The Graybeards - KWVA - Korean War Veterans Association

On the cover...
Forward slope of “Old Baldy.” Photo
taken on July 6, 1952.
Old Baldy situated in the Yokkok-Chon
Valley of Central Korea near Chorwon
was one of the most intensively fought
after hills during the second half of the
Korean War.
Thousands of Chinese, American and
U.N. troops lost their lives fighting for
possession of this small piece of ground.
Seen in photo is debris, bodies, parts of
bodies from the result of the tremendous
shelling that went on for many days. As
you can see not a tree was left standing,
only stumps.
Company I of the 279th Regt., 45th Inf.
Div. lost many brave men on this hill. The
Chinese attack on July 3 and 4, 1952 cost
them heavy losses.
(Photo and above text was submitted by
Glenn Ed White. Thank you Glenn.–Ed)
Fighting on “Old Baldy” and the other
hills of the “Iron Triangle.”
Immediately a siege of heavy rainstorms,
repeating the drenchings of late
July 52 hit the entire front. Again fighting
gave way to a struggle for existence on the
slippery, land sliding hills. Sixty percent
of the bunkers became uninhabitable. To
the rear, washouts of bridges and roads
created many supply problems. The
reserve troops worked alongside the
Engineers to reconstruct the supply routes.
Defensive improvements and aggressive
patrolling went on for the first half of
September. The fateful day of 18
September opened with the following disposition
of units: Netherlands Detachment
occupying the right third of the sector with
other units entrenched on the Old Baldy
outpost. Enemy artillery and mortar fire
had been falling in the area sporadically,
but on the 18th it picked up, focusing on
the outposts on Old Baldy and Porkchop,
to the northeast of Baldy. The rate of
incoming fire increased as the day went
on. At 1850 hours it seemed as though
every tank, recoilless weapon, artillery
piece and mortar that the Communists
owned had opened up. Shells too numerous
to count rattled into the outposts. It
was apparent that the enemy was preparing
to strike. At 1900 he did strike, in two
places simultaneously.
One company of Chinese hit the small
Porkchop outpost, which was occupied by
a platoon. The attackers seemed to move
up the hill among their own artillery
shells. As the enemy reached the trenches,
a fierce fire fight ensued with the numerically
superior Chinese overrunning the
positions and sweeping over the crest of
the hill. With almost as much speed as in
the attack, they turned and swept back in
the opposite direction, picked up their
many casualties and moved off the hill.
Friendly artillery and machine gun fire
was called in on the positions and few of
the enemy escaped unhurt.
On Old Baldy a battalion of enemy
swarmed into the Company positions in
the same lightning-like fashion.
Eyewitness accounts told of the enemy
soldiers marching forward mechanically
through their own fire, seemingly doped
and oblivious to the shelling. The enemy
had taken advantage of the twilight and a
friendly smoke screen to the front, moving
an entire battalion almost to the base of the
hill unobserved.
Company’s defenders called in artillery
and machine gun fire on the crest of Old
Baldy but control was soon in the hands of
the enemy, who was able to overrun the
crest. The Chinese had also set up an
ambush on the eastern approach to the hill
Please turn to “OLD BALDY” on page 10
Korean War Veterans Association Website: www.KWVA.org
THIS ISSUE
Features
The Battle for Bunker Hill (Part II) 16
The Korean War - Phase IV 36
Inter-Service Appreciation 66
Departments
President’s Message 4
Listen Up 6
Book Review 9
National VA/VS Report 9
Monuments and Memories 12
D. C. Affairs 18
Letters 22
Korean War Veterans Educational
Grant Corporation 25
Defence POW/MIA Weekly Update 28
Chapter Affairs 38
Taps 46
Looking for... 52
Chaplain’s Corner 63
The Poet’s Place 64
Reunions 67
News & Notes
17th Annual Reunion 11
KWVA Supports Memorial in Washington 15
Bunker Hill (photos) 17
Report: National Membership/Chapter
Formation Committee 26
Monument to be dedicated in memory of
Japanese-American Korean War Veterans 27
KWVA 50th Commemorative Events 29
Reunions 30
Return to Freedom Village 31
KWVA 50th Commemorative Events 32
The Spring of ‘52 34
Veterans Visit Korea 50 Years After the War 48
Thanks for Supporting The Graybeards 54
Images of Korea 55
Update Korean Revisit 55
C. Forbes, Inc: The Making of Memories 56
Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary 58
Korean War National Museum and
Library–Progress Report 59
January/February, 2001 Page 3