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Red Dragon
The Second Round
Faces of War 11
FO Bunker Inspector
Early January, 1953, I was
assigned to the 185th Engineer Bn, 1169th Engineer Group in X Corps Sector.
At that time, the Bn was positioned in the Northeast corner of South Korea
just above the 38th Parallel. The 185th,
along with the 13th Engineer Bn was assigned to build and repair roads and
bridges. We were also charged with responsibility for laying and
clearing mine fields. I was a young SFC recently assigned to the Bn.
One of my tasks was to teach clearing and laying of mine fields. My
previous 4 1/2 years military experience had been with the infantry and
Artillery, so my experience with mines and demolitions was limited. I
boned upon Engineer Field Manual 5-34 and proceeded with the class. I
felt the pride of accomplishment when I was commended for an excellent
course of instruction. It gave me a sense of soldierly satisfaction to
prepare the lesson plans and teach the course. It was an impressive
looking at the lines of soldiers translating a lesson plan into the reality
of searching for mines. They exuded confidence in accomplishing a
dangerous and difficult task.
Then, tragedy struck. I can still see our first
casualty as training was translated to practicality in our initial mine
clearing operation. It is a sight that has never left my mind's eye in all
these years. What went wrong, we, of course, never knew, but we all
witnessed the result. A headless soldier with both arms and one leg
blown off. It hit me very hard and, of course, affected the others in
the mine clearing detail just as bad. What was noteworthy, after the
medics body bagged our dead comrade, the detail returned to their task.
The continued and completed the clearance of the mine field.
 In early April of 1953, Major Cannon, or BN S-2, asked me
to accompany him on a tour of the Forward Observer bunkers in our area.
Though inspection of bunkers was not one of our primary missions, it turned
out to be an interesting assignment. I had no idea of what was
expected of me. About an hour later, I was aware of being back with
the infantry, so to speak. I don't recall the height of that mountain,
but I remember in spades how difficult it was to claw my way up that steep
slope. With my steel helmet, back pack, armored vest, rifle and waist belt
gear, I felt I carried twice my weight up hill. It didn't help my ego
to see Korean laborers behind us pulling long 3" and 4" thick planks stamped
USA
up that mountainside. Where did they get the muscle on 'rice power' to
do it?
I soon learned the purpose of this plank. Previous
inspection of the FO bunkers had determined that the small timbers holding
up the sandbagged roof of the bunkers were too small to withstand the impact
of even a close mortar of artillery round, let alone a direct hit. A
close hit would have caved in roofs and buckled the FOs under the weight of
dirt and sand bags. The excuse given by the FOs was that they did not have
time to find large timbers if they were to maintain observation and do their
job of spotting for their guns. Major Cannon observed the FOs were, in
general, lzx in properly constructing bunkers. this apparently was
where the Engineers came in. I had visions of our Bn becoming bunker
builders all along the front lines. I had not long to wait for the
fireworks.
The North Koreans chose that particular moment to attack.
It was a hairy two hours. I had a chance to see our infantry in
operation. The initial attack was repelled. The
air____________clear. The Air Force was called on to strafe and bomb
the attackers. It seemed like an eternity before they showed up.
Actually, it was but a short time. Until that time, I had little
respect for the Air Force, but that viewpoint was quickly changed as the
fighter jocks soon routed the North Korean attackers, sending the few
survivors back to their entrenchments on the mountain opposite from us.
After they showed up, it was like having seats in a grandstand, at least
until enemy shelling started hitting our lines. While I never felt
secuire in my personal safety as a combat engineer, I wouldn't want to
change places with any of the Forward Observers, in their position on the
front lines. They are sitting ducks for enemy snipers, as well as
their opposite FO numbers in the enemy lines. They do a hell of a job in
their support of the infantryman on the MLR. They are a true elite.
During my fourteen months in Korea, I was promoted to
Master Sergeant and recommended for a Battlefield Commission. But the
payoff was I made it safely home, in contract to many of my comrades who
made the supreme sacrifice, giving their lives in the cause of freedom.
south Korea is a free nation today as the result of those Americans who
fought the good fight to maintain their status as a free nation among the
free nations of the world. Their fight was not in vain. I wish
all Americans could see that simple truth.
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