Tag: Osan

Infiltrators Hiding in Barrels

Albert McCarthy recalls an incident that happened when he worked for the security agency. He relates intelligence reported there were twelve North Korean infiltrators sneaking into South Korea through the Han River hiding in barrels. He shares once caught, the infiltrators were killed that night. He also remembers receiving intelligence of a school bus filled with infiltrators heading to kill the South Korean president and infiltrators blew up at least two gunboats a week while he served.

This Information is Classified

Albert McCarthy outlines his job responsibilities as a part of the National Security Agency. He explains his duties included having to assess whether the intelligence was covert or not. He reports much of the intelligence he was a part of collecting is still classified information today. He explains due to this, he was not at liberty to give details.

Making Sure Communication was Always On

Bob Mitsou Imose recounts one 1954 flight mission to penetrate air defense systems in the western part of the peninsula. He describes his time in Korea as a communication electronics officer with the 5th Air Force beginning in 1967, working in cooperation with the 8th Army Division, to ensure communication always remained on. He details the military bases he visited in Korea as part of his duties during this period.

Food for Korean Orphanages

Cecil Snyder, a clerk stationed at Osan Air Base, talks about delivering food to nearby orphanages. He describes collecting and delivering unused food, oftentimes used to feed the orphanages' livestock such as pigs.

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.

Inchon Landing and Osan

Chong Rae Sok talks about his participation in the Battle of Inchon Landing. His unit landed at Inchon on September 18, 1950 and fought their way to Suwon. One day later, he describes moving by foot to Osan and losing soldiers along the way, including a fellow KATUSA.

Weapons Monitoring Center

Edward Gallant describes his assignment as a weapons monitoring repairman on a MSQ 28 System (Fort Bliss, TX). He explains this 40 foot computer could provide 6000 miles of microwave radar which was two times the distance of the United States. Edward Gallant says they could see all the way to the Soviet Union. After the Cuban Missile Crisis, Edward Gallant says the Russians pulled their weapons out of Cuba and sold the technology to China, and the Chinese sold it to North Korea which is why they have access to nuclear weapons. He reports the United States gave three of these weapons systems to Germany, two Korea, and Edward Gallant operated one that could have sent over 256 missiles towards their target.

Transitioning the Computer to Koreans

Edward Gallant says the weapons monitoring computer was only operated by Americans while he was serving. However, he reports South Koreans came it to be trained on the computer because it was going to be sold to South Korea.

Camp Howard (near Osan) during the Cold War

Edward Gallant describes working on a forty foot computer at Camp Howard near Osan. He explains the monitoring system for missiles that could reach across many countries. He shares fixing the computer and watching it constantly just in case it needed to be used during the Cold War to fire nuclear missiles against communists.

Hawk Missile

Edward Langevin describes learning how to repair Hawk (Homing All the Way to Killer) missiles which are semi-active radar surface to air missiles. He recalls spending forty weeks in Huntsville, Alabama, for basic training. He reports doing repairs on the missiles near the DMZ while in Korea.

Living Conditions at Osan Air Base

Gene Welch describes the living conditions in Korea. He remembers staying in a metal hut with concrete floors. While there was fuel for heat, it would get extremely cold in the winter. He also explains what the showers and chow hall were like.

Captured near Pyongyang

Gerald Cavagnaro describes how his unit was cut off during an attack by the Chinese. He describes running out of ammunition. He shares how he along with 100-150 other men were captured in November in 1950. He describes a march he took to what the soldiers named "Death Valley".

Recovering the Fallen / Recuperando a los caídos

Gilberto Diaz Velazco recalls the difficulty of the fighting at Hill 180 and the carnage of war. He recounts that they suffered casualties during the fighting but were not allowed to leave the dead behind. As a follow up mission, he was a member of the operation to recover the dead. He explains that he felt like bait because the enemy was waiting for them to recover the fallen and fired at them injuring his lieutenant.

Gilberto Díaz Velazco recuerda la dificultad del combate en el Cerro 180 y la crueldad de la guerra. Cuenta que sufrieron bajas durante la batalla, pero no se podía dejar atrás a los muertos. Como segunda misión, él fue miembro de la operación para recuperar a los
cadáveres. Explica que se sintió como carnada porque el enemigo estaba esperando que recuperaran a los caídos y les dispararon hiriendo a su teniente.

Half Dead or Captured

Horace Sappington describes his encounter with North Koreans and Russians a few miles outside of Osan. Ill-equipped and undermanned, he details the scene of a Major driving out in a jeep to meet and talk with the oncoming mass of North Korean and Russian troops. He shares that the enemy fired a cannon, blowing up the jeep and killing the major, continuing to advance upon their position. He adds that he was wounded during the fighting and was tended to by a medic who was killed shortly after during their retreat. He explains that over half of US soldiers there that day were either killed or captured.

Learning to Fly

Ivan Holshausen left South Africa as a Second Lieutenant. He recalls the South African government learning about the upcoming conversion to jets just before his departure for Korea. Additionally, he details the variety of aircraft he trained on in South Africa and later at K55 in Korea. Moreover, he explains that the South African government was responsible for paying for any lost aircraft.

First Engagement: Task Force Smith

Jack Goodwin recounts his experience in Task Force Smith, the first group to engage with North Korean soldiers during the Korean War. He shares that they were severely outnumbered and ill-equipped with only four hundred or so men against roughly twenty thousand North Korean soldiers, having severely limited ammunition. He recalls remaining U.S. soldiers being forced to leave their position and walk during the night to a village where they were captured the following morning.

Life in Korea then and now

John Denning describes the living conditions of the South Korean people when he was there compared to when his son was in Korea more recently. He describes the people living in packing crates and huts with thatched roofs and the unpaved roads that were just mud and rubble. He describes the pictures he saw that his son recently took and being amazed at the vast developments and modernization.

Moments of Danger

John Rolston shares how he had to land on pierced steel planking instead of cement. He shares concerns he had about flying in certain weather conditions. He explains how the snow and rain were terrifying conditions that made his plane spin around. He shares the fears he had that he might not survive some landings or take-offs.

Close Encounter with a North Korean Pilot

John Rolston describes being a flight leader and bringing people to Japan and they were returning. He shares how he was very close to shooting down a North Korean pilot who went below the 38th parallel. He shares how he could have shot the pilot, but he didn't want to murder someone who was lost.

Life at Osan Airbase in 1954-55

John Rolston shares his fourteen-month experience at the Osan Airbase. He shares information about the F-86 planes there and the number of pilots that would be there. He states the weather was so cold that the fuel would freeze in the planes. He shares information about food during this time and missing his family. He explains the stability at the DMZ during this time since both the North and South didn't want to restart the war.

Enlisting in the United States Army

Marion Burdette's job in the U.S. Army was a Battle Commander's Traveler. He recalls being sent to Yokohama, Japan, in early June to prepare for the invasion of Korea. He recounts entering Korea from an L3T and then storming the beaches on June 27, 1950. He shares he did not know much about Korea at the time.

Battles from City to City Across Korea

Merle Peterson describes the difference between the 2.6 rocket launchers and the new 3.5 models. He explains that the rockets from the 2.6 launcher merely bounced off the tanks but the 3.5s were able to pierce the tanks, enabling them to take out eight of the eleven tanks that had attacked them. He goes on to describe meeting with the 7th division in Osan and from there moving through Seoul, Pyongyang, and onto the Yalu River until the Chinese joined the North Koreans and they were forced to retreat.

Basic Training, Technical School, and Arriving in Korea

Paul Cunningham recalls sitting for seven weeks waiting for his assignment after basic training. Since he did not want to go to Germany, he volunteered for Adak, Alaska, but while training in South Carolina, the Korean War began. He remembers arriving in Korea at Pusan on September 20, 1950, and recalls setting up a radar station at the top of a hill in Pusan. After that, he moved to Osan, Incheon, and Kimpo Air Base to continue setting up radar stations.

Radar Sites in Korea and a Last Look in February 1952

Paul Cunningham set up a large radar station near the Kimpo Air Base, and that ended his seventeen-month deployment in Korea after spending two long winters there. He recalls leaving Korea with the image of poverty, huts, and dirt roads in February 1952. He also remembers the rail transportation office in Seoul as being all broken down and adds that he never thought Korea would rebuild itself like it has today.

Post-War Special Forces Mission

Ralph Wilkerson highlights the stark differences between Korea in 1951 and 1971. When he returned in 1971, he was on a Special Forces mission called Freedom Vault as a Green Beret. He explains this decoy operation involved tactics such as false radio traffic, simulated landings along the coast, and attempts to mislead North Korea into believing agents were crossing the DMZ. The United States even dropped dummies made out of dry ice, which left traces of infiltration before melting away, enhancing the illusion of actual soldiers.

Entering Korea as a Defense Soldier

Ricardo Torres Perez shares he did not want to go to Korea in 1977 since it was so far away. He admits he was nervous about the probability of war rising again. He recalls realizing the possibilities of war were still as high as in 1953 after hearing planes come in and out of Osan Air Force Base where he landed.

Radio Maintenance Specialty and a Civilian Encounter

Each soldier is trained with a specialty to strengthen the military. Richard Bartlett's duties were to keep the radio equipment working and operational as it was used to guide aircraft along the 38th Parallel. There was a lot of on-the-job-training. While stationed at Osan, Richard Bartlett encountered many civilians off base.

The Air Force's All-Korean Basketball Team Experience

Richard Bartlett played for the All-Korean Basketball Team while in the Air Force and stationed in Korea. He traveled to Seoul and played a variety of Korean teams. These experiences allowed him a chance to get to know some Korean civilians. The Korean teams were comprised of talented basketball players.

Legacy of the Korean Defense Veteran

Richard Bartlett believes that the defense veterans serve and fill the void after the Korean War ended. He feels defense veterans over the years have done a very good job keeping the North and South Koreans separated since the war. He wishes he had personally done more to help the Korean people while there.

Experiencing the Front Lines

Stanley Jones describes the differences he saw between the National Guard and the traditional Army. He shares an experience he had where officers were relieved and chaos and mistreatment ensued. He describes where the ballistic stations were located as well as a situation concerning a fuel dump in Busan.

The Journey to Korea from England

Tony White shares when he left Southampton, England, the ship experienced a steering problem in the Indian Ocean which resulted in hitting the rudder with a sledgehammer in order to steer. He remembers how the ship diverted to Singapore. He recalls they also journeyed to Hong Kong and then to Kure, Japan, after enduring a typhoon. He remembers how spent three weeks in Japan training and then went on to Korea.

The Significance of the 52nd Ordnance Ammunition Company

Warren Middlekauf's ship landed in Incheon in Jan. 1953 after a long trip. After loading a train to Pusan, he dropped off supplies and traveled to Taegu. While driving his truck, filled with ammunition, Warren Middlekauf went to Osan to unload boxes of weapons to supply Yongjong.

Most Harrowing Moment Aboard the USS Radford

William Beastrom describes his most dangerous day aboard ship. The USS Radford entered Osan Harbor to assist a cargo ship that was out of ammunition and was being fired upon. He explains that his ship was running low on rounds also but they were able to intimidate the enemy with what they had, leading to their cease fire.

Famous Task Force Smith

William Coe was a member of the famous “Task Force Smith.” He explains why the group was so well-known and important. He gives some details about what happened during that time, including taking a Russian vehicle.

Battle of Osan and Interaction with North Koreans

William Coe remembers his experiences at Osan with the North Koreans. He would have to shoot many North Koreans that were attacking, and he lost a lot of his friends during this battle. He was very lucky as a radio operator because he was not really hit.