Korea - ROA Remembers The Forgotten War

With this edition of The Officer, the magazine concludes its Korean War series. The Korean commemoratives, submitted by 132 ROA members, have been featured in each issue of the magazine since July 2000, which marked the 50th anniversary of the start of the war.

The magazine staff, ROA's executive board and its officers salute the men and women of the Korean War for their many contributions--then, 50 years ago, and now for their recollections. To those who submitted stories and photos, we thank you for sharing your memories. To those whose stories did not appear, we apologize. Late arrival, competition with other stories, and fewer or smaller magazine issues are among the reasons.

In their concluding stories this mouth, one chaplain describes duty in Korea, and another tells of building the first synagogue there. Other contributors tell of MP duty at Panmunjom, of a special salute at Retreat, and of two homecomings.

April-July 1953 Nevada Cities, Berlin Outposts, And Panmunjom, Korea

Chap. (RADM) Emmett Owen Floyd, USNR (Bet.), of Elon, N.C., was a lieutenant junior grade who joined 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, as battalion chaplain in late March 1953, relieving Chaplain Thomas Newman who was being rotated home. Chaplain Floyd tells his story of service in Korea:

On the final lap up to the regimental CP, our jeep came under mortar fire from a Chinese battery.... I was taken to Chaplain Newman's tent and he began the rounds of introductions. The battalion CO, Lieutenant Colonel Cereggino, gave me a warm welcome and let me know I was following a fine chaplain who had been recommended for the Silver Star (later received) for his heroic service in guiding several relief parties up to outposts under heavy fire.

The 7th Marines were in the process of relieving the 5th Marines on the Nevada Cities outposts (Reno and Vegas). The Chinese continued to attack these outposts in numerous assaults resulting in heavy fighting and casualties.

I started out the next day visiting the various units scattered up and down the MLR. I had taped white adhesive on my helmet in the shape of a cross to identify myself readily as a chaplain. The gunnery sergeant and I kept drawing a lot of sniper fire, which fortunately missed its mark. Finally, he suggested to me that the special markings I had created on my helmet made the Chinese think I was an important target. I thanked him and quickly removed the white tape from my helmet and relied thereafter on the small black cross on my collar for identification....

The attacks on the outposts continued the month of April. When the action was heavy, my normal duty station was at the battalion aid station where our two doctors and a dozen or so Navy corpsmen worked. I did what I could to help the wounded, sometimes even practicing medicine without a license as I administered morphine shots that had a trigger release. I would pray with the men, say the Act of Contrition with the Catholic men, take notes and addresses of mothers, sweethearts, wives in order to later write them about their wounded loved ones. The saddest duty was writing letters of condolence to the next-of-kin of those who were killed. I never got used to that task, but tried to make each one as personal as possible and tell as much as I could about the circumstances of their death.

After a month of fighting over a relatively small amount of real estate, the 1st Marine Division was pulled off the MLR to go into division reserve for a much-deserved rest. During the month of April, the Marines had suffered a loss of almost 200 killed and more than 1,000 wounded....

When July came and the peace talks continued at Panmunjom, the Marines were sent back to the MLR to relieve various Army units. The 7th Marines relieved the Turkish brigade. Unfortunately, during the time the Marines were in reserve, the Army commander had decided to no longer defend the Nevada cities, which the Marines had held so valiantly and at such cost.

Now in a new section of the MLR, the Marines had to defend the Berlin and East Berlin Outposts as the truce talks were reaching a crucial point.... On 7 July, [the Chinese] launched a major offensive to drive the Marines off the outposts and possibly outflank the MLR and drive south. The attack lasted two days, with the Marines holding. On the 18th, they struck again with great numbers (our S-3 estimated we were outnumbered 10 to 1) and succeeded in killing enough Marines to seize the outpost. The Marines counterattacked but the Army commander made the decision to call off the counterattack, so Berlin and East Berlin remained in Chinese hands. But the cost was so heavy, the MLR was able to hold and the Chinese finally gave up hope for pushing farther, and the truce was signed on 27 July.

However, even on that last day, the fighting was heavy for the Marines in Boulder City. The firing was continuous until 2200 hours on that day. Each company of Marines on the MLR fired a star cluster in the air exactly at 2200 to proclaim it would observe the cease-fire. The Chinese did not respond. The final month of combat was one of the costliest for the Marines, exceeding even that of April 1953....

Because the Marine Division held the section close to Panmunjom, the Navy chaplains who served the Marines were assigned chaplain duties at Operation Big Switch, the exchange of prisoners. Four chaplains--two Catholic, two Protestant, and occasionally the one Jewish rabbi--would share the duty each day. We would greet the men, pray with them as they wished and offer Mass and Communion to those who desired. Almost all of them did....

Each day each side would present a manifest of the prisoners to be released the next day. Each day the Chinese would list Brigadier General Dean's name. We would list the highest ranking Chinese we held, a lieutenant colonel. But each day, no General Dean. So the lieutenant colonel would be returned to the POW camp. Finally, next to the last day, General Dean was in the group. I happened to be on duty that day and watched his interview with the press when he made the remark he would never be a POW again. He said he would carry suicide pills into combat and would take one if captured. His story of his treatment matched many of the others l heard from those who had suffered that terrible experience....

I consider my time of service as chaplain with the Marines in Korea the highest privilege in my long ministry of more than 50 years. The courage and dedication of those men in that "Forgotten War" inspired me then and continues to inspire to this day. May we never forget their service and contribution to their country.

August-September 1953 Inchon, Korea

Capt Robert L. Wood Jr., USAF (Ret.), of Arlington, Va., was a lieutenant in Korea, September 1950-September 1953, serving with various U.S. Air Force tactical units: 51st Interceptor Wing, 17th Bomb Wing, 452nd Bomb Wing. He writes about one of his last assignments:

A most noteworthy event was being designated U.S. Air Force finance officer for the repatriation (returning prisoners of war) project, 5 August to 6 September.

The Air Force had 217 returning personnel. I must have talked with 180 or so. As finance officer, it was my responsibility to go over their pay from time of being "missing in action" status.

Our location was Inchon, Korea. The POWs were ferried by helicopter from the release point at Panmunjom.

Each evening, I would teletype the names of individual returnees to HQ Far East Air Forces, Tokyo, and to the Air Force accounting and finance center, then in Denver, Colo. To assist me, I was assigned two enlisted personnel from 18th Fighter Wing at Clark Field, Philippines.

August-December 1953 Panmunjom, Korea

COL Joseph N. Macaluso, USAR (Ret.), of New Orleans, La., was a first lieutenant assigned to the Joint Security Task Force, United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNC-MAC) in Panmunjom. He describes his and UNC-MAC duties from August to December 1953:

The Joint Security Force operated at the peace talk site.... We provided security for the many meetings held between U.N. forces and the Communist forces.... Whenever a meeting took place, there was at least one U.S. MP posted at the south entrance door and one Communist MP at the north entrance. In addition, both sides had permanent walking patrols on both sides.

In addition to these duties, our unit also provided security for teams that did U.N. inspections....

On one particular November evening, a few North Korean soldiers ran over to our side at the Freedom Bridge, where we had an MP guard post. As they ran over to our side, the runaway soldiers were followed by several armed North Korean (Chinese) soldiers. The MPs on duty called in what was taking place, and were told to hold the runaway soldiers in the guard shack, and support was immediately sent to reinforce them.

Meanwhile, the Communist soldiers had surrounded the guard shack. This lasted all night; the Communists even brought in and set up a guard shack of their own. All troops were looking at one another and we were told by our CO to make sure the runaway soldiers were not taken and returned to the north. All in all, we had about 20 MPs at the site. There was a stalemate all night and eventually, according to what I heard, the information went all the way to 8th Army Headquarters.

After some 24 hours on site, the Communists eventually picked up their guard shack and returned to the North, and the North Korean soldiers were turned over to proper authorities in the South. I believed, from some of the stories told, they were really South Korean soldiers who were captured and were serving with the North.

March-May 1954 Seoul, Korea

Chap. (COL) Morton Shalowitz, AUS (Ret.), of Fond du Lac, Wis., was a first lieutenant on active duty as chaplain in Seoul, 1952-1954. He recounts his story of the birth of the first synagogue in Korea.

On 2 March 1954, the order to move was given.... Seoul Military Post was releasing its headquarters area to another Korean aid group, as the city was returning more and more to civilian status and control.

To the barren area we came, the chaplain section in the vanguard being the first to move. Two days later, all our supplies and equipment were placed in the two 75 x 20-foot Quonsets, which needed repair and remodeling before they were to become the office for the chaplains and the Seoul Military Post chapels, one of which would be the first Jewish chapel and synagogue in the history of Korea. Beth Yehee Shalom, the House of Let There Be Peace, was my task, a job that took nine weeks to perform....

With my assistant, I set upon the work with great fervor. Construction material and supplies were at a premium. We had to travel far from our home to locate the lumber, nails, paint and varnish. There were days when I traveled as far as 35 miles to obtain a donated sheet of plywood or a gallon of much-needed paint.

Gradually, the items began to accumulate and the laborers came to work. These artisans, Koreans who had never seen or heard of a Jewish synagogue and who could speak no English, were prepared to take direction from the Jewish chaplain who could speak no Korean. For six days, we worked, hammering, sawing and putting the mosaic pattern into form. By then, the carpenters had to leave, so that the construction shifted to night hours, lasting until close to midnight....

By Purim, most of the partitions were in. The chaplain's office and the space for his assistant were completed.... Haman received his "due reward" at the hands of GIs who came to Purim services held in a shul [synagogue] in Korea.

More expeditions, letters, and calls brought the remainder of the needed materials.... A jigsaw was discovered, so that the Hebrew letters forming the Shema could be carved out of wood and placed upon the wall above the ark. Stateside gold paint was located to ornament these letters. The two coats of paint were completed and the fixtures, designed by the chaplain and made by the assistant, were installed. With the words of the Shema placed upon the wall, the shul was ready for Pesach, the holiday of freedom.

For Yomtov service, GIs came from as far as 57 miles to be in the House of Let There Be Peace to pray for peace in this land and for their loved ones at home....

At the Passover Seder, GEN Maxwell D. Taylor, commanding general, 8th United States Army, was our guest. Arrangements to complete the building were made; the dedication set for 2 May. The Hon. Ellis O. Briggs, U. S. ambassador to Korea, was invited to attend, and he accepted.

... At the appointed time, 1500 hours on Sunday, 29 Nissan 5714 the dedicatory service began. The eight Jewish chaplains stationed in Korea participated and I ... presented Colonel Kammerer, the post commander, Ambassador Briggs and General Taylor. On concluding the dedicatory address, General Taylor dedicated the synagogue with the act of lighting the her tamid, the eternal light.

Four thousand years of history was changed! Dedicated "in honor of the men who made possible the establishment of Beth Yehee Shalom, the House of Let There Be Peace," a synagogue was now established in Korea....

Post-Armistice, 1953 Seoul, Korea

CW4 Eugene A. Horsman, USAR (Ret.), of Golden, Colo., had been a draftee PFC in Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 60th Ordnance Group in Seoul since April 1953. He describes an incident that happened about 60 days after the truce was signed:

In honor of a gate guard who had been killed when a Korean broke into the corn pound to steal a Jeep, a plaque had been mounted on a stone base, at the flag poles.... We were to have a special Retreat ceremony on this day to dedicate the plaque and the new Retreat cannon.

I went down a little early to look at the arrangement. Our armorer, who was responsible for the cannon, and who would fire it, was loading it when I got there. I noticed that the weapon was aimed toward the building (we were quartered in a two-story school building). On squatting down and looking along the barrel, I realized that it was aimed at the window over my bed. I asked him how much powder there was in the blank shell. He said only enough to make a bang, and that the wadding in from of it would only go a foot or so....

Before going down from our second-floor room, I had asked our houseboy to take some pictures of the ceremony, from the windows, with my 35mm camera.

Came time for the ceremony, and we were all smartly at attention. The command to present arms was given; the bugler sounded Retreat. The cannon went off, and it was immediately followed by the tinkling of glass, and a hole appeared in my window....

I found out afterward that Mun, our houseboy, had been kneeling on my bed taking pictures when this happened. In addition to being scared out of his wits, he was sprinkled with flying glass. Fortunately, it was above his head and not in front of his face. The cannon was then turned to face away from the building for future ceremonies.

Autumn 1953 Returning Home

COL Gordon C. Southern, AUS (Ret.), of Steele, Mo., was a first lieutenant who served with Tank Company, 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. Heading toward Frisco aboard the troopship Nelson M. Walker, he was assigned one more mission:

A special interrogation team on board had selected me to escort 107 repatriating POWs who had been processed by Operation Big Switch at Panmunjom. My responsibility was to hold muster twice daily, and 24-hour duty was assigned to make sure that these poor, starved souls, with their rotted teeth and cowed demeanor would be available on a moment's notice for interrogation.

Historically, this was the first instance of "brain-washing" by the insidious enemy captors, who had even persuaded more than 20 POWs to refuse repatriation. I was informed that there were suspected "turncoats" among my contingent, and other POWs had announced earlier at Panmunjom that they would be tossed overboard before they ever reached Frisco. It suddenly came to me that the "crap game therapy" that was applied by my good friend, Billy Wesson of the 5th RCT, might work in this case also....

I suspected that parlor games were not what my 107 soldiers would like to participate in. With the aid of their own top NCOs and a warrant officer, I set up huge areas below deck near the sleeping quarters ... for a gigantic crap game, available 24 hours a day.... Each man had a partial pay of Military Pay Currency (MPC), but in accordance with FECOM policy at that time, no U.S. dollars or currency were made available....

Despite the ugly predictions that there would be one or more turncoats consigned to the deep during the voyage, there was no trouble at all.

Military crap games all have the same outcome: A few men wound up with most or all of the MPC by the time they passed under the Golden Gate Bridge. Movietone News and the 6th Army Band greeted them at the dock, and they all had new uniforms and wore their decorations proudly.... As we approached the dock, I stood on deck and watched happily as my full complement of 107 repatriating POWs marched proudly down the gangplank....

November 1953 Homecoming

BG Harry J. Mott III, AUS (Ret.), of Hempstead, N. Y., served in Korea with the Wolfhounds, the 25th Infantry Division, 27th Infantry Regiment. He describes homecoming:

This is a story I have never been able to verbalize. Even today, 50 years later, I am choking up as I write it.

It was mid-November. The day came up bright and beautiful. The ship, the MTS Marine Lynx, was riding the Pacific swells just off the coast of Washington. The early morning mist temporarily obscured the coastline and Mt. Rainer as we approached the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Entering, we glided through the liquid silver of the strait as the splendor of the Olympic peninsula unfolded on our starboard side. Vancouver Island, on the port side, was equally beautiful, as the lush emerald conifers swayed in muted welcome.

Suddenly the mist lifted and there was the majestic snowcapped Mt. Ranier in all its reigning glory. What a wonderful sight as the sun illuminated its glistening snow cap.

We had to take a detour up to Vancouver to disembark the Canadian Princess Pat Light Infantry. Splendid soldiers! We enjoyed their camaraderie on the voyage. The inland waterway up and back was breathtaking in its beauty. We were relaxed and enjoyed the detour. Our ship traversed Puget Sound and put into Seattle in the early afternoon. There was a small band and some can-can girls along with a big sign on the dock, welcoming us home. The pier was crowded with families to welcome their loved ones home. But this was not home for me. Home was 3,000 miles away. A place called The Bronx.

When the ship was secured, we waited, now impatient, to disembark. We were the lucky ones. Home in one piece. Still hall and hearty. Proud of our service. Sporting our Combat Infantry Badges hut wearing older faces than we had when we left. Then we began to move. We were to go left on the wharf and into a door in the warehouse to buses waiting inside to take us to Ft. Lawton.

As I stepped off the gangplank, I headed left along the barricade holding back the people, toward the warehouse door. Just before I got to it I looked to my right and there, squeezed up against the barricade was a neatly dressed little lady, at least in her 70s, who reminded me of my diminutive grandmother. She caught my eye and quietly, just for me, smiled and whispered, "Welcome home, son"

The early morning mist returned, but only in my eyes. Somehow I found the doorway, stumbled through, and then I knew. I really was home!

RELATED ARTICLE: Korean Armistice Agreement document from a war no longer forgotten.

BY JOHN CARLIN

On 27 July 2003, our nation marked the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement, signaling the end of the Korean War. More than 1.8 million American men and women served in Korea; 54,200 Americans lost their lives there; and thousands of Americans still serve there.

The Korean Armistice Agreement, held in trust by the National Archives and Records Administration, is one of many documents in the Archives' collection that marks the end of major conflicts. From the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the Mexican-American War (1848); to the terms of agreement signed at Appomattox Court House by Gens. Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee marking the end of the Civil War (1865); to the surrender documents of the German Third Reich signed 7 May 1945 at Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, in northeastern France, these records are important links to our past that provide lessons for the future.

But among these documents, the Korean Armistice Agreement is unique. An agreement signed exclusively by military leaders rather than government leaders, it was considered purely a military agreement--with no nation as a signatory to the agreement.

President Eisenhower, who was keenly aware of the tragic loss of American life over the course of the conflict, played a key role in bringing about the cease-fire. In announcing the agreement to the American people in a television address shortly after the signing, he said, in part:

"Soldiers, sailors and airmen of 16 different countries have stood as partners beside us throughout these long and bitter months. In this struggle we have seen the United Nations meet the challenge of aggression--not with pathetic words of protest, but with deeds of decisive purpose. And so at long last the carnage of war is to cease and the negotiation of the conference table is to begin ... [We hope that] all nations may come to see the wisdom of composing differences in this fashion before, rather than after, there is resort to brutal and futile battle.

"Now as we strive to bring about that wisdom, there is, in this moment of sober satisfaction, one thought that must discipline our emotions and steady our resolution. It is this: We have won an armistice on a single battleground--not peace in the world. We may not now relax our guard nor cease our quest."

Today, 50 years later, with North Korea once again in the news, President Eisenhower's words seem prophetic.

John Carlin is archivist of the United States. To learn more about the National Archives' program, a National Archives Experience, visit www.archives.gov.

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