The Second Korean War - '66-'69

Ziggy2525

Ziggy2525

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A lot of people think the Korean War ended in '53. It was never officially over. Just a shaky truce that's still in place today. There's been on and off hostilities along the DMZ from '53 to the present day.

Things were hot enough, the Army paid combat pay along the DMZ until '73. IIRC, as late as the mid-80's a US soldier was awarded a Silver Star for leading a counter ambush against a North Korean platoon that had attacked across the border.

Came across this video that describes the conflict during the '66-'69 time frame. Since it was a small conflict compared to Vietnam, other than the Pueblo incident, the news from Korea pretty much took a backseat to everything going on in Vietnam.

An interesting piece of under reported history

(In the vid, the first minute is advertising for the film maker).

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hpFsKqaIuc"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hpFsKqaIuc[/ame]
 
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When I was stationed on Guam in the mid 80's we got orientation trips to Korea. Part of the tour was a trip to PMJ to see and enter the building the peace talks were held in. The North Korean guards had no sense of humor on display. Tree cutting axe murder site was very sobering.
 
Targets Guy said:
When I was stationed on Guam in the mid 80's we got orientation trips to Korea. Part of the tour was a trip to PMJ to see and enter the building the peace talks were held in. The North Korean guards had no sense of humor on display. Tree cutting axe murder site was very sobering.
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1976
Korean axe murder incident - Wikipedia

I visited PMJ in '74. They were pretty clear to not get separated from your group. Ever. Period.
 
During my tour in the ROK in 1983-84 there were a number of incursions and incidents, most of which didn't make the news but were reported within my command.

Interesting to note that my Korean service earns the right to become a member of the VFW, "Veterans of Foreign Wars".
 
I served in Army Military Police the ROK 1973-75. Once I talked to a medic wearing an 8th Army Combat Patch (only one I ever saw, I guess it was legit). I'm here today thanks to the ROK Navy intercepting a raiding party. A lot of stuff that happened over there never made the news.

BTW, I believe the Korean War was a war worth fighting. The Korean people are tough and fully capable of defending themselves. No tougher enemy or greater ally than the ROK Army.
 
Ziggy2525 said:
Some of the kindest and most generous people too. People with nothing that would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it.
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Don't know if it is the same today as then, but I almost gave up riding the buses. This was because old men and women would get up and offer their seats to American GIs, and the conductors often wouldn't accept the fare.
 
Sistema1927 said:
Don't know if it is the same today as then, but I almost gave up riding the buses. This was because old men and women would get up and offer their seats to American GIs, and the conductors often wouldn't accept the fare.
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The one exception I saw to that kindness was a really deep hatred of the Japanese. In '74 at least, thirty years after the end of WWII, pretty much all the Korean adults I was around would spit and swear and rage whenever anything Japanese was mentioned. Serious hatred.
 
I was there the day that started! we were on a field exercise and my company, Co. B, 707 Maintenance Battalion, was on the compound of the 6/80Th FA, a 155MM/8" batallion, at Pob-Won-Ni Korea. I don't know the date, but it was during the Winter of 1965/66. North Korea obviously timed this to coincide with the 8TH Army field excercise!

We were normally based at "Camp Payne" which was on the East side of the mountain called "Charlie Block", with the three firing batteries of the 1/79 FA, a 105MM battalion. We supported the 7TH Division Artillery.

The camp guards for our compound which had been left behind, as usual, could actually hear the battle being fought between the ROKA and the NKA while it was being fought! This was on the West side of "Charlie Block", along MSR1, South of MunSan-Ni.

I thought it was interesting (annoying) that there was no mention of the 7TH Infantry Div. made in the video, only the 2ND Division!

I really question the classification of this s "The Second Korean War", as it was really a violation of the armistice, since the war has never ended, even today!

Korea is the longest war the US has ever been engaged in, 1950 to 2021 so far! NOT Afghanistan as is often claimed.
 
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Ziggy2525 said:
The one exception I saw to that kindness was a really deep hatred of the Japanese. In '74 at least, thirty years after the end of WWII, pretty much all the Korean adults I was around would spit and swear and rage whenever anything Japanese was mentioned. Serious hatred.
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+1. I remember the assassination attempt on President Pak Chung-Hee, in which the (very popular with the people) First Lady was murdered in 1974. The Korean people knew the Japanese people were behind it when it was obvious (to us) the DPRK was behind it.

In their defense, their hatred of (Imperial) Japan is well deserved by the Japanese. (IIRC, the late Colonel David Hackworth respected the ROK's and referred to them as "the Irish of the Orient".)
 
I had a co worker who served in Korea tell me it was the coldest place on earth he's ever been too.

Was there really MASH units in the field in Korea?

My stepdad serviced during the Koreanwar was not sure which one he never talked about it. He mentioned the garand once I never caught on. When I seen the bronze plate on his grave about Korea. My stepdad was a quiet, gentle man but I guess he wasva badazz at one time. He respected me and I respected him.
 
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S-W4EVER said:
+1. I remember the assassination attempt on President Pak Chung-Hee, in which the (very popular with the people) First Lady was murdered in 1974. The Korean people knew the Japanese people were behind it when it was obvious (to us) the DPRK was behind it.

In their defense, their hatred of (Imperial) Japan is well deserved by the Japanese. (IIRC, the late Colonel David Hackworth respected the ROK's and referred to them as "the Irish of the Orient".)
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Wasn't that in the summer of '74? I'm sure it was a mess. I came at the end of Sep '74. Just in time to enjoy the balmy Korean winter. :eek:
 
Interesting. I was there North of the Imjin with 1/38th Infantry Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, from late November 1967 until just before Christmas 1968, sitting on the Barrier, patrolling the Zone, and generally doing Infantry Grunt type stuff. It did get cold in the Winter, and muddy in the Summer. There were some exciting times.
 
BigBill said:
... Was there really MASH units in the field in Korea?
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IIRC, they deactivated the 43rd MASH while I was over there. The 121st Evacuation Hospital (AKA "One-Two-One") was still there though. The 377th Medical Co. (Air Ambulance) was pretty impressive to watch (everything was combat speed with those aircrews).
 
This "Second Korean War" is rather like the Dakota or Sioux War in Minnesota in 1862. It was the largest Indian War in our history in terms of combatants and casualties, but events elsewhere overshadowed it.
 
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