Raymond Efteland wrote on 2003-08-19 13:21:00.0
Comments: From: Former Master Sergeant Raymond J EFTELAND
Re: 2nd Engineer Construction Group, Korea
I was the Personnel Supervisor for the Group from early October 1951 to mid-August 1952. WOJG(?) Sam Massey was my Personnel Officer.
I cant give you any names. Just too many people. Our TO&E authorized strength was about 2,900, but we had around 4,000 plus around 800 KATUSA, who had their own Personnel Section with a Sgt Pak in charge. Almost every night we received from 2 to 50 replacements. But one night early in 1952 we got 400 blacks up from KogeDo. where there had been turmoil in a camp of Chinese prisoners. And we were kept almost as busy rotating men back to Japan or the USA.
Headquarters and Hq Co. were located at what was said to have been a British textile entity at YongDongPo. There were three large brick buildings. One was the mess hall, another was Gp Hq and Officer Billeting, and the third was the Adjutants office. There were also a number of framed structures that I think were designed to hold 4 British families each, which were used for officer and enlisted housing.
There were also 4 Quonsets -- Company Hq, Gp personnel section, Gp supply depot personnel, and Gp communications Section.
I was never quite sure about directions, but I would say we were several miles east or southeast of the Han River Bridge and just past us was the road to Inchon. Our front gate was across the street from the 7th Evac Hospital and dispensary, and behind us in more buildings of the textile mill was a National Guard railroad unit (Reading Railroad).
The Group had the following units:
Hq & Hq Co 54th Engr Maint Co 81st Water Supply Co 341st Panel Bridge Co ??? -- I think but ` number escapes me 76th Engr Const Bn 84th ` ??? Engr Service Bn (Again no number but stationed at Suwon. All black but being integrated in 1952). Back in my mind I seem to think there might have been another Water Supply Company, but I am unsure time coinciding with the 400 from Kogedo).
SOME BITS AND PIECES
The 76th was out in the boon docks near Taegu building a ROK training camp. They were4 being harassed by guerillas. They were happy when they got out of there.
The 84th had built a shoofly wooden bridge up on the White River. The day after it was dedicated our Air Force tried to take it out. One bomb exploded harmlessly upstream. The second buried itself under the span, but was a dud.
Just downstream was a high railway bridge. The most western 213 foot span had been blown during the fighting. The 84th brought in a bunch of freight car wheel trucks and built a new span on top of them. In front they attached a 167 foot nose cone. When they were ready a locomotive pushed the assembly, the cone slid onto the center span, and the new span rode into place. I didnt see it, but they said the operation took about five minutes.
Just before I left they were building an Officers Club just in front of the mess hall. A draftee friend of mine, from Butte, Montana but a night club architect in San Francisco designed it. I was simply amazed by what he could do with just cement and reinforcing rod to go on.
Anyway this is about all I can come up with. Hope it helps you.
Ray
Keywords: units
|
