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The KOREA DEFENSE SERVICE STUDIES is collecting and recording
all hostile encounters with North Korean or Chinese Armed Forces
that occurred during deployment in defense of the Republic of
Korea after 27 July 1954. We
need your account of any ground firefights resulting from
ambushes, assaults on guard posts, shelling of patrol or other
areas, aircraft and helicopter shootdowns in the DMZ and
southern peninsula, assaults on work crews, compound
infiltrations and sabotage or attempts to sabotage, or other
encounters. We also
want accounts of USAF, USN or USMC air engagements over the
southern peninsula, in the Yellow Sea or Sea of Japan.
There have been many encounters in the waters along the
coast line within the territorial limits of the R.O.K. as well
as in open sea. We
are collecting all accounts of any actions by the Navy or Coast
Guard including R.O.K. encounters where U.S. personnel were
alerted for action.
This
information is being collected, recorded and analyzed to prepare
documentation for submission to the Department of Defense and
others to end the double standard currently in effect regarding
full combat recognition (case by case basis) for service in
defense of the R.O.K. The
Korea Defense Veterans Alliance, sponsor of the Korea Defense
Service Studies is fighting for the combat and campaign medal
recognition earned and deserved for 47 years of dedicated and
honorable service to the R.O.K. resulting from the 1953
Armistice (cease-fire only) Agreement under the UN Command and
the 1954 Joint U.S. – R.O.K. Mutual Security Agreement.
Action Reports do
not require an exchange of gunfire with the hostile force.
Incidents that involve land mines, forms of harassment or
intimidation, and infiltrator engagements are also very
important to our studies. Any and all accounts of
incidents precipitated by North Korean or Chinese Forces are
relevant.
All reports must
contain the following information:
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Title (Your
name for this report)
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Your name and
rank
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Your service
branch (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard)
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Your
unit/ship
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Incident date
and time (time may be approximate, or early morning,
midnight, etc.)
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Incident
location (DMZ, off the coast of, OP Ouellette, Town of Munsan ni,
Div. HQ, etc.)
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Casualty
counts and type ( 1 KIA and 2 WIA - if not certain, give
approximate)
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Names of
commander, patrol leader, other personnel involved (if not
known, state that)
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Your
description as best you remember
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Contact
information (how you want to be contacted if it becomes
necessary, i.e., email address, telephone number, surface
mail address)
These
reports are important for their content and not any literary
style. The Service Studies group is not looking for a
college term paper or thesis. Simple style is all that is
required and grammar will not be graded.
Action reports can be sent to the KDSS group by email, Fax or
surface mail. Use the following address to forward your
report:
Email: ActionReports
Fax:
732-752-6436
Surface mail:
Korea Defense Service Studies
P.O. Box 631
Middlesex, NJ 08846
Example No. 1
U.S. Armed Forces Hostile Incident
Official Studies Report
Post 27 July 1953 Armistice Agreement
Action
Report Form Details
Title:
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Attack
on UN Guard Post in DMZ
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Author
Name:
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2LT
John W. Callaghan
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Service
Branch:
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Army
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Unit/Ship
Assigned To:
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C
Co, 1/31st Inf, 2nd Inf Div
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Date
of Incident:
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13
and 15 May 1980
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Time
of Incident:
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Approx. 0100 hrs.
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Location
of Incident:
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DMZ
at Guardpost/FireBase
Ouellette
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Casualty
Count (KIA, WIA, MIA, POW):
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1
NKP WIA
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Names
of Commander, other leaders and members involved (if
possible):
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Contact
Information:
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imjinwarrior@aol.com
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Description
of Incidence: I
was stationed at Camp Howze along MSR 1, a few miles south of
the DMZ’s in the Western Corridor, near Munsan-ni. On May 5th
1980 my unit moved north and crossed over the Imjin River and
proceeded towards Panmunjom to assume the Battalion's rotation
for its DMZ mission (a 60 day combat/hostile fire mission) and
specifically to Warrior Base / Camp Liberty Bell (a fortified,
sandbagged tent city for the 2nd Infantry
Division’s rotating Battalions).
There were two Firebases/UN Guard Posts which flew both
the U.S. and UN flags. I assumed Command of one of these
firebases, UN Guard Post Ouellette on 6 May 1980. When a
battalion rotates to the DMZ, one company mans the Guard Posts
(Ouellette and Collier) which over-watch Panmunjom inside the
DMZ. The Firebases were setup just like the Viet Nam firebases,
similar to what was depicted in the movie the "Green
Berets". Each
was ringed in by claymore mines.
A series of Bunkers with inter-connecting trenches,
weapons emplacements, a command bunker / Tactical Operations
Center (TOC), an under ground mess-hall and aid station, out
door slit trenches for one to execute their natural body
functions without privacy completed the structure of the bases. Normal compliment was about 75-100 troops.
Every morning I would send out two patrols at first
light. One patrol swept the dirt road running up to the firebase
to ensure that North Koreans had not planted booby traps and /
or mines in the road to destroy any vehicles re supplying the
firebases. The perimeter swing patrols went outside the
perimeter to check for any breach in the barbed wire and to
insure our claymores were not tampered with. In direct support of each firebase were both a platoon of 4.2
Mortars and a firing battery of 105 MM Howitzers at Camp Liberty
Bell and 4 Pappa-one respectively.
On 13 May 1980 one of the U.S.
Forces ambush patrols (from my patrolling company) ran into an
NK infiltration patrol. An exchange of gunfire resulted for the
next two hours. From
Ouellette, I and my soldiers, observed both green (WARSAW Pact
ammo) tracers and orange (US ammo) tracers fire towards each
other. I was then ordered to mount and lead a patrol out of the
U.S. compound to establish a hasty ambush position to cut off
the NK withdraw. The NKs were picked up via radar withdrawing
underneath a ROK firebase 500-600 meters away. The ROKs engaged
them for a short period as they withdrew.
This was essentially the last night of semi clear
weather. After the firefight on the 13th, the weather
got worse and the monsoons brought rain darkness and fog, lots
of fog. From first light on the 14th through first light on the
15th U.S. perimeter swing patrols found communist lesson books,
"Red Books", placed on top of our claymores--a calling
card!! They were getting in!! The patrols and troops stationed
in the guard posts were scared and Maj. Gen. Kinston, the 2nd
Div Commander, said he wanted these infiltrators stopped, and he
wanted a body count.
In
the early morning hours of the 15th (0100 hr), bunker
number 8 informed me that they saw an object near a grouping of
claymores. I moved out from my underground TOC/bunker and headed
for bunker number 8. The fog was intermittent, but too soupy for
the night vision devices to work well. Via land-line, I talked
to the Battalion Commander who was located outside of the
DMZ’s south Barrier Fence at Camp Liberty Bell (just inches
outside the DMZ proper). I informed the Battalion Commander that
I was going to 100 percent alert. I then informed the troops in
the bunkers, who had orientation to the engagement area, of the
plan-coordinated effort; also ensuring no other patrols were
potentially close by as not to risk friendly fire, and I then
prepared hand held illumination. Before I could fire the
illumination, several trip flares went off that U.S. Forces had
planted in the wood line just on the MDL between North and South
Korea. It appeared that figures were momentarily silhouetted
against the light projected from the trip flares. I was standing
outside of the bunker so that I could fire my illumination. I
fired the first illumination, but the winds made it ineffective.
I fired the second and the light spot traveled in the correct
direction. I called to my bunkers who had view of the area and
told them to get ready and I would initiate the fire. Suddenly
the object moved and began to run leaving no doubt that it was a
man. I opened fire with my 45 cal. pistol and my troops
immediately engaged. While firing I ran to the other bunkers
which exposed me to enemy fire. During this engagement I changed
three magazines and watched the running NK soldier/infiltrator
get hit with fire across the back of his legs. Instantly, as
soon as U.S. Forces opened fire, the NK covering fire was
returned. I was noted for bravery under fire by my Battalion
Commander in my efficiency report.
A
letter to the President has been prepared showing evidence of
this incident. The case will show:
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The incidents of
fire fights on 13 &15 May 1980 happened by providing
extracts from ABC, CBS, NBC evening news broadcasts
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The incidents
happened by providing news paper clippings that reported
about the incidents including the Washington Post, New York
Times and Pacific Stars and Stripes
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Documented
evidence of my command of Guardpost/FireBase Ouellette
during this period including statements from some of the
troops recounting what happened and my actions
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A copy of my
official Officers Efficiency Report whereby my Battalion
Commander talks about my bravery in the firefights while I
was Commanding Officer of Ouellette.
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