The Graybeards - KWVA - Korean War Veterans Association

KATUSA CASUALTIES
(Korean Augmentation To United States Army)
By Bill Weber
It is not by accident that a KATUSA is included in the
line of sculptures in the Veterans Memorial in
Washington, D.C. That decision was a deliberate one by
the Korean War Veterans Memorial Advisory Board, albeit
one that had to be fought hard to obtain approval.
Few Americans know, and sadly,
some Korean War Era veterans fail
to remember little, of the blood shed
by those Korean nationals who were
assigned to US units during the Korean
War. Many may say, “So what!” It was a
war we were fighting to help them-it was
their country—-and that’s what war is all
about!
But, lost in that kind of reasoning is
why Koreans were assigned to US units!
And, that is where this issue becomes one
that ought to be acknowledged by
America for there are at least 30 plus
thousand American families that should
say, “Thank you KATUSAs!”.
Many do not realize that the US chose
to meet maintaining our front line strength
by using KATUSAs instead of U.S.
replacements. We did that for several reason:
(a). We needed the bulk of our available
manpower to build our NATO forces
because we feared Soviet aggression in
Europe; (b). We wanted to reduce U.S.
casualties in Korea because we feared losing
public support; (c). We misjudged the
ferocious nature of the war and could not
train sufficient replacements to meet
needs; and, (d). Our political leadership
chose not to declare a National
Emergency to put the US on a war footing.
In simple truth, every KATUSA killed,
wounded, captured or missing would have
meant that a U.S. soldier could have been
killed, wounded, captured or missing if
we had kept our units at TO&E strength
with US replacements! Thus, when considering
our Korean War casualties, this
nation ought to add the KATUSAs to the
total-for in their place could have been an
American!!
Are the numbers significant? Yes!
Between 16% to 24% of our front line
infantry strength in U.S. units were
KATUSAs and somewhat higher in support
units! And, the best available data
suggests that their casualty rate not only
equaled U.S. rates, but exceeded them by
10% in our Infantry Divisions.
Why? Because the KATUSAs were
many times in the forefront of heavy
engagements. Was this deliberate or happenstance?
Or was it because they were
untrained or poorly trained when assigned
and knew little of front line combat and
thus were victims of the “new guy” syndrome!
Or, was it a language and “buddy”
barrier? Sadly, we’ll never know the full
reasons. But, we do know that every
KATUSA that took a “hit” meant one less
American taking that “hit”!
KIA WIA TOTAL MIA POW
U.S. 33629 103248 136877 8178 7120
KATUSA 7471 22843 30314 1799 1566
TOTAL 41100 126091 167191 9977 8686
MONTHLY 1370 4203 5573 333 290
The figures are startling! Using the
median of 20% and evaluating a then U.S.
12 man Rifle Squad that meant that
between 2 to 3 were KATUSAs (and
many times, as much as 4 or more since so
called “filler” personnel in rifle companies
were KATUSAs. Extrapolating casualties,
and using as a basis U.S. casualties,
(factoring 10% for the KATUSA higher
ratio), the chart below computes the
impact of KATUSA casualties if added to
US casualties. The figures are rounded
off. (Note: MIA are included in KIA)
We’ll never know the actual figures,
for KATUSA casualties are included in
ROK Army casualties and thus, can only
be estimated as was done above. In actuality,
it is highly possible that KATUSA
casualties were even higher than shown
above. But, short of checking the Morning
Reports of every company/battery US
unit, we’ll never know the exact figures if,
in fact, these Morning Reports all listed
KATUSA casualties!
It is interesting to note that CCF PVA
historical documents overstate US casualties
by the same number as they understate
ROK casualties! This is because the
CCF PVA battle reports counted
KATUSA casualties as US casualties in
their after action reports of engagement
with US units.
Not counted in the foregoing are the
losses from the Korean Service Corps
(KSC). Had we not had the KSC the U.S.
would have had to deploy seven each
additional Transportation, QM, Engineer
Battalions with the attendant losses that
would have resulted within these battalions.
It is not by accident that a KATUSA is
included in the line of sculptures in the
Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
That decision was a deliberate one by the
Korean War Veterans Memorial Advisory
Board, albeit one that had to be fought
hard to obtain approval. There were those
who objected!
Their reasons are not germane but they
stem from the same misguided mentality
that caused some in our country during the
war to define our Korean brothers-in-arms
as “Gooks”! One can only pity such prejudiced
mentality and be thankful that the
mass of our people and those who fought
alongside the ROKs now know better!
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