War Begins - 26 June - 5 July 1950. The Sea Services in the Korean War 1950 - 1953.
June 25th 2022
Today commemorates the 72nd Anniversary of the start of the Korean War.
1.) WE REMEMBER
At the outbreak of the war our family was in Edenton, North Carolina, while Dad was completing advanced training for helicopter duty at MCAS Edenton. Home base was Edenton but Dad was all over the place as pilot training took him from Quantico, Virginia, to Cherry Point, North Carolina, with a stop at Pensacola, Florida. Early in 1951 the family moved back to Orange County, California, for Dad's final stop at El Toro before transit to Korea that fall. He was assigned to VMO-6 which was a USMC Helicopter squadron.
A poem:
WE REMEMBER
Those we left there in the cold
We remember, we remember
Have no fears of growing old
Oh do we remember
Those who fell in prison yards
We remember, we remember
Savage weather savage guards
Oh do we remember
Those who died face down in mud
We remember, we remember
Asian soil Yankee blood
Oh do we remember
Those whose names we can't forget
We remember, we remember
Comrade spirits with us yet
Oh do we remember
Heartbreak Ridge and Pork Chop Hill
We remember, we remember
If we don't honor them who will
Oh do we remember
Those who died when far too young
We remember, we remember
It is for them this song is sung
Oh do we remember
"M. Garvey" u.washington.edu (1995)
2.) Naval bombardment of North Korean positions
3.) Dan Baker 1st Cavalry Division, M Company 8th Cavalry Regiment
Dan has been corresponding with Ted for several years. At age 99 Dan is still working on recollections of his wartime experiencea, His first offering was on Memorial Day 2022. The following is part two:
"After WWII I volunteered as an army reserve officer while finishing my B.A. degree at Indiana University. In 1950 I was recalled to active duty. After several months serving as an Information-Education Officer at Hq. Sixth Army at the Presidio of San Francisco, I received orders to proceed to Yokohama, Japan, the hq. of the 1st. Cav Div.. I was assigned to Co. M, 8th Cav. Reg. in South Korea, a heavy weapons company with platoons of machine guns, mortars, BARs, and 75 mm recoilless rifles. I was now a platoon leader of French 75 recoilless rifles.
The trouble was I had never ever seen one of these weapons before. I had to rely on my platoon sergeant to get me up to snuff on a weapon I knew nothing about. How embarrassing!
A 75 mm recoilless rifle is similar to an artillery howitzer. It is a small cannon with rifling in its barrel, but no breech block to absorb backfire. An explosive fire flame shoots out the back of the barrel and causes the weapon to jump several inches in the air when fired. The ammo round is about a foot long and weighs several pounds. The resulting noise from three of these in combat causes hearing problems for those who fire them.
I was ordered to take one of these rifles each time I led my platoon on patrol to determine enemy positions. It took a five man crew just to move it; one to carry the portable metal tripod, two to carry the large heavy rounds, and two to carry the rifle. Luckily I never encountered the enemy head on. It was a stupid use of a cumbersome weapon on the front lines. It was an order sent down from battalion that made no sense. I still wonder how I and my platoon survived the war."
1st Lt Dan Baker, Commander, Co. M, 8th Cav. Reg.
4.) Military Medical Reminiscences of Three Wars: Treatment of the United Nations Wounded at Chipyong-ni
Written by Dr. Robert M. Hall, MD USA Retired. See
this external link
Colonel Hall was one of the first Korean War Veterans who wrote to Hal in the early eighties while Hal was researching our father's military service. Colonel Hall was a senior medical officer with the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.
5.) Post Truce Korea (DMZ Era)
Well over 60% of our correspondents on the website and by email served after July 27, 1953. Everyone is welcome to be part of our extended "family". We have routinely posted information of value for this grouping since our first newsletters. See this link:
DMZ Veterans Center 1953 to present.
Our recent newsletters have shown interest for people interested in the period after the truce. We have considered, for some time, creating a sub-topic newsletter with focus just on the post-truce period. Many of you, our visitors, have signed up for that section. So, now it is the time to proceed. As part of this grouping Ted has been working on final touches to an online DMZ-Era casualty list. The list pulls data from several sources and will resemble the KCCF1 1950-1953 Casualty Data File found on the website.
6.) Letter to the Lost by Bill Sahno, Col.,USMC Ret.
The Korean War Project began a section of our website called "Letters to the Lost" early in November 2006.
See this link.
11 November 2006
To Whom it May Concern:
I am writing this letter in the year 2006, more than 50 years since a “Police Action” took place in a far place called Korea. As a young 10-year-old who grew up during the World War II years and the euphoric aftermath of victory, I can remember the ominous radio broadcasts which announced disturbing activities coming from the Korean peninsula. Political and military activity escalated to culminate in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday June 25, 1950, when the North Korean army struck across the 38th parallel. You, and your mates joined with other freedom loving countries to counter this threat to world peace and, the rest is now part of history.
Although Korea was not my war, we left many Marines who sacrificed their lives during that conflict. I now wish to share some thoughts with you regarding the measure of your sacrifice and the impact it has had on our world as it has evolved. As someone once said, the sacrifice that you offered when you died represents the surrender of two lives, the one you had and, the one you could have had. Looking back from this vantage point in history, it appears as though we did not learn much from what we learned, and the Korean involvement has proven to be the precise blueprint for subsequent “involvements” up to our present day. Not to say that what you did was done needlessly, no, quite the contrary. You fought for the right for us to make our own decisions even though we were not always smart enough to make the right ones. Freedom is a precious commodity, and it is precisely what must be protected at all costs. It is also a very fragile commodity which takes nurturing; however, it can be lost in a heartbeat.
History tells us of the never-ending struggle to seek the elusive goal of world peace, wherein mankind can seek the security of life, liberty, and the pursuit of noble goals. History also tells us that to achieve this goal, it takes men of action to ensure that this idea of a free society may continue to exist. You and your mates represent a link in that long chain of men of action.
We continue the struggle, and you are joined by our mates every day as we face a difficult world with seemingly insurmountable challenges ahead.
As we continue to forge new links in the chain, it would appear as though we will not be getting out of the veteran business anytime soon.
As long as there are threats to the freedom of man, there will be men of action to step forward and face the threats. You have done that in your time, and you have served nobly and well, for it was you and your mates that allowed me and my contemporaries to achieve what we have achieved, and to continue to carry the banner of freedom forward. Those of my time have passed that banner on to younger hands, and they continue to carry it proudly as did our predecessors in that long chain of men of action.
Some say that these letters are to the “Lost” and some refer to your action in Korea as the “forgotten war”. Rest assured, that is not the case. As long as you are remembered, you shall not be forgotten or lost, for you shall always be remembered as long as one veteran remains standing.
Best Wishes and “Semper Fidelis”!
William Sahno, Colonel, United States Marine Corps (Retired)
7.) Flying Boxcar C-119 Revisited
Edward D. Losch saw our notice by Jeff Brown, Editor of Hanger Digest, in our Memorial Day 2022 Newsletter. He decided to send a couple photos that his dad, Donald Losch, took in Korea during his tour in 1952. His Dad was with the 430th Engineer Construction Battalion. Edward created a great Flickr site for many of his Dad's color slides.
See Link to site
8.) Reunion Notices:
2nd Infantry Division
September 28 - October 2, 2022
Hilton Hotel Kansas City Airport
8801 NW 112th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64153
Contact: Mike Davino, Public Relations Chairman, email:
2ida.pao@charter.net
or phone (919) 498-1910.
USS Hornet and USS Constellation Joint Reunion
(CV-8, CV/CVA/CVS-12) and (CVA/CV-64)
All Ship's Officers, Air Groups, Crew, Marines and Families Welcomed.
Location: Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY Dates: Sept. 12-17, 2022
Millennium Hotel Buffalo
2040 Walden Ave., Buffalo, NY, 14225-, (716) 681-2400
Hornet Contact: Sandy Burket, Secretary
PO Box 108, Roaring Spring, PA 16673-9817
(814) 224-5063, cell: (814) 312-4976, email:
hornetcva@aol.com
Hornet Web Site:
usshornetassn.com/
USS Constellation Website:
www.ussconstellation.org
Contact: Capt. Sidney D. Rodgers, Secretary/Treasurer
cell: (703) 864-4548, email:
sidney.rodgers@cox.net
*Must be a Member of Hornet or Constellation to receive the room
block rate*
Confirmation Requested.
Please include your assigned Publisher's ID Number [ 18 ].
Thank You.
Respectfully,
James E. Hill, Sr.
USS Hornet Association, Inc.
Publicity Coordinator
Email:
1970jehillsr@ptd.net
9.) Newsletter sub-topic areas:
Our previous emailed newsletters showed all our readers how to subscribe to sub-topic areas. We now have enough subscribers of these topics to begin sending emails for those topics. If you have any questions about any of our newsletter features, be sure to ask Ted at
tbarker@kwp.org
10.) Book Update: Korean War Project Remembrance 1950-1953
Recap: "The book is the product of over 30 years of research into the women and men who perished during the Korean War while serving in USA forces. It is 528 pages, library quality, stitched binding, hard cover. 500 copies for the first printing."
"Comparisons with all the legacy DOD data files as well as thousands of documents sent by our website visitors led us to correct, amend, add or remove names.
"We have added over 600 women and men who were not on any US DOD listings in the past or present."
If you are interested in the book let Ted know by email, call or letter. We have sold over 300 copies as of this writing.
Purchase price is $58.00 US including shipping by USPS Media Mail. Multiple copies may be purchased. Check with Ted Barker by email, letter, or phone. See contact information at the bottom of this newsletter.
We pack and ship from our garage, a personal touch. See the blue link for full details:
Korean War Project Remembrance 1950 - 1953 - Hardback Book
Let your friends and local library or schools know of the book. Have them contact us.
11.) Donor / Member Update:
Consider supporting the mission of the Korean War Project by donations in the form of Membership/Sponsorship.
Membership:
Link to Membership | Donor page
Our Pledge Drive is an ongoing process. We are recruiting from those who have not participated, so if you can, jump on in, it will be appreciated.
The site is free for all to use and those who participate help to ensure that we remain online whether the donation is $15.00 membership or more.
For those persons or groups who cannot participate, we certainly understand. Our overall donor base has declined as former donors pass on or are no longer able to assist.
Donations/Memberships are tax deductible if you use long forms for tax deductions.
IRS reports.
Our EIN: 75-2695041 501(c)(3)
12.) Books-Films | Reunions
We shall continue to feature published books, films or videos, or upcoming projects on the website, Facebook, Twitter, and here, in the newsletters.
There are still reunion associations for Korean War era units. Most have ceased operations, however. Please advise us so that we can update and/or add groups and reunions.
13.) Subscribe/Unsubscribe
Subscribing and Unsubscribing to our email delivered content has been hit or miss in the past. Everyone that will receive this email has consented in the past to getting copies of our email.
Everyone may still continue to communicate with us by direct email, phone, or letter.
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14.) Contact Hal or Ted
Best regards,
Hal Barker, Director
hbarker@kwp.org
214-320-0342
Ted Barker, Administrator
tbarker@kwp.org
214-320-0342
