop about every thirty miles to refuel. He shares how, during one of the stops near Taejon, they saw what they thought was an abandoned prisoner of war (POW) camp. He describes the terrible scene when they went into the camp, a scene that would give him nightmares.

An M-1 Rifle and Eight Rounds

Robert Kodama recalls he and his unit were shipped directly from Kokura, Japan, to Pusan. He details how, prior to arrival on July 4, 1950, he was provided an M-1 rifle and a clip of ammunition which was made up of just eight rounds. He remembers the ammunition guy expressing a belief that the North Koreans would turn and run when the Americans arrived. He describes encountering South Korean soldiers digging fox holes and sharing with them there really was no reason for doing this since the Americans had arrived. He reflects on the early days of his unit's time in Taejon.

Retreat from Taejon

Robert Kodama recalls the North Korean army splitting and moving around his unit as they backed out of Taejon in hopes of cutting off the U.S. retreat. He recalls how the command did not know his unit was still stationed on the plateau in the Taejon region. He remembers packing up and moving out with little trouble but notes that C Company, which he had once been a member of, was overrun and suffered high casualties. He shares how he later joined a group of volunteers to return to the region to search for survivors but adds they were turned back by the sound of Russian-made machine guns.

Roger S. Stringham

Post War: Career and Korea's Transformation

Roger Stringham offers an overview of his life post war. He recalls returning to school where he earned a degree in physical chemistry from UC Berkeley, traveling the world and painting along the way for two years, and returning to Korea on multiple occasions to deliver lectures in academic arenas. He elaborates on Korea's transformation, describing it as unbelievable, and emphasizes how it shows what people have inside of them is magic.

Roy Cameron

Death Near Taegu and PTSD

Roy Cameron was traveling a road near Taegu and Taejon when they were ambushed. Two soldiers were killed and he had to take their bodies back to Grave Registration, so seeing those bodies has given Roy Cameron PTSD.

Sangmoon Olsson

Japanese Imperial Control

Snagmoon Olsson describes life as a child under Japanese Imperial control. The Japanese restricted children in school from speaking Korean. Students lost a coupon when speaking Korean. Other punishments and control measures included the Japanese changing the names of the people of Korea to Japanese names.

Life During the War

Sangmoon Olsson describes her life during the Korean War. Her brother had a high position under the Japanese Imperial control and when the communists took over, they wanted to capture her brother. Sangmoon had to go into hiding for a total of eight months, interrupting her nursing studies. When the Allies eventually pushed back the Communists, Sangmoon Olsson was able to complete her nursing studies.

Ted Bacha

Remembering the Battles

Ted Bacha remembers what it was like in Daegu, Daejion, Pyongyang, Pusan, and other battles. He explains that his friends got captured, and General Dean was captured as well. He states that they were firing their weapons almost daily.

Tom Muller

Not MAS*H

Tom Muller describes life on the front lines and compares this to the TV show M*A*S*H*. He likes the show, but disagrees with the drama and the antics of the show. He describes having a potbelly stove that was adequate up to 10 feet away. He goes further and describes the South Korean people, scrawny and begging for food near Busan.

Critique on Truman and MacArthur

Tom Muller describes his take on the MacArthur v. Truman debate. Tom Muller provides the quintessential military perspective on MacArthur. He then compares this event to what is happening under President Trump.

Tsolakis Akrivos

I Chose to Fly

Tsolakis Akrivos discusses his decision to choose the Air Force and the mission of Greece in Korea. He shares a personal story about promising his dying father to pursue medicine. In order to fulfill his promise, he recalls taking the exam for medicine and the air force. After scoring well on both exams, he notes how he chose the airplanes. He provides an overview of the main mission for the Greek pilots during the combat years and proving their worth to the Americans.

Vincent A. Bentz

Enemy Tactics

Vincent Bentz explains the company that he was in and his responsibilities. He speaks about seeing the results of a mass execution near Taejon (Daejeon). He describes the attack tactics used by the enemy.