U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-1953, Volume 1 (of 5): The Pusan PerimeterMontross, Lynn
History
U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-1953, Volume 1 (of 5): The Pusan Perimeter
Montross, Lynn
Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Campaigns; United States. Marine Corps -- History -- Korean War, 1950-1953
The survivors of the Naktong fights--even the latecomers who had joined
the Brigade at the Bean Patch--felt old and worn when they saw the
large draft of shiny new Marines just landed as third rifle companies
organized with their own NCO’s and platoons. The veterans had forgotten
how young and untroubled a Marine could look; how neat and clean he
could appear in a recently issued utility jacket.
The new companies were immediately assigned to their battalions. It
was another job for officers and NCO’s who had the responsibility of
replacing equipment lost in action as well as servicing ordnance, motor
transport and other heavy equipment which had been sent from the Bean
Patch to Pusan late in August.[348]
[348] Col J. L. Stewart, interv with author, 10 Jun 54.
General Craig and his staff had their headquarters in one of the Pusan
University buildings. There was no opportunity for planning, let alone
rehearsals, for the forthcoming amphibious assault at Inchon. Craig
and his officers had all they could do to get the Brigade ready for
embarkation.
Among the tasks to be accomplished in less than a week, it remained
to give some weapons training to the 3,000 troops of the 1st Korean
Marine Regiment. This newly raised unit, attached to the Brigade for
embarkation, was to make a name for itself within the next year and
become the fourth rifle regiment of the 1st Marine Division. But in
September 1950 there were great gaps in the training of the KMC’s. The
men kept their rifles scrupulously clean, and they could strip an M-1
expertly, but few of them had ever fired a shot.
Marine NCO’s had the hazardous duty of giving the eager and excited
KMC’s their first target practice after eight rounds of ammunition for
each man had been acquired. No Marine casualties resulted, fortunately,
but puffed and bruised cheeks were the rule among Koreans having their
first experience with an M-1’s recoil.
There was, of course, no end of “scuttlebutt” going the rounds of the
Marines as to their destination. One day the troops were lined up in
formation and read a long lecture on the hydrographic aspects of the
west coast port of Kunsan. It is to be hoped that this red herring made
some impression upon the Koreans who were listening, since Pusan was a
headquarters of enemy spies. As for the Marines, most of them concluded
that at least Kunsan could be eliminated from the list of possible
objectives.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account