2. Gurfein, Statement, May 26, 1951, p. 1.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid., p. 2.
6. 7th Inf. Div., Command Report, Nov. 27-Dec. 12, 1950; 7th Div., Action Report, Nov. 21-Dec. 20, 1950; 1st Marine Div., Special Action Report, Oct. 8- Dec. 15, 1950, p. 67; 2nd Bn., 31st Inf., Command Report, Nov. 29-Dec. 12, 1950. C Btry., 57th FA Bn., was with the 2nd Bn., 31st Inf.
7. GHQ FEC, General Order No. 177, July 7, 1951, awarding ist Lt. Alfred J. Anderson the Distinguished Service Cross.
8. 7th Div., Command Report, Nov. 27-Dec. 12, 1950; Montross and Canzona, The Chosin Campaign, pp. 225-35.
9. Montross and Canzona, The Chosin Campaign, p. 238; Andrew Geer, The New Breed: The Story of the U.S. Marines in Korea, pp. 333-34.
10. Brig. Gen. William R. Lynch, letters to author, Dec. 19, 1976, and July 30, 1980, p. 4.
1i. Lynch, letter to author, July 30, 1980, and review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, May 16, 1981.
12. Lt. Gen. William J. McCaffrey, USA, Ret., letter to author, Mar. ii, 1978. McCaffrey said that General Almond wanted the X Corps Advance CP at Hagaru-ri to spur the 1st Marine Div. in moving out in its scheduled attack to the west.
13. Lynch, letters to author, Jan. 21 and Dec. 19, 1976, and review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, June 12, 1978.
14. Ibid.
15. Lynch, letter to author, July 30, 1980.
Chapter ii
i. "NR: C 69953, 28 Nov 1950, From CINCFE TOKYO JAPAN SGD MACARTHUR TO: JCS WASH, DC INFO: DEPT AR WASH CD CM in 14957 28 Nov 1950," printed in full in Pertinent Papers on Korean Situation, 8 vols., II, 345; Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway, Memo of Record, Nov. 28, 1950, in General Matthew B. Ridgway Papers, US Army Military History Research Collections, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
2. Eighth Army, War Diary, Nov. 29, 1950, EUSAK [Eighth US Army Korea] Daily News, Summary, gives the text of the communique; text of communique and accompanying article, New York Times, Nov. 29, 1950.
3. Almond, Diary, Nov. 28, 1950.
4. Maj. Gen. Courtney Whitney, MacArthur: His Rendezvous with History (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1956), pp. 423-24, lists the persons said to have been at the conference and indicates the substance of the issues discussed at the meeting. Lt. Gen. Edward M. Almond, USA, Ret., in an interview with the author, Apr. 28-29, 1977, confirmed the participants in the meeting and the comments he and Gen. Walker made to Gen. MacArthur at the conference. Whitney erroneously gives the date of the conference as the night of Dec. 1, 1950.
S. Ibid.; Lt. Col. James F. Schnabel, Ret., Policy and Direction the First Year: The United States Army in the Korean War (Washington, D.C.: Office of Chief of Military History, US Army, 1972), pp. 278-79 and n. 22; Lt. Gen. Almond, interviews with author, Dec. 13, 1951, Nov. 23-24, 1954, and Apr. 28-29, 1977.
6. Almond, Diary, Nov. 29, 1950; author's correspondence and interviews with Lt. Gen. William J. McCaffrey, USA, Ret., 1976-80.
7. "Msg. from JCS to: CINCFE TOKYO JAPAN NR: JCS 97592 29 Nov 1950," Pertinent Papers on Korean Situation II, 354. In the MacArthur hearings on May 22, 1951, pp. 972ff., Sen. William Fulbright entered into a detailed examination of Gen. Omar Bradley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about Gen. MacArthur's radio message of Nov 28, 1950, to the Joint Chiefs and their reply of the 29th.
Chapter 12
1. Robbins, Breakout, 4, col. 1; Miller, MS, p. 10; Curtis, MS, p. 15; May, Report, p. 4; Kitz, Affidavit; Stamford, MS, pp. 8-9.
2. Curtis, MS, pp. 14-15; Kitz, Affidavit; Maj. James R. McClymont, letter to author, July 7, 1980; Campbell, tape.
3. McClymont, letter to author, July 7, 1980, and accompanying AAA Journal notes, pp. 1-2.
4. Ibid.; GHQ Eighth Army, General Order No. 135, Mar. 12, 1951, awarding the Distinguished Service Cross to Sgt. Harold B. Haugland, D Btry., 15th AAA AW Bn., SP, for action Nov. 29-30, 1950; 7th Inf. Div. Command Report, Chosin Reservoir, Nov. 27-Dec. 12, 1950, p. 6.
5. Campbell, tape.
6. Curtis, MS, and letter to author, Feb. 13, 1977; Mortrude, MS, p. 6; Geer, The New Breed, pp. 333-34; 7th Inf. Div. Command Report, Chosin Reservoir, p. 6. Majors Curtis, Miller, and Jones, the principal staff officers serving Lt. Col. Faith at the Inlet, have told me in correspondence, in response to questions, that Lt. Col. Faith never told them what transpired in his meeting with Gen. Barr. Lt. May's remark, "No one seemed to know what was said to Col. Faith by Gen. Barr in their final meeting," reflects that situation; Maj. Hugh R. May, letter to author, Sept. 5, 1981.
7. X Corps, War Diary, November-December, 1950; Montross and Canzona, The Cbosin Campaign, pp. 238-39; Lt. Gen. Edward M. Almond, USA, Ret., interview with author, Apr. 28-29, 1977; Almond, Diary, Nov. 30, 1950.
8. For a brief resume of Gen. Barr's testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Apr. 6, 1949, see Rocky Mountain News, Dec. 13, 1976 (UPI release, Washington, D.C.). Of course, many other newspapers in the country car tied the UPI release. The committee subsequently published in eight volumes the previously classified testimony (see chapter ii, note i).
9. Stamford, MS, p. 9; Draft of Narrative of Actions of Cpl. Myron J. Smith on Nov. 3o and Dec. 1, 1950, copy in author's possession.
io. Capt. Edward P. Stamford, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Apr. 7, 1981.
11. Col. Wesley J. Curtis, interview with author, June 4-6, 1981.
12. Curtis, MS, pp. 15-16.
13. Miller, MS, pp. 11-12.
14. May, Report, p. 4, and letter to author, Mar. 14, 1982, supplementing original source in his report.
15. May, Report, pp. 4-5.
i6. Curtis, MS, p. 16.
17. Almond, Diary, Nov. 30, 1950.
18. Geer, The New Breed, pp. 333-34.
19. X Corps, War Diary, Nov. 29, 1950, PP. 54-55; 7th Inf. Div., Action Report, Nov. 21-Dec. 20, 1950, p. 6; Lt. Gen. Edward M. Almond, USA, Ret., interview with author, Apr. 28-29, 1977; Montross and Canzona, The Chosin Campaign, pp. 238-39; Lt. Gen. Edward M. Almond, USA, Ret., letters to author, Mar. 22, 1976, and June 30, 1978. The 7th Inf. Div. Report says that the 31st RCT was informed at 8:20 A.M. on Nov. 30, 1950, that it was attached to the 1st Marine Div., but the question is: How could that have been done, and by whom? There was no communication system by which to do it. It seems reasonably certain that Faith could not have known about this until Gen. Barr's conversation with him at the inlet on the 3oth. One may assume that Barr told Faith of the change in command responsibility stated in Almond's recent order, but we do not know that he did.
20. Almond, interview with author, Apr. 28-29, 1977; Almond, letter to author, June 30, 1978; Almond, Diary, Nov. 30, 1950; Brig. Gen. William R. Lynch, Jr., review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, May 16, 1981.
21. Almond, Diary, Nov. 30, 1950; Almond, interview with author, Apr. 28- 29,1977; Lt. Gen. William J. McCaffrey, interview with author, Feb. 4, 1976; McCaffrey, letter to author, Dec. 5, 1975; Montross and Canzona, The Chosin Campaign, pp. 238-39; Col. S. L. A. Marshall, interview with Col. Alpha A. Bowser, Jr., G-3, 1st Marine Div., Jan. 2, 19SI, copy of transcript in author's possession.
22. Almond, Diary, Nov 30, 1950.
23. Geer, The New Breed, pp. 333-34; Curtis, MS, and author's extended correspondence and interviews with Curtis, 1976-8o; Brig. Gen. William R. Lynch, Jr., interview with author, June 12, 1978, makes it clear that Lt. Col. Faith did not receive any message from Gen. Smith on Nov. 30 or Dec. 1, 1950, while he was still in the inlet perimeter. Faith made the move out of the perimeter on his own judgment and decision. The 1st Marine Div. situation at the Chosin Reservoir on Nov. 30, and its inability to send a relief column from Hagaru-ri to assist Task Force Faith on Nov. 30 or Dec. I is well summarized in 1st Marine Div., Special Action Report, Oct. 8-Dec. 15, 1950, vol. 2, Annex Charlie, Nov. 29, 1950, Periodic Operations Report No. 64, pp. 2-3.
Chapter 13
I. Montross and Canzona, The Chosin Campaign, p. 219; Nicholas A. Canzona, interview with author, July, 1952; Brig. Gen. William R. Lynch, inte
rview with author, June 12, 1978.
2. Lynch's tabulation of 31st Inf. was reported from Hagaru-ri to the X Corps CP at Hamhung on Dec. 3, 195o. This report was given by radio telephone to X Corps Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Clark Ruffner; copy supplied to author by Gen. Lynch.
3. Lynch, letters to author, Dec. 19, 1976 and July 30, 1980; Col. Robert E. Drake, letters to author, Feb. I and Dec. 23, 1977. Drake's letter to author of Feb. 19, 1978, included a sketch of the 31st Rear and 31st Tank Co. area with the locations of the schoolhouse and other features.
4. 7th Inf. Div. Command Report, Chosin Reservoir, p. 7; Capt. Robert E. Drake, Memorandum to CO, 31st Inf., Dec. 12, 1950 (attached to 7th Div. Action Report, Nov. 21-Dec. 20, 1950); extract from letter from Capt. George S. Rasula, Feb. 4, 1951, sent with letter from Ivan H. Long to Col. Carl G. Witte, Mar. 4, 1952 (Col. Witte provided the author with a copy of the Long-Rasula correspondence); Witte, letter to author, Dec. 15, 1978; Drake, letter to author, Jan. 10, 1977; Lynch, interview with author, June 12, 1978.
5. Lynch, letter to author, July 30, 1980, p. 5.
6. Lt. Gen. William J. McCaffrey, USA, Ret., interview with author, Feb. 4, 1976.
7. Lynch, interview with author, June 12, 1978, and extensive correspondence with Gen. Lynch.
8. Statement of Col. Alpha A. Bowser, G-3, ist Marine Div., to Col. S. L. A. Marshall in Marshall's interview with Bowser, Jan. 2, 1951, p. 5 of interview typescript; copy in author's possession.
9. Drake, Memorandum to CO, 31st Inf., Dec. 12, 1950; Maps of Korea, Changjin Sheet, scale i:5o,ooo.
io. Witte, letter to author, Dec. 15, 1978; Drake, letter to author, Jan. 10, 1977, says "We had no trouble on the road to Hagaru-ri." Lynch, interview with author, June 12, 1978. Witte, in his letter of Dec. 15, 1978, wrote, "I don't recall anything out of the ordinary about the move except it was not easy to gather the perimeter forces."
u. Drake, letter to author, May 8,1978; 1st Marine Div., G-3 Journal, Nov. 30, 1950, Msg. 37; 1st Marine Div., Special Action Report, Oct. 8-Dec. 15, 1950, vol. 2, Annex Charlie, Nov. 30, 1950, p. 68. An entry in the 1st Marine Div., G-3 Journal, Dec. 30, 1950, at 1900 (7:00 P.m.) states: "Serv Bn: Adv elems RCT 31 arrived Hagaruri." The ist Marine Div. Action Report says, "At 1900 Headquarters elements of RCT-31 and the 7th Infantry Division ADC Group closed the Hagaru-ri area." These sources indicate that the Hudong-ni group from the 31st RCT arrived just before dark, somewhat later than the statements of participants indicated. The Marine citations indicate that it was after dark. Perhaps the Marine citations were entered a bit late in the G-3 Journal. In any event, the evidence is clear that Drake's tanks arrived just before dark and were in the Marine perimeter by dark.
Chapter 14
i. Robbins, Breakout, 4, cols. 2-3; Stamford, MS, p. 9; Miller, MS, p. 12.
2. Mortrude, MS, pp. 6-7; Lt. Col. James O. Mortrude, in review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, May 12, 1981, changed slightly his original wording.
3. Maj. James R. McClymont, letter to author, July 7, 1980, p. io; Antiaircraft Journal, July-August, 1951, p. 1q; May, Report, p. 5; Stamford, MS, p. q; Curtis, MS, p. 16.
4. Curtis, MS, p. 16; Capt. Earle H. Jordan, Jr., review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Jan. 5, 1979.
5. May, Report, p. 5.
6. Miller, MS, p. 12.
7. Curtis, MS, pp. 16-17.
8. GHQ X Corps, General Order No. 74, Dec. 24, 1950, awarding the Silver Star to Pfc. Stanley E. Anderson, gunner of a 3.5-inch rocket launcher, L Co., 3rd Bn., 31st Inf.
9. Curtis, MS, pp. 16-17; Kitz, Affidavit. It appears that at the point of penetration, L Co. men, in the composite K Co. commanded by Capt. Kitz, joined the boundary of Capt. Seever's C Co. at that company's eastern extremity. There, Hill 1200 constituted a rounded crest at the northern end of a long ridge that sloped down from the south. From the crest of Hill 1200 there was a sudden drop of too feet northward to the Pungnyuri-gang, east of the point where the bridge crossed it at the head of the inlet. This was also a battalion boundary between the 1st Bn., 32nd Inf., and the remnants of the 3rd Bn., 31st Inf. Maj. William W. Etchemendy, in a letter to Col. Crosby P. Miller, n.d., but written after October, 1953, referred to an earlier episode at this spot, saying, "L Co sector which had the north position with a left flank tied in with your C Company." In November-December, 1950, at the inlet perimeter, Etchemendy, then captain, commanded L Co., 31st Inf. I have based my description of the point of enemy penetration on a study of Map of Korea (1970 data), scale 1:5o,ooo, and comments by Campbell.
io. Campbell, tape, and letter to author, Dec. 13,1980, and attached two sketches of Lt. Wilson's route of movement to the point of enemy penetration, based on his observation of the event.
Ii. Curtis, MS, p. 17; Gugeler, Combat Actions in Korea, pp. 75-76, has the most detailed description of Wilson's fight to regain the knob, based on statements of participants or observers of it; see Gugeler's n. 28. Gugeler has told me about his correspondence with Col. Wilson on the subject. Lt. Col. Erwin Bigger states that Lt. Wilson's father, Col. Robert Wilson, Sr., was deputy commander of the Pusan Area Command at the time of his son's death. Bigger stayed overnight with Col. Wilson at Pusan when he returned from the hospital in Japan on his way to rejoin the 32nd Inf. in Korea in early 1951. He learned then that Col. Wilson had interviewed many survivors of the Chosin battles and had acquired from them a detailed knowledge of the inlet fighting and of his son's death; Bigger, letter to author, July 6, 198o. Lt. James G. Campbell, platoon leader of Bigger's Machine Gun Platoon, also visited Col. Wilson at Pusan in early March, 1951, when he was returning to duty with the 32nd Inf. from a Kyoto hospital and confirms Bigger's remarks about Col. Wilson's accumulation of information about the inlet battles. Campbell, tape, and letter to author, Dec. 13, 198o.
12. Kitz, Affidavit; Bigger, letter to author, July 6, 1980; Miller, MS, p. 12; Curtis, MS, p. 18.
13. Gugeler, Combat Actions in Korea, p. 76, citing interview with Campbell.
14. Miller, MS, p. 12.
15. Curtis, MS, p. 17-18.
16. Col. Edward P. Stamford, interview with author, Oct. 28-29, 198o.
Chapter if
i. Blumenson, "Chosin Reservoir"; Gugeler, Combat Actions in Korea, p. 77.
2. Curtis, MS, p. 19; Stamford, interviews with author, September-October, 1979; Stamford, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Apr. 7, 1981. In Stamford's MS for the commandant, USMC, written in February, 1951, p. 9, Stamford said of his action on Dec. I, 195o, asking for air support, "At daylight Col. Faith made preparations to fight south to Hagaru-ri and had me send a message requesting aircraft and to notify CG, 7th Inf. Div of his contemplated action." This statement, read literally, could be misleading about the time Faith decided and made preparations to fight out of the perimeter and the time Stamford sent the radio message for air support and to notify Gen. Barr, 7th Div. The account given in the narrative is believed to be correct and was approved by Stamford.
3. Author's correspondence with Curtis, Miller, Jones, and McClymont and interviews with Curtis and Stamford; Curtis, Miller, and Stamford, MSS; May, Report.
4. McClymont, letter to author, July 7, 198o; May, Report, p. 6; Miller, MS, p. 13; Curtis, MS, pp. 18-19.
5. May, Report, p. 6, says that he was to destroy the vehicles left behind, but in his letter to author, n.d., received Aug. 22, 1981, p. 7, he gives his statement as quoted.
6. Miller, MS, p. 14. Capt. Bauer, not previously identified, was CO of HQ Co., ist Bn., 32nd Inf. Capt. Jack Thompson was an assistant to Capt. Bauer.
7. Capt. Earle H. Jordan, Jr., letters to author, Jan. 5, 1977, and Oct. 30, 1978.
8. Cpl. Helmuth Bertram, M Co., 31st Inf., Statement, Apr. 19, 1951, copy in author's possession. In World War II, Bertram fought in the German army at Stalingrad and Moscow.
9. Mortrude, MS, pp. 7-8.
10. Swenty, Statement, p. 2.
H. 7th Inf. Div. Command Reports, Chosin Reservoir; Curtis, MS, and correspondence with author; McClymont, l
etter to author and attachments, July 7, 1980; Capt. Hugh R. May, letter to author, n.d., received Aug. 22, 1981, p. 7.
12. Stamford, MS, p. ro.
13. Kitz, Affidavit; Luna, Statement.
14. Jordan, letter to author, Oct. 30, 1978.
15. May, Report, p. 6, and letter to author, Sept. 5, 1981; Capt. Erwin B. Bigger, letter to author, July 6, 198o, and telephone interview with author, May 8, 198o; Campbell, tape, and review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Apr. 9, 1981. At first Bigger did not know what had happened to his eye and remembered only that a medic did something to it. Later, some of those present told him that it was out of its socket and that the medic replaced it. In author's telephone interview with Bigger, Mar. 13, 1982, Bigger said that both of Capt. Jack Thomspon's legs were broken in this mortar-shell explosion.
16. Curtis, MS, pp. 18-19.
17. Campbell, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Apr. 9, 1981.
18. Curtis, letter to author, Feb. 18, 1981.
19. 31st Regt. Sgt. Maj. John A. Lynch, Jr., Statement quoted in press release issued by EUSAK, n.d., apparently in March or April, 1951, copy in author's possession.
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