Jan/Feb 2009 - Korean War Veterans Association

On his way back, he noted that the southern slope of Cemetery
Hill was a better route of approach to seize this high ground, if the
job proved too tough for the 1st Platoon. With his usual display of
excellent judgment and initiative, Lt. Muetzel launched his assault
on Cemetery Hill from the south. This assault moved rapidly, flushing
out about a dozen enemy soldiers, who surrendered. When they
got to the top, the entire crest suddenly became alive with enemy
rifle and mortar crewmen. They also threw down their weapons,
filed out from the trenches, and marched to the base of the hill,
where they were kept under guard.
On the left side of the beach, Lt. Eubanks had cleaned out the
bunker in a grenade duel, followed by a flame thrower attack. He
then took the 1st and 3rd Platoon out of their pockets and drove
inland to the edge of the city, where he made contact with the 2nd
Platoon. At 1755 I fired an “Amber/Star Cluster” indicating that
Cemetery Hill was secure. The thirty-minute fight in the area of the
1st and 3rd Platoons had cost us 8 killed and 28 wounded.
Accompanying me in my boat going into the beach were several
Time Life photographer/correspondence types. The last time I
remember seeing those people was head down on the top of the sea
wall digging for all they were worth. Just after firing the signal that
we had secured our objective, a LST came in on the beach to our
right with all guns blazing. We were receiving friendly fire and it
was some few minutes before we got it stopped.
John R. Stevens, LtCol USMC (Ret.)
2200 Sacramento St. #803, San Francisco, CA 94115
Busan vs. Pusan
Ref: Pg. 24, July/Aug 2008 issue, “BUSAN vs. PUSAN.“ You
were correct in that “the translation was based on pronunciation.“
However, that’s the only thing that was correct.
Some time ago—way back—an English speaking person, possibly
an American, advised the Koreans how to write Korean names
in English. Remember, the Koreans use characters that are different
from our alphabet. They have NOT changed their spelling. They are
only attempting to correct the English misrepresentation of it.
I have long commented on how Korean is misrepresented in
English. I know of one town whose name phonetically in Korean is
Bub Wun; however, the English spelling is Po Wahn. Therefore, it is
pronounced that way—incorrectly—in English, Now, finally, they
are doing something about it.
Busan has always been the proper pronunciation. One example:
some American told a Korean scholar that the Korean representation
for “B” sounded like “d.” Therefore, “Pusan” should always have
been “Busan,” Taegue is properly Daegue, etc. The proper phonetic
pronunciation of SEOUL” is “Suh-oo,” or Suool.
I have lived in Korea 33 years and have studied this subject.
Finally, Ref: Pg#59 of that same issue: Pyeong Taeg (for a long
time misspelled and mispronounced Pyeong Taek) is a city about 40
miles south of Seoul. I don’t know the child.
James M. Jackson, MSGT USAF (Ret.), USMC Korean
War (1950-51)
Memory of Pyongtaek
I am just now catching up on some of the Graybeards and came
across all the comments about K-6 located just outside of
Pyongtaek. I clearly remembering landing at K-6 with several other
Marines in January of 1953. I thought I had stepped back 200 years
The Graybeards
in history.
Many times I made the truck run up to Suwon to the railhead to
pick up supplies for our base and surrounding support units. We had
to go through the village of Pyongtaek, and it was just nothing but
small huts and a dirt road. I was with MABS-12 MAG-12.
Based on what I have seen on the website and from the Korean
Consulate in MA, I guess we really did make a difference.
L. Alan Whalen, Cpl. USMCR (1951-54), alwhalen@verizon.net
Cemetery is nowhere near Concord, CA
That was a nice article in the November-December 2008
Graybeards on the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery.
The cemetery, however, is nowhere near Concord, CA, as cited
in the article. In fact, it is about 90 miles south of Concord, at 32053
McCabe Road, Gustine, Merced County, CA, 95322.
I alert you to this error for correction so that folks looking for the
cemetery won’t be looking near Concord. It is the Sacramento
Valley National Cemetery that lies between Concord and
Sacramento.
Thanks for helping to keep the memory alive.
Jack M Johnson, Mount Diablo, Chapter 264
jackmj@earthlink.net
He could have gotten out
I read with enjoyment each issue of “Graybeards.” A lot of reminiscing.
I think of the guys a lot and often wonder where everyone
went when it was OVER.
The photo below pictures three of the guys in my platoon during
basic training at Ft. Lewis, WA. The tall “kid” on the right is Dennis
E. Libby, son of the Libby McNeill & Libby food business owners.
I called him “Kid,” as he was a very young man about 18, and I was
26 when drafted out of Navy Reserve.
I remember whenever we had furlough the corporate plane would
land at McCord Air Base next door and a limo would pick Dennis
up for a stay at home.
The thing that impressed me the most about Dennis was that here
is a young man with probably enough ties to keep him OUT of the
“Conflict.” Yet, he was there like the rest of us. AND, he was a good
Three members of Fred Hoffmeyer’s platoon (L-R) “Bear,” Frank Hocky,
Dennis Libby
January – February 2009
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