Clyde Queen wrote on 2002-10-15 16:14:00.0
Comments: How well I remember sailing aboard LST 1123 from the port of Kobe, Japan to the Port of Inchon to make the famous Inchon Invasion.
My Marine Corps "Sea and Air Travel--Embarkation slips" reads as follows:
"9Sept50 embarked on board LST 1123, at Kobe, Japan and departed there-from on 10 September 1950. Arrived and disembarked at Inchon, Korea, on 15 September 1950."
As a young Reservist who had never had the experience of going to Marine Corps Boot Camp, I did not know what "adventures I was to soon be confronted with." But I would soon learn, and very quickly so, all the lessons that Boot Camp would have taught me, plus much more!
In route to the port of Inchon from Kobe, I recall that the Marines in the Heavy Water Cooled Machine Gun Squad that I was assigned to was hunkered down in their sleeping bags, sleeping on the steel deck near the bow doors, and the AMTRACK we would depart in would be the third one to roll down the ramp.
I also remember how hot it was down below, and how the stench of vomit from those who were getting seasick was making me so sick I couldn't stand it.
Another Marine and myself (I cannot recall his name), decided to move our sleeping bags up into a forward gun turret. (Perhaps if he reads this, he will contact me.)
We thought we had made a smart move, until we were awaken by huge waves splashing over us in the middle of the night. We had ran into a typhoon, and the waves were breaking over the bow, and higher. Here we were, our sleeping bags were floating in water inside the gun turet, as the water could not drain out fast enough.
Soaking wet, tired, frightened, disgusted, and really upset by the whole thing, we made our way down to our Squad, to the place where the creaking, cracking and popping sounds of the AMTRACKS were straining at their chains that secured them to the decks below, as the ship rose, and fell, and crashed headon into the oncoming waves.
September the 15th, "D" Day. The bow doors of the LST opened wide, exposing all the sounds of war, and the smell of billowing, black smoke. I'll never forget the fright that rushed over me as the bow of our AMTRACK nosed down into the water, and a huge wave splashed up and over, and into the AMTRACK itself.
We were packed in like sardines with our weapons, field packs, 782 gear, ammo, and all the tools we would need to conduct an invasion. When the AMTRACK nosed deep into the water, I thought for sure we were headed for the bottom of the ocean. I recall hearing the Lieutenant yelling to the driver, "Gun it! Gun it! Gun it Damnit! Gun it!" Our driver was able to recover, and we recovered.
I remember the draft of the AMTRACK was so low, that water came up within a few feet of the open edge of the AMTRACK.
We set into motion to rendezvous with the other landing craft, and I recall watching the ripples on the water's surface as the Naval Guns blasted the shores. I recall first seeing the dark smoke rings, followed by the belching of orange flame and the ear splitting roar of the guns.
It was already late in the afternoon, and the dark clouds of smoke from ashore and int he air was quickly turning daylight into darkness, as we headed for "Red Beach."
After we landed at Inchon, and proceeded on toward Seoul, I heard that LST 1123 had not been able to get out of the area quick enough, as the tide had gone too quickly, and left the ship stranded "High and dry" in the mud.
I was a very young lad back in those days. I went to Korea as a boy, and became a man overnight. For some reason, combat in the United States Marine Corps will do that to you.
Semper Fi,
Clyde
Keywords: The Inchon Landing September 15 1950
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