By Today is the 61st anniversary of the Korean War, which makes today as good a time as any to read through my prior Heroes of the Korean War articles:
Heroes of the Korean War:
1950:
Lieutenant Colonel Charles B. Smith (USA), Commander 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, Taskforce Smith Battle
Major General William Dean (USA), Commander 24th Infantry Division, Battle of Taejon
Captain Charles M. Bussey (USA), Commander 77th Engineer Combat Company, Firefight at Yechon
General Tahsin Yazici (Turkey), Commander 1st Turkish Brigade, Battle of Kunu-ri
Ensign Jesse L. Brown (USA), US Navy 32nd Fighter Squadron, Chosin Reservoir
Lieutenant Colonel William W. Harris (USA), Commander 65th Infantry Regiment, Chosin Reservoir
Lieutenant Colonel Russell Blaisdell (USA), Chaplain US Air Force, Operation Kiddy Car Airlift
Captain Lewis L. Millett (USA), Commander E Co. 27th Infantry Regiment, Battle of Bayonet Hill.
Colonel Paul Freeman (USA), Commander 23rd Infantry Regiment, Battle of Chipyong-ni
Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Monclar (France), Commander French Battalion, Battle of Chipyong-ni
Lieutenant Colonel James P. Carne (UK), Commander Gloucestershire Battalion, Battle of the Imjim
Lieutenant Colonel J.R. Stone (Canada), Commander Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Battle of the Kapyong
Lieutenant Colonel Dionisio Ojeda (Philippines), Commander Philippines Expeditionary Force To Korea (PEFTOK), Battle of the Yultong
1952:
Brigadier General Haydon Boatner (USA), Commander Geoje POW Camp
Colonel Young-oak Kim (USA), Commander 1-31 Infantry Regiment, First Asian-American Battalion Commander
1953:
Lieutenant Colonel George Koumanakos (Greece), Commander Sparta Battalion, Battle of Outpost Harry
Post-Korean War:
Lieutenant Commander Lloyd Bucher (USA), Commander USS Pueblo, USS Pueblo Incident
4:47 am on June 25th, 2011 1
why only officers?
6:00 am on June 25th, 2011 2
Because GI Korea is an officer.
Enlisted are only tools to officers.
Apparently you can be the officer in charge of a routed force and still be a hero.
Now my hat is off to ALL members of Task Force Smith. For an untrained and poorly equipped force, they did their best.
Officers are politicians. At least from captain on up. They tell enlisted what needs to be gone. Enlisted get it done. Afterward, the officer is the hero and the enlisted, as seen here, are forgotten.
I’m still waiting for my 20 year retirement award. It would seem that I was simply forgotten as well.
7:40 am on June 25th, 2011 3
God bless em
12:53 am on June 26th, 2011 4
Lt. Baldermero Lopez???