The Korean War Veterans Association, a national organization of American veterans of the war in Korea, would like to remind veterans of that war that the Republic of Korea has been subsidizing visits to the country for the veterans and their families since 1975. It is the South Korea government’s way to thank the veterans for their sacrifices in saving the nation from communism.

The Korean government pays for hotel accommodations, meals and in-country tours. Beginning in June 2010 the Republic of Korea government is planning to subsidize airfares for veterans and family members.

The Republic of Korea government is also planning to host five commemorations of important events of the war. The dates of the commemorations are not finalized but they include: the Invasion Anniversary, June 25; Pusan Perimeter; Inchon Landing; the Liberation of Seoul; and the Northern Winter Campaign of 1950.

Korean War veterans are advised to register for the events early because applications will be processed and trips awarded on a first come, first served basis. There is not guarantee that all applicants will be awarded a trip, so the earlier a Korean War veteran applies the better.

For more information, call (800) 722-9501 or (703) 590-1295. The webite is: www.KWVA.org or www.miltours.com. To request a brochure e-mail the Revisit Coordinator at mhtours@miltours.com

I really hope Korean War veterans take advantage of this opportunity.  So if you know a Korean War veteran spread the word to them to take advantage of this great program being offered by the Korean government.

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• The historical documents do not even support the claims of a massacre of 400 people at No Gun Ri.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.

Marines outside Pusan relax before battle.

I highly recommend everyone view the series of color photographs from the Korean War by journalist John Rich.

Here is the welcome from the co-chairs of the commemorative committee:

As the year 2010 marks the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, the Commemoration Committee is promoting a variety of commemoration programs under the theme of remembrance and legacy, honor and gratitude, and harmony and cooperation. The programs are part of our efforts to help the postwar generations have correct views on a nation and security by educating them on the lessons of the Korean War. We are also endeavoring to express gratitude to the Korean War veterans home and abroad for their noble sacrifices and provide an opportunity for mutual understanding and cooperation for global peace.

The Republic of Korea today was made possible by the noble sacrifices of the Korean War veterans. We remember their contributions and are now exerting every effort to transform our nation into a mature nation that gives back the help we received.

We would like to ask for your keen interest and active participation in the commemorative programs.
Thank you.

The site isn’t too bad and has a number of historical pictures from the Korean War that I have seen on display at the Korean War Memorial.  However, what I found of the most interest is what events the Korean government has planned to commemorate the anniversary with.  There is a number of good ideas to include bringing Korean War veterans to Korea for the anniversary.  However, I would still like to see some of the ideas I have advocated for implemented such as Andrew Salmon’s Parade of Heroes idea.

Nevertheless, the situation surrounding the U.S. 8th Cavalry Regiment, especially that of the 3rd battalion, was desperate. The communist forces mixed frontal attacks with flanking movements, a classic Chinese tactic. It puts direct pressure on the enemy’s front line, while other elements encircle the enemy from behind. A reconnaissance team of soldiers from Pyongyang who were former soccer players and belonged to the ROK 12th Regiment was put into action to rescue as many of the trapped U.S. troops as possible. They were the best in search and rescue missions, but even this elite unit was only able to get three or four American soldiers out and had to retreat before the Chinese onslaught.

At the end, out of a total strength of 800, the 8th Cav. Regiment lost 600, either killed or missing. For the U.S. military the battle was especially shameful. General Gay, the commanding officer of the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, had used the entire 5th Cav. Regiment to rescue the 8th, but they failed. The Chinese forces created a smoke screen during the day by setting hills on fire and remained in their trenches. Gay couldn’t identify targets and on Nov. 2 finally gave the order to withdraw. It was the first time U.S. forces had abandoned rescue efforts for fellow units that had been encircled by the enemy.  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

The reputation of the 1st Cavalry Division during the Korean War never really recovered from this fiasco.  The popular belief at the time was that the 1st Cavalry Division had lost their colors during this battle and this is why the division was picked to stay in Korea to guard the DMZ after the war.  The popular belief also was that if a US military unit lost their colors they could not get them restored until showing bravery in a subsequent battle, which the 1st Cavalry Division was able to do during the Vietnam War to get their colors restored.  However, according to this 1st Cavalry Division veterans site this supposed urban legend is untrue.

An 82-year-old Laramie veteran has been awarded the Bronze Star for his actions during combat in the Korean War.

August “Gus” Deibert received the medal on Thursday during a ceremony at a senior center.

Deibert had already collected a Purple Heart ribbon and other medals for his service in Korea.

State veteran’s service officer Barry Gasdek says Deibert was awarded the Bronze Star for saving two fellow soldiers while under fire.

Deibert was drafted into the Army in January 1951 and discharged in October 1952 with the rank of Corporal E-4.

After accepting the Bronze Star, Deibert said what he did in Korea was no greater than what past and current soldiers have done in combat.  [Army Times]

Considering he fought in Korea in 1951 he probably was involved in heavy combat with the Chinese during this period.

In the winter of 1950, at the height of America’s “forgotten war,” fifteen thousand US Soldiers and Marines found themselves surrounded by an overwhelming force of communist Chinese soldiers in the frozen mountains of North Korea. After sixty years of silence, the men who survived finally tell their story.

The veterans of Chosin take us back to towering mountains stained with blackened, blood-covered snow. Most of them are just kids — 18 or 19 years old — and they are outnumbered and cut off behind enemy lines. As the sun goes down each night, bugles and war-cries echo through the mountains, followed by massive human wave attacks lasting until dawn. Sub-zero temperatures render weapons inoperable and fighting devolves into terrifying nights of savage hand-to-hand combat. Unable to dig into the frozen ground, the Marines build parapets out of dead bodies in order to withstand each night’s onslaught. Despite overwhelming odds, the men never lose faith in each other. They refuse to surrender and instead fight their way to freedom through 78 miles of unforgiving, mountainous terrain.

The 1st Marine Division suffered over 4,000 killed and wounded but saved the lives of 98,000 refugees fleeing communist rule in North Korea. Seventeen Medals of Honor and 70 Navy Crosses were awarded to the heroes of this campaign, making it one of the most decorated battles in American history. Chosin will be the first documentary film to tell their incredible story.  [Frozen Chosin]

You can watch a Fox News interview with the filmmakers here.

A documentary like this is always nice, but what I would like to see is a feature film about the Korean War much like the World War II generation had Saving Private Ryan.  The Korean War is long over due to be explored by Hollywood filmmakers.

People stole the cargo from passing trains, and the bravest risked their life in daring raids at the U.N. military facilities — with pieces of coal or good metal being the major prizes. This was not easy, since the guards shot to kill and sometimes they did not miss. As one would expect, prostitution flourished in this environment, too.  [Korea Times]

The battle went on this way for quite some time but in the end the tanks prevailed.

When they returned, they created quite a stir within the whole unit. Seeing two tanks completely soaked in blood was more than enough for the rumor mill. According to General Kim’s memoir, a strange thing happened when the tanks returned. Upon arriving at the base, a tank gunner jumped from the blood-soaked tank and started running, making incomprehensible sounds as he went. The tank platoon commander went off in pursuit of the soldier to calm him down and finally had to tackle him to stop him from running around like a crazy man. Needless to say, the soldier had lost his mind amid the carnage as the fear he felt became relentless.

So started the Battle of Unsan: Two blood-soaked tanks and a G.I. gone mad. But that was only the beginning.  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

Gen. Paik Sun-yup discusses an operation with U.S. Maj. Gen. Frank W. Milburn, in charge of the I Corps, right after entering Pyongyang on Oct. 19, 1950, when Paik was the commander of the First Division. Provided by Gen. Paik Sun-yup

A total of 16 divisions needed to be placed along the 155-mile truce line, which was tremendous work and required lots of equipment and material, but Korea was simply in no financial shape to cover the bill. The United States did it. Soldiers were fed, while ammunition, fuel and weapons were provided. And it wasn’t only the military aid but the economic aid of $30 million per year that helped us. Glass factories in Incheon, fertilizer factories in Chungju were all established with U.S. investment and technology. All this laid the grounds for Korea’s economic development.  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

Make sure to read the rest and if you haven’t already make sure to read General Paik’s book, From Pusan to Panmunjom as well. It is one of the best Korean War books available and the only one written in English that describes the Korean War from the ROK Army’s perspective.