Korean War Legacy Project

Marshall E. Davis

Bio

Raised by a single mother in California during the  Great Depression, Corporal, Marshall E. Davis, Army, Ret. graduated in 1949 from Sonora High School having high hopes of owning and operating his own ranch. When the war broke out, rather than stay and earn his degree at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, he spoke with the local draft board and requested to be put in the military as soon as possible so he could come back and finish his degree and move on and pursue his ambition of becoming a rancher. Luckily for Marshall E. Davis, he was able to carry out his 8 weeks of basic training right in his own hometown because the Army had reopened the Southwestern Signal Corps Camp in San Luis Obispo, CA. He helped to educate Koreans about the generators they managed, he learned the written language, as well as visited the countryside and also played in a band that toured various parts of Korea known as the KMAG Hillbillies. When he returned back to the states, he completed his undergraduate and masters degree and worked in a government-sponsored nuclear science program before he retired after 30 years at Texaco Oil Inc.

Video Clips

What contributions did KMAG have on the Korean War and after?

Korea Military Advisory Group was established post WWII in 1946 (Russia/US Split Korea) as a Korean defense force as a part of the Armys 40th Infantry Division which acted as a police force divided into 8 Korea Constabulary Regiments (for the 8 provinces there). It was originally PMAG (Provisional Military Advisory Group), until the war broke out it became the KMAG 8668th Army Unit commanded by Brigadier General Francis W Farrell which would later be renamed the 8202nd Army Unit. MOST IMPORTANT: The Army helped the Korean people established a police force after the Japanese withdrew, then once the war broke out the Army would then train the "police officers" to become soldiers of war in the Korean Army.

Tags: Daegu,Prior knowledge of Korea

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Former POWs sabotaging their generators

The location of their headquarters was near a fence line that once held POWS that had integrated with the locals but some became apart of a guerrilla style action that would sabotage their generators and effect the transmitter that was far away from the headquarters. When the transmitters would go out it was usually because of the generators. Marshall was assigned night duty and was always on the lookout for possible saboteurs affecting their generators.

Tags: Daegu,Chinese,Fear,Impressions of Korea,Living conditions,North Koreans,Physical destruction

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Awesome Doesn't Describe What Korea is Like Today!

Marshall informed veterans who plan to revisit Korea that the word Awesome can't begin to describe the amazing changes that have occurred since its reconstruction over the years. (Marshall returned in 1996 for business reasons and the company took him back to where he was originally located). He said Daegu has completely transformed as a high rise city with over 3 million people compared to the several thousand that lived there when he was there and when he arrived at Kimpo Airport he could see the bridges suspended over the Han River.

Tags: Daegu,Impressions of Korea,Living conditions,Pride

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