Late afternoon of the 26th of June -U.S. time, we received information that there
had been an altercation in Korea and found out that we had been alerted to go
to Korea. And my battalion was attached to the 1st
Marine Division for the a battle for Seoul. And we remained attached to the
1st marine division until Seoul had been secured. The Chinese had clearly signaled
that if American forces continue to advance to the Yalu they would enter the
war because there's no way the Chinese wanted the United States on their border.
Which occasion their entry into the war and the Chinese chose to build up north
of Seoul and also in central Korea. North launcher Raja was a critical rail and
road junction. MacArthur ordered 8th Army that we would hold what we call the
Manju salient. My company and I was the kind of commander we were given a
mission of taking a hill 342 - which was a key peak north of wanju. 10 o'clock at
night I ordered my country to attack the 342 through the main position which was
then occupied by about two companies of Chinese. And we successfully took the
hill. They retreated to the base of the hill and were reinforced by a battalion
that started a counter-attack. So the fight went on all night. Around midnight
12:30 so much that I hit by a grenade lost my arm. Temperature was like 30
below zero - bitter cold. The blood congeal immediately
which saved many lives. Strangely enough my first sergeant
wrapped it up -I had no pain. I continued to lead my company.
About an hour later I got hit again and it took the leg which of course then put
me down. My company held a hill beat off repeated
attacks by a Chinese battalion which it was four times that of my company that
was west of my company. I already had about 37 casualties on the hill yet and
when we did they were key leaders, squad leaders to leaders
they're the ones that you know get hit first because of their location and what
they're doing. But my company held a hill. When daylight came, 343
still belonged to 187th
People who come to the Korean memorial are justifiably awed by its magnificent
artistry - and that's what it is a magnificent work of art. I'm proud to
have been a part of its development but what it is not, is a memorial because the
requirement to honor both service and sacrifice is missing in that memorial.
It honors service but doesn't honor sacrifice because it is an unknown to
the visitor. It helps to make the Korean War a forgotten war in American history.
Nobody has ever had it brought to their attention what that war cost. It was in
terms of percentage of casualties the bloodiest foreign war America has ever
fought. It's a tragedy that one of the - one of the greatest things our country
did to go to help people when we weren't threatened. The very essence of
what our democracy is all about. That someone must pay the price for freedom.
We chose to do it in Korea and we don't acknowledge that in the history of our
country.