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From: lucoley@sbcglobal.net

To: nedscholz@yahoo.com

Subject: 1stSBU Sept, 1950 - Dec 1951

Date: Thu, 29 May2008 13:27:56-0500

 

Hi Ned. This will fill you in prior to and during part of your duty with 1SBU. Please be free to use this info in any format of your choice.

 

Lu

 

THE KOREAN WAR,   SEPTEMBER 1950.  ASSIGNMENT:  COMBAT DUTY WITH THE 1ST. SHORAN BEACON UNIT.

 

         I reported in to the Army depot near Oakland, Calif. and along with other Officers, began being processed for departure on a Navy Transport to Japan. We received a Physical, overseas shots, and needed dental work. Two days after leaving Oakland, the ship ran into a bad storm off the Washington State coast. The ship was rolling side to side and we asked a ship officer how bad was the roll. He said about 30 degrees but not to worry for 38 degrees was the limit before the ship would capsize. Really made us feel secure. We spent the time aboard the ship eating terrific Navy chow, card playing, and movies each night. Those aboard were kept abreast of the news by a daily two sheet ships paper. We also had a large complement of Army troops aboard with no Army Officers in command. The ranking Air Force Officer among us was put in charge to over see the troops. He, in turn, assigned us junior officers, to look after them while on board the ship and maintain discipline. We had no problems with the troops.

 

          Days later we pulled into Tokyo Bay and headed for docking at the Port of Yokohama. After docking, the smell in the air was enough to turn your stomach. The Japanese farmers used human waste that was collected in what were called "honey buckets" as fertilizer to grow crops. Not being used to the smell, it was not a very good welcome to the land of the rising sun. However, after awhile, you got used to the smell and it didn't bother you anymore. Because of the practice, the crops grown, except for the apple’s which had to be washed, we could not eat any of the grown crops, and had to be very careful of the water.  The fresh stuff we were able to eat was grown in Army Hydroponics farms in buildings.

 

          Prior to debarking from the ship we were briefed on our conduct while in Japan. Our American money was exchanged for Military Script. Greenbacks and coins, except for pennies, were not allowed for financial transactions. This was to keep American money from getting on the black market or get into communist hands as hard currency. To buy items on the Japanese market, one exchanged Military Script for Japanese Yen at the rate of 360 Yen to the Script Dollar. Thus, Japanese goods were very cheap to buy. Being provided transportation, I reported in at 5th AF Headquarters, located outside of Tokyo on an air base, to get my travel orders to join my unit somewhere in Japan. I had arrived on a Friday and was told I would get my orders Monday morning. With two days free I made a trip to downtown Tokyo to sightsee. Had to take the commuter train and as it was rolling along the tracks at a good clip, it suddenly came to a quick halt due to an earthquake. I sat there while the train car rocked to and from, up and down. What a feeling!  Scary.  Downtown I shopped in the well known Ginza. I was warned never pay the first price offered even though it was a cheap price by our standards. The Japanese way was to haggle over the price, not to do so made them unhappy, lose face. Also, you went from vender to vender playing each against the other to get a better price for the item. Had a great day shopping for souvenirs and spent a whopping $20.00. However, I almost got run over by a car trying to cross the street. I stepped out into the street between two parked cars, looked to the left for any cars coming and started to go further when a car passed right in front of me coming from my right side. I had forgot, from habit, that the Japanese drive on the left side same as the English. I could have been killed on my second day in Japan.

 

          The weekend over, I was given my travel orders, not to report to the 3rd Bomb Wing that I was originally assigned to, but to the 1st Shoran Beacon Unit as Commander. I was put on a “gooney bird” , a C-47, 2 engine transport from WWII era,  for a milk run, numerous landings and take-off’s,  to Fukuoka City, on the northwest side of the Island of Kyushu. After landing in the wee hours of the morning, dead tired from the ups and downs, I was driven to the harbor where my unit was getting ready for transport to the Port of Pusan, Korea. The Unit had enough equipment and personnel to man one site. Also, a 1st Lt., who was senior to me, in time of rank, was acting as commander, he continued to command even though my MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) in the Unit Table of Org. and Equip (TO&E) called for me to head the unit and his MOS was for the operations officer, under my MOS.  Four Officers were assigned to the Unit. We had three.

 

           Also, as a side note, except for the clothes I had with me, my foot locker packed with all my other stuff disappeared in Tokyo, never made it to the plane I departed on and I wouldn’t see it again for some time. So, I had to get new stuff. Fortunately, I was going into a combat area, so I was able to get everything I needed, and then some, free, from the base supply. In addition, I got myself a new jeep, a M-14 Carbine, a .45 cal pistol, and plenty of ammo. 

 

            To give you have an understanding of the mission of the 1st. Shoran Beacon Unit in Korea, I’ll explain how such a unit operated.  A few years earlier two ground based radio navigational systems were devised to assist flying aircraft to accurately go from point (A) to point (B) regardless of weather conditions. One was called “LORAN” (Long Range Navigation) and the second called “SHORAN” (Short Range Navigation). To provide the service, a minimum of two radio sites had to be situated to form a baseline miles in length. Air navigation relied on the triangulation point of the two radio beams by the flying aircraft’s special receiver. Pre-determined triangulation points were installed in the receiver and as the aircraft reached that point it was noted and bombs away... In Korea, by computing the triangulation point of a river bridge, enemy site, etc., medium bombers, such as the B-26, flew low level bombing runs with excellent accurate results in all types of weather conditions                                                      

 

          In the beginning of the Korean conflict, there was chaos in the plans to get units and people to Korea to stem the flow of the North Korean troops pouring into South Korea. All there was when I arrived in Japan was a 65 mile defense line around the Port of Pusan, called the Pusan perimeter. Our unit going to Korea was for naught in that we couldn't accomplishment our mission to support the 3rd Bomb Wing aircraft in performing bombing missions in Korea. To do so we had to establish sites across  Korea to install our short-range navigational  equipment. The bombers (B-26) were hampered in doing their low level, all weather, bombing runs without our input. We were sure we would end up fighting as ground troops if the Army couldn’t contain and stop the North Koreans.

 

          We received our orders to board a small, Japanese manned, coastal ship to be transported to the Port of Pusan, South Korea. The crossing was to take several hours with our trucks lashed down on the deck with our equipment loaded aboard. The men stayed with their trucks and we, three, officers had an outside cabin with no furniture in it.  A short time later we ran into a squall line of fast moving thunderheads.  The seas were running very high and the ship rose and fell in the waves. Waves crashed over the bow and seawater was blown all over our trucks and the men. We watched from the deckhouse praying we wouldn't lose any of the trucks overboard.

 

            With the storm behind us, we limped into the Port of Pusan. We were given an area out on the sandy area of a river bank to set up our command post. We pitched our tents for quarters and ate "K" rations for our meals. Cold water from a bucket for a shower and our steel helmet was our wash basin to wash up and to shave with. We hired the local Korean women to wash our clothes, in a nearby stream, for labor was very cheap. It was the old story of hurrying up and wait. There was no way we could do anything to help fight the enemy with our equipment, so we sat on our hands until higher headquarters found a reason to use us. Our unit was assigned directly to 5th AF HQ (Advance) for support, because 3rd Bomb Wing would operate out of Japan. The day arrived when Gen. McArthure made his famous Inchon Port landing just west of the South Korean Capital of Seoul. The landing trapped most of the North Korean troops in South Korea and the 8th Army troops recaptured Seoul and headed north to capture the North Korean Capital of Pyongyang and onward to the Yalu River on the China Border.

 

 

          With Kimpo Airfield, located on the outskirts of Seoul, in our troop's hands, our unit was ordered to a nearby airstrip for airlift to Kimpo. Arriving at the airstrip with all of our equipment, I discovered my old troop carrier squadron was there and was to fly us to Kimpo. A nice re-union. Loaded up we flew to Kimpo and landed. Upon landing two of the planes lost their tail boons. The tails cracked and drooped onto the runway when the planes landed on the rough runway. Problem was solved by quickly modifying this type of plane adding a dorsal fin along the boons to the two tails.

 

           We again set up camp on the edge of the airfield and waited, the 8th Army troops were moving north so fast there was no need for our services. To improve our daily life we built us a better shower facility by putting a 55-gallon drum up on a wood platform with a valve opened with a pull of a cord. Still cold water though. One day, a major with his duffel bag, showed up at our doorstep and by virtue of his rank took command of the outfit. What a snafu of personnel manning. A major who was filling the slot of a 2nd Lt. civil engineer was commander because of rank. I was ordered to the Unit to fill the slot of commander except I wasn’t a major only a 1st Lt.  A 1st Lt. filling the operations slot which called for a captain. One 1st Lt. filling a captain slot of Detachment Commander, no assistant of a 1st Lt. and no second set of officers for the 2nd Detachment the.  We had equipment for and needed two detachments minimum to try to do our mission. Also, we only had enough enlisted personnel to man one detachment. Replacements were on the way to fill the second detachment. Then, the fact that our ground troops was almost in complete control of North Korea, our outfit wasn't needed in Korea. Let's go home! That's how we felt. No dice, I think we just got lost, on purpose. in the paperwork on some ones desk.

 

            We had landed at Kimpo several days after it had been taken by our troops from the Inchon landing and it was a mess. Only one or two buildings left standing. We ate at the Officers Mess, no tables, you stood on a make-shift floor, and with your mess gear resting on a shelf, you ate a “great choice of well prepared food “.  Breakfast menu: Strong black coffee, canned fruit, re-constituted scrambled eggs, dehydrated potatoes cut into tiny cubes and fried in oil; nice and crunchy, fried Spam slices, fried canned bacon, canned biscuits, re-constituted milk, whose quality varied, based on the mixing of powder and water. For lunch fried Spam, canned beef, canned veggies, canned biscuits, canned jelly, coffee/tea and canned fruit. For dinner; same as lunch. Seconds ok. Snacks; canned biscuits w/peanut butter or jelly. No fresh stuff. A week or so later, fresh items began to appear. First was sliced ham then cabbage, apples.

 

          Let me explain the different combat rations we ate at various times while in Korea. K rations were from WWII, a compressed type of candy bar filled with goodies the body needed to survive, a piece of chocolate for a sweet, and several pieces of toilet paper for personal needs. They were not relished by the troops. C rations came on the scene and they were great. They were so fortified that if you didn't watch how much you ate, you'd gain weight. You had  small cartons designated breakfast, lunch, dinner, a day’s ration for one person. Inside the carton, lets say breakfast; there would be a tin of scrambled eggs with one of the meats bacon, ham, or sausage. A tin of juice, a tin of crackers, packs of instant coffee, sugar, salt, pepper, plastic knife, fork, spoon, matches, and toilet paper. Lunch or Dinner, the main entree would be a different selection of beef stew, chicken and rice with veggies, spaghetti and meatballs, pork and veggies, Wieners and beans, and others I've forgotten. Canned fruit or pudding was for dessert and all the other extra stuff like breakfast. To make life a little better there was a BX carton filled with goodies for fifty men for one day. This carton provided five cartons of cigarettes, five boxes of ten standard bars of a named brand candy bar, then a few cigars, toothpaste, razors and blades, knife, Zippo lighter for whoever needed them. Gasoline fueled the lighter.

 

              Now an interesting incident happened while we were still there on Kimpo Field, "Bed check Charlie". One night we were awakened with anti-aircraft machineguns starting to fire, the sound of a single engine plane and then the explosion of a small bomb going off near by. We all dived for our slit trenches. This went on for several nights and then stopped. Base security personnel discovered that the small plane was guided to the base by Korean children lighting candles placed in coffee cans, forming an arrow. Later, in the next year, while we were in our compound in Seoul, we would be faced with the same problem.

 

             It was at this time, first part of November 1950, I received a MARS's cablegram in the mail from Japan, informing me that I was a father, Paul had been born on Oct 5th, three weeks earlier, and that mother and child were ok. A short time later, when we arrived in Pyongyang, Capitol of North Korea, I was able to purchase 14 yards of pure silk cloth for a script dollar and sent it to her later when I could do so.

 

One day we watched an airdrop operation being put into action. There were more than a 100 C-47 troop transports loaded with airborne troops lined up at the runway. The go signal was given and the planes started their roll down the runway to take off, one aircraft every 5 seconds. What a sight to behold. Another time I watched a large group of P-51 Fighter’s take off, two at a time, down the runway to attack North Korean targets.

 

            For some ”stupid planning”  reason, in December we were given orders to move in a convoy and set up our one operational detachment at Pyongyang, North Korea.  I guess to justify our existence. It wouldn’t provide any operational good, except to give us training in setting up a detachment under adverse winter conditions.  So we packed up and in the freezing weather, with no adequate cold weather clothes, hit the road north to Pyongyang. The road was dirt, packed with rocks, barely wide enough for two trucks to pass each other. Our meals were "C" rations which, we heated up on the engine block of our jeeps and trucks. Trip took 3 days and we were cold all the time. Effects of frostbite that I got then, still gives me pain in my hands and feet, when exposed to cold weather. We pulled into Pyongyang, the Capital of North Korea, that used to be a large city. It was devastated. We set up the detachment and I drove back to Seoul to pickup the payroll at 5th AF HQ(advance) and return to pay the troops in military script. One of my innovations;  I had observed that when the supply convoys drove north, the lead jeep had a mobile radio installed in place of a rear seat, drove one or two miles ahead of the convoy. If it saw any unusual activity or got attacked it could radio back to the convoy and the convoy would stop and be safe. Well, the enemy wasn't dumb, they would let the lead jeep proceed alone and wait for the convoy. Seeing as how I drove my jeep alone with a shotgun rider, I got myself a junk radio from a signal corps outfit and installed it on the back of my jeep. I never had any trouble; although, I did have a 45 cal pistol strapped on my belt, a semi-automatic M-14 carbine and a 1000 round box of ammo filled with loaded carbine clips just in case. The M-14 used a 15 shell clip and could be fired as a single shot or semi-automatic, holding the trigger squeezed for a short burst. Every one using this rifle would tape two clips together, one opposite to the other. This way you had an extra full clip ready to go, instead of digging into your pocket to get one.

 

 

           The troops were moving so fast north to the Chinese border that Gen. MacArther’s Staff made, what turned out to be a tactical error. The central mountain range running North and South in the middle of Korea was not secured. Thus the Chinese infiltrated these mountains before they launched their attack to seal off our troops.  The Marines fought their way out of the Chosen reservoir Area to Wonsan  Harbor for evacuation and the troops of the 8th Army retreated South towards Seoul. The Chinese re-took Seoul and were finally stopped near Taejon. A wall of resistance was forged by UN troops across Korea, from The Yellow Sea to the Sea of Japan.

 

 

     We got the Detachment installed on a hill and after a couple of days I drove back to Seoul to pick up the month end payroll for the troops. Trip back was uneventful just cold. Being on my own I made the trip back in a day.  I picked up the payroll and planned to drive back to Pyongyang the next day. That night, I was awakened by the CQ to take a telephone call. It was the major telling me that the Chinese were attacking our troops and the troops were pulling out in haste. I was to drive, with our Hqs staff people in Seoul down south to Taejon, intercept the men of our 2nd detachment coming in convoy from Pusan. Then, give away all our trucks and my jeep, board a C-46 that would be waiting for us and fly to an Australian Air Base at Iwakuni, Japan. He would meet us there later with the rest of the outfit coming with him from off the hill site in Pyongyang.

 

An example of the turmoil taking place in Seoul as the Chinese poured South. I needed to secure C-Rations for us as we drove south. Because they were a controlled issue, I made out my request and proceeded to 5th AF Hq downtown to get approval for the Army Depot to issue the rations to me. I had to plead with a Col. to approve my request. Seems there was a shortage of the rations and to be issued only in an emergency situation.  Finally got approval and sent a truck to the depot to pick our rations. The truck returned filled to the over flowing with cases of C-Rations. I was surprised, the Sgt, told me I could have all that I wanted for they had orders to burn everything, rather than leave behind for the Chinese. The retreating trucks were filled with troops and couldn’t be used to transport supplies. My few trucks were going south empty, so I had them loaded up with C-Rations and we headed South to catch our plane. Reaching the Airstrip, I located our convoy and our men waiting for me to arrive. Found me a Supply Officer to take our trucks and the supplies.  My jeep; I gave to an officer on the flight line as we were trucked to the C-46 airplane and took off for Japan.

 

 The C-46, a two engine cargo carrying plane, had no seats so we sat on the floor leaning against the sides.  When we landed in Japan, we were tired, unshaven, wearing dirty uniforms. As we turned off the runway onto a taxi strip, the plane came to a halt with a jeep and a truck load of Aussie troops stopped outside.  I opened the rear door and an Aussie Officer shouted "friend or Foe"? He had security personnel with him with their rifles pointed towards us. I was in no mood to be playing war games with him and I replied with a verbal broadside. Seems the base was having a security training exercise and they were checking to see if we were the “supposed” enemy. He soon realized his mistake and with a grin and salute, allowed the plane to taxi to the front of base operations where we deplaned. I got my men squared away in quarters and arranged to get them a meal under their belts. We had been on C- rations for the last several days and looked forward to a good fresh hot meal with plenty of milk.

 

 With the men taken care of, I went to get quarters for myself, get cleaned up, put a clean fresh uniform on and then go to the officers Club to relax over some mixed drinks and, later, dinner at the Officers Mess Hall.  My getting cleaned up proved to be an embarrassing moment for me, the first time and after that acceptance. The quarters were the barracks type with individual rooms, with the latrine, wash basins, and open showerheads at the end of the building. I had shaved and was taking my shower when little ole mamasan came in and started to clean the area, completely ignored me while I stood there all soaped up in my birthday suit, murmuring to myself regarding the situation. Hey! I realized that's the way life is in Japan and Korea, so I went about my business, finished my shower, and went back to my room to get dressed.

 

The next day the major arrived with the rest of the officers and men to a grateful greeting from us. All of our equipment was lost except one beat up directional antenna. It was a one-of-a-kind in the Far East. There was replacement radio gear available in depots in Japan but, not the special antennas. How problem solved later. That night the officers, all four of us, went into the local Japanese town for a special steak dinner with all the wrappings. The first piece of fresh beef we tasted since we first left Japan to go to Korea. There was a Japanese operated steakhouse that catered to the occupying military forces only. We paid in Yen, which made the meal and drinks very inexpensive.

 

 With the Chinese troops retaking Seoul and the 8th Army being re-grouped with new divisions and equipment to halt the Chinese from coming further south, 5th AF saw the need to enlarge our unit to a Headquarters and four deployed detachments. There was an immediate need for us to return to Korea, post haste, to provide 3rd Bomb Wing’s B-26’s Radio Precision Bombing support. fast and low, which they were designed to do for ground troop's support. Finally found a compelling need for our unit to be in Korea.

 

At Iwakuni Air Base, our outfit, 1st Shoran Beacon Unit, only one in the Air Force, was re-organized into a Headquarters with 4 Beacon Detachments to be deployed across Korea on Islands and land. Communications for Command and Control with the spread out detachments was via radio with encrypted Morse code. When I was on board the re-supply LST, I used voice radio, in an emergency only. Otherwise, I operated under radio silence.

 

In accordance with the Official Manning and Equipment Table, The Hqs. Commander was a Electronics Officer, in the grade of Major (Gold Leaf), Hqs. Operations Officer and Hqs. Communications Officer, and Detachment Commanders; Communications Officers, Captains (silver tracks). One other officer, in the grade of 1ST Lt., was a combat engineer to establish the four detachment operational sites 

 

 I, being the Electronics Officer with the rank of 1st Lt., was supposed to be Hqs. Commander. However, an Engineer in the grade of Major was assigned, which screwed things up. By virtual of his Rank, the Major took Command, although he wasn’t trained or, had operating and maintenance knowledge of the units operating electronics equipment. To overcome this handicap, he made me the Units Adjutant so that I was close by as his technical advisor. All the assigned officers reported directly to him and technically, I assisted the detachments with the Majors direction and approval. The arrangement worked out well and he took steps to make me able to coordinate the unit’s activities, internally and externally. For my efforts from September 50 to February 51 in Korea, I was awarded the Air Force Commendation Ribbon for Meritorious Service. The Ribbon hadn’t been approved by Congress yet, so The Army Commendation Medal was awarded in lieu of.

 

A footnote: As the Electronics Officer,  I was only a 1st Lt., there was the Lt. Col., (the Major was promoted on the regular field officer's cycle),as commander, a Major, as operations officer, A Capt., as a Communications Officer, so I was a bit outranked for the job I had to do. Also, as the junior officer, I was blessed with the minor additional duties of Supply, Transportation and Finance.

 

While the outfit was getting new personnel and equipment to bring us up to manning strength to do our mission in Korea, the Commander and I went on site surveys from aboard a Swedish ship to several islands off the coast of North and South Korea in the Yellow Sea. We picked one island close to Inchon harbor, called Tok-chok-to, and another called Paegnyongdo, above the 38th Parallel, behind the Chinese lines. On the northern island there was an Air/Sea rescue unit to go into North Korea and rescue pilots and crews that were shot down, plus commandos for raids into North Korea. One morning after breakfast aboard ship, the Col. called me into his cabin and put a captain's bar in my hand. I had received a "spot" temporary combat promotion, which I would lose when I permanently left the combat zone, unless I was promoted on the regular cycle. To say the least, I was elated. On my winter cap I put my two 1st Lt. bar’s together on my cap until I got back to the base in Japan.

 

 In time we were completely manned and given all new equipment, except antennas, none available in the supply channels.  So the light bulb went on, we took the battered antenna that was saved when we were kicked out of Pyongyang, to the downtown of the Japanese town. Found an old man who was working on bicycles along the street. We showed him the antenna, asking if he could make four of them for us using the old antenna to copy from. He nodded yes, make samo-samo. Several days later we drove back downtown to check on the new antennas. The old man was on the ground working on one of the new antennas. We were dismayed and yelled, "stop". He had a ruler and a hammer in his hand, measuring each dent, scratch, and bend on the old antenna and transferring the same to the new antenna, samo samo. He was making them the same as the battered one. Going back to the base with our good new antennas, we had a good laugh over the incident.

 

 The troops of 8th Army finally contained the Chinese troops along a line between Taejon on the east and Chonan, on the west coast.  Our orders came to go back to Korea and set up our sites our headquarters and two detachments were to go to Taegu, to be quartered in the same compound, where 8th Army and 5th AF Advance Headquarters were quartered. The other two detachments to be deployed on the two islands we had surveyed for sites. We were now able to support and provide bombing data for the plane’s of the 3rd Bomb Wing.

 

There was no port at Iwakuni to load us up and take the unit to Pusan, Korea. Most of the personnel were to be airlifted to Fukuoka and meet our convoy, with all the equipment and supplies at the Port of Kitakyushu, located on the northern coast of Kyushu, Island, opposite Pusan. Came the day to depart and I proceeded with the convoy of 2 ½  Ton trucks towing 1 ton trailers and jeeps to the port. We had some slight, hilarious, problems along the way down the narrow countryside dirt roads. At one village we had to make a sharp left turn in the center of the town. Street was so narrow that we had to stop, dis-connect the trailers, make the turn with the truck, drag the trailer and re-hitch it to the truck. The villager’s, seeing the problem their village was causing us (we still occupied Japan) rushed forth and did all the labor involved. Passing through another village, we had to stop due to the low overhang of roofs on the shops lining the street. It meant unloading a couple of trucks, but before we could do so, the shop owners were up on their roofs tearing them down, so that we could proceed. Using sign language, I tried to get a cost figure in order to pay them Yen for the damage. They refused any money and we moved on.

 

 Soon we arrived at the Port of Shimonoseki, across the strait from the port, we were to depart from. Nobody had told me what to do upon arrival, so I assumed that I was to take the auto ferries across. I drove the convoy up to the entrance toll booth, thus blocking the Japanese traffic from getting on the ferries. The gate official, with constant bowing, who didn’t speak English and I didn’t understand Japanese, was beside himself trying to get me to move the trucks out of the way so that he could load his ferries. I wanted his ferries to take us across the strait so I could go to the other port, so I stayed where I was blocking traffic and totally disrupting the ferry service. An hour or so later, He showed me the telephone and I was speaking to a Navy officer, whom told me to take my convoy to a certain location where the trucks and jeeps would be loaded on Japanese type barges to be taken to the cargo ship we’d ship out on. The ferry official was very relieved when I bowed to him, got into my jeep, and left him with the task of getting his ferries back on schedule.

 

A bit of information on how smart the Japanese were. At this point of land they constructed a train tunnel under the strait to connect the two large islands. Rather than just a simple tunnel, it was built like a figure 8. With the train tracks laid suspended in the middle of the 8. The bottom part of the eight was large enough to fill up and hold the incoming sea water in the time needed for a train, caught in the tunnel, to escape, either forward or in reverse, out of the tunnel, before the tracks were flooded.

 

With our trucks and equipment loaded aboard a Navy Troop Carrier, we boarded the ship and left for Pusan, Korea for the second time. More enjoyable this time, large ship, sunny weather with a winter chill, good food and with a mission we looked forward to complete. A good feeling, to know that we were finally needed to help win the fight against the Chinese.  When we docked in Pusan, the Medic’s came aboard to check shot records of everyone going to disembark. Shots needed would be given there and now. One of our enlisted men couldn’t come up with his shot record. While I was prepared to certify he had received the required shots before we left Iwakuni, the Medic’s shrugged their shoulders and told the man to roll up his sleeves. Two medics took turns poking needles in each arm, giving the shots needed. He was a sick man, with sore arms for a few days. Being in Korea, you had to take a small pox shot every six months and Atabrine each day for Dysentery.

 

The time spent at Taegu was like being on a camping trip, as far as living conditions went. We were quartered in canvas tents with 3 ft. wooded sides and a wooden floor.  We slept on steel cots, on a typical Army mattress, within our sleeping bag. Pot belly stove for heat. No A/C in summer heat. We had several tents for our units operations. Good latrine facilities were built for the troops and Officers. The stalls being open, a strange feeling to be next to the generals and colonels assigned to the Army, Navy and Air Force Command Center. There was plenty of good fresh food and baked goods. When available, fresh veggies, tomato’s, cucumbers, and leaf lettuce came from the hydroponics growing facilities in Japan. As much as possible, the same goodies went to all the combat area mess halls 

 

Being in the compound, we were allowed to view the situation map that showed the battle lines, where the Chinese were attacking and how many of them were being killed. It also showed how our own troops were counter-attacking. The General’s plans were costing the Chinese dearly. The plan was to deploy heavily fortified positions atop the hills in depth. The Chinese would attack in waves dropping off troops to surround each position, until they ran out of troops. Then they were cut to pieces by the coordinated crossfire from the fortified positions. They were bombed with napalm and burned to death. Thousands were killed each day they attacked our lines. Another event that cost the Chinese over ten thousand troops in one battle occurred on the west coast of Korea. The Chinese attacked with our troops faking a retreat drawing thousands into a pocket down the coast and next an armored division moved in on their right flank to the sea cutting them off from being able to get out of the trap and most were killed. Thousands of Chinese troops were being killed each day and could not continue to advance their front lines. With these losses the Chinese were slowly forced back above the 38th parallel.

 

 Our troops re-took Seoul and the Command Hqs moved to Seoul. We ended up on the city outskirts in a compound formed on the grounds around Iwa Women's College. In the compound were the units we had been with before. We quartered in the college rooms with a folding cot and our sleeping bags. The latrine was really something to behold. The facilities were designed to meet the needs of the Korean women. There were no toilets with seats, they were built Japanese Style, low to the floor and you had to squat. Also, there was a jet of water to wash you off. We had the hired Koreans build our own outhouses, post haste. It was awhile before we were able to build an enclosed heated shower room for the men and another for the officers in the compound. We were back to our steel helmets again for cleaning up and shaving. We had hot water this time. We had 55 gal drums with the top cut off, filled with water and heated by a kerosene-fired heater immersed in the water. Several of these units were placed on a balcony of the building. I hired Korean women to clean the unit's rooms and wash every-ones uniforms.

 

 Our outfit was designated a combat unit because our detachments were deployed through the combat zone, some on islands behind the battle lines. They got the C rations, in addition to the regular rations I transported to them each month, but I only provided them with a thirty-day supply of C rations for emergency needs. The BX ration, I made sure they got more than enough cartons to cover each day they were on the island site, in addition to the emergency backup. Although we, in the headquarters, were in Seoul, I was able to draw the rations for us also. We also had a small BX in our compound where we were quartered with an Army Signal Battalion, an anti-aircraft unit, and an AACS HQ unit. We were able to buy cigarettes for a dollar a carton, five cents for candy bars and nominal prices for personal needs. So the HQ people, officers and enlisted men, had a 7 day carton supply of C rations for emergency and or midnight snack, plus I had a locked cabinet that I kept extra BX rations in and the personnel could indulge when ever they needed extras. Also, I made sure that the outlying detachments had extra stuff when I re-supplied them each month. Fortunately, I had an excellent working relationship with the officers in charge of the various supply depots and if at the time I was making a supply run, something special such as fresh fruit was available, I was able to get some to take to the islands. Aboard the LST, The Japanese Captain was responsible for fresh food from the navy to feed us on the ships cruise and the ships cooks prepared American style meals for the Officers and troops I brought on board each time.

 

                  Higher Hqs. allowed us a designated amount of Korean money, or rice and dried fish to pay daily wages for local Koreans to work for us, same on the Islands. I paid a days work with a canteen full of rice and once a week, a dried fish, or a squid. On my re-supply runs each month I would pay the local men a rice ration plus a fish for the time spent unloading supplies from the ship. Also, I supplied the Detachment Commander with enough rice and dried fish to fulfill his needs to pay the locals for working. Korean money was of no value on the islands.

 

                  Soon after we arrived in the compound, "bed check Charlie" made several late night bombing runs on a railroad tunnel next to the compound. Didn't hurt us but the noise of defensive machinegun fire and the small bombs the small plane dropped, kept us awake and on alert. One night a P-5I got on his tail, only to lose him, he was going too slow and the fighter overshot him. He had nine lives and never got shot down.

 

                                      After arriving back in Seoul again, we deployed our two remaining detachments, one; to the West Coast on a hilltop and the other south of Seoul, likewise on a hilltop. Our unit's code word was "Cue ball" after the commander's bald head. So for radio traffic we had cue ball, cue ball 1,2,3,4, and I was cue ball mobile. Before the first month was finished, after getting our detachments deployed on the islands, we had to make arrangements to re-supply them. The transportation office in 5 AF HQ’s downtown in Seoul told me to go meet the Navy Port Commander at Inchon harbor. I drove over to the port and met him, a Navy Commander. He was great, invited me for lunch, the first real butter, rolls and fresh fruit I had eaten since returning to Korea. The navy always went First Class. Fulfilling our need, he assigned to me a LST (Landing Ship Tank) WWII type ship, with the large bow doors that swung open to unload vehicles, to take care of our detachments. It would turn out to be a three-week sailing schedule and he would not know where we sailed in the Yellow Sea. Each month, I would call his office and I would be given a LST on the date I set. Personnel and equipment replacements would be provided by our hqs and trucked to the ship. Food supplies, C rations, gasoline and ammo I picked up at an Army Supply Depot. Also, I paid the personnel, delivered mail and parcels, and picked up outbound mail. Being the Unit Hq Adjutant and Personnel Officer I took care of any administrative actions the personnel needed. If a medical emergency occurred a nearby Air/Sea rescue Unit was called in to transport the person to medical treatment. 

 

                A footnote: During WWII liquor was in short supply in the battle zone and thus became a hot barter item to get special treatment on supplies. During the Korean conflict the top brass made sure this did not happen (different supply items would be used as I will explain later). Every officer and enlisted man was assured of being able to buy a fifth of his or her choice of a brand name and twelve cans/bottles of available beer each month. This was in addition to the free distribution of beer for the combat troops from various countries of the UN.  In the army units a Division Officer would be informed, down to the GI on the battle line, of their desires. The requests would be totaled and the officer would fly to Japan, buy the goods and bring it back. It was then distributed right back down to the lowly GI in his foxhole.

 

And what a cruise it was each month and, more so, as the months went by. Here I was, an Air Force Officer as the operational commander, of a US Navy LST, manned by Japanese officers and crewmen, with an Australian Frigate, my protector, when I went north of the battle lines. The Japanese Captain did not have advance knowledge which island I was going to next after the LST backed off an island beach. I'd take the ships charts and inform the Japanese captain of the next location and the frigate would follow me. We were under radio silence except for a mayday event, because we were operating behind the Chinese lines. Shortly after setting up my re-supply shipping schedule, I began to have visitors from other units.  They had made their requests to 5th AF for re-supplying, or to establish sites on islands also. 5th AF passed the buck to me to satisfy their needs. Now, for three weeks of each month, I was aboard a LST over looking the loading/unloading of personnel, supplies, and equipment for designated islands while sailing up the North Korean coast in the Yellow Sea. The LST was a 10,000-ton vessel, with a large spacious cargo area running the length of the ship, assessable through two swinging outward bow doors and a loading ramp. I would schedule each outfit a date and time to truck in and unload in a designed section in the cargo deck. There was a mess facility and quarters to take care of the personnel while aboard. I was given a cabin in the ship’s officer's section, next to the Ships Bridge at the rear. I and any other officers that were on board with me each month ate in the captain's dining room after the Japanese officers had their meals. If I was the only officer or the Col. was with me, we would eat with the captain and first mate. They had their food and we had ours. One time, on a different LST, we had to eat our meals using chopsticks. Try eating fried eggs and pancakes or cut ham with chopsticks, much fun. After that trip, I carried my own emergency set of eating utensils.

 

Once loaded, in reverse order of the sites to be visited and me being provided with a required manifest of the personnel and supplies for each site, the ship would depart Inchon and head for the first island. Like Cook Inlet in Alaska, the tidal change between high and low tides was around twenty feet. This tidal change posed a problem for beaching the LST to unload cargo, and then back off on a high tide when I was ready to leave and proceed to the next stop. My operating plan was to have the captain fill the ships ballast tanks with seawater, thus lowering the ships draft by an additional two feet, proceed to beach at a forward speed of two knots, two hours after the highest tide of the day. After unloading we would pump out the two feet of ballast seawater and at the crest of high tide reverse engines and back off the beach. Worked fine, except one month, a different ship captain didn't follow my instructions in beaching. He went in two hours before high tide at a speed of four knots and no ballast of seawater. As the tide rose to its highest level the ship moved forward up the beach's edge. This happened at night and I couldn't believe the sight I beheld the next morning as I looked behind the ship. We had dug a trench in the mud with the ship's bottom, which meant that we were going to have a hell of a time trying to get off the beach. We had three days of increasing higher tides to try to compensate for the goof. I alerted the Port Commander at Inchon that I might need a Navy sea going tug to help pull the ship off the beach. If that didn't work, we were stuck there for another month until the high tides peaked again Lady luck was with us, the third night at the highest tide for the month, the ship was able to back off the beach and we were free to go our way to the next stop. The Japanese captain owed me one for the mistake he made.

 

  The captain and the first mate of the LST I normally got each month were very good officers, very competent, and spoke excellent English. Both of them had been educated in the United States. During WWII, the Captain had commanded three different destroyers that were sunk by torpedoes. He had a lot of war stories to tell and I enjoyed listening to him. Japan was still an occupied country, we hadn't signed a peace treaty yet, and the captain happily went out of his way to meet our needs. Example, one month I informed him the colonel was coming with us to inspect the sites. Lo and behold, he painted the officers quarters, dining room and had the colonel stay in his cabin. He even had “sake” (Japanese Whiskey made from rice) served warm available to us. We had a good trip that month.

 

       On one trip, aboard ship, en-route to an island above the 38th parallel, we ran into a large area filled with Man-o-War’s; giant jellyfish. A sight to behold, watching them float by on the surface of the water. Seeing them brought to mind a danger we had to look out for; free floating mines. The Chinese had a nasty habit of releasing them to float south with the sea currents and maybe catch one of our navy warships. When one was spotted, it was blown up by rifle fire.

 

The first time we used his ship and the Japanese captain became aware that he wouldn’t know in advance where he was sailing to, he became very concerned for the safety of his ship and crew.  When entering North Korean waters his seeing the Aussie Frigate make its presence helped to sooth his concern. When I informed him of Paegnyongdo Island that we would go to off the coast of North Korea and miles behind the Chinese lines, but not very far from the mainland, he was worried that we would be attacked, we had no deck guns on board, by the Chinese. I reassured him to wait until the next morning and take a look around the bay where we beached. The next morning he was greeted by the view of a baby aircraft carrier carrying helicopters and its escort ships anchored behind us. His concerns disappeared. This particular island was a base also, for army special forces and an Air Sea Rescue outfit to rescue our downed pilots over North Korea. It was here, I learned a valuable lesson in the ways of the Korean culture in dealing with the people. I hired the local village men to unload the supplies off the ship and put the stuff on the beach. The detachment commander paid them to haul, by backpacks, everything up to the site on top of the hill. This included carrying the 55 gal steel drums of gasoline up to the site on their backs using an "A frame". You can see this action in some of the photos I took. Back to my learning, I wasn't happy with the speed the Korean men were unloading the ship, I told my Korean interpreter to get them moving faster. Rather than say anything to them, he picked up a 4 ft. long thick stick, handed it to me and told me to threaten or actually strike the worker on the back to show my displeasure. I was told that the workers respected authority and if I, as the Ichibon (number one), didn't act as the one in charge, they would lose face and not work well. So, from then on I carried a big stick and had no problems then or in the future (No! I never struck one of them, just lowered their work rice ration for that day).  When we were ready to depart an island, I would line up the workers and pay them off in rice and dried fish or squid. If they really worked hard and fast, they soon learned I rewarded their efforts with an extra ration of rice.

 

             While the ship was beached, we would hike up the mountain trail to the site to visit with the men and update them with the news or whatever. On one occasion, the colonel had worked out a plan to try to give the detachment fresh meat, fruit and veggies. So he was there to see if the plan worked on a test basis. The plan called for a B-26 from the 3rd Bomb Wing to air drop a canister with a parachute attached to slow its speed of descent, onto the site. The plane came in as slow as it could and not stall out, dropped the canisters and they became unarmed bombs-the parachutes tore off. They hit just below the ridge of the site and the contents flew all over the sandbags around a hut. What a mess and that plan was buried in file 13. . Being a remote site, we couldn't get approval to get meat freezers to put at the site and stock from the ships meat freezers. The supply depot I drew rations from didn't have fresh meat. It was flown in from Japan and distributed daily to the troop mess halls through a special system. Also, once the fighting stopped, our units would be pulled out from their sites. What I was able to do was to get fresh oranges or apples, as a special treat for them, if the depot had some when I drew their rations. If the ships captain could talk the navy out of some fresh dairy products, we would leave a couple of day's worth at each site. They also received their monthly whiskey and beer ration plus extra combat BX rations.

 

During my tour, the Military Script money would be called in and re-issued to overcome the black market operation that thrived and deny the Chinese the ability to use the script they took from troops captured or off the bodies of troops killed. The black market even offered for sale the personal effects of troops captured or killed. As finance officer for the outfit, when it was decided to change out the Military Script, 5th AF HQ's Finance Officer would call me. I would immediately collect and record the amount of money our personnel, both officers and enlisted had in their possession; I would order the site commanders to do the same. Time was a factor for it prevented anyone from making extra money by getting extra script from the Koreans and agreeing to give them fifty cents or less back on the dollar. The old script would be worthless. The sites would tell me how much they took in and coupled with the amount I collected, I procured new script and distributed it to the personnel.

 

Sometimes the supply system would get the old SNAFU status of WWII. One day 18 jeep engines arrived to replace the ones on our sites portable electric generators. We hadn't ordered them and didn't need them. However, we couldn't get enough truck tires to keep our trucks rolling in re-supplying actions. I drove over to Kimpo Air Base visiting the vehicle maint. Officer and found out they couldn't get jeep engines but had plenty of truck tires... In fact the Base Commanders Jeep needed one. Yep! We swapped tires for jeep engines. That's how supply problems were solved in combat areas.

 

After six month's, I was given a weeks R&R (rest and relaxation) in Japan, at one of the Army centers located downtown in Nagoya, away from the air bases. I caught a ride on a C-47 courier plane going to Nagoya, near Tokyo. What a flight it was. Here, I thought I’d have a chance to catch up on my sleep.  Instead, we ran into a cold front with rain, thunderstorms, lightning, and bounced all over the sky. There were only four of us on the plane, the pilot and co-pilot was strapped in up front and the crew chief and myself in the cargo area. The two of us had a hell of a time trying to stay put on a canvas bucket seat, no seat belts. Finally used some tie down straps to keep us in place.

 

The time had come for all Air Force Officers to wear the new Air Force Blue Uniform, regardless of being in Korea. So while on R & R, I purchased the required amounts on the Japanese market, much cheaper than back in the US.  My original footlocker that contained my Pinks and Greens was still missing. I was hoping it had disappeared completely, so I could collect insurance on it and thus,  pay for my new uniforms. Not to be, the footlocker showed before I left Korea.  I, also, met an old OCS school buddy who had been in my flight. He was the AF Military Postal officer for the area. I expressed my desire to buy and ship, a 12 place set of Nortake fine china with Gold Leaf design. There was a heavy demand and a waiting list for the design I wanted. However, he used his influence with the plant manager and the next day the set was on its way back to the U.S.

 

After my R&R I returned to my outfit and my good ole ship. Another unit wanted to do a site survey for putting a navigational beacon on an island. There would be a very small complement of airmen to man the site and we had to be sure the local village people would protect them. So our colonel and the other unit's commander came on board the ship and we made a stop at the island. The Headman of the village greeted us and gave us the key to the village, so to speak. Walking through the village market place, we had to control our feelings, for in numerous little stalls were displayed black market contraband. Troopers rings, watches, cigarettes, lighters, C-Rations, etc. We were supposed to confiscate such goods, but we couldn't, we needed our small group of men to be safe on the island. On another site survey we had to stay overnight on the island and again, we were treated as honored guests. The village leaders saw to it that our C-Rations were served hot to us and we were invited to take a bath in the communal bathhouse; quite an experience. The water in the large wooden tub was changed for our benefit. A fire burning beneath it heated the tub's water. To take a bath, you stripped, dipped water out of the tub, soaped up and then rinsed the soap off of your body. Then you climbed into the tub of hot water, secured a wooden board under your feet so as not to get them burned by the heat at the bottom of the tub, leaned back against the side of the tub and soaked. Or I should say, slowly boiled like a lobster. Boy! It was a true hot tub. Normally, all the villagers shared the bath, regardless of gender. Later we were given rooms to sleep in. No beds, slept on the floor, with a block of smooth wood for a pillow, cotton mattress, and a cotton blanket. The floor was heated by smoke and heat from a fire that flowed through tunnels in the mud floor.

 

It was November 1951, my fourteenth month in the combat zone and it would continue to a tour of eighteen months. I was getting ready to make the December re-supply run, When, on December first, I was notified that my Son was critically ill.  I was to be re-assigned to Ellington AFB, Houston, Texas with a 30 day emergency delay in route to go to Buffalo.  I boarded a C-54, a 4 engine transport plane at Kimpo AFB. to fly to an Air Base outside of Tokyo, then on to Seattle, Wash. where I was to catch a Northwest Airlines Commercial flight to Buffalo. I called my wife from Seattle and she told me that night would be critical and he might not survive the night. My Son had developed spinal meningitis and at that time, the recovery rate was nil. As a last resort, he was being given an experimental drug, hoping it would work. She informed me that night was it, that when I landed either he would be alive or dead. I landed and she was there at the airport to greet me, He survived the night and was on the road to recovery.

 

For my service in the Korean conflict, in addition to the Army Commendation Medal, I was awarded: US Presidential Unit Citation (Korea), Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Korean Service Medal with 7 Campaign Battle Stars, United Nations Service Medal, Army Occupation Medal (Japan), and Republic of Korea War Service Medal. Being sent back to the U.S., I lost my Combat Spot Promotion to Captain. Soon, I was promoted back to Captain on the next promotion roster, ahead of the normal cycle because of my rank as temp. Captain in Korea.

 

 Lucius M. Coley

Major, USAF (Ret)


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