From: "Harold Drevecky" Drevecky@btinternet.com Sent: Saturday, October 21, 2000 2:24 PM Subject: Add Unit Would like to chat with any veterans of the 542 Medical Clearing Company (Separate). Especially any one who served with me in the "five four duece" in 1952 and 1953. Harold Drevecky drevecky@talk21.com Info on unit: I will try to put down what I remember of the 542nd Medical Clearing Company (Separate) but since I am currently on the last year of a 4 year assignment in England for The Boeing Company, all my records, photos, etc. are in storage in Seattle (and after this long a time, memory tends to get fuzzy). I joined the unit in late July or early August of 1952 after spending a month in Japan getting additional medic training at Eta Jima Island. The 542nd Medical Clearing Company (Separate) was an 8th Army unit stationed at Songu Ri and was supporting the 8228 MASH by providing a convalescent center for troops recovering from Hemorrhagic Fever. Later that year (Nov - Dec '52) I went with the 1st Platoon of the 542nd to provide guards (and train Korean civilian guards) for the new Hemorrhagic Fever research Center they were building on the south bank of the Han river just across from Seoul. In January 1953 the 542nd moved up to Uijongbu and, after completing the move, the 1st Platoon was again split off and sent east. We were located above the 38th north of Chunchon and near (probably to the west) of Hwachon. In that position we provided medical support to a bunch of 8th Army units and who ever else was up there including KMAG and stray ROK personnel. I remember names like the 5th FA Grp, 5th RCT(555), 461st Heavy Mortar. These were the units that got badly mauled during May/June '53 when the ROK lines collapsed and the artillery and mortar units were suddenly facing Chinese Infantry. Communications were bad to nonexistent and when the remains of artillery units took up firing positions to the south of us, we weren't sure if we were now on the line or what. Information from the wounded that were pouring in at the time was just as confusing. We also had an ambulance company and a helicopter evac detachment that were working with us at the time. I don't remember the unit designations though. Sometime that spring the rest of the 542nd moved to Chunchon and located next to the airfield. After the truce, the 1st Platoon remained in the Hwachon area until fall and then rejoined the rest of the company to form a Medic training/retraining school somewhere west of Chunchon on the road to Seoul. I didn't spend too much time there as I was getting ready to go home. Also I seem to remember that there was a Medical Bn that we were supposedly part of but don't remember the name (insignia was a battle ax with a snake holding together the broken ax handle). Hope all this helps set up the unit page. I'm really curious to hear the responses, if any. Harold