2007 KWVA Election Results - Korean War Veterans Association

Refugees in Korea
54
Refugees can create problems on a battlefield. Yet, their
presence is rarely discussed in soldiers’ stories. Why is that?
Granted, we publish occasional photos of refugees—especially
children—and limited references, but we have not
addressed in any great detail how their presence affected the
conduct of the war.
We would like to publish stories about refugees, how they
affected combatants in Korea, whether they influenced strategies,
etc. If you have any stories regarding refugees, please
send them in to us at:
Editor
152 Sky View Drive
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
Okay, you ask: what prompted this request? The answer is
simple. We received this article from Dennis A. Alba, 3503
Likini Street, Honolulu, HI 96818-2106. It sparked our interest.
And, as luck would have it, a short article about refugees,
which appears below, was included in “Memories of the 58th,
(Vol. 38)” the 58th Engineers’ newsletter. So, let’s hear from
you.
War Refugees In Korea
There has been a lot of talk in the media lately about why
we should send our men and women to far off places like Iraq
and Afghanistan, where countless refugees clutter the battlefields.
I know something about refugees because I served in
the Korean War.
I enlisted in 1950 at Schofield Barracks, and one of the
first things I learned was that refugees were a big problem in
the battle zone. An Hawaiian sergeant who had just returned
from Korea told us recruits in a loud voice that he had joined
the Army ‘’to protect the United States and the people of this
Hawaiian Territory” He also said that he was glad to fight
overseas because he didn’t want to see his wife and children,
family and friends, running away from an enemy who might
have invaded our Territory.
“Do you know what refugees are?” the sergeant asked.
“Anyone who runs away or flees from home is a refugee. I
saw old men and women, children and mothers carrying
small babies, all running away from the North Koreans. Some
had little food or none at all. They were cold and walked
miles to find shelter.
We saw the North Koreans stop, question and even shoot
the refugees. Do you want to see your family and friends as
refugees? Try to remember this. You join the Army to protect
the United States and the people of Hawaii. Engage and
destroy our enemies—Away From Home!“
As a retired platoon sergeant, I have told this story frequently
to current protectors of the United States and its way
of life.
War Is Hell: Collateral Damage
In Jan. 1951, Lt. Gen. Matthew Ridgway, commanding
general, 8th US Army, ordered all US/UN and ROK forces to
pull back across the Han River. (Seoul would again be captured
by communist troops.) Ridgway’s orders included
instructions to Brig. Gen. Charles Palmer to instruct his
Military Police (M.P.s) to keep civilians clear of two pontoon
bridges, a redecked railway bridge, and five floating footbridges,
the only reliable means of escape across the frozen
Han.
Cpl. Leonard Korgies, a Nebraska farm boy, was then
serving in the headquarters company, 2nd Battalion, 21st
Infantry Div. Here is what he remembers:
“Frenzied, hysterical refugees broke through the cordons
and flooded onto the bridge. They were alongside our vehicles,
in front of them and behind them. The trucks stopped.
An officer on the roadway in front of us made a decision.
“Then, and now, I don’t know what alternative he had.
‘Bring ‘em through!’ he ordered. ‘Move! Move! Get going!’
God! The trucks began rolling. The civilians couldn’t get
out of the way, pressed tightly as they were on the roadway.
“I still hear the smashing of bodies.”
We also received the below poem from Robert V. Echelbarger,
which focused on one child in a great war. He experienced
the Korean War firsthand, as this brief “memoir” he furnished
demonstrates.
I am submitting four articles concerning the Korean War.
Each article is a replay of various events I experienced while
in Korea.
I served with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, Fifth Marine
Regiment, of the First Marine Division during most of 1951.
The morning after I landed in Korea I was assigned as an
assistant BAR man as we jumped off climbing hills and finally
went into reserve after 74 straight days on the line.
I took part in Operation Killer and Operation Ripper,
helped take the Punch Bowl, the spring Chinese Offensive,
and Hill 812. During the fight for Hill 812 in September my
oldest was born.
In November I took part in the first relief of a regiment on
the line by the use of helicopters. It is recorded in the history
books.
Reach Robert Echelbarger
16231 245th Street
Mason City, IA 50401
EDITOR’S NOTE: The three remaining “articles” to which
Mr. Echelbarger refers will be published in ensuing issues of
The Graybeards.
May– June 2007
The Graybeards