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Military Quotes
Fortunate is the general staff which sees a war fought the way it intends.
-- Richard M. Watt
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 First served in Korea right after the end of World War II, from 1946 to 1948 with the following units. 1. 754 Tank BN, 7th Div. 2. Co "G" 2nd BN, 32nd Inf Regt, 7th Division. Started my tour of duty at Sui Saik, about 13 miles south of Seoul. Then moved up to Munsan next to the Imjim River, then up to Kaesong (now in hands of North Korea), and Onjin (a small pennsula of South Korea).
It was necessary to drive through Pyongyang, North Korea (escorted by Russian Soldiers) to get to and from Onjin to Kaesong. That is an event that I shall never forget as long as I live. The Russians were not the lest bit friendly to us, and made it as difficult for us as possible while traversing through North Korea. If you had a flat tire, you could not stop until you reached, and crossed the border of Onjin. I was a Jeep driver at that time.
The second time I was in Korea was from September 15, 1950 to July, 1951. Units served with: 1. Weapons Co. Heavy Water Cooled Machine Guns, 2. H&S Co, (S-2) Section, and then "attached" to Dog Co., 2nd BN, 1st Regt., 1st Marine Div FMF. Started out with the invasion of Inchon, on up into Seoul. From there, back to Inchon and boarded the USNS NOBLE, and transported to Wonson.
After the "up & down" cruise off the port of Wonson known as "Operation Yo Yo," while they cleared the Harbor of mines, we finally landed at Wonson. From there, a skirmish with the North Koreans in the Hills. From there, we loaded up aboard an old Korean train. We crossed over a rickety old railroad trestle over a deep canyon, at night moving about 3 miles per hour. I was scared to death the North Koreans would try to blow up the bridge while we were creeping across it. Arrived at the beach of Kojo, where we spent the night on the beach while the mortars & artillery bombarded the hills. The next day, found Americans who had been bayoneted in their sleeping bags, some with their hands tied behind their back with wire, and shot in the head.
From there, on up to Hamhung, and then on up to Koto-ri for the Chosin Reservoir Operation. Sub zero freezing weather, and 120,000 Chinese entered the war and surrounded us, with the mission of killing every American down to the lowest ranking man. The 1st Marines, 5th Marines, 11th Marines and 7th Marines along with elements of the U. S. Army were faced with two enemies. They were, "Sub zero freezing weather," and an overwhelming number of Chinese soldiers. With the helping hand of God, many were able to get out alive. Others were not so fortunate. Some units had it worse than others, but it was no picnic for any particular unit. Fox Company, 2nd BN, 7th Marines made military history by holding their position, with the chances of survival, overwhelmingly not in their favor. But they stubbornly fought, and held their ground. Had it not been for them, perhaps many of us may not be alive today. When we made the breakout from the Chosin Reservoir area, we traveled to the port of Hungnam, where ships were waiting off shore to transport us to the Port of Pusan, South Korea. I was aboard the "General Collins."
During the Chosin Reservoir Operation, there were 17 Medals of Honor, and 70 Navy Crosses earned. The most medals of that high degree ever earned in any single battle. Today, there are many veterans of that operation that are suffering from frostbite, and cold weather related injuries. Out of a total of approximately 20,000 Americans, there are only approximately 5,000 veterans of that battle who are still alive today.
May our grandchildren never have to fight the battle of the Chosin Reservoir again. Not now, not ever. God Bless the survivors of the Chosin Reservoir. Chosin Few.
Note: by Clyde H. Queen, Sr
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This Day in History
1699:
The Treaty of Karlowitz ends the war between Austria and the Turks.
1863:
General Joseph Hooker assumes command of the Army of the Potomac following Ambrose Burnside.
1942:
American Expeditionary Force lands in Northern Ireland.
1943:
The first OSS (Office of Strategic Services) agent parachutes behind Japanese lines in Burma.
1945:
Soviet troops enter Auschwitz, Poland, freeing the survivors of the network of concentration camps. Auschwitz was a group of camps, designated I, II, and III. There were also 40 smaller "satellite" camps.
1945:
The most decorated soldier of WWII, American Lt. Audie Murphy, is wounded in France. Perhaps as interesting as his service record and later film career was his public admission that he suffered severe depression from post traumatic stress syndrome, also called battle fatigue, and became addicted to sleeping pills as a result. This had long been a taboo subject for veterans.
1951:
U.S. warships bombarded Inchon for the second time during the war. The first was during the initial allied invasion, Sept. 15, 1950.
1953:
Surface ships blasted coastal targets as the USS Missouri completed a 46-hour bombardment of Songjin.
1953:
The last F4U Corsair rolled off the Chance Vought Aircraft Company production line. Despite the dawning of the jet age, this World War II fighter remained in production due to its vital close-air support role in the Korean War. Almost 12,000 Corsairs were produced in various models.
1970:
U.S. Navy Lt. Everett Alvarez Jr. spends his 2,000th day in captivity in Southeast Asia. First taken prisoner when his plane was shot down on August 5, 1964, he became the longest-held confirmed POW in U.S. history. Alvarez was released in 1973 after spending over eight years in captivity.
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Comments
God bless us one and all. Thanks for your service
we came up on a squad of chinks that if they were not froze to death i would not be writing this e-mail today.
semper fi,
gunny (stay warm)
SF
NC
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