The Last Stand of Fox Company: A True Story of U.S. Marines in Combat (59 page)

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Authors: Bob Drury,Tom Clavin

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and, 282 heartsick, 151 McLean and, 111, 151 memorial service conducted by, 316-17 prayer, 169-70, 180, 181 return to United States, 311 Roger Gonzales and, 110-11, 282 wounded, 111, 150, 151, 180- 81,290,299,311 Holt, Jim, 80, 95, 112, 131, 161, 215, 238 Horn, Jack, 87 How Battery, 157 How Company Campbell and, 206, 220, 231 howitzer bombardments, 105, 158, 220 howitzer men, 152howitzer unit, 31, 105, 138, 166, 188 howitzers, 36, 160, 206, 245 How Company, Third Battalion's (Seventh Regiment rifle company), 257-60, 269-70, 279, 280, 299 howitzer batteries, 34, 74, 206, 245 howitzer bombardments, 163, 171, 209, 243, 285. See also under How Company howitzer units, 31, 36, 138, 166, 188, 215. See also How Company, howitzer unit; Second Howitzer Battalion howitzers, 36-37, 74, 158, 160. See also under How Company Hutchinson, Rollin, 80, 139, 168, 185,291-92,307 hygiene, 21 Hymel, Benjamin A., 87 illness, 21, 60. See also frostbite Inchon, amphibious landing at, 2425 inspections, 102, 244 Iverson, James E., 86, 194, 304 Jackson, Norman A., 166, 170-7 1, 219 Japan evacuation to, 301 U.S. troops in, 16 Jensen, Everett, 304-5 Johnson, Maurice W. "Luke," 108, 147, 201 Gray Davis and, 82, 108, 120, 121,157-58,198-201,206, 207,213,227,249-50Johnson, Norman J., 86 Jones, Edward, 72, 74, 85, 117 Jones, Robert, 79 Joy, C. Turner, 135 Kaema-kowon, 18 Kalinowski, Gunny, 199 Keirn, Meredith F., 85-86, 88, 95, 113, 119, 136, 155, 239 Kim 11 Sung, 14, 17, 24, 56 Kipp, Kenneth R., 77, 138, 240, 290, 307 Kirchner, Robert, 62, 64, 88, 110, 205 ambush/firefight and, 63-64 background, 62, 63 Barber and, 290 Benson and, 205-6, 213 cold weather and, 64 Farley and, 110 at Fox Company reunion, 316 Freddy Gonzales and, 282 Komorowski and, 88 McClure and, 141 return to United States, 310 Roger Gonzales and, 1 10, 129- 30,141,310 shootings, 64 wounded, 88 Klein, Walter, 113, 275 Bonelli and, 112, 210 at Fox Company reunion, 316 foxhole, 166 Keirn and, 113 Kline and, 286 Longstaff and, 286 Penn and, 166 Peterson and, 309 Pitts and, 308 shootings, 224-25Valtierra and, 166, 210, 224-25, 275 Kline, Richard, 79, 83, 84, 133-34, 248, 277, 286, 316 Knowles, Lee E., 77, 80 Kohls, Robert, 79, 83 Komorowski, Joseph "Big Polack," 88, 113, 129, 180 Koone, Howard, 9, 44 background, 9, 132-33 Bledsoe and, 132-33 Bonelli and, 9, 64, 66, 89-90, 94-95 four-man firing team, 118 wounded, 89-90, 132-33, 172, 217, 239, 289, 299 Korean peninsula, 52 Koto-ri, 188, 189, 234, 236, 303, 307, 311 Barber in, 22, 32, 175 encircled by Chinese, 47 Lockwood in, 26 McCarthy in, 71 Kurcaba, Joseph, 267 background, 244, 245 Baker Company and, 253, 262,270,275,277-78, 311 Chew-Een Lee and, 245, 253, 263, 264 death, 311 Owen and, 244, 264, 271 radio communication, 263 Ray Davis and, 244, 245, 263, 270, 277 Ladner, Hobart P., 85-88, 116, 135-36,140,154 "landing ships, tank" (LSTs), 13 leapfrogging tactics, 45Lee, Chew-Een, 245, 259, 262-67, 291 Arioli and, 251-53 background, 252-57 Baker Company and, 253, 256, 259, 270, 311 as keynoter at Fox Company reunion, 316 Kurcaba and, 245, 253, 263, 264 Navy Cross, 311 Owen and, 264-65, 270 personality and values, 245, 257, 264 Raymond Davis and, 245, 256, 259,260,262-67 Turkey Hill and, 261, 262 wounded, 270, 279, 311 Lee, Chew-Mon "Buck," 256, 257 LeMay, Curtis, 56 Litzenberg, Homer, Jr., 171, 284-85. See also Seventh Regiment "after action" reports, 209 Alpha Bowser and, 145 background and overview, 19 Barber and, 78, 123, 149, 187, 188, 190, 209, 235 Benson and, 55, 205 Chew-Een Lee and, 256 contingency plans for evacuation and, 189 feared that North Koreans decided to annihilate Americans, 190 First Rifle Battalion, 208-9. See also First Rifle Battalion Hagaru-ri and, 205 on holding Fox Hill and keeping open Toktong Pass, 188 Lockwood and, 26, 123, 141, 145,149,297-98main column, 242, 273 McClure and, 99 meeting with battalion commanders, 207 men at Yudam-ni, 135 military strategies, 121, 123, 188-90,208,209 Murray and, 171, 190, 191, 207, 235 Oliver Smith and, 205 orders, 145, 205, 236, 257 personality, 19, 26, 256, 298 Puller and, 208 radio communication, 36, 18788 Ray Davis and, 191, 207-9, 257, 259 rear supply route, 20 Schmitt and, 78 temper, 298 Walter Smith and, 207-8, 236 wounded soldiers and, 298 Yudam-ni and, 190 Lockwood, Randolph, 145 Alpha Bowser and, 145 background, 26 Barber and, 22, 26-29, 31, 34, 68, 149, 184 "cooks and bakers" unit, 141 Litzenberg and, 26, 123, 141, 145,149,297-98 physical appearance, 26 reinforcement company, 149, 184 Longstaff, Robert A., 286 Love Dog Squadron, 245 MacArthur, Douglas A., 15, 16, 20, 48, 52, 171, 204 atomic bombs and, 56-57attitudes toward, 10, 20 "deranged blood lust," 43 First Marine Division and, 13 Mao and, 43 military decisions, 19, 20, 24, 43, 189-90 military strategies, 14, 43, 56-57 optimism, 14, 52, 57 situation report to United Nations, 146 X Corps, 13. See also X Corps Main Service Road NK72 (MSR), 19, 31, 34, 59, 224, 259 Chinese point column on, 82 Mao Tse-tung, 15, 33, 43, 46, 47, 51-52,56,132 maps, 6, 8, 17, 26-27, 30, 65, 122, 128, 159, 211, 246, 261, 276 problems with, 262 Marine Corps, U.S. See also specific topics attitudes, 12, 20 basic doctrine, 12 Marine Corps Manual, 12 Marshall, S. L. A. "Slam," 307 Mason, Howard, 277, 278 Maurath, Mervyn "Red," 79-81, 112 Mauser rifles, 45, 166, 210 McAfee, Johnson, 84, 117 McCarthy, Robert C., 90, 164, 171. See also Third Rifle Platoon after the war, 312, 316 Ashdale and, 74 Audas and, 66-67, 74, 175 background, 71-74 Barber and, 39, 106-7, 114, 136, 174, 312 "Big Indian" and, 155, 156body count, 135-36 Bonelli and, 107, 156 casualty report, 136 command post (CP), 71, 106 command post bunker, 76 Golembieski and, 172 Henry and, 39, 71 Jones and, 72 Klein and, 210 physical appearance, 72 Pitts and, 71, 72, 107 re-formed defensive perimeter, 96, 105, 114, 128 recommendations for battlefield citations, 300, 312 surprise inspections ordered by, 71-72,74 weapons and, 71-72, 130, 150, 210 wounded, 175, 292, 299-300 McClure, Warren L., 36, 99, 100, 102-5, 143-44 alcohol use and, 147, 239 Arioli and, 281 Australian Mustangs and, 142-43 background, 11, 34-36, 102 BAR, 99-102, 141 as "BAR man," 34, 35, 105 Barber and, 104-5, 300 Bean and, 144, 145 Belmarez and, 301 Ernest Gonzalez and, 285, 286 evacuation to Japan, 301 Fixico and, 238-39, 273-74, 281 at Fox Company reunion, 316 grenades and, 101, 301 Haney and, 192 Kirchner and, 141 paralyzed Marine and, 192-93 personality, 239McClure, Warren L. (continued) Peterson and, 102-4, 145 prayer, 169 quest for his gear, 287 Reitz and, 142 rescue, 287, 297 Roger Gonzales and, 11, 35, 48, 99-101,110,141-42 Schmidt and, 169, 193 Scully and, 169 sleeping position, 99 weapons, 102-3, 143-44 wounded, 144-48, 150, 154-55, 169,192-93,222-23,238, 239, 301 Wright and, 145, 193 McLean, William, 60, 103, 104, 111,145,151,160 Medal of Honor, 192 Mertz, Kenneth N., 97 Messman, Robert, 211, 212 Military Lessons, 27, 47 "Minny Gang," 184 Mixon, Alex "Bob," 3 Montville, Daniel M., 248, 249 mortar units, 38, 83, 104, 158, 161, 267 mortarmen, 3, 38, 78-79, 83, 148 Chinese, 263 mortars, 60-mm, 105 Murray, Raymond, 171, 284-85. See also Fifth Regiment "backdoor" scheme and, 191 Barber and, 235 Fifth Regiment, 19, 242. See also Fifth Regiment Litzenberg and, 171, 190, 191, 207, 235 meeting with battalion commanders, 207men at Yudam-ni, 135 order to evacuate Yudam-ni, 236 rear supply route, 20 Walter Smith and, 236 Nambu, 162, 185, 205 napalm, 143 Navy Cross, 309, 311 nervous disease, 120 night fighting, 171, 190 North, Charles R., 118-20, 248-50 North and South Korea situation as of Nov. 27, 6 North Koreans. See also specific topics strategy, 27 treatment of captives, 137 views of United States soldiers, 27 nuclear weapons, 56-57, 236 O'Leary, Lloyd, 83-84, 105, 163, 231 Orwell, George, 10-11 Owen, Joe, 243-44, 264-67, 269, 270, 275, 277 Page, Jack Burke and, 184-85 Campbell and, 238 Kline and, 133-34 shootings, 76, 77, 80, 81, 112, 162,167,218-19,235, 238 snipers and, 221 weapons and, 76, 81, 161, 162, 184,215,218-19,221,238 Wright and, 133 Parker, Charles W., 111, 139, 151, 184, 304passwords, 67, 72 Peach, Earl, 2-5, 199-200 Pearson, Charles M., 97 Peek, Oma L., 86 Penn, Homer K., 156-57, 166, 173 Peoples, Claude, 199, 304 People's Air Force of China, 134 Peterson, Elmo C., 215. See also Second Rifle Platoon after the war, 316 alcohol and, 200, 292-93 Audas and, 179 authority and credibility, 61 background and overview, 61 Barber and, 202, 203 Campbell and, 206 cargo plane, 301 cold weather and, 60-62 collapse, 295-96 Danford and, 60 detail, 193, 202 Fidel Gomez and, 278 Gray Davis and, 200-201 Groenewald and, 75 inspection rounds, 60, 61 Kirchner and, 63-64 Klein and, 309 Luke Johnson and, 200 McClure and, 102-4, 145 McLean and, 60 Navy Cross, 309 orders, 60, 82-83, 104, 152, 162, 173, 205, 213 Parker and, 139 personality, 62 Raymond Davis and, 202, 295 Second Platoon, 110, 123. See also Second Rifle Platoon supplies and, 203wounded, 103, 152, 162, 173, 183, 200 wounded soldiers and, 292-93 phosphorus shells. See "Willie Peter" Pickett, Wayne A., 287-89 background, 16-17, 50-51, 98 "Big Indian" and, 156 and the Chinese, 98-99 family, 50, 98 at Fox Company reunion, 316 injury, 288 personality, 311 as POW, 84-85, 97-99, 136-37, 310-11 warnings, 16-17 Williford and, 40, 49-51, 84-85, 97-99, 136 Yeskow and, 97-99, 136, 137 Pitts, Clyde T., 71, 72, 107, 231, 232,303,307-8 playing dead, 114 Pourers, Harrison, 87 background, 87 Barber and, 217 Cafferata and, 94, 106, 218 Gerald Smith and, 87 regained consciousness, 94 shootings, 105, 115 wounded, 87-88, 179-80, 21718 prayer, 169-70, 279 prisoners of war (POWs) American, 116, 125, 137, 14041, 212, 287-88. See also Pickett; Williford Chinese, 124-25, 140-41, 289 Puller, Lewis B. "Chesty," 208, 236, 237 Pyongyang, 14radiation strips, 57 radio communication, 36-37, 47, 74, 78, 83, 187-88, 231, 263. See also communication systems Rapp, Robert, 77, 80, 138 Read, Benjamin, 74,138,188, 231, 298 refugees, 27 Reitz, George W., 100, 101, 142, 197-98 Republic of Korea (ROK), 3 Ridgerunners, 260-61, 269, 274, 277, 280, 284, 285, 293, 311 arrival on Fox Hill Dec. 2, 276 route from Yudam-ni to Fox Hill, 261 Rivera, Charlie, 91 Robicheau, Sergeant, 213-14 rocky knoll, 158 rocky ridge, 196, 197, 220, 226, 273-75 American firing on, 38 Chinese soldiers in, 186, 235 clearing path up to, 271 Hagaru-ri battery shelling, 197 How Company bombardment of, 158 howitzer bombardments on, 220 incoming fire from, 114, 219 sniping from, 154, 179, 220. See also snipers Royal Australian Air Force, 142. See under Australian Mustangs Schmidt, Robert H., 100, 101, 160, 161, 193 Schmitt, Lawrence, 79, 169 Barber and, 36, 37, 78, 83, 136 letter to wife, 289 Litzenberg and, 78radio communications and, 36, 37, 78, 83 weapons and, 160, 161 wounded, 149, 289 Scott, John L., 118-20, 248-50 Scully, Robert P., 169, 233 Scuttlebutt, 19 Second Battalion, 9, 22, 26. See also How Company; Second Howitzer Battalion heavy weapons section, 34 Second Howitzer Battalion, 91-92 Second Rifle Platoon, 82-84, 94, 162, 179, 198, 213, 265, 296, 317. See also Seventh Regiment; specific topics ammunition shortage, 123 Barber and, 226 Chew-Een Lee and, 267 commanding officers (COs), 61 dig-ins, 37-38, 74 McClure and, 105 roster, 323-30 in Vietnam, 311 Seils, David, 320, 328 Senzig, John F., 217 Seventh Regiment, 9, 14, 19, 26, 67, 146, 171, 203, 237, 241, 242, 296, 303, 317. See also How Company; Second Rifle Platoon Barber and, 188 casualties, 189, 265 Chew-Een Lee and, 245, 256 disengagement from Yudam-ni, 258 first encounter with Chinese, 13 Litzenberg and, 121, 256 Ray Davis and, 311 roster, 323-30 in Vietnam, 311Shih-lun, Sung, 162, 204, 225 "Siberian Express," 21 Sinhung-ni, 284 Slapinskas, Daniel, 118, 119, 247- 48,250,251 sleeping soldiers, bayoneted, 2, 84, 99, 117 Smith, David, 81, 112, 149 Smith, Gerald J., 87, 88, 105, 106, 180 Smith, Oliver Prince, 14, 16, 205, 241, 307 Smith, Walter Bedell, 208, 236, 298 "sniper ridges" of Toktang-san, 114, 158 snipers, 93, 138, 149, 152, 219-22, 280, 291, 302. See also under South Hill American soldiers shot by, 110, 124, 131, 138, 139, 144, 163,192,239-40,252,270, 286 "deep dip" and, 141 Fox Hill as providing cover from, 227 helicopter shot by, 151 killed, 233 in ridgeline of West Hill, 147, 148 in ridges and folds of West Hill, 129 on rocky knoll, 139, 142, 148, 154 on rocky ridges, 139, 142, 148, 154 shot, 147, 149-50, 224, 233, 240 from West Hill, 198 snow, 39-40, 134, 247, 260 socks, changing, 60South Hill, 67, 138, 149, 150, 168, 214, 215, 224, 232, 247, 278, 280 snipers close around, 259 snipers in, 186 snipers in woods at base of, 223, 239-40, 272 snipers on far, 202 South Korea, international support for, 42. See also United Nations Soviet Union, 52 Chinese relations with, 52 Stalin, Joseph, 52 Stanley, Glen J., 96 Steen, Clifford, 316 Stein, Richard J., 86 Stiller, Daniel J., 86 Stillwell, Charles R., 86 Stritch, John T., 88 Strommen, Ronald D., 96 Sudong Gorge, 234 battles at, 1-5, 13-16, 20, 29, 45, 200, 252, 265, 304, 311 lesson learned from, 45-47 entrance to, I hillside overlooking, 99 Sun-tzu, 33 Sun Yat-sen, 254 supply planes/supply drops, 195- 96,201-2,226 Svicarovich, George, 329 Taebaek mountain range, 20-21 Tallbull, Clarence, 139-40 telecommunications. See communication systems; radio communication Thanksgiving, 18, 21, 49, 60, 84, 110, 289Third Rifle Platoon, 2, 3, 38, 71, 86, 88, 94, 103-4, 114, 118, 151, 162, 164-66. See also How Company; specific topics Audas and, 175, 286 Barber and, 114 Bowser and, 145 casualties, 96, 114, 136, 308 command post (CP), 71 Ernest Gonzalez and, 118, 286, 308 Lockwood and, 149 McCarthy and, 90, 114, 155, 175 McClure and, 143 Wilson and, 118 Thompson, Allen S., 167, 168, 185, 199, 203, 211 Thornton, Donald R., 186, 187 Tilhoff, Peter, 86 Toktong Pass, 48, 49, 51, 66-67, 226, 284. See also Toktongsan; specific topics Barber and, 29, 33, 37, 209, 235, 313, 314 Barber and Lockwood's trip to, 22, 26-28 bombing, 43 Bonelli and, 44 Chew-Een Lee and, 257 Chinese desire for, 235 as chokepoint, 190 Fox Company heading for, 19, 31,33,36,97 Gilling and, 260 Henry and, 222 holding, 204 keeping open, 188-90 Litzenberg and, 188, 209 maps of, 17, 26-27Raymond Davis and, 209, 242 strategies for defending, 29 visiting, 312 weather/climate, 36, 59, 161, 185, 205, 225, 293 Toktong-san, 186, 235, 245, 271. See also rocky ridge; snipers; Toktong Pass; specific topics Bonelli and, 225 physical characteristics, 19, 20, 26-28,64,225,243 "sniper ridges," 114, 158 Toktong-san, Battle for, 225. See also Toktong-san; specific topics tracer bullets, 77, 81-83, 86, 97, 137, 162, 163, 207, 231, 238 trenches. See dig-ins; dugouts Triggs, Jerry D., 140, 154, 163, 164, 180 Troxell, Paul T., 86 Truman, Harry S., 15, 51, 56, 92, 204 atomic bombs and, 236 awards from, 311-13 MacArthur and, 43 Turkey Hill, 49 battles of, 135, 146, 191, 209, 242-44,257-62
Chew-Een Lee and, 261, 262 lighting cooking fires on, 259 Owen and, 244 Raymond Davis and, 191, 209, 242,243,257-60 Uijongbu campaign, 32, 66, 279 Umpleby, James P., 86 United Nations, 42-43, 52, 146 United Nations forces, 171United States, 16, 56 Chinese views of, 47 overoptimism, 15-16. See also Christmas, expectation of being home by; MacArthur support for its intervention in Korea, 42 Valek, Raymond L., 139 Valtierra, Frank, 166, 210, 224, 275 Vey, Arnold R., 88 Vietnam War, 311 Wallace, H. Lew, 314 Watson, Bob "Red," 264, 316 weapons, 31, 196. See also specific topics weather, 21, 53. See also climate; cold-weather warfare; snow West Hill, 48, 100, 110, 111, 121, 143,144,158,162,200- 202,206,219,220,286-87. See also under snipers whiskey, 147, 149, 200, 239 "Willie Peter," 130, 157-58, 263, 264 Williford, Troy A., 40, 49-51, 84- 85,97-99,136 Wilson, Lee D., 118-20, 223-24, 248-50 Wonsan, 13 Wright, Clark B., 149, 193 Barber and, 78, 133, 149, 188, 209-10McClure and, 145, 193 orders, 133 recovery detail, 227 wounded, 250 X Corps, 13-14, 19, 20, 146, 171, 236 Yalu River, 1, 13, 14, 26, 51, 190 Americans warned to keep distance from, 14 bridges, 52 crossing, 1, 15, 134, 140 grand/final push to, 16, 19, 32, 121,146,171,189-90,203 Yap, Paek Sun, 51 Yesko, Daniel D., 85, 288 Pickett and, 97-99, 136, 137 Yonpo, 142 York, Sergeant, 173-74 Yudam-ni, 19, 20, 34, 47, 78, 135, 145, 190, 226 contradictory orders flying into, 207 howitzer battery at, 243 map of, 122 order to evacuate, 236 Ridgerunners' route to Fox Hill from, 261 Seventh Regiment's disengagement from, 258 5th and 7th Marine Regiments at, 121, 122 Zorn, Elmer, 2-5, 22

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