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Korean War Project Newsletter – June 20, 2006 Volume 9 # 3
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Picture from United States Forces Korea Command History Office: US Marine,
Pvt. 1st Class Luther Leguire raises the US Flag atop the American Consulate in
Seoul, 29 September 1950.
Table of Contents:
1. Editorial: June 25th Remembrance
2. This Mailing List
3. 13th Engineer Bn Soldier recognized as war casualty
4. June 25th 1950, 39th Fighter Squadron
5. Chinese View of the War
6. Australian Missing in Action Inquiry
7. Bookstore
8. Film | Television
9. DNA Project; Finding the Families
10. National Purple Heart Hall of Honor
11. Finding Robert Buyers, 2nd Bn 5th Marines
12 Obtaining DD 214 via NPRC St. Louis
13. Engineer Museum needs unit(s) data
14. Membership
15. KWP Newsletter format choices – new!
Quick Note: We need some input from Navy, Coast Guard and USMC folks for the newsletter!
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1. Editorial: June 25th Remembrance
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Every Memorial Day the Korean War Project receives email and phone calls from Veterans about the lack of press coverage of the Korean War. Elected officials and
governmental agencies are just as guilty of this lapse as any media outlet.
Hal and I would like to offer a way to ensure that June 25th is not forgotten again this year or in the future.
How? Call and write/fax, not email, your local media and/or governmental contacts to urge them provide coverage about June 25th and what that date means for all who served in Korea from June 1950 through July 27th
1953.
We are going to be contacting our media contacts to see if any articles are planned. Many times these contacts ask for interview opportunities with veterans or families as a result.
For print media: Ask for publication date, and the "slug line" (read title of story). For television media: Ask for time of airing and if any repeats will be aired. Then, let your friends know!
Several articles listed below are indicative why the sacrifices made during 1950-53 and from 1954 forward are important.
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2. This Mailing List (going to 37,000 + persons)
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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 contains 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!
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3.
13th Engineer Bn Soldier recognized as war casualty
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Several years ago Tina Kutschbach contacted the KWP to ask about a missing name from the Dpt. of Defense Korean War Casualty listing maintained by DIOR. Tina's
uncle Pvt. John E. Kutschbach could not be found on any casualty listing. She had the obituary to prove that he was a war casualty.
We gave Tina advice on how to proceed by networking with former unit members as
well as obtaining military records for creating an official file.
The following message was posted on the KWP Guestbook in late October of 2005:
Message Heading: John E. Kutschbach, Finally Recognized as Korean War Casualty Unit: 13th Engineer Bn
Comments: After several years of frustrating processes, my Uncle John E.
Kutschbach, who died July 15, 1953, is now officially recognized as a Korean War Casualty. His name is in the Korean War Honor Roll.
I would like to thank everyone at the Korean War Project for their support and advice
over the years so that I could do this one last thing to honor my Uncle John, who died too young.
Thanks Again!
Tina Kutschbach
Chillicothe, Ohio
From the ABMC Honor Roll
www.abmc.gov
Private, U.S. Army
Service Number 52235826
Died of Wounds
Died July 15, 1953 in Korea
Private Kutschbach was a member of the 13th Engineer Combat Battalion, 7th
Infantry Division. On July 4, 1953, he was severely wounded by an enemy hand grenade and was evacuated to the military hospital in Japan where he died on July
15, 1953. Private Kutschbach was awarded the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the
Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal
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Editor's Note: We have often felt that more casualties will continue to surface from input from the general public. Private Kutschbach became a casualty in the last
furious fighting of the Korean War. It is likely that official reports lagged behind the events becoming lost or unrecorded.
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4. June 25th 1950, 39th Fighter Squadron
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"I was with the 39th Fighter. Squadron (35th Fighter Group) based at Johnson AFB just outside Tokyo and then moved to Yokota AFB when the war started. We were in
Tokyo that Sunday Morning and they came around in jeeps and weapons carriers yelling at everybody with bull horns to get back to their bases because we were at war with North Korea."
"When we got back, General Hoyt Vandenberg was at the main B-29 hanger to address all of us and told us that President Truman said we would go over there and
show them just how bad we were and we'd be back in a couple weeks. They gave us a few C rations, and 200 .30 cal bullets for our carbines and a half pup tent."
"The two weeks lasted a lot longer."
Dan O'Dell
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5. Chinese View of the War
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The Chinese View of the Korean War
by Robert Scheppy
How do the Chinese view the Korean War? I can sum it up fairly easily. The Chinese completely deny any responsibility for historical events in the Korean War from 1950
to 1953. I find their denial to be very disturbing. But the Korean War seems to be on their minds, as several Chinese have brought up the topic
without any prompting from me.
The China Daily is an English-language newspaper. In recent years the newspaper has printed several English-language translations of an official Chinese history of the
Korean War. Generally, they call it a Civil War between North Korea and South Korea. They refer to the United Nations as "the so-called United Nations." They provide a
very low estimate of Chinese casualties, around 150,000, nowhere near the 900,000 to a million casualties from western sources. But one thing is clear: China did not start the Korean War.
Nanjing: A Chinese teacher brought up the Korean War and told me that Stalin and the Russians were responsible for starting the Korean War, as Stalin provided North Korea with weapons and permission to start the war.
A female Chinese teacher in her 50s, who spent seven years planting rice during Cultural Revolution, told me, "They teach us the Americans were marching up the
Korean peninsula to invade China. I think the Americans lost many killed in the Korean War." She was unaware of the enormous number of Chinese
casualties.
Shanghai: I worked with a Chinese teacher in a small college. One day, I copied my World Book Encyclopedia CD-ROM onto a computer. Most Americans would
probably consider the World Book to be pretty innocuous and inoffensive, since the articles are contributed by university professors and are written for a general
audience. I told him to have a look and that I thought he would find the World Book be objective and fair.
Immediately, he searched for the Korean War and located an article written by Dr.
Lloyd C. Gardner, a Professor of History at Rutgers University. After reading the article, the Chinese teacher said to me in horror, "You said it was impartial." He found
this passage very upsetting and, based on his knowledge, not very accurate:
"The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when troops from Communist-ruled North
Korea invaded South Korea. The UN called the invasion a violation of international peace and demanded that the Communists withdraw from South Korea. After the
Communists kept fighting, the UN asked its member nations to give military aid to South Korea. Sixteen UN countries sent troops to help the South Koreans, and 41
countries sent military equipment or food and other supplies. The United States provided about 90 percent of the troops, military equipment, and supplies that were
sent to South Korea. China fought on the side of North Korea, and the Soviet Union gave military equipment to
the North Koreans."
Guangzhou: I was teaching a class on British-American culture to a group of adults, all of who were university graduates and employed in various government departments
around Guangdong Province. One fellow, who had majored in the Korean language, asked me about the Korean War. I used Dr. Lloyd C. Gardner's article and a National Geographic map on the
Korean War to give a class.
The National Geographic map indicates that North Korea spends some 40% of its GDP on the military. "Because South Korea may invade them," said one fellow.
I wrote a few basic historical events on the board and then wrote that Chinese soldiers entered Korea in November 1950. Several of the class objected. One man
got up and wrote the words "volunteers" on the board. They objected to the words "Chinese army", "Chinese troops", and "People's Liberation Army (PLA) to describe
Chinese soldiers in the Korean War.
"Who did fight in Korea?" I asked.
"Volunteers went to Korea. China asked for volunteers to defend China and volunteers went to Korea." They told me.
"There were no Chinese soldiers in Korea? You mean a million soldiers just fell out of the sky?" I said. No one responded to my questions, but the answer is basically yes.
There was no Chinese army in Korea. There were no Chinese troops in Korea. The People's Liberation Army was not in Korea. There is a complete denial of China's responsibility for any intervention
in the Korean War. If any Chinese has a different
opinion, he keeps it to himself.
(Copyright: Mr. Robert Scheppy and Korean War Project)
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6. Australian Missing in Action Inquiry
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Allan Murray Publicity Officer /Committeeman Korea Veterans Association of Australia Inc K.V.A.A.Inc. writes:
Gentlemen, please print this list on your web sites as I am hoping that one of your veterans can shed some light on the whereabouts of these missing in action
Australians. I think that some may have been POW's and died during their captivity, if any of your members can help to bring about a closure for the families, we will be
eternally grateful. We/I do of course require as much detail as you can give.
Missing in action list 1950 -1956 Korea and cease -fire period.
2/400437 Pte William Thomas Henry Lord.
3/37672 Lt Laurence Bonaventure Ryan.
3/400430 Pte Thomas George Wallace.
3/10796, Pte Denis Edward Whitehouse.
1/1641 Pte William Rudolf Kunkel.
3/10647 Pte Leslie John Griffiths
2/5124 Pte Reginald Donald Rootes.
1/400304 Pte Ronald William Shennon.
3.400608 Pte Peter White.
4/400156 Pte Francis Brady.
5/400181 Pte Joseph Whilliam Hodgkisson.
3/400 Pte John Phillip Saunders.
5/2103 Pte Arthur John Scurry.
2/35020 Lt Francis Charles Smith.
3/400376 Pte Lyndon John Terry.
5/2514 Pte John King Christie..
2/401322 Pte Thomas Randolf Foot.
2/400919 Pte John Lawrence Mc Kandry.
2/400798 Pte John William Nicholson.
3/3706 Cpl John Berkley Ashe.
2/401173 Lcpl Edmond George Bourke.
3/400143 Cpl William Kevin Murphy.
Allan may be reached by email at: kvaainc@optusnet.com.au
Korea Veterans Association of Australia
Melbourne, Vi Vic 3140 Australia
Website: https://www.austkoreavets,asn.au
Phone: 03 9-893-1708
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7. Bookstore
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Books featured at: https://www.koreanwar.org/html/bookstore.html
===a.===
Soldier Dead:
How We Recover, Identify, Bury, and Honor Our Military Fallen. Soldier Dead:
How We Recover, Identify, Bury, and Honor Our Military Fallen.
by Michael Sledge
Mike has created a 'tour de force' with his years of research and detailed writing. He and I spoke a couple of years ago to share sources of information. We discussed the work being done for the unaccounted for from the Korean War.
Harold G. (Hal) Moore, Lt. General, US Army (Ret.) co-author of "We Were Soldiers Once and…Young: Ia Drang- The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam" wrote the following.
"This superbly researched, beautifully written book should be read by every person in Washington with authority or responsibilities associated with American military forces
and their families. This is a history that begged to be written out of loyalty to and respect for the American military men and women killed during their service in war or
peace. No area of interest is left unexplored. This is an extraordinary book, written with compelling empathy, candor, and compassionate sensitivity.
Columbia University Press, New York | ISBN 0-231-13514-9
https://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/catalog/data/023113/0231135149.HTM
Price 29.95 (Hardback)
===b.===
SCARWAF
by Jim Foreman
I've had a number of people wanting to buy my book, SCARWAF so I have made it easier for them to have a copy. It's can now be downloaded directly from my website
in PDF format and all they need to is drop by Kinkos and have them run a copy.
There is no charge for the download and all they have to pay is what Kinkos charges,
which is around five cents a page. If Kinkos questions the copyright, I will be glad to release it for a single copy for personal use.
Jim Foreman
jimfore@icon.net
https://www.JimForeman.com
===c.===
"Korea, The Forgotten War" an Internet Flash Movie
by Warren Willis
This movie is in a novel format using advanced internet tools. The movie is a tribute to Korean War Veterans.
Browse to: https://patriotfilesannex.org
Other sites by Warren: www.oldbluejacket.com
===d.===
"Crimson Imjin Korea 1951: Korean Hill Rats, The Infantrymen"
by Robert Ryan (K Co 7th RCT 3rd Infantry Division)
Bob wants people to send email to him to order. He also has a neat website located at:
https://www.geocities.com/bobryankcib/merchantmarinearmy.html
Email:
bobryankcib@yahoo.com
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8. Film | Television
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====a.====
"Heroes Under Fire: White Tigers". Army Unit 8240
The History Channel featured the White Tigers in November of 2005. This was a long anticipated effort with detailed research provided by Doug Dillard and Ben Malcom,
per Silvia Gambardella of the History Channel.
===b.===
From Martin Markley (15th Infantry Regiment and Society of the 3rd Infantry Division)
"Hiroshi Miyamura and Joe Annello, H Company 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division."
The Military Channel, (formerly Discovery Wings Channel) aired a Veterans Day 2005
documentary that followed these two men back to the battlefields of Korea.
"Follow a group of Korean War veterans (including 3ID Society members Hiroshi
Miyamura and Joe Annello) back to the battlefields in "The Land of Morning Calm" where they fought as young men. The history of the conflict is revealed from the
hands-on memories of warriors from the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force. "
From Ed Dojutrek, Society of 3ID Historian:
A little background; Back in April l951, during the Chinese Spring offensive the 1st
section of the Machine Gun Platoon of 'H' Company was attacked and overrun during the Chinese assault on their position.
During the attack, Sgt. Hiroshi Miyamura, Squad Leader of the 1st Squad fought
courageously until overcome by the enemy attack. (For this action he was subsequently was awarded the C.M.H.) Sgt. Joe Annello, Squad leader of the 2nd Squad was severely wounded and unable to walk. Their Chinese captors began
marching them north after the attack. Joe, unable to walk was carried by Hiroshi and the others for several miles until their Chinese captors told them that the wounded
would have to be left beside the road as they were slowing down the column.
Aware of what normally was the fate of captives left behind, Hiroshi and the others
able to walk said their solemn and tearful goodbyes to Joe thinking that they would never see alive again.
Joe lay beside the road for two days, more dead than alive, until two Chinese soldiers
came along the road and upon prodding him with their rifles heard a slight moan. They then left and returned with a stretcher that had two bicycle wheels attached to the
center pf the litter. He (Joe) was transported to a nearby village that was occupied by a half dozen severely wounded soldiers.
In the Camp was an Air Force Pilot (Melvin J. Shadduck) that had sustained minor
burns on his hands when his plane was shot down by the enemy. He alone tended to the care of the other wounded prisoners. (Three Americans and one Turk) After two
weeks in the village, this man decided that the only alternative was to seek escape from the village. He did escape and a week later the wounded experienced a
bombing attack of the surrounding hills of the village and that afternoon heard rumbling coming from the southern area of the village. They were shortly thereafter rescued by Tanks from the 1st Cavalry Division.
Link:
https://www.warfoto.com/3rdsocietyphotos4.htm
===c.===
A Foxhole View:
Personal Accounts of Hawaii's Korean War Veterans
by Louis Baldovi vtoyb@gte.net
Louis wrote recently to re-acquaint us with his book about the battle at Old Baldy. Men from the 180th Infantry Regiment will be very interested in this book about this protracted fight and others in which the unit was engaged.
Available at Barnes and Noble, Borders and the University of Hawaii Press
Order from U. Hawaii by (808) 956-8255 or
uhbook@hawaii.edu
===d.===
"Forgotten Road Warriors"
by Louis S. Diggs
John Warner tipped the KWP to this book about the 231st Transportation Truck Battalion which was part of the Maryland national guard and was activated and sent to Korea soon after the war started in 1950.
Anyone that was in a transportation Co. in Korea during the war might be interested.
Mr. Diggs has a website with information on the book and his other extensive writing endeavors.
Go to www.louisdiggs.com for information.
John Warner
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9. DNA Project; Finding the Families
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From March 2006 through May 28th 2006 our Finding the Families Project was
offline. It is now online with the most current updates for status provided by Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC).
The program was offline to allow Hal and I to clear the air between some of the offices charged with the responsibility for the important task of recovery of our war dead and missing.
There was concern expressed about how we (KWP) obtained our updates. Those concerns seem to have been put to rest with a better working relationship between the KWP and those offices.
Link: https://www.koreanwar.org/html/korean_war_databases.html
The goal of the KWP is to facilitate networking between those tasked with the Department of Defense requirement and family or friends of the men still missing.
Each service branch as well as JPAC and DPMO work to maintain NOK – Next of Kin listings in the event remains are close to identification or identified.
DNA samples from qualifying family are used to more narrowly focus the comparison process. To that effect DPMO has staff in the field to gather information from veterans as well as family members. Each service branch does likewise.
The information gathered is forwarded to the Hawaii laboratories where all the data is put together.
JPAC has a request for over 1000 DNA samples that is considered high priority or
'urgent'. This list is compiled from case studies for which the scientists believe that comparing DNA samples can either include or exclude a grouping of remains from immediate identification.
A good example of how KWP site visitors help to spread the word or to provide DNA samples comes from the July 25th 2005 news article about "Finding the Families" in
the Albuquerque Journal. Titled "Korean War MIAs Tracked", written by Miguel Navarot, the article described both the Department of Defense initiative and the KWP
initiative. Mr. Navarot featured an example of a recent identification, PFC Lowell W. Bellar, 19, from Gary, IN. DNA was the conclusive linchpin in getting this young man's remains back home.
The article also used the KWP database as a source to print out all the New Mexico Korean War Missing as an avenue to reach out to New Mexico families.
The article was spurred along by Jim Cooper (19th Infantry Rgt.) as a way to get a story out for July 27th as well as for the MIA program. Jim is very active from his
hometown using the Internet to provide networking for 24th Infantry Division veterans.
Eddie Groth, of Las Cruces, mailed the news article to us from his copy. He was a medic with Easy Med 1st Marine Division.
Families from 28% (8 of 27) of the men listed in the news article made immediate contact with the KWP and the appropriate service branch.
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10. National Purple Heart Hall of Honor
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Sent by Bill Keller
New Museum Seeks Purple Heart Recipients
The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is currently under construction in New York's Hudson River Valley at the New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site.
Its mission is to collect and preserve the stories of Purple Heart recipients from all branches of the service and across the generations in an attempt to ensure that all recipients are represented.
Their stories will be preserved and shared through exhibits, live and videotaped interviews with the veterans themselves, and the Roll of Honor, an interactive computer program preserving the stories of each individual.
The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor the first in the nation to recognize the more than 800,000 Americans wounded or killed in action while serving in the United States Military.
For more information or to have your story preserved as a Purple Heart recipient, contact Michael J. Clark, Project Coordinator, National Purple Heart Hall of Honor,
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site, P.O. Box 207 (374 Temple Hill Road), Vails Gate, NY 12584-0207, telephone 845-561-1765, or e-mail
Link: https://nysparks.state.ny.us/heritage/purple_hrt.asp
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11. Finding Robert Buyers, 2nd Bn 5th Marines
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I was a Marine Company Corpsman with 5/2/5 from May 1951 to October 1951.
My first casualty was a Marine named Robert Buyers. At the Battalion Aid Station, he was photographed by a correspondent and the picture was on the cover a small
periodical and now it came out on the cover of Korea's 50th anniversary book.
Other marines and I have been trying to locate Bob Buyers for our reunions. Is there a
way to put this information in your news letter and see if anyone knows his whereabouts?
Thanks,
Jack (Doc) McCrory
2421 Barham Dr.
Escondido, CA 92029
760 740-1324
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12. Obtaining DD 214 via NPRC St. Louis
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The National Personnel Records Center NPRC) continues to advance the capability
for veterans or family to order needed records by using the internet
From Ed Bicknell:
Great news for veterans - The National Personnel Records Center NPRC) has provided the following website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214 online: https://vetrecs.archives.gov/.
This will cut the waiting time veterans have had in the past waiting for copies of their
DD-214s and will be particularly helpful when they need a copy of their DD-214
NPRC is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and Internet access to
obtain copies of documents from their military files. Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents.
Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete the Standard Form 180, which can be downloaded from the online web site.
Because the requester will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to
process the request, delays that normally occur when NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be minimized. The new web-based application was
designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records center's mailroom processing time.
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13. Engineer Museum needs unit(s) data
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Charles L. Collins, LTC USA (Ret) kwvet@bellsouth.net wrote:
May 18th, 2006
"For all Korean War Engineer units, the Fort Leonard Wood Engineer Museum does not have statistical data for all unit actions in Korea. They could use as much detailed information as each Korean War Project visitor can supply."
Information for WWII is extensive at the museum.
If anyone has information send it to:
USAES History Office
Attn: ATSE-Z-H
320 Manseen Loop, Ste 043 Hoge Hall
Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473-8929
Col. Collins suggests using his name in a cover letter so that information is not put aside and lost. Contact Col. Collins if questions arise. (Use email link!)
Charles L. Collins
3931 Shamrock Dr
Huntsville, AL 35810-4033
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14. Membership
Donations/Memberships are tax deductible, if you use long form IRS reports. Our EIN: 75-2695041 501(c)(3)
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15. KWP Newsletter format choices – new!
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Program note:
You may obtain the news by sending email to:
news@koreanwar.org
(click this email link).
Newspaper style copy can be downloaded at:
Word Document Version in Newspaper column style at:
www.koreanwar.org/html/news/news.doc
PDF Document Version in Newspaper column style at:
www.koreanwar.org/html/news/news.pdf
Until next time, 'Thanks' to all who have made this possible.
Hal and Ted Barker |
