Edward Rowny
Bio
Edward Rowny, the highest-ranking Korean War officer still alive at the time of his interview, has a wealth of information to share about his military experiences, including his time during the Korean War. He had a very commendable career. He was one of the original planners with General MacArthur in the planning of the Incheon Landing. During his service, he had the opportunity to travel back to Korea to oversee the first combined U.S. -Korean corps at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). He explains how he views the progress in Korea as an economic miracle. He has published books about his experience so that others can learn about the war. Among his great accomplishments was the designing of the project that dropped the bridge during the Jangjin (Chosin Reservoir) Battle. He also remembers a time when he tried to explain how he tried to be proactive in planning for the Chinese invasion. As a final success, he and his team were able to evacuate from Heungnam and be reunited with their families.
Video Clips
The Landing Saved the Marine Corps
Edward Rowny details the planning of the Incheon landing. As a member of the team planning the operation, he reveals the circumstances for which the Joint Chiefs of Staff were convinced to move forward with the planned operation. Not only was the operation critical for the UN operations but he discloses how the operation ultimately saved the Marine Corps.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upG7BbVXlOA&start=618&end=744
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/edward-rowny#clip-1
Embed:
Successful Landing in Incheon
Edward Rowny describes his experience with General MacArthur overseeing the waves of Incheon landing. He provides a detailed account of the logistics for three waves of the landing. Following the landing, he recalls General MacArther's reaction when the landing was declared a success. During the third wave of the landing, he remembers visiting the troops with General Edward Almond and the controversial decision of moving the troops forward across the Han River.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upG7BbVXlOA&start=778&end=1057
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/edward-rowny#clip-2
Embed:
Revisiting Korea to Oversee the DMZ
Edward Rowny notes how he revisited Korea about six or seven times. Along with revisits, he elaborates on his experience, a generation after the war, commanding the first combined U.S.-Korean Corps at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). He states that over the years, the Koreans went from not being very organized to creating a very effective and efficient military.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upG7BbVXlOA&start=1229&end=1394
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/edward-rowny#clip-3
Embed:
Two- Sided Legacy of the Korean War
Edward Rowny explains that he had no idea how industrious and successful the Koreans would become after the War. He mentions the Korean world leadership in technology and calls it an "economic miracle". He shares his own fears that the present-day generation does not realize the grave danger of North Korea today. He advises them to keep their military trained and equipped at all times, even with the US nuclear capacity.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upG7BbVXlOA&start=1868&end=2070
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/edward-rowny#clip-4
Embed:
Rowny's Book About the War
Edward Rowny shares he has written books and provides information about his experiences with the Teachers and Veteran's Youth Corps Convention in 2015. He comments on how his book, An American Soldier's Saga in the Korean War, received a lot of coverage and was translated into Korean. He encourages students to pay attention to what they learn in class to prevent events like the Korean War from happening again. He summarizes his book as it retells his experiences and accomplishments in the War.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upG7BbVXlOA&start=2206&end=2507
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/edward-rowny#clip-5
Embed:
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.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upG7BbVXlOA&start=4217&end=4361
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/edward-rowny#clip-6
Embed:
Why Didn't MacArthur do More About the Chinese?
The interviewer provides some background about the Chinese involvement in early October. As a response, Edward Rowny explains that the numbers began increasing slowly, and his staff reported this as a concern to a skeptical General Willoughby in Japan. He recalls inviting General Willoughby to meet two of the Chinese they had captured. He shares he studied anthropology and knew from the folds of their eyes that they were Chinese, but he was not believed. He remarks that General Willoughby was mistaken, and, unfortunately, General MacArthur believed General Willoughby instead of him and his corps.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upG7BbVXlOA&start=4962&end=5147
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/edward-rowny#clip-7
Embed:
Evacuation from North Korea
Edward Rowny elaborates on his experience being in charge of the evacuation of the 600,000 tons of supplies, 100,000 troops, and 100,000 refugees at the port at Heungnam, North Korea. He recounts his job also included blowing up the port so that the Chinese could not use it. He recalls he was scheduled to be on the last ship to leave, but that ship was blown up. He recounts how the commander thought he had gone down with the boat, but, instead, he was stranded on the beach with his radio operator and jeep driver. He describes how they were finally rescued by an American plane and made it home by Christmas, despite being shot at.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upG7BbVXlOA&start=5590&end=5753
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/edward-rowny#clip-8
Embed: