POHANG, KOREA

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

On Jun 25, 1950, the Korean War began. The South, the Republic of Korea, below the 38th parallel, was invaded by 75,000 strong North Korean People's Army. The invasion was a devastating surprise to US officials.

American troops entered the war on South Korea's side in July, 1950. We came to the South's defense in order to curtail Soviet communist aggression.

The US troops stationed in South Korea and in nearby Japan were garrison troops unprepared and ill equipped for combat. The US military as a whole had gone from the world's mightiest force at the end of WWII to a mere shadow of it's self just five years later.

On July 18, 1950, UN Forces made an unopposed amphibious landing at the strategically important city of Pohang, S. Korea. This was the largest amphibious landing since WWII.

Pohang was the site of fierce fighting during the Korean War between South Korea's 3rd Infantry Division and N. Korea's 5th Infantry Division during Aug and Sept 1950.

Today, Pohang is the site of the Marine Expeditionary Camp. The camp handles up to 2000 ROK Marines while undergoing training at many nearby training fields.

The camp at Mu Juk is supported by a detachment of SEABEES from a US Naval Mobile Construction Battalion.

Photos:

Me at Mu Juk
Statue of two Koreas being joined
Freedom Bridge
Me with guards at Dorasan Train Station
DMZ

 

[Jessie]

Spent most of my time at Freedom bridge and there abouts.
It was 20 years afterwards.

 

[bearfoot]

was TDY from Mun Ni Se camp? remember the Liberty Bridge had bullet holes in the bridge framework, think the Freedom bridge also had bullet holes in the bridge steel framework. we supported the turks and 8th. cav. recovery work had me crossing the Freedom Bridge @ all hrs. of the night or crossing the Imjin River to take a short cut south, crossing even when the river was frozen solid. the hardest river crossings were at night, the tides made exiting the river sometimes a non no misser of a dirt ramp. there were at the time 27 different currents in the Imjin river. our co. had only 1 bathhouse, about 100 yds. from our houch. when the co. got an M 88, recovery was made easier than using the 113.

 

[shouldazagged]

Lots of history there, of a war that has never ended. They tried to call it a "police action", but it was a bloody, icy, sweltering, nasty war.

A lot of the guys who fought it had also served in World War II. Today we're losing veterans of that grim business almost as fast as WWII vets, and their service is far less recognized. That's sad.

Master Chief, you were one tough-looking son of a gun. I don't doubt you still are.

 

[ameridaddy]

Master Chief - love the totems in the first pic. Did you have a Tlingit in your outfit, or do the Koreans make them also?

 

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

Master Chief - love the totems in the first pic. Did you have a Tlingit in your outfit, or do the Koreans make them also?

It was a ROK Marine thing. At the time, they lived in WWII style wooden open bay barracks, cooked all meals outdoors on grills, pumped iron with barbells made from steel pipe with buckets of concrete on each end and every night practiced and fought for real in Tae Kwan Do and other martial arts.

I've seen drill sgt kick butt for falling out of runs, ROKs puking while they ran and not falling out of formation. Some tough mo hummers.

 

[6518John]

Master Chief, you were one tough-looking son of a gun. I don't doubt you still are.

If I was in casting in Hollywood and I was making a Marine Corp movie, the Master Chief would be the first person I cast. He truly looks like what I envision as a Marine.

 

[Texas Star]

I gather that S. Korean troops are tough, but often corrupt and that in Vietnam, seldom patrolled much beyond their own lines. Didn't take the fight to the enemy.

Do any of our Viet war vets know much about this?

From what I've read, our best allies in Vietnam were the Australians. They spoke our language, aggressively attacked the enemy, and didn't claim a kill unless they could put a boot on a body. A N. Vietnamese memo warned their men to be cautious in engaging Aussies, and to pay particular attention to their flanks in battle.

And Australia was a very desirable R&R location, despite their soldiers enduring the same sort of anti-war demos as we saw in the USA.

Comments?

BTW, I've known just one Korean, and she was half American. Looked like that girl on Battlestar Galactica and Hawaii Five-O, who's Korean - Canadian. Can't think of her name just now. Her cousin was also on the latter show. Oh! Grace Park!

My favorite waitress thought I was just flirting when I said she looked like a younger Grace Park, until the restaurant manager showed her a pic of Grace on his phone. The resemblance was amazing.

Dr. Roy Chapman Andrews spent considerable time in Korea prior to his famed Gobi Desert explorations. He noted in a book that Korean women were often quite attractive.

And I suspect that their soldiers are quite effective, if they actually see battle. I hope they won't have to.

If I was still in the military, Korea is one place I'd rather not be stationed. But I'm glad the South Koreans are allies.

The sacrifices of our and allied troops has made possible S. Korea's present strong economy and better standard of living than exists for those poor Koreans in the north of the divided nation.

I think US fighter pilots had a 1:7 kill ratio against MiG opponents, in our favor. I do not have figures for British, Australian, or South African pilots, but one Royal Navy Sea Fury got a Mig, for sure. South Africans flew first P-51's, then got F-86 Sabres. I think Australia also used some F-86's and later built Sabres at home.

And this is most of what I know about Korea, other than to avoid eating kimchi.

 

[Firesticks]

My best friend who just passed on a little over a month ago was a Green Beret in a SOG unit in VN. He said he had 3 ROK marines in his squad. Told me they were the toughest, most fearless soldiers he had ever met. When he gave them an order consider it done. He also mentioned you do NOT want to mess with British Special Forces. Just as tough as any Green Beret except they were NUTS. Roll out of a Jeep at 45mph on an airfield tarmac in full field gear and come up fighting as if they just got up out of bed for morning coffee.

 

[Texas Star]

My best friend who just passed on a little over a month ago was a Green Beret in a SOG unit in VN. He said he had 3 ROK marines in his squad. Told me they were the toughest, most fearless soldiers he had ever met. When he gave them an order consider it done. He also mentioned you do NOT want to mess with British Special Forces. Just as tough as any Green Beret except they were NUTS. Roll out of a Jeep at 45mph on an airfield tarmac in full field gear and come up fighting as if they just got up out of bed for morning coffee.

My son knew some British SAS people in Iraq and Kuwait. Nice guys, but I think you summed them up well. Good to have on your side in a war! He bummed some 9mm ammo from them, which proves that having common cartridges is useful. Some in Kuwait had H-K USP pistols in lieu of the usual Brownings.
And I've seen Australian SAS with USP's in Kydex holsters in East Timor.

 

[pmanton]

I was too young for the war by a couple of years. I served 2 tours in "peacetime" Korea. The first at Uijeongbu unaccompanied, and the second an accompanied tour at Kimpo. We brought back two orphan girls with us, who today, are just normal American women.

The North attempted to assassinate the South's President, but missed and got his wife instead. I had orders in hand, and was returning to CONUS when this erupted. You have no idea how glad I was to get my family (and myself) on the airplane and out of Korean airspace.
Paul
Salome, AZ

 

[LoadedRound]

Thank you for your service Master Chief.

If I'm ever in a conflict, I hope to My Merciful Lord you're on my side.

Really.