20. Blumenson, notes for "Chosin Reservoir"; Curtis, MS, p. 19; Curtis, interview with author June 4-6, 1981; Stamford, MS, p. ro, and interview with author Oct. 2, 1979•
21. Statement of Lt. Col. J. L. Winecoff, assistant G-3, 1st Marine Div., to Col. S. L. A. Marshall in Marshall's interview with Winecoff, Jan. 2, 1951, copy of transcript in author's possession.
22. Jones, letter to Maj. Robert M. Coombs, Jan. 15, 1975, pp. 12-13, copy in author's possession, courtesy of Col. Jones.
23. Kitz, Statement; Sfc. John C. Sweatman, K Co. 31st Inf., was another of those who broke through the ice and fell into the water but escaped. In his state ment, Apr. 19, 1951 (copy in author's possession), he says that he walked three miles after the mishap before he reached the truck column. There an officer told him to get out of his clothes and into a sleeping bag.
24. Miller, MS, p. 14.
25. ist Marine Div., Special Action Report, Oct. 8-Dec. 15, 1950, p. 26.
26. Campbell, tape; Robbins, Breakout.
27. 1st Marine Div., G-3 Journal, Message no. Iq, at 12:05 P.M., and no. 21, at 12:50 P.M.
28. Jones, Report, p. 2; Curtis, MS, pp. 19-20; Robbins, Breakout, 5, col. 1.
29. Mortrude, MS, pp. 8-9, and letter to author, Nov. 3, 1980.
30. Maj. Edwin S. Anderson, USA, Ret., telephone interview with author, Nov. 3, I98o.
31. Curtis, letter to author, Feb. 18, 1981; US Military Academy, Register of Graduates and Former Cadets, ig75, Item 17337, p. 577, on Marshburn, and Item 7446, p. 581, on Foster. This source gives Dec. 3, 195o, as the date of Marshburn's death and Dec. 2, 1950, as the date of Foster's death. I believe that both men died on Dec. 1, 1950.
32. Stamford, Memorandum, Oct. 3, 1979, prepared for author at latter's request, giving details he remembered of the breakout start. He also prepared a sketch, no scale, showing features he discussed.
33• Ibid. The ramp Stamford mentioned in his account was a slide built over the road to skid logs from the high ground down to the inlet and from there into the reservoir at high water in the spring to raft them down to the sawmill at Sasu.
34• Robbins, Breakout, 5, cols. 4-5
35• 1st Lt. Cecil G. Smith, A Co., 32nd Inf., Dec. 3,195o, at Hagaru-ri, National Archives, Record Group 407, Box 3172 (hereafter cited as Smith, Statement); Luna, Statement; Dr. Lee Yong Kak, Statement to 1st Marine Div., n.d., but presumably made early in December, 195o, copy in author's possession (hereafter cited as Kak, Statement).
36. May, letter to author, n.d., received Aug. 22, 1981, pp. 4-5. In the same letter May said: "I did not see Lt. Moore KIA. HQ Co. trooper told me Lt. Moore was killed on Hill 1221 during the air strike that hit our troops." Chinese and American troops were intermingled in close combat at the time of this strike, which is discussed later in the narrative.
37. Ibid.
38. Miller, MS, p. 15; Stamford, interview with author, September, 1979. Lt. Mortrude agreed with Stamford that only one napalm tank was dropped.
39. Miller, letter to Maj. Gen. Field Harris, Fleet Marine Force-Atlantic, May 23, 1952, copy in author's possession.
40. Swenty, Statement, pp. 3-4.
41. Memorandum for Co!. Dyer, unsigned, n.d. (copy in author's possession, courtesy USMC), reports on a series of the division's records from 195o into 1952 on the use of napalm.
42. Stamford, MS, p. 18.
43. Stamford, letter to author, Nov. 30, 198o.
44. Bigger, letter to author, July 6, 1980.
45• Miller, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Mar. 26, 1981.
46. Mortrude, MS, p. is.
47. Miller, MS, p. 15.
48. Robbins, Breakout, 5, col. 2.
49. Luna, Statement.
50. Miller, MS, pp. 15-16; Col. Crosby P. Miller, USA, Ret., telephone interview with author, Oct. 9, 1979.
51. Curtis, MS, p. 20.
52. Patton, Statement.
53• Pvt. Edward E. Bilyou, L Co., 31st Inf., Statement, April i9, 1951.
54. May, Report, p. 6; May, letter to author, Sept. 5, 1981, and letter to author, n.d., received Aug. 22, 1981, pp. 6-7.
55. Jordan, letter to author, Jan. 5, 1979.
56. McClymont, letter to author, July 7, 1980, p. to.
57. Kitz, statement.
58. Sfc. John C. Sweatman, K Co., 31st Inf., Statement, Apr. 19, 1951.
59. Curtis, MS, p. 20.
6o. Curtis, letters to author May 9, 1976, and Jan. 30, 1977; Col. Alpha A. Bowser, 1st Marine Div. G-3, told S. L. A. Marshall in an interview, Jan. 2, 1951, that Gen. Hodes had prepared the order and Gen. Smith had signed it. Transcript of Marshall's interview with Col. Bowser in author's possession.
61. Mortrude, MS, p. 1o; Mortrude, letters to author, Oct. 23, 198o, and Nov. 3, 1980; Mortrude, in review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, May 12, 1981, changed a few words in the quotation.
62. Swenty, Statement, P---4.
63. Curtis, MS, p. 20; Miller, MS, p. 16; May, Report, p. 6; Mortrude, MS, p. io, and letter to author Oct. 23, 198o; and telephone interview with author, April 11, 198o; Mortrude, interview with author, Apr. 21, 1982.
Chapter i6
i. Curtis, interview with author, June 6, 1981.
2. Miller, MS, pp. 16-17.
3. Swenty, Statement, p. 4.
4. Curtis, MS, pp. 20-21; Curtis, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Feb. 20, 1978.
5. Capt. Hugh R. May, letter to author, n.d., received Aug. 22, 1981, p. 8. Lt. Col. James O. Mortrude (then 2nd lt.), platoon leader of 3rd Plat. in Seever's C Co., told the author that his information from others in the company was that Seever was killed in action early in the breakout; Curtis, MS, also states this.
6. May, Report, p. 7.
7. May, letter to author, n.d., received Aug. 22, 1981, pp. 5, 7-8.
8. GHQ FEC, General Order No. 201, Aug. 7, 1951, awarding Sgt. Charles Garrigus the Distinguished Service Cross for action at Chosin Reservoir, Nov. 27Dec. 1, 195o.
9. Jones, Report, p. 2.
1o. Robbins, Breakout, 5, cols. 2-3.
ti. Stamford, MS, p. ii, and Anglico Report, p. 85.
12. Miller, MS, p. IT
13. May, Reports, p. 7.
14. Maj. James R. McClymont, letter to author, July 7, 1980, p. 11. Other officers and enlisted men were under the impression that the M19 and the M16s were out of ammunition by the time they reached the blown bridge. 7th Inf. Div., Command Report, Chosin Reservoir, p. 8, says that the M19 and M16s were out of ammunition-by that time.
15. Col. Crosby P. Miller, USA, Ret., telephone interview with author, Oct. 9, 1979; May, letter to author, n.d., received Aug. 22, 1981.
16. Stamford, interview with author, Oct. 28-29, 1979; Stamford, Anglico Report, p. 85.
17. Miller, MS, p. 18.
18. Curtis, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Feb. 14, 1981, and interview with author, June 6, 1981.
Chapter 17
1. Patton, Statement, April 18, 1951, pp. 2-3.
2. Swenty, Statement, Apr. 14, 1951, P. 4.
3. Pfc. James R. Owens, L Co., 31st Inf., Statement, Apr. 19, 1951.
4. Lt. Col. Ivan H. Long, letters to author, Mar. 21, 1979, and July lo, 1979. Long estimated that he was a prisoner for about eight hours, but apparently the time was shorter. Long subsequently attended Officer Candidate School, was commissioned, and eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, retiring in May, 1977.
5 Robbins, Breakout, pp. 5-6.
6. Miller, MS, pp. 17-18. Capt. Earle H. Jordan, Jr., M Co., 31st Inf., was informed that Maj. Storms had been wounded and placed in one of the trucks at Hill 1221. Capt. Stamford called in the air strike.
7. Col. Crosby P. Miller, telephone interview with author, Oct. 9, 1979.
8. Capt. Edward P. Stamford, interview with author, Oct. 28-29, 198o.
9. Stamford, MS, pp. 12-13; Miller, MS, p. 18.
to. Stamford, MS, p. 13.
11. Dr. Lee Yong Kak, assistant surgeon, 1st Bn., 32nd
Inf., a Korean doctor from Seoul, wrote about the incident that took place at Hill 1221: "Some of the men refused to attack so Colonel Faith shot and killed one soldier with a .45 pistol." Kak, Statement. Capt. Stamford wrote: 'About this time Col. Faith shot a ROK soldier who was trying to tie himself to the underside of a truck and who was apparently unhurt. The ROK when told to get out by Col. Faith kept saying `Eti' (Japanese for `hurt')." Stamford, MS, p. 12. Capt. Erwin Bigger, in letter to author, July 6, 1980, p. 8, wrote: "At the road block near 1221 Rok soldiers were tying themselves up to the undercarriages of the trucks in order to ensure that if the truck made it, they would. I saw Col. Faith order two of them to rejoin the fight and they refused. He shot both of them." Lt. Col. Edwin S. Anderson (WOJG and assistant personnel officer, 1st Bn., 32nd Inf., in December, 1950) said that in interviews of 76 members of the 1st Bn., 32nd Inf., several of them mentioned this incident. Anderson, telephone interview with author, Nov. 3, 1980.
12. Stamford, interview with author, Oct. 28-29, 1980; Stamford, letter to author, May 7, 1981, describes how the 1st Marine Air Wing had improvised a drop container similar to the heavy canvas packets used for airdrops from cargo aircraft. He said that this Corsair was loaded for the drop at the Marine airfield at Wonsan.
13. Smith, Statement.
14. Capt. Erwin B. Bigger, letter to author, July 6, 1980, pp. 2, 7. The term "Blue Boys," meaning Korean civilians dressed in blue, was in common use among troops at Chosin to refer to the Koreans used in the G-2 intelligence sections who crossed into enemy territory at night to gather information from native inhabitants about enemy movements and numbers in the neighborhood. Sometimes they even mixed with Chinese forces. Capt. Patton's and Capt. Bigger's groups must have been the first to enter Marine lines. While he was on Hill 1221, Bigger saw enemy flares go up from the high ground eastward. He believed them to be signals to CCF farther south along the road that Americans were moving in their direction. Bigger, telephone interview with author, May 8, 1980.
15. Vincent T. Navarre, letter to Capt. Edward P. Stamford, Oct. 15, 1951, copy in author's possession.
16. Bigger, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Mar. 29, 1981; Bigger, letter to author, July 6, 1980, 2. Curtis also has commented on the complete breakdown of radio communications between elements of the task force once it left the inlet perimeter.
17. Mortrude, MS, pp. 11-13.
18. Luna, Statement.
19. Kak, Statement, p. 3.
20. Robbins, Breakout, 6, cols. 1-2. Robbins's account of the party's arrival at Hagaru-ri in the night is also covered somewhat differently in Maj. Jones's account in Report, Dec. 4, 1950.
21. Maj. James R. McClymont, letter to author, July 7, 1980, pp. 11-12.
22. Ibid., p. 12. Information given to McClymont about the M19, as stated in his letter and attachments of July 7, 198o, was incorrect. Stamford says that he ordered the Mi9 to the side of the road at Hill 1221, where he was loading wounded into trucks at the rear of the column, because the Mi9 driver told him that it was out of fuel-Stamford did not want the M19 to stop suddenly and block the road ahead. Stamford, interview with author, Oct. 28-29, 1980.
23. Kitz, Statement.
24. Ibid. Kitz's narrative is not clear on whether he and the others with him attacked up the road toward the roadblock at the hairpin turn or whether he went up the slope toward the crest of Hill 1221, as others had done. He uses the phrase "Hill top," but he also says that his group knocked out three roadblock positions on the way. Then he refers to his men taking off "across country." He also speaks of large numbers of Chinese at the bottom of the hill, apparently meaning in the valley north of Hill 1221.
25. Swenty, Statement, p. 5.
26. Ibid., pp. S-6.
27. Jones, letter to author, Mar. 2, 1981; Jones, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Mar. 2, 1981; Jones, letter to author, Feb. [Mar.] 14, 1981.
28. Jones, letter to author, Feb. 8, 1979.
29. Jones, Report to Maj. Lynch, G-3 Sect., 7th Inf. Div., Dec. 4, 1950, p. 3.
30. Jordan, letter to author, Jan. S, 1979. In a subsequent letter to author, Feb. 28, 198o, Jordan enclosed a sketch of the Hill 1221 area, the hairpin turn, the location of the log roadblock, and the spot where a Chinese-thrown grenade hit Lt. Col. Faith. A sketch drawn by Col. Jones for the author locates the features in a manner similar to Jordan's sketch. Jones's location of the place where Faith was wounded had to depend on information received from others subsequent to the event, for he did not know of it at the time it happened.
31. GHQ, FEC, General Order No. 186, July 18, i95i, awarding the Distinguished Service Cross to Jordan; GHQ FEC, General Order No. 166, June 28, 1951, awarding the Distinguished Service Cross to Gray. In each instance the award superseded a previous Silver Star award. Maj. Robert E. Jones received the Distinguished Service Cross for action on Dec. 1, 195o, at Chosin in GHQ FEC, General Order No. 128, May 21, 1951.
32. Jordan, letter to author, Feb. S, 1979.
Jones, letter to Coombs, Jan. 15, 1975; copy in author's possession, courtesy of Col. Jones.
34. Jones, Report, p. 3.
35. 11th Marine Div., S-3 Journal File, Dec. 2, 1950, copy of message in author's possession. The author had tried unsuccessfully to establish communication with Col. Fields Early Shelton, USA, Ret.
36. Col. James G. Campbell, USA, Ret., letter to author, Dec. 13, 1980.
37. May, Report, p. 8.
38. May, letter to author, Oct. 31, 1981, pp. 5-6.
Chapter 18
i. Stamford, MS, p. 13- Stamford told me that the logs were small and that there were only a few of them. This log block was easily removed. The burnedout tank was the main obstacle; it squarely blocked the road.
2. Stamford, interview with author, Sept. 26-Oct. 3, 1979.
3. Stamford, MS, pp. 13-14. Lt. Barnes was the 1st Bn., 32nd Inf., artillery liaison officer.
4. Vincent J. Navarre, surgeon, 1st Bn., 32nd Inf., letter to Capt. Edward P Stamford, Oct. 15, 1951, copy in author's possession.
S. Navarre, letter to Maj. Gen. Field Harris, USMC, Fleet Marine ForceAtlantic, US Naval Base, Norfolk, Va., May 4, 1952, copy in author's possession.
6. Jones, Report, Dec. 4, 1950, p. 3. Italics supplied by author. In this report Jones frequently refers to himself in the third person.
7. Col. Robert E. Jones, letter to author, Jan. 5, 1979. Jones made much the same comment in a letter to Maj. Robert M. Coombs, Jan. 15, 1975, in which he wrote: "I was able to get enough people together to unload the first three vehicles of the convoy which had been knocked out and get the convoy moving around the hairpin turn to the road block made up of immobilized tanks and trucks. It was at that point that I decided to take all the able bodied and walking wounded, other than the guards left for the wounded, and attempt to fight our way back to the Marine lines for help."
8. Sgt. Jessie R. Dorsey, D. Btry., 15th AAA, Statement, Apr. 17, 1951.
9. Stamford, MS, p. 14.
io. Capt. Hugh R. May, letter to author, n.d., received Aug. 22, 1981, p. 6.
11. Col. James G. Campbell, letter to author, Dec. 13,198o. Campbell had earlier stated the same thing in his tape.
12. Stamford, interviews with author, Sept. 26-Oct. 3, 1979, and Oct. 28-29, 1980.
13. May, Report, pp. 8-9; Jones, Report, corroborates May.
14. May, Report, pp. 9-12.
15. Robbins, Breakout, 6, cols. 2-3.
16. Stamford, MS, pp. 14-15; Stamford, interview with author, Sept. 26-Oct. 3, 1979. Stamford prepared for the author a detailed sketch map (in the possession of the author) of his movements from the vicinity of Twiggae to Hill 1167, south of the Paegamni-gang and Sasu-ri.
17. Col. Wesley J. Curtis, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Feb. 16, 1981, p. 6.
18. Curtis, interview with author, June, 1981, pp. 4-6.
19. Campbell, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Apr. 7, 1981.
20. Stamford, MS, pp. 15-16; Stamford, review comments on "East of
Chosin" MS.
21. Stamford, letter to author, Jan. 30, 1979.
22. Stamford prepared for the author a detailed sketch map of his movements after his escape at the foot of Hill 1239, adjacent to Hudong-ni.
23. Curtis, interview with author, June 6, 1981.
24. Curtis, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Feb. 16, 1981, p. 7; letter to author Feb. 20, 1978; and interview with author, June 6, 1981.
25. Curtis, letter to author, and review comments on "East of Chosin' MS, Feb. 20, 1978; Curtis, letter to author, Sept. 10, 1978.
26. Maj. William W. Etchemendy, letter to Col. Crosby P Miller, n.d., in response to a document (cited here as Miller, MS) that Miller sent to him in October, 1953 (I was unable in two tries to establish communication with Col. Etchemendy, USA, Ret.); Col. George S. Rasula, USA, Ret., letter to author, Aug. 12,1981; Capt. Rasula, letter, to Lt. Col. Lester K. Olson, Feb. 4, 1951, copy in possession of author, courtesy of Rasula.
27. Miller, MS, pp. 19-22.
28. GHQ FEC, General Order No. 201, Aug. 7, 1951, awarding the Distinguished Service Cross, Posthumously, to Sgt. Charles Garrigus, 1st Bn., 32nd Inf., for action Nov. 27-Dec. 1950.
29. Sfc. Carroll D. Price, HQ Btry., 57th FA Bn., Statement, Apr. 18, 1951.
30. Cpl. Ambrose J. Feist, I Co., 31st Inf., Statement, Apr. 19, 1951; M.Sgt. James W. Coartney, 31st heavy Mortar Co., Statement, April, 1951.
31. Lt. Col. Ivan H. Long, letters to author, Mar. 21, 1979, and July to, 1979.
32. Campbell, letter to author, Dec. 13, 195o, amplifying his earlier tape recording; Campbell, review comments on "East of Chosin" MS, Apr. 9, 1981.
33. Campbell, tape.
34. Campbell, letter to author, Dec. 13, 1980.
35. Stamford, interview with author, Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 1979; Stamford, letter to secretary of the Navy, Sept. 19, 1952, copy in author's possession.
36. Miller, MS, pp. 19-20.
37. M.Sgt. Carl A. Truett, M Co., 31st Inf., Statement, Apr. 19, 1951.
38. Smithey, Statement.
39. Sgt. Victorio R. Nonog, I Co., 31st Inf., Statement, April, 1951.
40. Cpl. Ambrose J. Feist, I Co., 31st Inf., Statement, Apr. 19, 1951.
41. Sfc. William C. Tillery, B Btry., 57th FA Bn., chief of section, toy-mm howitzers, Statement, Apr. 18, 1951.
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