The Graybeards - Korean War Veterans Association

Did USAF Airmen Establish the Pusan Perimeter
at K-3, Pohang AB, Korea, 8-13 August 1950?
By Al Watson
This is my story of our weather station
at Pohang-Dong, Korea. We
were organized, in place and operational
at Airbase K-3, Pohang, on 15 July
1950. Our mission was to supply local and
area weather information to the 40th
Squadron, 35th Fighter Group, F-51 fighter
unit, and to the FEAF weather net via
the 20th Wea. Sqdn, Nagoya, Japan.
See Al Watson photos on page 32
Historical maps show the extent the
North Korean invasion of South Korea
was held at Pohang between 1 Aug. and 15
Sept. 1950. Below is a brief history of my
detachment’s involvement. Items in quotation
marks are quotes from my official
“Historical Report of 20-28L Air Weather
Service Detachment from the Date of
Formation until 16 August 1950,” dated
20 August 1950, which I signed “Albert T
Watson, 1st Lt., USAF, Detachment
Commander, 20-28, AWS Detachment.”
Between 6 and 10 August 1950, the
Republic of Korea forces north of Pohangdong
on the east coast of Korea were in
retreat, and defense of the town and K-3
Airbase disintegrated. During this period,
the U. S. Navy was shelling the area just
north of Pohang to try to assist the ROK
forces in their defense of Pohang. “On the
morning of 11 August, aircraft flying in
the traffic pattern at Pohang AB were getting
ground fire from a ridge about ½ mile
west of the airstrip. Our fighter planes
retaliated by making passes directly overhead
and strafing into the ridge. Enemy
forces in large numbers were in Pohang
Station, some five miles distant, and the
city of Pohang was set on fire. Antiaircraft
guns on the airfield were used as artillery
against small groups of enemy troops near
the airfield.”
“An orderly evacuation of the base was
begun, to take all possible equipment and
men by armed convoy to LSTs in port 12
miles south, and leave the minimum number
of men and equipment to operate as
long as possible. M/Sgt Peter L. Kobilsik,
Cpls William I. McKinney and William J.
Blommel were ordered to proceed to the
port with our jeep and loaded trailer. Pfcs
Wendell G. Priddy and Edward F.
Vermillion volunteered to operate the
weather station with me until the final
evacuation was ordered.”
“Due to increased sniper activity all
around the field, the base commander
ordered a perimeter guard set up. All
planes, pilots, ground crews and support
personnel were evacuated. There were so
few persons left on the field that it was
necessary for everyone to participate in
the perimeter guard. All were assigned
positions on the perimeter of the field to
defend during the hours of darkness.
Constant small arms fire during darkness
by our perimeter guards gave the North
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Koreans an impression that we had more
force than actually existed. Morale was
boosted considerably late on 12 August
when U. S. Army tanks arrived and took
up positions between our fox-holes on the
perimeter of the field, and fired into
enemy positions. On the morning of the
13th the enemy was massed in such large
numbers between the airfield and the
beach, approximately a mile away, that all
the remaining Air Force personnel were
evacuated by air.”
The line of our perimeter guard is
apparently where the invasion of the
North Korean Forces was halted, and what
became the northeastern part of the Pusan
Perimeter.
Al. Watson
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January/February, 2004 Page 29