|
===============================================
7 Korean War Project Newsletter - July 27, 2007 Volume 10 - 4
===============================================
Table of Contents:
1. Editorial
2. This Mailing List
3. Search for General Orders 9th Infantry Regiment, 2ID
4. 93rd Bomber Squadron MIA identified
5. Marine Night Fighter query by History Channel- Dogfights
6. KWP technical issues
7. Membership
8. KWP Casualty Data and Remembrance
9. Mapping and Chart project - KWP
10. Letters to the Lost - update
11. MIA / DNA / Identifications - update
12. Newsletter schedule
===============================================
1. Editorial
===============================================
On July 27th veterans, their friends, family and all survivors of
the Korean War, pause to Remember the truce. A halt in overt
aggression stopped this day. However, limited scale fighting
continued for years afterward.
As the Cold War picked up in intensity from 1954 onward, Korea
and the waters off Taiwan continued to be hot spots of world
interest and fear.
Bill Berebitsky, author of "A Very Long Weekend", could not have
been more prophetic in choosing the title of his book about the
war. The war was long and brutal. From the start the war-fighting
circumstances were fraught with political tensions as well as
extreme climate. (One could debate that most of these tensions
continue, unabated.)
By 1952, President Truman's approval rating for his
administration was dipping below 50%. Congressional hearings
featured long sessions of finger-pointing about the conduct of
the war. The contradictions in official commentary on the war
from the Department of Defense and the Truman Administration set
the stage for Truman to decide to not run for another term.
Truce talks began in earnest during July of 1951. Three armies
"in the field" were the negotiators, not the best situation for
timely resolution of issues. The terms set by the Communists and
rebutted by the United Nations Forces (chiefly the United States)
created a climate for failure.
Large scale bombing runs with subsequent UN offensives to
consolidate positions along Line Kansas onto Line Jamestown
furthered the stalemate at Panmunjom.
Strategists within the United States Defense Department had
decided the offensives had to be undertaken to force the Chinese
and North Koreans to acquiesce to a truce. The Iron Triangle area
battles ensued: Bloody Ridge, Heartbreak Ridge to the Soutwest with the US Marine offensives east of the Triangle at the Punchbowl following in quick succession.
Sadly, talks continued to balk over how to handle POW - Prisoner
of War repatriation.
It was not until the death of Stalin in March of 1953 that the
Soviets began to push China toward serious settlement of the war.
President Eisenhower furthered the climate of negotiation by
removing restrictions on the Nationalist Chinese government of
Chiang Kai-Shek. The Eisenhower Administration also spread word
that nuclear weapons usage was now a real consideration.
Real progress began in April of 1953 with POW repatriation -
Operation Little Switch. This was a delicate chess game which was
complicated by South Korean President Syngman Rhee. He excoriated
ROK leadership and civilians to continue to fight. His release of
25,000 Communist prisoners into the general population of South
Korea threw a wrench into the un-steady move toward peace.
The period from April of 1953 until the actual truce of July
27th, 1953 saw a wholesale increase in general warfare all along
the fighting front.
Bitter struggles for advantage, both tactical and political, set
the stage for massive artillery duels, air strikes and the
heart-rending ground battles. Casualties among combatants soared,
approaching the horrific rates of the first year of fighting.
The total UN artillery fire from April to July 27th was over 7.5
million rounds. The month of June tallied the highest rate of UN
artillery fire of the entire war, 2.7 million rounds expended.
The morning of the 28th of July, 1953 was met with relief, but a
cautious relief.
The following decades have seen South Korea emerge from the
shadow of war. Long years of strife on the Korean Peninsula were
over. A country never before divided was now severed along an
unnatural border.
The North has continued a steady economic decline while in the
South re-growth transformed the new nation into the 14th largest
economy in the world.
Hal and I have had many veterans ask us whether the sacrifice was
worth it. We both have urged those men to go and visit Korea for
themselves.
Hal took a trip to Korea in 1989 and again in 1994 to try to
answer those questions and others. What he found was a vibrant
country which he captured in video and still photography. Many of
those pictures can be found on the Korean War Project website.
We Remember!
Reference reading: See: Blair; "The Forgotten War", Hermes;
"Truce Tent and Fighting Front", Dorr and Thompson; "Korean Air
War", Futrell; "The United States Air Force in Korea", Cagle and
Manson; "The Sea War in Korea", Department of the Navy; "Naval
Operations in the Korean War".
See also: Korean War Project Bookstore for these books and more.
www.koreanwar.org/html/bookstore.html
===============================================
2. This Mailing List (going to 39,000 + persons)
===============================================
We began this newsletter mailing in December of 1998. The first
issue went to just over 2000 persons.
This list is a private list for our visitors and members. A
person may join or leave the list at will. It is compiled from
our Guest Book and comprises public service messages of general
interest to veterans and families.
To join or leave the list: email to: Ted Barker
tbarker@kwp.org
Place: Subscribe or Unsubscribe in the subject line.
Consider forwarding the Newsletter to your friends by email or
print. Word of mouth is how we grow.
Thanks for being part of the Korean War Project family!
===============================================
3. Search for General Orders 9th Infantry Regiment, 2ID
===============================================
Lawrence (Larry) Bertrand, author of "Dogging Their Steps", the
chronicle of Leo Bertrand's fateful 73 day tour of duty with the
2nd Infantry Division's 9th Infantry Regiment, has been trying to
find more documents concerning his brother, Leo who was killed in
the line of duty.
Ed Note: Larry is one of our first website visitors and
supporters. He donated his book to our reference library. His
request echo's many similar inquiries over the past twelve years.
Many of our visitors have amassed personal records that often
resolve such requests. Use our Looking For and Guestbook
departments for establishing contacts with fellow veterans and
historians who can assist. Keep Hal and I appraised of efforts. -
Ted Barker
Ted and Hal,
Would it be possible to include the following or at least the
last two paragraphs in the Korean War Project Newsletter?
I am trying to find the 2nd Infantry Division General Order
issuing the Bronze Star Medal to my brother, Leo Bertrand (ER 57
504 337), George Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry
Division.
Background:
The issuing order would originate from Headquarters, 2d Infantry
Division, APO 248, c/o Postmaster, San Francisco, CA. (Bronze
Star Medals are issued, not by the Regiment, but by the
Headquarters of the Division.) The General Order would have been
dated from about 20 December 1950 (the day Leo Bertrand joined
his unit in Korea) to 2 March 1951, (the date he was KIA) to 9
November 1951 (the date the Quartermaster Corp approved Form 623,
"The Application for Headstone or Marker"). The application
indicated that he received the Purple Heart (posthumously) and
the Bronze Star Medal. (Both designations for medals ["PH" and
"BSM"] are indeed engraved on his headstone.) Leo Bertrand's
parents (now deceased) did receive the Purple Heart but had never
been notified about the issuance of the BSM.
Since the late 1990's, I have attempted to locate documents to
justify the application for the BSM for Leo Bertrand. The
National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) stated that his military
personnel records were destroyed by fire on July 12, 1973 at
NPRC, St. Louis. Confirmation of that came from the offices of
two Congressmen. I personally searched the files of the 2nd
Infantry Division and 9th Infantry Regiment at the National
Archives, College Park, Maryland for the greater part of a week,
but found no General Order issuing the BSM to Leo Bertrand. In
addition, no DD 214 is known to exist.
One Last Hope!
Many Korean War veterans have copies of the 2nd Infantry Division
General Orders issuing them a Bronze or Silver Star. Here is the
HOPE. General Orders often have maybe 2-4 Silver Star and Bronze
Star medals issued on the same page in the same order.
My request is that veterans who were awarded Bronze Star or
Silver Star Medals between 20 December 1950 through 9 November
1951 review copies of their 2nd Infantry Division General Orders
to see if a Bronze Star was awarded on the same document to Leo
Bertrand (ER 57 504 337), George Company, 9th Infantry Regiment,
2nd Infantry Division. The General Order number, date issued,
and narrative of outstanding service are critical for applying
for medals.
Larry Bertrand LarryB931@sbcglobal.net
===============================================
4. 93rd Bomber Squadron MIA identified
===============================================
Brent Richard Simpson, grandson of USAF Captain Richard Harold
Simpson recently posted a Remembrance on the Korean War Project.
His grandfathers' B-29A crashed into a mountainside near Sinuju,
North Korea on April 12th, 1951. The plane had been attacked by
15 to 20 MIG fighter aircraft.
Brent and his family wanted us to know that the Department of
Defense has identified Captain Simpson's remains. They are
grateful for the efforts and await the final stages of
repatriation.
The entire family looks forward to hearing from members of the 93
rd and wishes them to contact Brent.
Brent Simpson
PH: (248) 872-8440
Email: michrugby@yahoo.com
The plane was the Hot Box, 44-69682. The rest of the crew is as
follows:
1st Lt George Aaron, (Remains recovered 1994)
Sgt Louis Bergmann (MIA)
Sgt Robert Bevans (MIA)
2nd Lt Elmer Bullock (Remains recovered 1994)
Sgt Ralph Elsman, Jr. (KIA)
SSgt John K. Gant (POW, Big Switch)
LTC Douglas H. Hatfield (MIA)
MSgt Robert W. Jones (Remains recovered 1994)
Sgt George E. Millward (POW, Big Switch)
1st Lt James S. Wilson, Jr (Remains recovered 1993)
Photograph From Earl McGill's B-29's In The Korean War Nose Art.
home.comcast.net/~noseart/hotbox.jpg
Great work by Earl McGill. You can reach him at:mywebpages.comcast.net/b29sinthekoreanwar/b29koreanwar.htm
mywebpages.comcast.net/b29sinthekoreanwar/0-b29MasterList.htm
Ed Note: the website referenced is a fantastic compendium of B-29
aircraft. The site title is: B-29's in the Korean War Nose Art.
===============================================
5. Marine Night Fighter query by History Channel- Dogfights
===============================================
My name is Tony Alunni, I am the supervising producer for the
History Channel series Dogfights. I am trying to track down some
mission reports for Korean War Marine night fighters?
Any leads regarding the following would be much appreciated.
On the night of 2:3 November 1952, a Sky Knight piloted by Marine
Major William Stratton, accompanied by radar operator Master
Sergeant Hans Hoagland, shot down what they reported from the
exhaust pattern to be a Yak-15 fighter, and claimed a confirmed
kill since the Sky knight flew through debris, narrowly evading
damage. Russian records indicate the target was actually a MiG-15
-- the Yak-15 was really not suited for operational use, and
wasn't used in combat in Korea or anywhere else -- and though the
Sky knight set the MiG on fire, the pilot managed to extinguish
the flames and get back to base. The MiG was fully operational in
a few days, a tribute to its rugged construction.
However, five days later, on the night of 7:8 November, another
F-3D Sky knight under the command of Marine Captain Oliver R.
Davis with radar operator Warrant Officer D.F. "Ding" Fessler
shot down a MiG-15. Russian sources do confirm this kill and that
the pilot, a Lieutenant Kovalyov, ejected safely.
On 10 December 1952, a Sky knight piloted by Marine Lieutenant
Joseph Corvi with radar operator Sergeant Dan George spotted a
"bogey" on radar. They could not establish visual contact, but
since no "friendlies" were supposed to be in the area, they fired
on the target.
A kill was confirmed when Sergeant George spotted a wing tumbling
past them. This was one of the first times when an aircraft
destroyed an enemy that the crew could not see. It turned out to
be one of the little Po-2 biplanes used by the North Koreans to
harass UN forces at night.
The Po-2 was a difficult target, since it flew low and slow, it
was small and agile, and its mostly wooden construction did not
show up well on radar.
The Marine Sky Knights claimed a total of at least six kills and
no B-29s under their escort were lost to enemy fighters. Two
Skyknights were lost in combat for unknown reasons.
Thanks so much.
Tony Alunni Tony@digitalranch.tv
===============================================
6. KWP technical issues
===============================================
Many of our visitors tried to download the link to the CD Sea
Services in the Korean War from our May 7th newsletter. The link
caused havoc with many of you. Although the link had been tested,
many of you could not download the file due to your network
settings. The topic was: "Section 15. Marine Corps | Navy
History Section".
www.koreanwar.org/html/newsletter_may_7_2007.html
I have been able to download Acrobat .pdf versions of most of the
contents of the CD except for the Montross and Canzona files on
the USMC.
An announcement will be forthcoming on the availability, locally,
of those files.
Email issues: Recent security measures invoked by major service
providers have prevented delivery of email from the KWP to our
end users. AOL users may not have been getting delivery along
with Netzero users. AOL mail administrators could not find the
cause for non-delivery.
An alert to many of you who use the Looking For, BBS and Guest
Book for networking was sent out in early July. Please be sure to
use the telephone and USPS as reinforcements to email contact.
===============================================
7. Membership
===============================================
Our Pledge Drive is an ongoing process. Many of our previous
donors no longer can assist. 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 $1.00 or
more!
Some of our site visitors cannot participate due to health or
income restrictions.
Sadly, many of our long-term contributors have passed away.
For those persons or groups who cannot participate, we certainly
understand.
Donations/Memberships are tax deductible, if you use long form
IRS reports. Our EIN: 75-2695041 501(c) (3)
===============================================
8. 'KWP Casualty Data and Remembrance
===============================================
Hal and I have been able to update our files to more completely
reflect casualties. Much of that progress has come about from
input in our Remembrance area.
All Medal of Honor and DSC recipients have been updated.
All aircraft losses have been updated to reflect those onboard
and the tail numbers and/or aircraft type.
In the process of updating we are asking our visitors to help
fill in the blanks for our fallen where no unit, birthdates,
hometown, or circumstances of death exist.
Please visit the KIA/MIA data files to help and to see the
updated work which is still in progress.
We are still going through the thousands of email stored over the
past thirteen years along with records provided by our
correspondents.
Link:
www.koreanwar.org/html/korean_war_databases.html
I===============================================
9. Mapping and Chart project - KWP
===============================================
Alert:
In the coming weeks a mapping program of battles, casualties,
unit locations will be placed on the KWP website. Charts that are
interactive (links to dates) is part of that effort.
Each bit of information on battle dates, casualty dates,
hometowns, Hill grid points, etc is of great importance to making
this project successful.
===============================================
10. Letters to the Lost - update
===============================================
Hal is almost to the point of using Dragon speech software to
read in the hand-written letters we received in November 2006.
After that is completed, a revision of the online letters will
commence.
The work in progress for the casualty files (see Section 9), is
part of the overall editing for the proposed book.
===============================================
11. MIA / DNA / Identifications - update
===============================================
Response from our May 7 th newsletter and the major media
articles that followed New Mexico Governor, Bill Richardson
continued to bear fruit. Hal and I have been able to pass on
contacts made to the Service Branch Casualty Offices in
Washington, DC.
Media correspondents have been calling to garner information
regarding recent Dept of Defense Press Releases on new
identifications made. We have been able to facilitate networking
for these media contacts to family, friends and Department of
Defense staff.
Reference to recent news articles and pending articles will be
featured on the KWP very shortly.
===============================================
12. Newsletter schedule
===============================================
An additional newsletter will be posted on August 1st. This will
contain new books, requests for locators and details on our
charting / mapping program.
===============================================
Thanks to all who have made this newsletter and the website
possible!
Donors/Members: www.koreanwar.org/html/membership.html
Hal and Ted Barker
tbarker@kwp.org,hbarker@kwp.org
|
