By After a very long wait considering the No Gun Ri movie was filmed in 2006, it is finally being released and as expected the director Lee Sang-woo is doing everything he can to spread the anti-US mythology surrounding the tragedy that happened at No Gun Ri:
The Marmot has the movie trailer posted over at his site for everyone to check out, but here is what I have to wonder if Lee bothered to inform viewers watching the movie of these relevant facts surrounding the No Gun Ri issue:
- Out of the original 12 American witnesses quoted in the Pulitzer Prize winning Associated Press article that the only 4 GI’s that fully confirmed the AP’s account of what happened were later proven to not be there, the 4 more were intentionally misquoted by the AP, 1 veteran’s testimony is inconsistent and suspect, and the other 3 said no massacre occurred at No Gun Ri.
- The forensic evidence does not support the claims of a massacre of 400 people. What the forensic evidence does support is the presence of enemy weapons at the bridge.
- The aerial imagery evidence does not support the claims of a massacre of 400 people.
- The historical documents do not even support the claims of a massacre of 400 people at No Gun Ri.
- Here is probably the most telling fact, that despite intensive searches of the No Gun Ri area not one bone was ever found despite supposedly 400 people being killed there. To further put this into perspective other areas where far less people were killed during the Korean War extensive skeletal remains were found, but not a No Gun Ri.
There are plenty of more facts that totally debunk the established mythology about what happened at No Gun Ri that I think judging by the movie poster I doubt director Lee Sang-woo informs viewers of any of this. Speaking of the movie poster Extra Korea! makes a very good observation of how the No Gun Ri movie poster is very similar to a North Korea propaganda poster.
Do you see the supposed 400 bodies?
What is most ironic about the No Gun Ri issue is that we already know what happened there that tragic day in July 1950 if people bothered to listen to veterans who were actually there instead of those who were not. What really happened at No Gun Ri is best summarized by the account given by Buddy Wenzel who the AP for some reason did not include in their article. This is what Wenzel had to say about what happened at No Gun Ri that day:
The civilians started coming down the railroad tracks, on paths on both sides of the tracks… The front ones, there were like maybe 15 or 20 of them, and they were getting thicker beyond that. Somebody said, “Fire over their heads for a warning.” … I got out of my hole with about 30 other guys; we all had M-1s. Now, we had one machine gun up on the railroad tracks and another air cooled machine gun on the right. Well when we fired over their heads they panicked. … That’s when some of them started to run towards us. We were firing over them all this time.
Then somebody yelled, “We’re being fired at,” then there was a bunch that started shooting into the refugees … This all happened in a minute, but it all came out when we panicked ‘cause we thought we were getting shot at.
There was a lieutenant that was running down to that group I was with. I saw this little girl that was sort of in front, she was maybe four or five years old and she was coming down the track I shot towards her and she fell. Well, this lieutenant ran out there and picked up this little girl. Why … I can’t tell you. That’s why the lieutenant was yelling, “Cease fire,” and he was running. She was out there in front, by herself, and flailing here arms and throwing her arms down.
After the cease-fire I stayed where I was, maybe 10-15 yards from the track, and maybe six or eight guys went down the tracks from the group that I was with, and a few went down from on top of the tracks. One of the guys went down there and searched a few of the bodies, he … found a body with a burp gun, and he yelled, “Here’s the goddamned gun,” and he held it straight up and slammed it down on the tracks.
It is pretty clear that a tragedy did happen that day at No Gun Ri but it was not the “Korean My Lai” the AP journalists were so eager to create. The fact of the matter is that you had GI’s that were on the retreat and wary of North Korean infiltrators who fired warning shots over the top of the refugees in order to prevent them from advancing toward their frontline. This firing over the refugees was probably interpreted by the gunmen within the column as being directed towards them and they fired back which ended up causing US soldiers to fire directly into the refugee column.
Other veteran witness statements, Soviet shell casings found underneath the bridge, unit supply records showing Soviet weapons turned into the 7th Cavalry supply personnel, and prior documented instances of civilian clothed guerrilla fighters engaging US troops makes for a strong case that there were gunmen within the refugee column. These gunmen were likely South Korean communist guerrillas because before the Korean War began the Yongdong area of South Korea was a known communist guerrilla hide out. US veteran witnesses who were proven to be at No Gun Ri say the gun men they found dead underneath the bridge wore no uniforms. These veterans also say that the number of refugees killed underneath the bridge from the brief firing numbered to about 4-9 killed with more wounded. It is impossible to know, but some of those wounded could have died later on increasing the death toll. Determining the exact death toll is impossible but it is not the 400 or simply “hundreds” as the AP claims. Additionally the inability to find any remains at the site only further confirms the much lower death toll.
Yes it was a tragedy what happened but the circumstances, motivations, and the numbers dead are vastly different from the narrative that Lee Sang-woo wants people to believe with his movie. I mentioned this over at the Marmot’s Hole, but what I find most detestable about this movie was that Lee intentionally waited until the 60th anniversary of the Korean War to release it instead of releasing it 4 years ago when he completed the movie. He had to have known that ceremonies and other commemorative events would be held to honor returning Korean War veterans and he went out of his way to slime them with this movie filled with lies.
What does this say about Americans?...
10:23 am on March 19th, 2010 1
Too bad it’s not being released on April Fools’ Day.
2:35 pm on March 19th, 2010 2
Judging from current GI behavior in Korea I’m pretty sure that GI’s did some really bad stuff at Nogun-ri. Why would Koreans make that up? I’ve seen plenty of GI behavior in Korea to know that they are capable of horrible things. Who the hell rapes a lady in their 60s? I GI does…
2:36 pm on March 19th, 2010 3
Oops… A GI does….I’m not the guy that raped her.
2:39 pm on March 19th, 2010 4
The composition of that movie poster is similar to one of the Nork propaganda paintings that surfaced in the K-blogs a few weeks ago:
1. Crying child in the foreground.
2. Dead bodies in the background.
3. US soldiers – faceless and blurred in the poster unlike the evil eyed hook-nosed ghouls in the Nork poster
2:45 pm on March 19th, 2010 5
This issue is pure gasoline so people should avoid “flaming” comments here.
3:40 pm on March 19th, 2010 6
More anti-American propoganda from the Korean Left. Who do they work for? The Korean Left works for the North Koreans.
3:42 pm on March 19th, 2010 7
“Biff Cunningham”- You don’t need any proof, do you? Facts? Nah, too busy for those. All that matters is something a netizen told you. Right?
3:46 pm on March 19th, 2010 8
Lee Sang-woo has the freedom to bash the USA because American soldiers died to keep his country free and his civilization alive. What a shame he uses his artistic “freedom” to help the communists who would have executed “intellectuals” like him when they conquered parts of South Korea.
4:59 pm on March 19th, 2010 9
the account by buddy wenzel would make a much better movie. the trailer for “kill them all” looks very hard to swallow. having a gun hidden in the crowd by a refugee would be a good scene. maybe a younger guy (fiction) picking it up off someone the refuges pass. an older Korean saying not to touch it. but a younger one taking it and hiding it. maybe thinking of selling it or that it was cool. then having 5 or 6 fellow village mates killed because he hauls it out and tries to protect himself.
anyway I haven’t seen the movie and would like a message of misunderstanding, fear, confusion, and good intentions gone wrong. I have a feeling this movie is just going to show American army as a blood thirsty bunch. too bad. I do hate to comment on movies I haven’t seen though so let’s with hold judgement until viewed and not shoot it down yet. I hate it when people say something like “dogma” is offensive to Christians but don’t give it a chance so to be fair let’s watch it then give our judgement.
great vietnam account: http://thehud.com/2010/03/hearts-and-minds/
let’s hope for something similar about Korea. (documentary I mean not events)
5:57 pm on March 19th, 2010 10
Biff Cunninham is a biff.
6:42 pm on March 19th, 2010 11
[...] 3: GI Korea posts on the subject — be absolutely sure to read it. Ironically, he also notes the Korean government is [...]
7:48 pm on March 19th, 2010 12
“No Gun Ri”, the Tragedy that never happened.
11:09 pm on March 19th, 2010 13
I see from the link that Extra Korea made the same observation.
11:42 pm on March 19th, 2010 14
I just saw the promo flyer for this film. It states a 4-15-10 release date.
12:27 am on March 20th, 2010 15
Incredibly similar to Nork agitprop.
I guess things just aren’t working, let’s call the japanese back.
2:30 am on March 20th, 2010 16
Spot the difference:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lxap4y0S1as/StadxC06G3I/AAAAAAAAFS4/fOcPEhjg1xw/s1600-h/0+NK+ROK+comparison.jpg
3:08 pm on March 20th, 2010 17
With as many stupid people as I know, this will turn into debating – Takeshima style…….
4:51 pm on March 20th, 2010 18
Yeah Biff. I taught them how to rape in basic training, right after the “How to hate the enemy” class, and before “Consideration of Others” and “Prevention of Sexual Harassment”.
Why don’t you run outside and go play hide and go f uck yourself?
You don’t have a clue what you are talking about, and have no idea the impact that a couple of sh itheads doing bad stuff has on an otherwise OK organization which is trying to maintain order and discipline (and doing a fairly good job of it), take care of its people, be ready to do some hard things when the whistle is blown, and be good neighbors in the communities where it finds itself.
I bet you have never led a horse to water, let alone an organization of diverse people- and focused them toward common goals, rewarding the achievers, coaching the ones who needed encouragement or admonition, and hammering the shi theads.
Poossy.
4:53 pm on March 20th, 2010 19
Well put, Doctor.
4:56 pm on March 20th, 2010 20
Yeah- but you are likely the kind of guy who would watch and then say how bad and terrible it was- without doing anything to stop it, because it would soil you.
5:31 pm on March 20th, 2010 21
Vietnam actually goes farther back than Truman. Franklin Roosevelt at Yalta, along with Churchill and Stalin, when dividing the spoils for who would get control of what, allowed Britain to have south east asia under their control and northern asia under US control.
Roosevelt did not personally like the French colonies, and often refered to the SE Asians as ‘our brown brothers’. However he had to give the Brits their due. It was the Brits who allowed the French back in to their former colonies.
6:14 am on March 21st, 2010 22
[...] now, since, according to some, it was completed almost four years ago? As ROK Drop points out, the timing is very suspicious, since it just happens to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. Possibly related [...]
11:54 am on March 21st, 2010 23
“The fact of the matter is………”
Bull. You need to stop with the “fact” quoting. YOU weren’t there. And that account by a soldier who “claims” to have been shooting over the people’s heads? Please. In that situation, he had no idea what was going on, and he was told to tell that story when he was interviewed. Poor brain-washed soldier, he doesn’t remember a thing.
Oh yeah and nice photo – of what – a BLANK bridge. And you say THAT photo’s the one from that day? What are you smoking? Who told you that photo was from that day? You take that as “fact”??? You’re more crazy than I thought.
The FACT is, you will NEVER know what REALLY happened – YOU weren’t there.
1:39 pm on March 21st, 2010 24
Nice rant, you couldn’t dispute one fact I presented and you even look further inept when the picture of the bridge has the date on it.
If you would bother to read the various postings I have done over the years that are linked to on this post instead of ranting your nonsense, you might actually learn something.
6:45 pm on March 21st, 2010 25
“poor brainwashed soldier, he doesn’t remember a thing” Thats tells me all I need to know about what you think about the military.
Of course all military are brainwashed, however, you have been exempt from it as there is no longer a draft. (lucky you). I’m so happy you never got brainwashed like the rest of us in the military did.
On the other hand, it sounds like ‘your’ brain was washed by someone else who didn’t do a very good job. Oops, buyer beware.
10:53 pm on March 21st, 2010 26
Popular Gusts,
“Spot the difference:”
Uh… the right picture doesn’t have Paul Rodriguez dropping a baby down a well?
http://backseatcuddler.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/paul.jpg
Do I win?
This is more fun than Korea Finder.
Oh, and it also appears that Q is the running dog puppet lackey bastard holding the woman in the back.
http://www.koosnaff.btinternet.co.uk/trekpics/q.jpg
12:21 am on March 22nd, 2010 27
LOL @ 16. Paul Rodriquez….we have a winner!
12:27 am on March 22nd, 2010 28
Just for some balance “biff”, who walks into an american college and starts killing American college Students?
A Korean does. (that is a known fact) Unlike this movie.
Perhaps a movie about the evil Korean who commits mass murder in America?
Might make a good profit, along with introducing the average American to the evils of the Korean people.
3:49 pm on March 22nd, 2010 29
Ever heard of Photoshop?
You can do all kinds of things with computers if you’re so inclined.
“has the date on it” hahahahahahahaha my ass’s got a stamp too, does that count? Come on man, is that the best you could do? Really?
If you want to present “fact,” then have the man who took the picture come to you and do an interview, in person, with a lie detector.
6:43 pm on March 22nd, 2010 30
Once again if you didn’t even bother reading the links I provided and posted a comment of no substance. You are obviously trolling, welcome to the moderation que.
8:49 pm on March 22nd, 2010 31
@Retired GI
Yea, just came back from hell, the Columbine shooters told me to say hello.
8:58 pm on March 22nd, 2010 32
American soldiers died to protect South Korea? USA didn’t give 2 shits about a poor ass Korea back in the day. It was Japan they were really worried about. Screw Korea, save Japan. So no, “heroic” USA was just greedy.
9:01 pm on March 22nd, 2010 33
Nanjing Massacre, the tragedy that never happened.
10:36 pm on March 22nd, 2010 34
“USA was just greedy”
If so, USA was not good at being greedy. Payed in blood and for many years after with money to prop up a country that can not defend itself from her norther brother.
What does USA have to show for it? PLEASE—tell be.
Prove your clame.
“It was Japan they were really worried about. Screw Korea, save Japan.”
REALLY? The same Japan that attacked USA? The same Japan that USA Bombed the shit out of? Is that the Japan you speak of? The same Japan that USA dropped fire bombs on? The same Japan that USA dropped two nukes on? If that is the same Japan that USA was trying to “save”, are you not happy that USA did NOT try to save Korea?
Fing Tard Couldn’t pass world history class?
If I could travel back in time, I would advise to not intervene. Let China absorb Korea.
10:43 pm on March 22nd, 2010 35
Nice try!
Now, back to the *KOREAN* on an American college, killing American Students.
Don’t worry. If you have trouble remembering the subject, I will HELP you. I will hold your hand
11:11 pm on March 22nd, 2010 36
I have a hunch that you’re someone who never faced anything more dangerous than waiting for the bus.
No- your opinion doesn’t count.
11:13 pm on March 22nd, 2010 37
Ever carried a rifle? Or did you let one of the unwashed and unclean do it for you?
I know people like you, and I am sorry that I do…
11:14 pm on March 22nd, 2010 38
LOL, than man that never could be a man.
11:15 pm on March 22nd, 2010 39
Even if that was true- how is it a bad thing?
Is there something wrong with a nation doing something in its own interests?
6:06 pm on March 23rd, 2010 40
The massacre at Nanking is well documented from numerous sources, No Gun Ri, is based on testimony from witnesses who were proved to have never been there, and no evidence.
6:21 pm on March 23rd, 2010 41
LOL, you must be ‘stuck on stupid’. Why would the US be worried about Japan that it had already defeated 6 years earlier, and had complete control of?
7:51 am on April 18th, 2010 42
[...] other hand, perhaps this is an apt comparison to No Gun Ri, (if not the movie about it) seeing as GI witnesses who were actually there said they were fired at by Koreans (most likely guerrillas) and discovered [...]
9:13 am on May 26th, 2010 43
This is not true! The Korean left opposed the dictatorship for many years and much of the people, like the now sadly dead Kim Dae Jung, are Christian. Some are pacifist Christian Mennonites. You should not be so quick to accuse others when you do not know
1:34 pm on June 24th, 2010 44
As usual another war crime that was committed by the americans. but as usual it wasnt there fault it was all the unarmed civilians that frightened the poor “brave” american “soldiers” so they had no otion but to shoot them.
4:14 pm on June 24th, 2010 45
#44 Not sure if serious…
