Chapter 7
i. Kitz, Affidavit (see chapter 5, note 22); Lt. Col. Earle H. Jordan, letter to author, Feb. 5, 1979.
2. 1st Lt. Keith E. Sickafoose, F.O., K Co., Statement, Apr. 18, 1951 (Sickafoose was assigned to C Btry., 57th FA Bn., but was on loan to K Co. at Chosin); Sfc. Robert M. Slater, section leader, D Btry., 15th AAA, Statement, Apr. 17, 1951.
3. Patton, Statement.
4. McClymont, MS, p. 7; text of Silver Star award to Sgt. Brown, Antiaircraft Journal, March-April, 1951, p. 13.
5. McClymont, MS, p. 7, and letter to author, July 7, 1980.
6. Sweatman, K Co., 31st Inf., Statement, Apr. 19, 1951.
7. Smithey, Statement.
8. Curtis, MS, p. 13.
9. Maj. Hugh R. May, USA, Ret., review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, n.d., received July 24, 1981; May, letters to author, n.d., received Aug. 22, 1981, and Sept. 5, 1981. Also, comments from Curtis and from Jones to author about May and his performance at Chosin.
Io. May, letter to author, n.d., received Aug. 22, 1981, pp. io-ii.
u. May, Report.
12. Col. James G. Campbell, tape, and review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Apr. 9, 1981, with sketch map of C Co. situation; Miller, MS, p. 7.
13. Mortrude, MS, p. 4, and letter to author, Oct. 23, 1980.
14. Capt. John D. Swenty, 1st Bn., 32nd Inf., Statement on Chosin, p. 1(hereafter cited as Swenty, MS).
15. Miller, MS, pp. 7-8.
16. Robbins, Breakout, 2, col. 2; Stamford, MS, p. 6.
17. Robbins, Breakout, 2, col. 3.
18. Ibid.
19. Curtis, MS, p. 13, and letter to author, Jan. 1, 1977; Order of Battle, U.S. 7th Inf. Div., Sept. ,, 195o-Dec. 31, 1950, section f., Detached Units, p. 5 (gives dates when units such as the 1st Bn., 32nd Inf., were attached to the 1st Marine Div.); Robbins, Breakout, 2, col. 3; 7th Inf. Div Command Report, Chosin Reservoir, Nov. 27-Dec. 12, 1950, p. 5.
20. Sfc. Richard S. Luna, B Co., 1st Bn., 32nd Inf., Statement, ca. Dec. 3, 1950 (hereafter cited as Luna, Statement); GHQ FEC, General Order No. 129, May 21, 1951, Distinguished Service Award to Cpl. James H. Godfrey, D Co., 1st Bn., 32nd Inf., for action Nov. 29, 1950.
21. Miller, MS, p. 8; May, Report on Chosin Reservoir, Oct. 28, 1957, p. 2.
22. Curtis, MS, p. 13.
23. Ibid.; Miller, MS; Luna, Statement; 7th Inf. Div. Command Report, Chosin Reservoir, Nov. 27-Dec. 12, 1950; Mortrude, MS, pp. 4-5. Mortrude's statement leaves no doubt that he and two platoons of C Co. covered the high ground to the left of the road during the withdrawal. Luna's statement and other sources indicate that B Co. or part of it was also part of the left (east) flank guard and that other units or parts of them also were on high ground to the left of the road in the latter part of the withdrawal. Maj. Miller's MS is explicit that A Co. was the rear guard. Maj. Curtis was the ranking officer with the left (east) flank guard.
24. May, Report, pp. 2-3.
Chapter 8
1. Robbins, Breakout, pp. 2-3.
z. Campbell, tape, and review comments on "East of Chosin°MS, Apr. 9,1981; Luna, Statement; Blumenson, "Chosin Reservoir."
3. Miller, MS, pp. 8-9; May, Report, p. 3, and letter to author, n.d., received Aug. 22, 1981, p. ii.
4. Miller, MS, p. 9; Maj. Robert E. Jones, S-i, 1st Bn., 32nd Inf., Report to Maj. Lynch, G-3 Sect., 7th Div., Dec. 4, 1950 (hereafter cited as Jones, Report). This 31/2-page single-spaced typewritten report is one of the important contemporary documents on the action east of Chosin. It was written only two days after the survivors reached the ist Marine Div. lines at Hagaru-ri. It covers the entire period of action, as seen by and known to Jones from its beginning to near its end, Nov. 27-Dec. 2, Igso. Jones supplied a copy of this report to me; I did not find it among the attachments to the 7th Inf. Div. Command Report for November- December, 1950, when I searched the 7th Div. official records in the National Archives in 1974. Miller's MS is also of importance concerning the withdrawal of the 1st Bn. on Nov. 29, 1950.
5. Capt. Erwin B. Bigger, letter to author, July 6, 1980, which includes a resume of his military service; Bigger, telephone interview with author, May 8, 1980; Col. Wesley J. Curtis, correspondence with author, 1976-81. Curtis has a high opinion of Bigger as a professional soldier. Stamford, correspondence with author, also gives Bigger a high rating.
6. Jones, letter to author, Jan. 5, 1979. Jones and Cody were old friends from World War II. Campbell, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Apr. 9, 1981.
7. May, Report, p. 4.
8. Miller, MS, p. 9.
9. Campbell, tape, and review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Apr. 9,1981; Jones, Report; Luna, Statement.
10. Luna, Statement; Kitz, Affidavit.
11. Mortrude, MS, pp. 4-5 (the words "and overshoes" were added by Mortrude in his review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, December, 1981.
12. Capt. John D. Swenty,1st Bn., 32nd Inf., Statement, Apr. 14,1951, p. 2 (hereafter cited as Swenty, Statement).
13. Sgt. Lung's language in his Hagaru-ri statement in early December, 1950, indicates that he was one of the six men who, with Lt. Col. Faith, removed the logs of the roadblock. Capt. Bigger, who knew Luna well from his days as commanding officer of B Co., has this to say about him: "Sgt Luna was the 1st Sgt of B/32 when I commanded that unit. He was killed shortly after the reorganization of 1/32 in Jan or Feb 51. Sgt Luna was one of the finest human beings I have ever known. He was soft spoken, professional, loved and was loved by his men and all men who knew him." Bigger, letter to author, July 6, 198o, p. 9.
14. Luna, Statement.
15. Mortrude, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, May 12, 1981.
16. Robbins, Breakout, 3, cols. 1-2.
IT Ibid., col. 2.
18. Ibid.
19. Jones, Report; Miller, MS, p. 10; GHQ FEC, General Order No. 201, Aug. 7, 1951, Distinguished Service Cross award for Sgt. Charles Garrigus.
20. Patton, Statement.
21. Jones, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Mar. 2, 1981; Bigger, letter to author and answers to questions, July 6, 198o.
22. Curtis, letter to author, Jan. 30, 1977; Kitz, Affidavit; Mortrude, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, May 12, 1981; Campbell, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Apr. 9, 1981, and letter to author, May 3, i98i; Luna, Statement. References to an attack across the ice of the inlet in the early morning of Nov. 29, 1950, are found in Jones, Report; Miller, MS (Miller did not see the incident but apparently received the information from Jones, from whom he said he had received collaboration in preparing his MS); Blumenson, "Chosin Reservoir"; Gugeler, Combat Actions in Korea, p. 72. Gugeler used Blumenson's MS and may have based his version on it. There was no attack across the inlet into Chinese-held ground that morning as suggested in these accounts.
23. Swenty, Statement.
24. Stamford, MS, and Anglico Report, p. 81. In an interview with the author, September-October, 1979, Stamford reiterated his belief at the time that the troops he saw were enemy troops beginning their withdrawal from their night attack on the 3rd Bn. and 57th FA Bn. perimeter. Campbell saw the same troops and attempted to take them under fire from the ridge of Hill 1324. He said that it was light enough to identify them as Chinese from their clothing and actions. Campbell, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Apr. 9, 1981.
25. Stamford, MS, and Anglico Report, pp. 6-7, 81.
26. Curtis, letter to author, Jan. 1, 1977; Campbell, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Apr. 9, 1981. Events later in the day showed that the perimeter had not been reduced, but the impression that it had been is revealing.
27. Bigger, letter to author, July 6, 198o, p. 4, italics added; Bigger, telephone interview with author, May 8, 198o.
28. US Military Academy, Register of Graduates and Former Cadets, r97S, p. 402, Item 8998, on MacLean.
29. X Corps, General Order No. 30, Nov. 14, 195o, awarding the Silver Star to Lt. Col. William R. Reilly and to Col. Allan D. MacLean for action against Chin
ese forces near the Fusen Reservoir; Reilly, letter to parents at Barre, Vt., Nov. 20, 1950; Col. Robert E. Drake, USA, Ret., letter to author, Feb. 17, 1977; Lt. Gen. Edward M. Almond, USA, Ret., letter to author, Mar. 8, 1977; Brig. Gen. William R. Lynch, Jr., review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, May 16, 1981; Col. Robert E. Jones, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Mar. 2, 1981.
30. Jones, Report.
31. Bigger, telephone interview with author, Mar. 11, 1981 (in this interview I took almost verbatim notes as Bigger talked, and I typed up the notes immediately afterward); Jones, letter to author, Jan. 5, 1979, and review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Mar. 2, 1981, p. 3. The 7th Inf. Div. Command Report, Chosin Reservoir, Nov. 27-Dec. 12, 1950, p. 5, commenting on the MacLean incident, says, "Portions of A and C Companies attacked across the ice, driving out the Chinese forces dug in there." However, no Chinese were dug in there. The command report was made up some weeks or months later from unknown sources and unknown persons; it contains many errors and extensive omissions and is not a reliable source. It is apparent, however, from internal evidence that Jones's Report, Dec. 4, 1950, was used in part. Jones has stated to me that he was not personally consulted and had no opportunity to review the 7th Div. report. Other officers of the 1st Bn., 32nd Inf., have told me the same thing.
32. Bigger, letter to author, May 11, 1981, and Bigger's sketch map of MacLean's route across the inlet enclosed with this letter.
Bigger, letter to author, July 6, 1980, and telephone interview with author, May 8, 1980, in which Bigger stated the same thing but added that he saw MacLean fall several times on the ice and that the Chinese were watching MacLean as he crossed. Curtis, letter to author, Jan. 1, 1977. Curtis's sketch of his route to the inlet and MacLean's crossing puts MacLean's crossing about 1,200 yards west of the bridge. Other estimates of the crossing site put it closer to the bridge. But Curtis's estimate does not differ greatly from Bigger's. Curtis probably based his estimate on the recognizable location of the spur ridge that he descended to arrive at the inlet road. Curtis apparently saw only the latter part of MacLean's crossing. Also, Maj. Gen. David G. Barr, letter written at Hungnam, Korea, to Mrs. Don C. Faith, Jr. (he addressed her as Barbara), Dec. 12, 195o, in General Matthew B. Ridgway Papers (US Army Military History Research Collections, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.), Box 17, Folder D-1. Gen. Barr gave Gen. Ridgway a copy of this letter after the latter assumed command of Eighth Army following Gen. Walker's death. In Barr's letter to Mrs. Faith he told her all he knew about Faith's death at Chosin and also included an account of his visit with Faith on Nov. 3o at the inlet perimeter, when Faith told him about Col. MacLean.
34. Curtis, MS, p. 14, and letter to author, Jan. 1, 1977; Jones, Report, p. 2. Jones says that the 1st Bn., 32nd Inf., had closed into the 3rd Bn. perimeter by 12:30 P.M., Nov. 29, 1950, and subsequently made the search for Col. MacLean.
35. 1 recall reading a newspaper interview with the soldier that told of Col. Macl Ban's death and burial. The soldier interviewed was probably one of the thousands turned over to American authorities during the armistice prisoner exchange in 1953. I made a clipping of the article and put it with other Korean War notes. Now, more than 30 years later, I cannot find the clipping and provide the citation. But I am so certain of the facts recounted that I have no hesitation in including them in this narrative.
36. GHQ FEC, General Order No. 177, July 7, 1951, awarding the Distinguished Service Cross to MacLean. Unfortunately, this order is like so many other for military awards and decorations for valor, leadership, and outstanding devotion to duty in combat. Part of it is factually inaccurate when it need not have been, and some of it is overblown rhetoric. One familiar with the award-making process soon learns to distrust the accuracy of award citations.
37. Stamford, MS, p. 20, and interviews with author, Oct. 28-29, 1980; Bigger, letter to author, July 6, 1980, p. 7.
38. Stamford, Memorandum for author, Nov. 29, 1979.
39 Robbins, Breakout, 3, cols. 2-3.
40. Ibid., pp. 3-4.
41. Curtis, letter to author, Jan. 1, 1977.
42. Mortrude, MS, pp. 5-6, letter to author, Nov. 3, 1980, and review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, May 12, 1981.
43. Curtis, letter to author, Jan. 1, 1977; Curtis, interview with author, May 5, 1979; Stamford, interview with author, Oct. 28-29, 1980; Map of Korea, scale 1:50,000.
44. Map of Korea (Chosin Reservoir area), 1952 ed., scale 1:50,000; Map of Korea, Changjin Sheet, 1971 ed., scale 1:50,000.
45. Jones, Report; Curtis, MS, p. 14, referring to sketch of inlet perimeter for Nov. 29, 1950.
46. Lt. Col. Earle H. Jordan, Jr., letter to author, Feb. 28, 1980. In a letter to Col. Miller, undated, but probably written in October, 1953, or perhaps as late as November or December of that year, Maj. William W. Etchemendy made reference to the inlet perimeter in this vein: "L Co sector which had the north position with our left flank tied in with your C Company." Col. Miller permitted me to see this letter. Also, Miller, MS, p. 10; Jones, Report. The Curtis MS included sketches of the forward perimeter and also of the inlet perimeter. The inlet perimeter sketch showed it as reorganized by Lt. Col. Faith on the afternoon of Nov. 29, 1950, when the 1st Bn., 32nd Inf., joined the 31st Inf. troops already there. The sketches of these perimeters in Gugeler, Combat Actions in Korea, in the section on Chosin Reservoir, are based on the Curtis sketches, which Curtis provided to Gugeler. Curtis told me that he intended the sketches to be generalizations. The inlet perimeter that I described in the narrative and show in my own sketch is considerably smaller and of different proportions from those shown in the Cur tis sketches. Col. Jones, reviewing my sketch of the inlet perimeter said that he thought it "more closely resembles the actual area covered." Lt. Col. Bigger, reviewing the sketch and the narrative description, thought them "nearly correct" (Jones, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Mar. 2, 1981, p. 10; Bigger, telephone interview with the author, Mar. II, 1981). Stamford's detailed discussion with me about the inlet perimeter, especially its western part, was of great help in defining its limits rather closely. I devoted a great amount of time to a detailed map study of the Changjin Sheet, Korea, scale 1:50,000 in the 1950, 1953, 1970 data eds., in arriving at my sketch of the inlet perimeter for the period from the afternoon of Nov. 29, 1950, to the early afternoon of Dec. i. I cannot claim precise accuracy for the perimeter shape and dimensions on its southern side. I am reasonably confident about its shape and dimensions on the other sides.
47. Curtis, MS, and interview with the author, May 5, 1979; Curtis, letter to author, June 5, 1980. In this letter Curtis wrote: "I was unaware of any reorganization. Faith may well have announced one to Miller. Our method of operation did not change. Faith operated from the CP of 1/32; Miller, I, Jones, and Bigger were his `staff'-leg men. All communication was by telephone-or on foot. It was a very small and crowded perimeter-just a short walk to the CP of the 3/31 and FA Bn.-but I must say, difficult to determine who was in charge at either place." Miller, MS, p. io, says "I was placed in command of the 1st Bn, 32nd Inf," and said he had information from Maj. Jones that Storms and Tolly commanded the other two battalions. Author's correspondence with McClymont, Bigger, Stamford, Mortrude, and Campbell.
48. Robbins, Breakout, 4, col. 1; Stamford, MS, p. 8. Others also have mentioned the airdrops on the afternoon of the 29th, including Col. Ray O. Embree, letter to author, Mar. 18,1979; X Corps, Special Report on Chosin Reservoir, Nov. 27-Dec. 10, 1950; 7th Div., Command Report, Chosin Reservoir, Nov. 27-Dec. Io, 1950; Maj. James R. McClymont, letter to author, July 7, 1980, p. 7.
49• McClymont, letter to author, July 7, 198o.
50. Col. Robert E. Drake, letter to author, Jan. ro, 1977; Stamford, interview with author, September-October, 1979. When Stamford learned from me during these interviews that 4o-mm ammunition had been dropped at Hudong-ni instead of at the inlet, he exploded in wrath at the "dd knuckleheads" who had committed the blunder. The ammunition was priceless to Task Force
Faith. Stamford thought that the dual-4os might have let the task force successfully to Hagaru-ri if they had been resupplied with ammunition and fuel. Only the fact that McClymont had arrived at Chosin with two basic loads of ammunition instead of the usual one enabled the dual-4os and quad-5os to stay in the fight until the breakout and play an invaluable role in holding the inlet perimeter.
51. Curtis, MS, correspondence with author, 1976-8o, and interview with the author, May 5, 1979; 7th Inf. Div., Command Report, Chosin Reservoir, Nov. 27-Dec. 10, 195o; X Corps, Special Report on Chosin Reservoir, Nov. 27-Dec. io, 1950; Maps of Korea, 1950, 1952 and 1971 eds., Chosin Reservoir Area Sheets, scale 1:50,000.
Chapter 9
1. Col. Robert E. Drake, letter to author, Jan. 10, 1977; Drake, 'A Small Unit Action," Armor September-October, 1951, pp. 16-17; Col. Carl G. Witte, letter to author, May 26, 1980. The sketch map on p. 17 of Armor magazine cited above is inaccurate in several respects, being somewhat a composite of the two days' action, according to Drake in letter to author, Jan. 10, 1977.
2. Drake, letters to author, May 6, 1980, and Feb. 22, 1978; GHQ, X Corps, General Order No. 74, Dec. 24, 1950, awarding the Silver Star to Maj. (Chaplain) Martin C. Hoehn. The date of the action given in the order as Nov. 28, 1950, should be Nov. 29, 1950. The citation makes no mention of Hoehn using a weapon.
3. Drake, letter to author, Mar. 22, 1978.
Chapter ro
1. There is much confusion in various 7th Div. reports, statements of Lt. Col. Reidy in the 7th Div. Command Report, and in the 2nd Bn., 31st Inf. Command Report, Nov. 29-Dec. 12, 1950, on the X Corps orders and the movements of the 2nd Bn., 31st Inf., in the period Nov. 27-30, 1950. The Command Report of the 2nd Bn., 31st Inf., for the period should be the most reliable document, but it is based on interviews the division historian Maj. Jacobson, held on Dec. 15, 1950, with Lt. Col. Richard R. Reidy, the battalion adjutant, and the battalion S-2. This document is known to omit important information. The 7th Div. Command Report is also not entirely reliable. All have discrepancies in dates, and none of them includes the negative comments found in Maj. Gurfein's Statement, cited below, for obvious reasons. The version of the main events given in the narrative tries to reconcile these discrepancies with 1st Marine Div. and 1st Marine Regt. records relating to the progress of the 2nd Bn. up the road to Koto-ri, its arrival there, and the subsequent attachment to the 1st Marine Regt. Army references used are 2nd Bn., 31st Inf., Command Report, Nov. 29-Dec. 12, 1950, National Archives, Record Group 407, Box 3179; 7th Inf., Command Report, Nov. 27-Dec. 12, 1950, Record Group 407, Box 3172; 7th Inf. Div., Action Report, Nov. 21-Dec. 20, 1950, Record Group 407, Box 3172; X Corps, Special Report on Chosin Reservoir, p. 56; author's correspondence with Lt. Gen. William J. McCaffrey, USA, Ret., 1976-80; Maj. Joseph I. Gurfein, GHQ X Corps, G-3 Air, Statement, May 26, 1951 (hereafter cited as Gurfein, Statement). For 1st Marine Div. data on the subject see Montross and Canzona, The Chosin Campaign, pp. 225-36.
East of Chosin Page 42