The Graybeards - KWVA - Korean War Veterans Association

RIGHT: Brandon paints some range poles.
BELOW: 3rd Squad Survey Team at a point along
Traverse to Hungnam Water – Front for Gun
Positions (Dec.1950).
Holiday, a new man took over. General
Matthew Ridgway came on the scene and
once the 8th Army stopped backing up and
consolidated below the 38th Parallel it got
orders to go on the offensive. The move
north began in late January.
Once again the main mission of the
8221st was put on hold. When X Corps
Artillery moved so did we. At about this
time the 8219th A.U. was activated and
joined IX Corps in the west central sector.
It’s complement of enlisted came from
stateside and other units. The 1st
Observation Battalion that was part of 8th
Army early on in 1950 had been over-run
in actions in that sector and lost most of
their personnel and equipment. The battalion
was not put back together in Korea.
Our two units filled that void for 8th Army
requirements.
From out of the Pusan Perimeter and
our bivouac at Yang-san we became gypsies
again. We moved, sort of going with
the flow. We set up tents, we dug foxholes,
built bunkers, recovered trig stations, surveyed
in gun positions for the field
artillery, qualified new battalions for combat
duty that were assigned to X Corps, did
some forward observing for artillery fire,
pulled guard and security duty, went on
specialized recon patrols, and of course
dug some more latrines. R & R tours began
and there was talk of rotation. The season
changed from cold to wet to hot. The countryside
began to stink and the C-Rats, the
powdered milk and eggs and potatoes were
getting on our nerves.
Before July was over we had put on a
lot of miles by ankle express and by road
and goat trails. We had been part of and in
direct support of most of the major campaigns.
Our effort resulted in a lopsided
KIA ratio of them v. us. We were still in
one piece, no casualties, although wandering
around in that “No-Mans Land” sometimes
beyond the last outpost of the
infantry and tip toeing through poorly
marked minefields (theirs and ours), made
us feel like we had an angel on our shoulder.
We did I am sure.
By the fall of 1951 the 8221st settled
into its assigned routines of surveying and
weather data collection. We had been up
and down X Corps sector like a yo-yo
doing our thing. The unit was now operating
again above the 38th Parallel in the
vicinity of Inje, the south western side of
the Punchbowl, and in the Yanggu Valley.
A permanent bivouac site was in the making.
A static war scenario was settling in
over the battlefield. Our missions became
more defensive minded. On a daily basis
as we moved out to do recon and recovery
we were cautioned to be careful and trust
no one but our instincts. We did just that
and thanked our stars that we were surviving
with our on the job training experience
and good equipment. What kind of field
conditions and equipment would the future
combat surveyors have to contend with
and master?
[End Notes] There are several stories in our
files (The 8221st A.U. Association) relative to
specific actions, incidents involving our unit
in Korea. Research for this article comes
from U.S. Army historical records and command
reports of like units in WWI and WWII
personal experience in Korea (1950-51 as a
survey party chief), personal interviews with
members of the 8221st and WWII artillery
surveyor veterans.
The 8221st A.U. Field
Artillery, Topographic and
Meteorological Detachment
was activated in Yokahama,
Japan at camp Mc Neely on 7
Sep 50. On or about 19 Oct
50 the unit was alerted to
move to Korea by ship.
Equipment and vehicles were
taken to dockside to be
loaded aboard a cargo vessel.
Unit personnel, members
of the HQ X Corps and HQ X
Corps Artillery along with elements
of the 3rd Infantry Division boarded
The President Jackson (MATS) on or about 2
Nov 50 in Yokahama Harbor. The 8221st
debarked from the President Jackson in
Wonsan, NK on 5 Nov 50 onto an LST in the
harbor. The unit subsequently moved by road
to Hamhung to complete assigned missions
until the 3rd week of December when it was
evacuated from the port city of Hungnam to
Pusan, SK.
The 8221st was deactivated in Korea at a
location about 11 miles north of Yanggu, NK
in the east central sector of X Corps
Operations on 1 Nov 50. It was in located in
two bivouac areas about 2 miles south of the
DMZ at that time. The TOPE Section was in a
draw between some hills on the west side of
a north-south road just south of X Corps Arty
HQ. The village of Mundung-ni and
Heartbreak Ridge were nearby to the northwest.
The metro section was perhaps another
half mile further south on the east side of
the road next to a small air strip. There was
also a mash unit there with elements of the
24th Infantry Division.
In the 8221st’s four years of service in
Korea, the roster turned over almost five
times (250 EM). The unit had 10 different
CO’s, 1 KIA and 2 WIA. No MIA’s. The unit
qualified for 8 battle stars, was awarded 2
Korean Presidential Unit Citations, over 20
Bronze Stars, 6 Commendation Medals,
commendations and special recognition for
outstanding performance of duty and services.
Individuals also received combat awards
for heroism under fire and participation in
certain actions, the U.S. Presidential Unit
Citation while working with infantry divisions
and artillery battalions attached to X Corps.
(Thank you Michael for the many photos
and sketches. Just too much to print all.
Editor.)
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The Graybeards