Korean War (42)
1 May 1953, enemy shore guns on Hodo Pando scored one direct hit on the USS Maddox and one near miss at the USS Owen. The communists fired over 200 105mm shells at the destroyers during their attack. Both ships had minor material damage to their hulls.
The 1st Marine Division assumed control of the 14th Infantry Regiment and the 5th Marines and opened a new command post at Camp Casey. A combat patrol engaged in a small fire fight, as did the recon patrol. By 7 May, the 1st Marine Division, after 20 months of fighting, was relieved and deployed to rear areas.
Company G of the 2nd Battalion/65th Infantry Regiment/3rd Infantry Division relieved element of the 2nd Battalion/15th Infantry Regiment on outpost Harry during daylight hours 15 May on Line Missouri. On the night of 15-16 May, they were required to defend the outpost and defeated an intended 3-prong attack by a battalion size enemy force. Fourteen Bronze Stars were awarded to 4 officers and 10 enlisted men as a result of their performance. From 15-31 May, this unit had 38 ambush patrols, one raid and 4 miscellaneous combat patrols. Seventeen of the regiment were KIA.
13-16 May, 5 main irrigation systems were bombed on the Yalu River. The flooding that resulted caused the destruction of the enemy’s rice crop. 16 May, in a message intended for Mao Tse-tung, Eisenhower’s Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, told President Nehru of India that the U.S. would use the A-bomb if necessary.
25 May, all sides at the Panmunjom peace talks accepted a modified version of the UN General Assembly Resolution 610 (originally written back on 3 December 1952), whereby prisoners of war who refuse repatriation should be passed to a Neutral National Reparations Commission (NNRC) supervised by India. South Korean President Syngman Rhee went into such a rage that became so bad that Eisenhower considered using Plan Ever-Ready. This was a contingency plan to depose him and seize control of the South Korean government.
27-28 May, in an effort to silence the ever increasing enemy coastal battery activity, the USS New Jersey joined TF-77 aircraft in a heavy air/gun strike on Wonsan coastal defenses.
Shortly after midnight, 6 enemy aircraft bombed a United Nation airfield and the POL (petroleum or oil) pipeline between Inchon and Yongdungpo. One man was injured, 2 F-80s and one F-86 received minor damage and the POL pipeline was punctured.
The 1st Marine Division units prepared for 8th Army CPX (Command Post Exercise). Strong enemy attacks in the US I Corps sector caused the alerting of the 1st Marines for a move to blocking positions.
29 May, the 8th Army CPX was postponed because of a continuation of enemy attacks across the Army front. The 1st Marines passed to operational control of I Corps and moved into positions in the 25th Infantry Division sector. The Recon Company moved in along the east bank of the Imjin River.
30 May, Outposts Vegas, Elko and Carson had fallen due to persistent enemy attacks. 31 May, at the 5th Marines parade field, MGeneral Pollock and RAdmiral Harp, Jr., Chief of Naval Chaplains, conducted Memorial Day ceremonies.
Click on images to enlarge.
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WWII Update –
3 February is the day set aside to recognize the sacrifices of the four chaplains during WWII. I regret that this information is belated, my apologies. For the remarkable story – Read –
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WWII Update –
The Japanese soldier who refused to surrender…
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Farewell Salutes –
Hubert DeBolt – Gig Harbor, WA; US Army Air Corps, WWII PTO, Company A/127 Engineers
Alan Friedland – Boca Raton, FL; US Army Air Corps, WWII
Albert Gonzalez, Sr. – W.Tampa, FL; US Navy, WWII, USS Iowa
Alexander LePage – Tampa, FL; US Navy, WWII and then US Air Force (Ret.)
Joseph Mann – NY, NY & Miami, FL; US Navy, WWII
Ronal James McDougall – Ashburton, NZ; Serv. # 648638, bombardier, 25 Battery J Force
Robert Shawver – Oklahoma City,OK; US Navy, WWII
David John Smith – Rangiora, NZ; Serv. # 098687, 23rd Battalion, WWII
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Posted on February 5, 2014, in Korean War, WWII and tagged Army, family history, History, Korean War, Marines, Military, Military History, nostalgia, veterans, war letters. Bookmark the permalink. 49 Comments.
I’m just beginning to read your stuff, and I crave it. Your’e the real deal.
How can i come up with those dates you asked about, if I keep on reading all this history you have captured?
Keep it up!!
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Thank you very much, Lucky! I’m just glad you approve, especially since I’ve requested your father’s info.
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This is stepping into a place I know nothing of. It is too easy to step into a fictional story – I do it all the time – yet when the tales, like yours, happened it is all rather humbling. I shall gradually work through many more. By the way Hannibal’s real name in the post of mine we were commenting on was Brett (Albert – Cockney rhyming slang) Hall. After discussion with my wife who knows the boys family well and her telling me that they still demand (quite properly) privacy over the death of their son I simply changed his name in case anyone close to them read my blog. My wife pointed out to me that in your case nothing less then accuracy would be relevant!
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I agree. That is one reason why I did not even attempt to explain what the story was about, I simply put in the link to your site. Believe me, I can appreciate obeying the family’s wishes! Here on my site, I do not even try to humiliate the enemy – war takes two sides.
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Couldn’t agree more – a lot of people forget that. That’s why I am pleased my dad always spoke well of the Germans and even took holidays there after the war.
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So much going on in this post. I don’t know how you keep track of the details of army movements. I could weep for the locals over the lost rice crop (perhaps because I am reading about starving locals and POWs in Malaya in 1945). The story about the Japanese soldier fighting on until 1974 is astonishing. I had heard stories about such men, but always as rumours.
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This man was actually the last. Any accounts afterwards were found to fabrications, so that is probably what you’re recalling.
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The accounts I heard were in the 1960s, so they may have been about this guy or his friends.
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Farewell Salutes: David Ernest Denyer(Dave) Trewhitt Reg 71769 RNZAF Flt Lt on Feb 5th, Christchurch, NZ
Elaine (nee Cole) Andrews Reg No. 813191 Cpl W.A.A.C on Feb 4th, Christchurch NZ
Ray Calley Stores Assistant Royal NZ Navy, 5551, Member of King’s Empire Veterans, on February 4th, Buller, Westland, NZ http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/papakura-courier/3424024/Kings-vet-welcome-members
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The King’s Empire group are going thru the same problem as the 11th A/B Assn. here. The men are getting older and the groups keep getting smaller. Thank you for the link and Salutes, friend.
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It would seem so. And it is an association with such a long history too.
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I’ll have tp look into it more closely.
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I didn’t know the Four Chaplains story. It tugs at the heart strings.
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Quite a zinger, isn’t it? Four devoted and loyal men – the sort we actually need more of.
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Truly 🙂 . More of them worldwide.
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Very sorry to not have wished you a good Waitangi Day. I only just learned of it last week and still trying to figure out who celebrates, the Anglos or Maoris or both – help?
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Both! And we, New Zealanders, are still trying to figure out how we celebrate this historical day. This might help a little http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Kids/Treaty-Zone/Waitangi-Day/ I didn’t attend any celebrations. Just a quiet day at home.
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Oh, I chose the explanation from the children’s section of our library because I thought it had the most useful information. This was one activity that took place in our part of New Zealand on Waitangi Day. Citizenship ceremonies take place on other days too. http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/hills-and-harbour/9694327/New-citizens-on-Waitangi-Day
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Thank you for the information!
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Great piece of military history and thanks for the four chaplains story, the question comes to mind, why were there four chaplains on board ? was it normal practice to encompass all religions ?
Ian aka Emu
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Not usually, but they were in transit. Probably going to be separated later on. Great to see you, Ian.
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Interesting blog, GP, as always. I found Operation Ever Ready to be of particular interest. Rhee was quite the piece of work. Initially a strong nationalist, he became an anti-communist dictator, helped into his position as president by the US right after WW II. (We often ended up more concerned about a leader’s position on communisim than his position on democracy.) When Rhee was deposed, the CIA flew him to Hawaii where he lived out his final years. –Curt
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Since he caused trouble throughout the war, the CIA might have wanted to keep a closer eye on him. We had helped Rhee just as we helped Castro and then lived to regret it. Thanks for reading and commenting, Curt.
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Thanks for the history, I was once stationed at Pohang, Korea
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My pleasure. If you have the time, the friends that gather here love first hand stories – we’d like to hear yours, Samuel.
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I remember having the four chaplains stamp in a stamp album that I had when I was a kid. Great story.
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Thank you, Sheryl, and thanks for remembering.
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Thanks for including the Four Chaplains Story. They are a fantastic example of how all faiths can join forces in prayer, without regard for minor differences of doctrine.
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It is so my pleasure, Bev. This is a story I heard as a child and never forgot. I wanted to be certain the next generations heard it too.
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I know who the four chaplains are, but didn’t know Feb. 3rd was their day. Darn.
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I know, isn’t that something? I have 3 calenders going here and not one had it down. Well, it is now!
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USS Maddox … famous also for the Gulf of Tonkin Incident (I thought the name rang a bell, Wiki has an article). No Maddox, no Vietnam War? Naaa … if they want a war they’ll always find an excuse* …
And your articles aren’t too long.
* It still irks me: how come they could start a war over a few little near misses—yet allow the USS Liberty to take so horrendous a pounding for hours, with dead and wounded everywhere and no repercussions? (Oh, of course, silly me—infallible Israel. Tail wags dog, right? Dumb question …)
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I must read up on those chaplains.
The company versus a battalion was quite a remarkable action.
The tenacity and dedication of Onoda shows what a fanatically determined enemy the Japanese were.
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The account of the four chaplains, embracing the diversity of each other’s faith, working cooperatively under such duress….an amazing example of selflessness and generosity.
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You’ve said it beautifully. Thank you.
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The updates, as always were interesting and a fine addition to another great post.
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Thank you very much, I try.
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ps What a story about the chaplains (is that the right term). They were remarkable and courageous to the end. Incredible story indeed. Thank you.
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Weren’t they remarkable! I was so angry with myself when I realized their day was not on my calender!
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Dulles actually mentioned the A-bomb?? I am stunned. Wow… and a plan to remove their leader… I looked at the map and as am no serviceman, I always wonder how the lines got their names like Waco or Nevada…
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These facts were a surprise to me as well – the things the government doesn’t tell you about, eh? I have been unable to locate a reason for the outpost names, but I put questions out – maybe we’ll both get the answer to that one together.
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Amazing as usual. Your blog is a unique and fascinating piece of history. Great job.
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Thank you, Kate. I appreciate that very much.
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Did not know this…
South Korean President Syngman Rhee went into such a rage that became so bad that Eisenhower considered using Plan Ever-Ready. This was a contingency plan to depose him and seize control of the South Korean government.
But I knew about the Japanese soldier’s story.
Thanks for all you have done telling people about the Korean War.
Some people might think there are too much details and that your posts are sometimes too long to read, but then so was that war.
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And to think I have left so much out! That’s why I’m always asking people for any story they know. I have tried to make the posts shorter, but then I tend to confuse readers as to what is going on. I have to resign myself to the fact that I can’t please everyone. If someone is interested in this war, they know these posts only skim the surface. Thanks for being the ever loyal reader, Pierre.
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I will always be there…
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Thanks friend!
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Your accounts of this police action (war) really do demonstrate the fear that pervaded our country and the rest of the world at this time. Again, another threat to use the A-bomb and threats to overtake South Korea…what were we thinking?
Nice to read the full account of the last Japanese soldier. I hadn’t realized they got his CO to come down and relieve him of duty.
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It might have become necessary because Rhee, if he didn’t get his way, would sabotage UN efforts. If he wasn’t Pres., he probably would have been tried for treason for some of his actions. The Japanese soldier still refused to believe the war was over, the strength of his Yamato damashii (Japanese spirit) and Bushido (The way of the warrior), was incredible.
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