Tag: Jangjin
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Highway Through The Danger Zone
Allen Clark vividly described the harrowing scene of leaving the Chosin Reservoir via a narrow road, which made them easy targets for the enemy. While sitting in the back seat of a Jeep, he faced an enemy shot that punctured the gas tank, quickly emptying it, and shot a hole through the tire. Jumping out, they ran behind a small hill beyond some railroad tracks, using it as a parapet.
G.I. Gear at Chosin
Allen Clark explained different GI provisions that were a life saver. He describes his field jacket, and his overcoat manufactured by London Fog that is reinforced with additional material that you slept and lived in. The temperature dropped to 42 degrees below zero and the soldiers covered themselves with the scarf all the way up to his eyes to prevent them from freezing.
Star for the Chosin Few at Koto-ri
As an Assistant Artillery Liaison Officer of the 7th Marine Regiment, Allen Clark told the story of the Frozen Chosin, who survived the 42 degrees below zero temperatures for several days while attempting to secure a place in the mountains that gave them an advantage point that overlooked a bridge. He described the conditions at Koto-ri were so bad, the scarf he described was the only thing that kept him from further hypothermia damage. Anxious and ready to go as the weather began to improve, Colonel "Chester" Pulley on a clear night had pointed to the star that was in the sky and said, "We are going in the morning," and that rallying point for the Marines when they needed it the most.
The Most Difficult Events in the Korean War
Allen Clark had difficulty choosing which event was the most difficult, but he settles on the events going into and out of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. General Smith told his fellow leaders that the Marines were now going to blow up their supplies and sneak out of the Chosin. Instead, he said that they would bring their wounded, dead, and supplies first and then head out as Marines, so everyone looked up to General Smith.
Evacuation of Civilians after the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir
Desperate to escape, South Korean civilians left everything behind and crowded onto ships to flee the war-torn area. An estimated 99,000 civilians packed onto two boats alongside survivors from the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. With the help of a chaplain who persuaded the boat skipper, Allen Clark recalls assisting in bringing all the civilians to safety.
Korean Marines and Korean Civilians
Allen Clark recalls the Korean Marines as formidable, accepting only those who could keep up. They were always prepared for battle, exemplifying the highest standards of military readiness.
During his second tour in Korea, he shares befriending several South Korean civilians. Through these newly forged relationships he witnessed traditional burials and dined on octopus with the locals. In the final days of the Korean War in July 1953, Clark remembers relying on civilian assistance at the DMZ to locate the enemy during the ceasefire.
Basil Kvale
The Battle of the Chosin Reservoir
Basil Kvale recalls fighting in the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir in weather that reached 40 degrees below zero. He laughs the men nicknamed the region the "Frozen Chosin" since the temperature was cold enough to freeze a soldiers' skin. He recalls working with a lieutenant to create locations to hit the enemy throughout his time in this battle and discovering an underground hospital.
Carl W. House
Surrounded at Jangjin: Last Line of Defense
Carl House shares arriving at Jangjin with his unit and was told no enemy forces were within a fifteen mile radius but noted many Chinese soldiers began building fires, drinking coffee, and preparing sleeping bags. He explains Chinese forces surrounded the U.S. soldiers in a horseshoe-shaped position around three in the morning, making it nearly impossible for them to escape. He remembers fighting for three days and running low on artillery after a failed airdrop landed in enemy territory. He recounts his captain ordering his unit to stand in rear guard while fellow soldiers pulled out and doing what he could to hold off the Chinese.
Carl House's Capture
Carl House remembers he and his squad leader, Raymond Howard, were the only two remaining soldiers holding the line as the Chinese threw concussion grenades at the men. He describes Howard attempting to hold the line as he tried to escape with shot and bleeding arm with only his pocket to use as a sling. He explains when he made the attempt to cross the valley himself he fell unconscious from his injury and when he woke up, Chinese had surrounded the area. He describes attempting to play dead, but the freezing temperature gave away the heat from his breath, so the Chinese stuck a bayonet in his back and took him away.
Life in Camp as a POW
Carl House recalls marching to Camp 5 from February to May of 1952, but was moved to Camp 3. He remembers each room the prisoners occupied held ten to twelve people (tip to toe) which would be beneficial to them to keep warm. He explains since many of the US soldiers were well-fed and strong when they arrived, they were able to survive the rest of the winter while slowing losing weight. He says the most difficult thing was the lack of food and much of the food they received was contaminated. He claims most of the food contained glass, rocks, and rat droppings, appearing as though it had been swept from the floor. He is saddened that many soldiers starved because they were unwilling to eat the polluted food.
Charles Earnest Berry
Experiences with Chinese Soldiers and Rethinking War
Charles Earnest Berry discusses fighting the Chinese and how quick and mobile they were since they carried less equipment than the American soldiers. He explains how the Chinese would put human waste on their bayonets to increase the chances of wounds becoming infectious. He recounts finding an entire National Guard unit dead and hauling dead bodies from the front. All of this made him rethink war. He shares that when his mom asked what he would like her to package and mail, he requested liquor instead of cookies.
Capture and Escape
Charles Earnest Berry discusses the severe cold weather in Korea and being captured at the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir. He describes how he was able to escape and safely return to American lines despite the challenging circumstances. He recalls the massive waves of Chinese soldiers and heavy artillery bombardments that he and his fellow soldiers endured during their time in Korea.
The Role of Aircraft at the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir
Charles Earnest Berry remembers witnessing American aircraft attacking the Chinese and North Koreans. He saw pilots dipping their wings to American soldiers. He describes arriving at a bombed bridge and having to wait for the bridge to be airlifted, which rendered a loss of people and equipment during the wait. He describes how the USS Missouri firing on the enemy and how he was evacuated from Korea after being wounded.
Charles L. Chipley
Chinese Attacks Against Civilians
Charles L. Chipley Jr. offers his account of providing evacuation aid to the Marines at Heungnam. He recounts that his ship provided gunfire support so that troops could be loaded onto the evacuation ships. He describes the movement of a speculated 100,000 Chinese troops killing civilian Koreans.
Clifford Allen
The Unarmed Chinese Decoy
Clifford Allen shares his second-hand knowledge of the Korean War. He details a story he heard from another veteran involving the Chinese. He explains that the Chinese would send up unarmed Chinese decoys to make American forces waste their bullets.
Edward Rowny
Dropping the Bridge in Chosin Reservoir
Edward Rowny reveals that he is the Corps Engineer who designed and later famously dropped the bridge from the air into the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir. This was one of the most important parts of the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir Battle. He shares how the Chinese were firing at them while they were building it. He recounts how this project was successful in stopping the Chinese long enough to evacuate the troops, without which there would have been tremendous casualties.
Edwin R. Hanson
You're the Guy that Saved My Life
Edwin Hanson recalls his first encounter with Chinese at Kor-'o-ri. Edwin Hanson threw four grenades and two went off, so the following morning he went down and picked up the 2 that didn't go off and threw the remaining grenades at their front lines. Ralph Alfonso Gastelum vividly details the chaos breaking out one evening while he was eating as the Chinese moved near his tent. He remembers grenades going off and it proves to be decades later that he finds out the Hanson saved his life.
First Shots at the Chinese at Chosin Reservoir
Edwin Hansen describes an occasion when a Chinese soldier played dead near an American campfire. He recollects US troops were heating C-rations by the campfire when noticed about 15-20 yards away, the enemy had lifted up off the frozen ground and began firing upon the US servicemen. Hanson shot and killed the Chinese soldier attacking his regiment. He and Ralph Gastelum recall the immediate impact of killing the enemy and its long-term effects.
Frank Zielinski
Surrounded on "The Frozen Chosin"
Frank Zielinski trained as a machine gunner and landed at Incheon with General MacArthur. He remembers one of his friends drowning while clambering over the side of the ship to go ashore. He notes another died in Incheon when North Koreans attacked their encampment as they slept. He shares the horrific conditions that the soldiers endured in the "Frozen Chosin".
Harold Don
Battle of the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir
Harold Don shares memories from the front lines at the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir. He recounts how the United States units were surrounded by the North Koreans and Chinese on all sides. He notes how cold the temperature dropped in the winter and how the lake would freeze over. He comments on how the Battle of the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir was one of the epic battles in United States Marine Corps history, evidenced by many Medal of Honor recipients.
Extremely Cold Conditions
Harold Don describes the challenges of digging foxholes in Korea's frozen ground during the winter. He details how one had to clear enough snow to make an indentation to rest in. He notes how, as he was assigned to heavy machine guns, his foxhole was located at the most vulnerable point. He explains how, in an effort to keep the machine guns' barrels from freezing, he had to utilize antifreeze.
Jack Allen
Concussion Grenades and the Aggressive Chinese Army
At the end of November 1950, Jack Allen was wounded by the Chinese who overran the US troops. The Chinese had so many troops that they easily came over the hills. A concussion grenade took the nerve out of Jack Allen's right arm, so he couldn't use it and his knee was shot too. He was laid on straw and a tarp until a helicopter basket took him back off the line and onto Japan to recover. There were hundreds of wounded that accompanied Jack Allen, but he knew that he wouldn't be left behind because that's a Marines' motto.
The Battle of the Chosin Reservoir
Jack Allen worked hard to stay warm while fighting in the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. He was lucky that he didn't get frostbite on his feet or hands, but he knows Marines that lost their limbs after they turned black while in the trenches. After the Chinese came into the Chosin Reservoir, they fought to take the high ground and blew up bridges to slow the Marines' escape. Once they made it to Wonson, the Marines were able to escape to the boats along with the US Army, but Jack Allen was grateful that he didn't have to endure all of that pain for the whole 2 months of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir.
Frozen Bodies and Paralyzed Limbs
Jack Allen was sent to an Army hospital in Japan and he stayed there for 7-10 days until he was shipped to a Naval hospital where Marines were supposed to be sent. When he walked in there, there were over 100 frozen bodies that lost arms, legs, and/or toes. Thankfully, a neurosurgeon performed surgery to help get feeling back in his arm while at the Naval base. Jack Allen was sent back to the US in February 1951.
John H. Jackson
Battle at the Chosin Reservoir
John H. Jackson shares he fought in the Battle at the Chosin Reservoir through Christmas Eve of 1950. He recalls how the weather was very cold, reaching down to fifty degrees below zero. He remembers how some of the soldiers were freezing to death as the Chinese continued to fight.
John O. Every
The Terrible Cold and Frostbite
John O. Every talks about being in combat near the Chosin Reservoir, and being evacuated due to extreme frostbite. He recalls seeing airplanes drop supplies, and recounts the tough losses of fighting. He explains being evacuated and taken to various hospitals for recovery.
John Sehejong Ha
KATUSA
John Sehejong Ha explains the role of the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA). He shares his duties as a translator. He explains how he was often escorted by military police (MPs) all around Korea to translate as needed. He shares how he went to the field hospitals to translate for US medical staff aiding South Korean soldiers. He shares all the places he visited doing his translator duties. He shares the destruction he saw as well.
Kenneth Newton
Battle of Chosin Reservoir
Kenneth Newton recounts the days leading up to the Battle of Chosin Reservoir which included seeing Manchuria and partaking in a Thanksgiving meal. He remembers waking up to explosions late one night and realized they were under attack by the Chinese. He explains that chaos ensued, everyone being assigned a weapon and sent to the front lines.
Ralph A Gastelum
Deadly Encounters in Chosin Reservoir
Ralph Gastelum describes the battlefield as filled with bodies, both enemy and fallen comrades, frozen in the positions where they had fallen. He recalls a bulldozer shoveling North Korean soldiers' bodies into mass graves, and how the moaning and groaning at night deeply affected them. Though neither Edwin Hanson nor Ralph spoke much about it at the time, their wives later shared what they said in their sleep, revealing how they still cope with the bitterness and trauma to this day.
Robert Battdorff
Traveling to the Chosin Reservoir
Robert Battdorff moved through Seoul, Ko do Re Pass, and then went onto the Chosin Reservoir. Using a line of soldiers, 20 feet apart, he made his way to East Hill overlooking the Chosin Reservoir. Without any enemy resistance, Robert Battdorff sent out patrols to check the different possible enemy positions in November 1950.
Thomas E. Cork, Sr.
Fighting at the Chosin (Jangjin) Reservoir and Frostbite
Thomas E. Cork, Sr. recalls fighting at the Chosin (Jangjin) Reservoir during the Korean War. He recalls how his unit discovered Chinese soldiers behind their front line and how they fought both from the front and behind as they moved south to meet United Nations soldiers coming from the North. He describes the cold and cutting the ground with his knife to dig foxholes. He shares that he suffered frostbite so severe that he lost some of his toes.
Landing at Incheon and Fighting at Chosin (Jangjin) Reservoir
Thomas E. Cork, Sr. speaks of landing at Incheon and ending up at the Chosin (Jangjin) Reservoir. He describes the Chinese weapons and being outnumbered. One night, while he was on watch, he thought a bush was a Chinese unit attacking, but he decided not to shoot. He admits that this incident earned him the nickname "Bush Guy."
Thomas J Dailey
Chosin Reservoir Recollections
Thomas Dailey recalls his arrival in Korea and time spent at the Chosin Reservoir. He describes collecting injured and frozen soldiers and placing them on the back of armored tanks due to the lack of space inside the tanks. He remembers one occasion where he was forced to pull his pistol on a soldier who kept attempting to get inside the tank due to thinking it was warmer.