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Unit Details
24th Infantry Division
Various Documents
CG
Commanding General
Rank Name
From
To
Status
MGen Dean, William Frishe (Bill) pre-war 21 Jul 1950 POW
MGen
Church, John H.
22 July 1950 Mar 1951
BGen
Blackshear M. Bryan
Mar 1951
(to)
ADC
Assistant Division Commander
Rank Name
From To Status
BGen (Menoher, Pearson [Brig. Gen. ADC 24stID] 58) (from) (to) (rank)
(name)
(from) (to) Division Artillery
Rank Name
From
To Status
BGen Meyer, Henry J.D. pre-war (to) BGen Barth, George Bittman 25 Jun 50 (to) temp
CoS
Chief of Staff
Rank Name
From To Status
Col. Moroney, William J. (from) (to) (rank)
(name)
(from) (to) G-1
Personnel
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) G-2
Intelligence
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) G-3
Plan sand Operations
Rank Name
From To Status
LtCol Powhida, J. P. (from) (to) Col. MacLean, Allan D. (from) (to) G-4
Logistics
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Aide: Clarke, Arthur M. [1stLt. aide 24thID]
Regiments
Division 1st Cav Regiment
5th Cavalry 5th RCT
7th Cavalry 7th Infantry 8th Cavalry 9th Infantry 14th
Infantry 15th
Infantry 17th
Infantry 19th
Infantry 21st
Infantry 23rd
Infantry 24th
Infantry 2nd
3rd
7th
24th
25th
40th
45th
187th 5th RCT
RCT
5th RCT
5th
7th
8th
9th
7th
14th
15th
17th
19th
21st
23rd
24th
27th
Infantry 29th
Infantry 31st
Infantry 32nd
Infantry 34th
Infantry 35th
Infantry 38th
Infantry 65th
Infantry 160th
Infantry 179th
Infantry 180th
Infantry 187th RCT
27th
31st
32nd
34th
35th
38th
65th
160th
179th
180th
223rd
Infantry 224th
Infantry 279th
Infantry 223rd
187th
RCT
224th
279th
24th Infantry Division
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Active 25 February 1921 – 15 April 1970
21 September 1975 – 15 February 1996
17 October 1999 – 1 October 2006
Country United States of America
Allegiance United States Army
Branch Active duty
Type Infantry Division
Role Mechanized Infantry
Size Division
Nickname Victory Division (Special Designation)
Motto First to Fight
Engagements World War II
Pearl Harbor
Korean War
Pusan Perimeter
Operation Desert Storm
Commanders
Notable
commanders William F. Dean
Barry McCaffrey
Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.
Thomas F. Metz
Guy S. Meloy, Jr.
Henry I. Hodes
Carter B. Magruder
Frederick Augustus Irving
Blackshear M. Bryan
Roscoe B. Woodruff
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia
US infantry divisions (1939–present)
23rd Infantry Division (Inactive) 25th Infantry Division
U.S. 24th Infantry Division
1st Brigade, 24th Infantry Division
2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division
3rd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division
The 24th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army. Before
its most recent inactivation in 2006, it was based at Fort Riley, Kansas.
Formed during World War II from the disbanding Hawaiian Division, the division saw
action throughout the Pacific theater, first fighting in New Guinea before landing on
the Philippine islands of Leyte and Luzon, driving Japanese forces from them.
Following the end of the war, the division participated in patrol operations in Japan,
and was the first division to respond at the outbreak of the Korean War. For the first
18 months of the war, the division was heavily engaged on the front lines with North
Korean and Chinese forces, suffering over 10,000 casualties. It was withdrawn from
the front lines to the reserve force for the remainder of the war, but returned to Korea
for patrol duty at the end of major combat operations.
After its deployment in Korea, the division was active in Europe and the United States
during the Cold War, but saw relatively little combat until the Persian Gulf War, when
it faced the Iraqi military. A few years after that conflict, it was inactivated as part of a
post Cold War US military drawdown. The division was reactivated in 1999 as a
formation for training and deploying Army National Guard units before inactivating
again in 2006.
History
Hawaiian Division
Hawaiian Division (United States)
The 24th Infantry Division traces its lineage to Army units activated in Hawaii. It was
activated under the Square Division Table of Organization and Equipment (TO&E) on
25 February 1921 as the Hawaiian Division at Schofield Barracks, Oahu. The division
insignia is based on the taro leaf, emblematic of Hawaii. The division was assigned
the 21st Infantry Brigade and the 22nd Infantry Brigade, both of which had been
assigned to the US 11th Infantry Division prior to 1921.
The entire Hawaiian Division was concentrated at a single location during the next few
years, allowing it to conduct more effective combined arms training. It was also
manned at higher personnel levels than other divisions, and its field artillery was the
first to be motorized.
Between August and September 1941, the Hawaiian Division's assets were
reorganized to form two divisions under the new Triangular Division TO&E. Its brigade
headquarters were disbanded and the 27th and 35th Infantry regiments were
assigned to the new 25th Infantry Division.
Hawaiian Division headquarters was redesignated as Headquarters, 24th Infantry
Division on 1 October 1941. The 24th Infantry Division also received the Hawaiian
Division's Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, which was approved in 1921.
The division was centered around three infantry regiments: the 19th Infantry Regiment
and the 21st Infantry Regiment from the Active duty force, and the 299th Infantry
Regiment from the Hawaii National Guard. Also attached to the division were the 13th
Field Artillery Battalion, the 52nd Field Artillery Battalion, the 63rd Field Artillery
Battalion, the 11th Field Artillery Battalion, the 24th Signal Company, the 724th
Ordnance Company, the 24th Quartermaster Company, the 24th Reconnaissance
Troop, the 3rd Engineer Battalion, the 24th Medical Battalion, and the 24th Counter
Intelligence Detachment.
World War II
The 24th Infantry Division was among the first US Army divisions to see combat in
World War II and among the last to stop fighting. The division was on Oahu, with its
headquarters at Schofield Barracks, when the Japanese launched their Attack on
Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 and the unit suffered some casualties during the
attack. Among these casualties were Sgt. Paul J. Fadon (killed in a truck 10 miles
north of Schofield Barracks), Pvt. Walter R. French, Pfc. Conrad Kujawa, Pvt. Torao
Migita (killed by friendly fire in downtown Honolulu), and Cpt. Theodore J. Lewis (who
became the 24th Infantry Division's first soldier killed during WWII). The division was
then charged with the defense of northern Oahu, where it built an elaborate system of
coastal defenses throughout 1942. In July 1942, the 299th Infantry Regiment was
replaced by the 298th Infantry Regiment. One year later, this regiment was replaced
by the 34th Infantry Regiment from the Hawaiian Department Reserve. The 34th
Infantry remained with the 24th Infantry Division until the end of the war. As an active
component unit, the 34th was easier to deploy than the reserve component units,
which were less trained.
Indonesia
In May 1943, the 24th Infantry Division was alerted for movement to Australia, and it
completed the move to Camp Caves, near Rockhampton, on the eastern coast of
Australia by 19 September 1943. Once deployed, it began intensive combat training.
After training, the division moved to Goodenough Island on 31 January 1944, to
prepare for Operation Reckless, the amphibious capture of Hollandia, Netherlands
New Guinea (now Jayapura, Papua province, Indonesia).
The 24th landed at Tanahmerah Bay on 22 April 1944 and seized the important
Hollandia Airdrome despite torrential rain and marshy terrain. Shortly after the
Hollandia landing, the division's 34th Infantry Regiment moved to Biak to reinforce the
41st Infantry Division. The regiment captured Sorido and Borokoe airdromes before
returning to the division on Hollandia in July. The 41st and 24th divisions isolated
40,000 Japanese forces south of the landings. Despite resistance from the isolated
Japanese forces in the area, the 24th Infantry Division advanced rapidly through the
region. In two months, the 24th Division crossed the entirety of New Guinea.
Leyte
A tactical map for the Invasion of Leyte on 20 October 1944. The 24th Infantry
Division landed in the northern part of the island with X Corps.
After occupation duty in the Hollandia area, the 24th Division was assigned to X
Corps of the Sixth United States Army in preparation for the invasion of the
Philippines. On 20 October 1944, the division was paired with the 1st Cavalry Division
within X Corps, and the two divisions made an assault landing at Leyte, initially
encountering only light resistance. Following a defeat at sea on 26 October, the
Japanese launched a large, uncoordinated counteroffensive against the Sixth Army.
The 24th Division drove up the Leyte Valley, advanced to Jaro and captured
Breakneck Ridge on 12 November 1944, in heavy fighting.
While final clearing operations continued on Leyte, the 24th Division's 19th Infantry
Regiment moved to Mindoro Island as part of the Western Visayan Task Force and
landed in the San Jose area on 15 December 1944. There, it secured airfields and a
patrol base for operations on Luzon. Elements of the 24th Infantry Division effected a
landing on Marinduque Island. Other elements supported the 11th Airborne Division
drive from Nasugbu to Manila.
Luzon
The 24th Division was among the 200,000 men of the Sixth Army moved to recapture
Luzon from the Japanese 14th Area Army, which fought delaying actions on the
island. The division's 34th Infantry Regiment landed at San Antonio, Zambales on 29
January 1945 and ran into a furious battle on Zig Zag Pass, where it suffered heavy
casualties. On 16 February 1945 the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry took part in the
amphibious landing on Corregidor and fought the Japanese on the well-defended
island. The rest of the division landed at Sablayan, Mindoro on 19 February, cleared
the remainder of the island and engaged in numerous mopping up actions during the
following month. These operations were complete by 18 March, and the division
moved south to attack through Basilan. the division landed at Mindanao on 17 April
1945 and cut across the island to Digos until 27 April, stormed into Davao on 3 May,
and cleared Libby airdrome on 13 May. Although the campaign officially closed on 30
June, the division continued to clear up Japanese resistance during July and August
1945. The 24th Infantry Division patrolled the region until the official surrender of
Japan ended the war. On 15 October 1945 the division left Mindanao for occupation
duty on mainland Japan.
During World War II, members of the 24th Infantry Division won three Medals of
Honor, 15 Distinguished Service Crosses, two Distinguished Service Medals, 625
Silver Star Medals, 38 Soldier's Medals, 2,197 Bronze Star Medals, and 50 Air
Medals. The division itself was awarded eight Distinguished Unit Citations for
participation in the campaign.
Occupation of Japan
After the end of the war, the division remained on mainland Japan. It occupied
Kyūshū from 1945 until 1950. During this time, the US Army shrank. At the end of
World War II it contained 89 divisions, but by 1950, the 24th Infantry Division was one
of only 10 active divisions in the force. It was one of four understrength divisions on
occupation duty in Japan. The others were the 1st Cavalry Division, 7th Infantry
Division, and 25th Infantry Division, all under control of the Eighth United States
Army. The 24th Division retained the 19th, 21st, and 34th regiments, but the
formations were undermanned and ill-equipped due to the post-war drawdown and
reduction in military spending.
Korean War
On 25 June 1950, 10 divisions of the North Korean People's Army launched an attack
into the Republic of Korea in the south. The North Koreans overwhelmed the South
Korean Army and advanced south, preparing to conquer the entire nation. The UN
ordered an intervention to prevent the conquest of South Korea. U.S. President Harry
S. Truman ordered ground forces into South Korea. The 24th Infantry Division was
closest to Korea, and it was the first US division to respond. The 24th Division's first
mission was to "take the initial shock" of the North Korean assault, then try to slow its
advance until more US divisions could arrive.
Task Force Smith
Five days later, on 30 June, a 406-man infantry force from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry
Regiment, supported by a 134-man artillery battery (also from the 24th Infantry
Division) was sent into South Korea. The force, nicknamed Task Force Smith for its
commander, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Smith, was lightly armed and ordered to
delay the advance of North Korean forces while the rest of the 24th Infantry Division
moved into South Korea. On 4 July, the task force set up in the hills north of Osan and
prepared to block advancing North Korean forces. The next day, they spotted an
incoming column of troops from the North Korean 105th Armored Division. The
ensuing battle was a rout, as the Task Force's obsolescent weapons were no match
for the North Koreans' T-34 Tanks and full-strength formations. Within a few hours,
the first battle between US and North Korean forces was lost. Task Force Smith
suffered 20 killed and 130 wounded in action. Dozens of US soldiers were captured,
and when US forces retook the area, some of the prisoners were discovered to have
been executed. Approximately 30 percent of task Force Smith became casualties in
the Battle of Osan. The task force was successful in delaying the North Korean forces'
advance for seven hours.
Pusan Perimeter
10 July 1950 – Soldier of the 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Division, captured and
executed by North Korean forces
The 24th Infantry Division led the advance into South Korea, through the port of
Pusan, and it followed by elements of the 1st Cavalry Division and 25th Infantry
Division from the Eighth Army. As more soldiers arrived, the 24th Infantry Division
was placed under the command of I Corps, Eighth Army.
For the first month after the defeat of Task Force Smith, 24th Infantry Division soldiers
were repeatedly defeated and pushed south by the North Korean force's superior
numbers and equipment.
24th Infantry Division soldiers were pushed south at and around Choch'iwŏn,
Chonan, P'yŏngt'aek, Hadong, and Yechon. The division's 19th and 34th regiments
engaged the North Korean 3rd Infantry Division and the North Korean 4th Infantry
Division at the Kum River between 13 and 16 July and suffered 650 casualties of the
3,401 men committed there.
The next day, the North Korean divisions attacked the 24th Infantry Division's
headquarters in Taejon and overran it in the Battle of Taejon. In the ensuing battle,
922 men of the 24th Infantry Division were killed and 228 were wounded of 3,933
committed there. Many soldiers were missing in action, including the division
commander, Major General William F. Dean, who was captured and later won the
Medal of Honor. On 1 August, the 24th Division's 19th Infantry Regiment engaged
North Korean forces, losing 90 killed. North Korean officers at the battle claimed that
some US soldiers were "too frightened to fight." However, the 24th Infantry Division
managed to delay the advancing North Koreans for two days, long enough for
significant numbers of UN forces to arrive in Pusan and begin establishing defenses
further south. By the time the 24th Infantry Division retreated and reformed, the 1st
Cavalry Division was in place behind it. The division suffered over 3,600 casualties in
the 17 days it fought alone against the 3rd and 4th North Korean divisions.
Tactical map of the Pusan Perimeter in August 1950. The 24th Infantry Division held
a position on the western line.
By 4 August, a perimeter was established around Pusan on the hills to the north of the
city and the Naktong River to the west. The Eighth Army, including the 24th Infantry
Division, was cornered by the surrounding North Korean army. With UN forces
concentrated and North Korean supply lines stretched out, the 24th Infantry Division
halted the advance of the North Koreans. The 24th Division was at Naktong, with the
25th Infantry Division to the south, and the 1st Cavalry Division and South Korean
forces to the north. The 24th Division was also reinforced by the 2nd Infantry Division,
newly arrived in the theater. The 24th was quickly sent to block the North Korean 6th
Infantry Division, which attempted to attack the UN forces from the southwest. On 8
August, the North Korean 4th Infantry Division crossed the river and attempted to
penetrate the perimeter. After 10 days of fighting, the 24th Infantry Division
counterattacked and forced the North Koreans back across the river. By late August
1950, only 184 of the 34th Regiment's original 1,898 men remained. The regiment
was dissolved and was replaced within the 24th by the 5th Regimental Combat Team.
The 34th Regiment's survivors were added to the ranks of the 19th and 21st
regiments in an effort to bring them up to strength, and the 5th Infantry remained with
the 24th Division until the division withdrew from Korea. Elements of the 24th Infantry
Division were moved into reserve on 23 August and replaced by the 2nd Infantry
Division. A second, larger North Korean attack occurred between 31 August and 19
September, but the 2nd, 24th, and 25th infantry divisions and the 1st Cavalry Division
beat the North Koreans back across the river again.
At the same time, X Corps, with the 7th Infantry Division and 1st Marine Division,
attacked Inche'on, striking the North Korean army from the rear. The attack routed the
surprised North Koreans, and by 19 September, the Eighth Army pushed out of the
Pusan Perimeter and advanced north. The 24th Infantry Division advanced to Songju,
then to Sŏul. The Army advanced north along the west coast of Korea through
October. By mid-October, the North Korean Army had been almost completely
destroyed, and US President Harry S. Truman ordered General MacArthur to advance
all units into North Korea as quickly as possible to end the war. The 24th Infantry
Division, with the South Korean 1st Infantry Division, moved to the left flank of the
advancing Eighth Army, and moved north along Korea's west coast. The 24th Division
then moved north to Chongju. On 1 November, the division's 21st Infantry captured
Chonggodo, 18 miles from the Yalu River and Korea's border with China. Units of the
Eighth Army and X Corps spread out as they attempted to reach the Yalu and
complete the conquest of North Korea as quickly as possible.
Chinese Intervention
On 25 November, the Chinese entered the war in defense of North Korea. The
People's Liberation Army force, which totaled 260,000 troops, flooded into North
Korea and caught the Eighth Army by surprise. Chinese forces crushed the UN and
South Korean forces with overwhelming numbers, surrounding and destroying
elements of the US 2nd Infantry Division, 7th Infantry Division, and South Korean
forces. The 24th Infantry Division, on the west coast of the Korean peninsula, was hit
by soldiers from the 50th and 66th Chinese field armies. Amid heavy casualties, the
Eighth Army retreated to the Imjin River, south of the 38th parallel, having been
devastated by the overwhelming Chinese force.
On 1 January 1951, 500,000 Chinese troops attacked the Eighth Army's line at the
Imjin River, forcing it back 50 miles and allowing the Chinese to capture Sŏul. The
24th Infantry Division was then reassigned to IX Corps to replace the 2nd and 25th
Infantry Divisions, which had been placed in reserve due to heavy losses. The
Chinese eventually advanced too far for their supply lines to adequately support them,
and their attack stalled.
Stalemate
General Matthew B. Ridgway ordered I, IX, and X Corps to conduct a general
counteroffensive on the Chinese (Operation Thunderbolt) quickly thereafter. The 24th
Division, as part of IX Corps, advanced along the center of the peninsula to take
Chipyong-ni. The corps ran into heavy resistance and fought for the region until
February. Between February and March 1951, the 24th Infantry Division participated
in Operation Killer, pushing Chinese forces north of the Han River. This operation was
followed by Operation Ripper, which recaptured Sŏul in March. After this, operations
Rugged and Dauntless in April saw the division advance north of the 38th parallel and
reestablish itself along previously established of defense, code named Kansas and
Utah, respectively.
In late April, the Chinese launched a major counterattack. Though the 24th and 25th
Infantry Divisions were able to hold their ground against the Chinese 9th CPV Army
Corps, the South Korean 6th Infantry Division, to the east, was destroyed by the 13th
CPV Army Corps, which penetrated the line and threatened to encircle the 24th and
25th divisions. The 1st Marine Division and 27th British Commonwealth Brigade were
able to drive the 13th Army Corps back while the 24th and 25th divisions withdrew on
25 April. The UN forces' line was moved back to Sŏul but managed to hold. In
September, the UN forces launched another counteroffensive with the 24th Infantry
Division at the center of the line, west of the Hwachon Reservoir. Flanked by the
South Korean 2nd and 6th Divisions, the 24th advanced past Kumwha, engaging the
20th and 27th CPV Armies. In November, the Chinese attempted to counter this
attack but were unsuccessful. It was at this point, after several successive
counteroffensives that saw both sides fighting intensely over the same ground, that
the two sides started serious peace negotiations.
March 1951 new CG.
In January 1952, the 24th Infantry Division, which suffered over 10,000 casualties in
18 months of fighting, was redesignated as the Far East Theater reserve and pulled out
of Korea. It returned to Japan to rebuild. The 34th Infantry Regiment was
reconstituted, and the division returned to full strength during the next year, having
been replaced in Korea by the 40th Infantry Division of the California Army National
Guard. In July 1953, the division returned to Korea to restore order in prisoner of war
camps. It arrived two weeks before the end of the war.
The 24th Infantry Division suffered 3,735 killed and 7,395 wounded during the Korean
War. It remained on front-line duty after the armistice until October 1957, patrolling
the 38th parallel in the event that combat would resume. The division then returned to
Japan and remained there for a short time.
Cold War
On 1 July 1958 the division was relocated to Augsburg, Germany, replacing the 11th
Airborne Division in a reflagging ceremony. The 24th was organized under the
Pentomic Division TO&E, in which its combat forces were organized into five
oversized battalions (called "battle groups") with no intermediate brigade or regimental
headquarters. Although considered an infantry division, the 24th included two airborne
battle groups for several months. The 1st Airborne Battle Group, 503rd Infantry left the
division for reassignment to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg on 7 January
1959 and the 1st Airborne Battle Group, 187th Infantry departed on 8 February 1959,
also for the 82nd.
Patch of the 187th Regimental Combat Team, briefly assigned to the 24th Infantry
Division
On 13 July, less than 2 weeks after the reorganization, King Faisal II of Iraq was
assassinated in a coup orchestrated by pro-Egyptian officers. The Christian president
of Lebanon, pressured by Muslims to join Egypt and Syria in the Gamal Abdel Nasserled United Arab Republic, requested help from the Eisenhower administration during
the 1958 Lebanon crisis.
On the night of 15 July, Marines of the Sixth Fleet landed at Beirut and secured the
Beirut airport. The following day, the 24th Division's 1st Airborne Battle Group, 187th
Infantry deployed to Turkey and flew to Beirut on 19 July. They were joined by a
medium tank battalion and support units, which assisted the Marines in forming a
security cordon around the city. The force stayed until late October, providing security,
making shows of force, including parachute jumps, and training the Lebanese army.
When factions of the Lebanese government worked out a political settlement, they
left. The 24th Division's 1/187th lost one soldier killed by a sniper.
The 24th came into international press focus in 1961 when its commanding general,
Major General Edwin Walker, was removed from command for making "derogatory
remarks of a serious nature about certain prominent Americans ... which linked the
persons and institutions with Communism and Communist influence". The inquiry was
sparked by Walker's "Pro Blue" program and accusations Walker and his Information
Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Roberts, distributed John Birch Society literature
as troop information in the 24th.
After the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961, the Seventh Army began
sending infantry units from the divisions in West Germany on a rotating basis to
reinforce the Berlin Brigade. The 24th Division's units participated in this action.
A M163 VADS of the 24th Infantry Division during an exercise in 1988
In January 1963, the 24th was reorganized as a mechanized infantry division under
the Reorganization Objective Army Division (ROAD) TO&E, which replaced the
pentomic battle groups with conventional-sized battalions organized in three
combined arms brigades. The 169th Infantry Brigade, previously assigned to the 85th
Infantry Division was redesignated the 1st Brigade, 24th Infantry Division. The 85th
Division's 170th Infantry Brigade was redesignated the 2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry
Division. The 190th Infantry Brigade, previously assigned to the 95th Infantry Division,
became the 3rd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division. In 1965, the 24th Infantry Division
received its distinctive unit insignia.
The 24th remained in Germany, specifically Augsburg, Munich until September 1968,
when it redeployed its 1st and 2nd Brigades to Fort Riley, Kansas, as part of Exercise
REFORGER while the division's 3rd Brigade was maintained in Germany. As the US
Army withdrew from Vietnam and reduced its forces, the 24th Infantry Division and its
three brigades were inactivated on 15 April 1970 at Fort Riley.
In September 1975, the 24th Infantry Division was reactivated at Fort Stewart,
Georgia, as part of the program to build a 16-division US Army force. Because the
Regular Army could not field a full division at Fort Stewart, the 24th had the 48th
Infantry Brigade of the Georgia Army National Guard assigned to it as a round-out unit
in place of its 3rd Brigade. Targeted for a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
role, the 24th Division was reorganized as a mechanized division in 1979. It was one
of several divisions equipped with new M1 Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley Fighting
Vehicles that formed the core of the US Army's heavily armored mechanized force for
the 15 years that followed.
Gulf War
Desert Shield
Ground operations during Operation Desert Storm, with the 24th Infantry Division
positioned at the left flank
When the United Nations intervened in Kuwait in 1990, the 24th Infantry Division,
which was part of the Rapid Deployment Force, was one of the first units deployed to
Southwest Asia. It arrived in 10 large cargo ships of the US Navy Sealift Command.
Advance elements of the 24th Division began arriving in Saudi Arabia on 17 August.
Some controversy erupted when the division's round-out unit, the 48th Infantry
Brigade (Mechanized), of the Georgia National Guard, was not called up for service.
Army leaders decided that the use of National Guard forces was unnecessary, as they
felt the active-duty force had sufficient troops. The 48th Brigade was replaced once
the 24th Division was in Saudi Arabia with the regular Army's 197th Infantry Brigade
(Mechanized). The 24th Division was then assigned to XVIII Airborne Corps as the
corps' heavy-armored division. In the months that followed, the 24th Division played
an important part of Operation Desert Shield by providing heavy firepower with its
large number of armored vehicles, including 216 M1A1 Abrams tanks. Elements of
the division were still arriving in September, and in the logistical chaos that followed
the rapid arrival of US forces in the region, the soldiers of the 24th Division were
housed in warehouses, airport hangars, and on the desert sand. The 24th remained in
relatively stationary positions in defense of Saudi Arabia until additional American
forces arrived for Operation Desert Storm.
Desert Storm
Once the attack commenced on 24 February, the 24th Infantry Division formed the
east flank of the corps with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. It blocked the
Euphrates River valley to cut off Iraqi forces in Kuwait and little resistance. At this
time, the 24th Division's ranks swelled to over 25,000 troops in 34 battalions,
commanding 94 helicopters, 241 M1 Abrams tanks, 221 M2 Bradley Armored fighting
vehicles, and over 7,800 other vehicles. The 24th Infantry Division performed
exceptionally well in the theater; it had been training in desert warfare for several
years before the conflict. On 26 February, the 24th Division advanced through the
valley and captured Iraqi airfields at Jabbah and Tallil. At the airfields, it encountered
entrenched resistance from the Iraqi 37th and 49th Infantry Divisions, as well as the
6th "Nebuchadnezzar" Mechanized Division of the Iraqi Republican Guard. Despite
some of the most fierce resistance of the war, the 24th Infantry Division destroyed the
Iraqi formations and captured the two airfields the next day. The 24th then moved
east with VII Corps and engaged several Iraqi Republican Guard divisions.
After the Iraqi forces were defeated, the UN mandated the US withdraw from Iraq,
ending the Gulf War. By the time of the cease-fire on 28 February, the 24th Infantry
Division advanced 260 miles and destroyed 360 tanks and other armored personnel
carriers, 300 artillery pieces, 1,200 trucks, 25 aircraft, 19 missiles, and over 500
pieces of engineer equipment. The division took over 5,000 Iraqi prisoners of war
while suffering only eight killed, 36 wounded, and five non-combat casualties.
After returning to the United States in spring 1991, the 24th was reorganized with two
brigades at Fort Stewart and the 3rd Brigade reactivated at Fort Benning, Georgia,
replacing the 197th Infantry Brigade. In fall 1994, Iraq again threatened the Kuwaiti
border, and two brigades from the division returned to southwest Asia. As part of the
Army's reduction to a ten-division force, the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated on
15 February 1996 and reflagged to become the 3rd Infantry Division. Its three
brigades were reflagged as 3rd Infantry Division brigades.
Training command
In the wake of the Cold War, the US Army considered new options for the integration
and organization of Active duty, Army Reserve and Army National Guard units in
training and deployment. Two active duty division headquarters were activated for
training National Guard units; those of the 7th Infantry Division and the 24th Infantry
Division. The subordinate brigades of the divisions did not activate, so they could not
be deployed as combat divisions. Instead, the headquarters units focused on full-time
training.
On 5 June 1999 the 24th Infantry Division was reactivated, this time at Fort Riley,
Kansas. From 1999 to 2006, the 24th Infantry Division consisted of a headquarters
and three separate National Guard brigades; the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team
at Clinton, North Carolina, the 218th Heavy Brigade Combat Team at Columbia,
South Carolina, and the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Macon, Georgia. The
division headquarters was responsible for the Guard brigades should they be called to
active duty in wartime. This never occurred, as each brigade deployed individually.
The division's final operations included preparing Fort Riley for the return of the 1st
Infantry Division, which was stationed in Germany.
To expand upon the concept of Reserve component and National Guard components,
the First Army activated Division East and Division West, two commands responsible
for reserve units' readiness and mobilization exercises. Division East activated at Fort
Riley. This transformation was part of an overall restructuring of the US Army to
streamline the organizations overseeing training. Division East took control of reserve
units in states east of the Mississippi River, eliminating the need for the 24th Infantry
Division headquarters. As such, the 24th Infantry Division was subsequently
deactivated for the last time on 1 August 2006 at Fort Riley.
Though it was deactivated, the division was identified as the third highest priority
inactive division in the United States Army Center of Military History's lineage scheme
due to its numerous accolades and long history. All of the division's flags and heraldic
items were moved to the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia following
its deactivation. Should the U.S. Army decide to activate more divisions in the future,
the center will most likely suggest the first new division be the 7th Infantry Division,
the second be the 9th Infantry Division, and the third be the 24th Infantry Division.
Honors
The 24th Infantry Division was awarded five campaign streamers and one unit
decoration in World War II, eight campaign streamers and three unit decorations in
the Korean War, two campaign streamers for the Gulf War, and one unit award in
peacetime, for a total of fifteen campaign streamers and five unit decorations in its
operational history.
Unit decorations
Ribbon Award Year Notes
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation 1944–1945 for service in the Philippines during
World War II
Presidential Unit Citation (Army) 1950 for fighting in the Pusan Perimeter
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation 1950 for service in P'yŏngt'aek
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation 1952–1953 for service in Korea
Superior Unit Award 1994
Campaign streamers
Conflict Streamer Year(s)
World War II Central Pacific 1943
World War II New Guinea (with Arrowhead) 1944
World War II Leyte (with Arrowhead) 1945
World War II Luzon 1945
World War II Southern Philippines (with Arrowhead) 1945
Korean War UN Defensive 1950
Korean War UN Offensive 1950
Korean War CCF Intervention 1950
Korean War First UN Counteroffensive 1950
Korean War CCF Spring Offensive 1951
Korean War UN Summer-Fall Offensive 1951
Korean War Second Korean Winter 1951–1952
Korean War Korea, Summer 1953 1953
Gulf War Defense of Saudi Arabia 1991
Gulf War Liberation and Defense of Kuwait 1991
Legacy
Photograph of President Harry S. Truman in the Oval Office after presenting three
Korean War veterans with the Medal of Honor: (left to right) Lt. Carl Dodd, the
President, Sgt. John Pittman, Master Sgt. Ernest Kouma, Secretary of Defense George
C. Marshall. 10 May 1951
People who served in the 24th Infantry Division and later went on to achieve notability
in the military or other fields include
actor James Garner,
astronaut Charles D. Gemar,
the first Sergeant Major of the Army, William O. Wooldridge,
the sixth Sergeant Major of the Army William A. Connelly,
the eleventh Sergeant Major of the Army Robert E. Hall,
first Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman William Gainey,
science fiction author Tom Kratman, and Antulio Segarra,
the first Puerto Rican to command an Army combat regiment.
Many high-ranking generals served in the 24th Infantry Division before moving on to
higher commands, including Generals Norman Schwartzkopf, John Hendrix, Barry
McCaffrey, Burwell B. Bell III, David Petraeus, Bernard W. Rogers, Richard A. Cody,
Wayne A. Downing, Bantz J. Craddock, Paul J. Kern, William R. Richardson, Volney
F. Warner, Barksdale Hamlett Sam S. Walker, and Stanley A. McChrystal. Also
serving in the 24th Infantry Division were Lieutenant Generals Paul E. Blackwell,
Thomas R. Turner II, Daniel P. Bolger, Calvin Waller, William G. Boykin, Harry E.
Soyster, Carl A. Strock, William J. Lennox, Jr., Ronald L. Burgess, Jr., John M. Brown
III, James B. Vaught, and Michael Spiglemire, William G. Webster, and Major
Generals Eugene L. Daniel, Raymond Barrett, Antonio Taguba, Guy C. Swan III,
Walter Wojdakowski, and Jeffery Hammond.
Fourteen soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during their service with the 24th
Infantry Division. Four soldiers received the Medal posthumously during World War II.
They were James H. Diamond, Charles E. Mower, Harold H. Moon, Jr., and Francis
B. Wai. Wai originally received the Distinguished Service Cross, but it was upgraded
during a 1998 review of war records of Asian-American and Pacific Islander soldiers.
Another ten soldiers earned the medal in the Korean War. They were William F.
Dean, George D. Libby, Melvin O. Handrich, Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr., Carl H. Dodd,
Nelson V. Brittin, Ray E. Duke, Stanley T. Adams, Mack A. Jordan, and Woodrow W.
Keeble. Keeble's medal was awarded on 3 March 2008, 26 years after his death.
24 (VICTORY) INFANTRY DIVISION
Prior to the start of the Korean War, the 24 Infantry Division had occupation duty on
Japan’s southernmost main island of Kyushu. When President Harry S. Truman
ordered U.S. ground forces to support the Republic of Korea, the 24 Infantry Division
was the closest so was tasked with providing the first ground forces. This took the
form a scratch unit designated "Task Force Smith" which deployed from Itazuke Air
Base on 2 July 1950. At the time, Task Force Smith consisted of the following units
from the 1 Battalion, 21 Infantry Regiment:
2 under-strength rifle companies "A" & "B,"
one-half of Headquarters Company,
one-half of the battalion’s communications platoon,
a composite 75-mm Recoilless Rifle platoon with four guns, and
four 4.2" mortars, for a total of 440 men but only 406 actually arrived in Korea.
Task Force Smith was transported to Osan, South Korea where it dug in to wait the
North Koreans, now supported by a battery of 105mm howitzers.
They did not have long to wait. At approximately 0730, 5 July 1950, North Korean
tanks were observed advancing south. The, at 0816, Task Force Smith supporting
artillery fired its first rounds. The lightly armed Task Force Smith was no match for
Soviet-built T-34 tanks, backed by a North Korean division so by early afternoon,
survivors from the task force were running for their lives. In the next three weeks the
24 Infantry Division suffered defeat after defeat as it fought gallantly while slowly
retreating southward, trading lives and ground for time so U.S. forces could build up in
the country.
The 24 Infantry Division was replaced in Korea by the 40 Infantry Division, 23 January
1952, and redeployed to Japan, returning to Korea a second time on 16 July 1953,
one week before the ceasefire was signed.
The division consisted of:
Division Headquarters and Headquarters Company
19 Infantry Regiment
21 Infantry Regiment
34 Infantry Regiment
Division Artillery
11 Field Artillery Battalion (155mm)
13 Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
52 Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
63 Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
26 Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion
Division Troops
Company A, 78 Tank Battalion (Heavy) replaced by the
6 Tank Battalion (Medium) on 8 August 1950
3 Engineer Battalion (Combat)
24 Reconnaissance Company
Division Special Troops
24 Medical Battalion
24 Signal Company
724 Ordnance Maintenance Battalion
24 Quartermaster Company
24 Military Police Company
24 Replacement Company
Attached units
5 Infantry Regiment (31 September 1950 - January 1952)
555 (Triple Nickel) Field Artillery Battalion
8072 Tank Battalion (Provisional)
Eighth Army Ranger Company (10 October 1950 - 28 March 1951)
8 Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) (31 April 1951 - 1 August 1951)
British 27 Commonwealth Brigade
5th Infantry
Col. John L.
Throckmorton
1/5
Col. Ned D. Moore
Col. Richard W.
Stephen
Guy Stanley ("Stan")
Meloy
Otho Winstead
1st
Battalion
21st Infantry
19th Infantry
1/19
1/21
Morris Naudts's 1/19
Brad Smith's 1/21
Otho Winstead
Robert M. Miller
2nd
Battalion
2/5
2/19
2/21
Ollie Kinney
Gines Perez
3rd
Battalion
3/5
3/19
? Benjamin W.
Heckemeyer
? Edgar J. Treacy
6th Tank Battalion
Lt. Col. John S. Growdon
3/21
Biography
Dean, William Frishe (Bill)
[MajGen CG 24thID]
24th Division
The 24th Division was commanded by a "can do" general, William F. Dean, who
seemed ideally suited for the frenetic job at hand. At age fifty Dean was the youngest of
the four division commanders in Eighth Army and the only one who had commanded
troops in combat. He was also the only one of the four who knew South Korea well.[4-8]
Born in Carlyle, Illinois, in 1899, Dean was a big (six-foot, 210pound), bluff field
general, a fighter and an impressive leader. From his high school days Dean had set his
sights on West Point, but he had not been able to get an appointment. Determined to
make the Army a career, Dean enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley in a
prelaw course and joined the ROTC. A mediocre student, Dean was graduated after five
years (1922) minus a law degree, but he obtained an ROTC commission (1923) and
went on permanent active duty. He married Mildred Dern, niece of wealthy Utah
politician George H. Dern, who was a U.S. senator, then governor, then Franklin D.
Roosevelt's secretary of war from 1933 until his death in 1936. The Deans had two
children, June (who married an Air Force officer, Robert Williams) and William, Jr., who
was preparing to enter West Point with the class of 1954.[4-9]
Perhaps assisted by his uncle-in-law's high positions, Dean climbed the peacetime
Army career ladder steadily, attending both the Command and General Staff School and
the Army War College (1940). But when World War II commenced, he was stuck for all
too long in various desk jobs. Finally, in late 1943, he was promoted to brigadier
general and assigned to the ETO-bound 44th Infantry Division as assistant commander.
An act of bravery during a training exercise nearly denied him combat. When a
flamethrower hose broke loose and engulfed the operator in fire, Dean leaped to rescue
the operator and, in the process, was himself so badly burned that doctors declared his
left leg would have to be amputated. Hearing this, Dean "went AWOL" from the hospital,
sailed for France, rejoined his division, and limped into battle in late 1944 with a
hawthorn cane. The 44th Division surgeon kept Dean going; the leg did not fully heal
until after the war.[4-10]
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Dean was thoroughly competent and apparently fearless on the battlefield. Early in
the action he won a DSC for personally leading a platoon through a withering German
artillery barrage. When the division commander was wounded and invalided home, the
corps commander, Ham Haislip, promoted Bill Dean (then forty-five years old) to the top
job. In tough fighting near Mannheim and Heidelberg, during which his hair turned from
blond to white, Dean led the division well. After Germany had surrendered, the division
was selected for the invasion of Japan, but the Japanese surrendered before it set sail
for the Pacific.[4-11]
In the postwar years Dean, by then a two-star general with a promising future, was
assigned to duty with American occupation forces in South Korea. He served as a deputy
commander to John Hodge until August 1948, when the occupation command was
dissolved and Hodge went home. Thereafter Dean was made commander of the 7th
Infantry Division and as such withdrew it to Sapporo, on Hokkaido, Japan. From May to
October 1949 he put in a tour on Walker's Eighth Army staff but hated every minute of
it. When a "sudden transfer" left the 24th Division without a commander, Dean talked
Walker into giving him the job.
Dean's one year tour in South Korea, he later wrote, had been "interesting and
troubling." Wearing several "hats," he had been the senior American adviser to the
police and constabulary, along with other jobs. He had traveled widely in South Korea,
picked up a "few words" of the Korean language, observed at close hand the Byzantine
political scene, and got to know Rhee and other governmental and military figures.
However, he had no love for the place. He did not want - or expect - ever to return to
South Korea and was as surprised as everybody else when the war alert reached his
24th Division headquarters in Kokura.[4-12]
Notwithstanding his rank and bright future in the Army, Dean remained
unpretentious and a touch self-deprecating. An aide remembered that whenever
possible and practical, Dean preferred to walk rather than ride in staff cars (the local
Japanese nicknamed him Aruku Shoko, or Walking General). He had "no hang-ups
about status," the aide remembered. He was "his own best shoe shiner." "Always much
more of a doer than a talker," the aide recalled, Dean was at root a simple, down-toearth soldier who saw most issues in blacks and whites and was put off by "hypocrisy"
and "self-proclaimed paragons of virtue who kicked their dogs when they thought no
one was looking.[4-13]
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Major General William Dean, the commander of the 24th Infantry Division, received
the Medal of Honor for his valor in combat just a few weeks after the Battle of Osan.
This was the first Medal of Honor to be received for valor in the Korean War. On July 20,
1950, General Dean, alone, attacked an enemy tank while armed only with his sidearm
and a hand grenade. He further directed the fire of his own tanks from an exposed
position while under artillery and small arms fire. Despite his valor and those with whom
he fought, the town he hoped to defend, Taejon, was overrun. He ordered his men to
retreat but he refused to depart with the leading elements. He remained behind to
organize his retreating units and provide directions to stragglers. He was last seen
assisting wounded to safety. As his forces dropped back, he became separated from
them. He hid alone in the woods around the countryside during the day and
traveled at night for over a month. On August 25, 1950 he was captured by the
North Koreans after hand-to-hand fighting. He remained a POW until his release on
September 4, 1953. General Dean's whereabouts were unknown until December 18,
1951, when Wilfred Burchett interviewed him in prison. This was the first time anyone
knew he was alive since being reported missing in action. In addition to receiving the
Medal of Honor, at his retirement on October 31, 1955, he was awarded the Combat
Infantry Badge for his front line service in WWII and Korea, an award he particularly
cherished. At his retirement, General Dean said this: "If the story of my Korean
experience is worth telling, the value lies in its oddity, not in anything brilliant or heroic.
"There were heroes in Korea, but I was not one of them. There were brilliant
commanders, but I was a general captured because he took a wrong road. I am an
Infantry officer and presumably was fitted for my fighting job. "I don't want to alibi that
job, but a couple of things about it should be made clear. In the fighting I made some
mistakes and I've kicked myself a thousand times for them. I lost ground I should not
have lost. I lost trained officers and fine men. I'm not proud of that record, and I'm under
no delusions that my weeks of command constituted any masterly campaign. "No man
honestly can be ashamed of the Medal of Honor. For it and for the welcome given to me
here at home in 1953, 1 am humbly grateful. But I come close to shame when I think
about the men who did better jobs some who died doing them and did not get
recognition. I wouldn't have awarded myself a wooden star for what I did as a
commander. "Later, as fugitive and prisoner, I did things mildly out of the ordinary only
at those times when I was excited and not thinking entirely straight; and the only thing I
did which mattered to my family and perhaps a few others was to stay alive. Other
prisoners resisted torture, but I wasn't tortured. Others hid in the hills and finally
escaped, but I failed in my escape attempts. Others bluffed the Communists steadily,
whereas I was lucky enough to do it only once in a while.
"Others starved, but I was fed and even learned to like Kimchee. Others died for a
principle, but I failed in a suicide attempt. "My life was an adventure, I did see the face
of the enemy close up. I did have time to study his weaknesses and his remarkable
strengths, not on the battlefield but far behind his lines. I saw communism working with
men and women of high education or none, great intelligence or little and it was a
frightening thing. "I ought to know. I swatted 40,671 flies in three years and counted
every carcass. There were periods when I was batting .850 and deserved to make the
big leagues."
General Dean passed on August 25, 1981. He is buried at the Presidio of San
Francisco, with his wife.
Biography
Church, John Huston
[Maj. Gen. CG 24thID]
24th Infantry Division
As a young lieutenant in World War I he had twice been wounded leading infantry
units in the trenches.
In World War II, as chief of staff of the crack 45th Infantry Division, he had been in
the thick of the fighting in Sicily, at Salerno, at Anzio (where he temporarily commanded
an infantry regiment), and in southern France.
Later, as assistant division commander (ADC) of Alex Bolling's 84th Infantry Division
in the ETO, he had fought in Holland and Germany, where he was wounded for the third
time.
In the two world wars Church had won a DSC and two Silver Stars for heroism, plus a
host of other medals.
The 24th would be re-manned, refitted, and recommitted on the spot. Perhaps then
believing Bill Dean would reappear at any hour to resume his duties, on July 22 Johnnie
Walker gave command of the 24th to the frail, sickly, fifty-eight-year-old John Church,
who since the arrival of the Eighth Army headquarters at Taegu and the deactivation of
ADCOM no longer had a job.
John H. Church
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Huston Church
Born
Died
Buried at
Allegiance
Service/branch
Years of service
Rank
Commands held
Wars
Awards
Church (center in leather jacket) with generals Walton Walker and Lawton Collins in Korea
(1892-06-28)June 28, 1892
Glen Iron, Pennsylvania
November 4, 1953(1953-11-04) (aged 61)
Washington, D.C.
Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia
United States of America
United States Army
1917–1952
Major General
24th Infantry Division
World War I
World War II
Korean War
Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Major General John H. Church (June 28, 1892 – November 3, 1953) was a U.S. Army
officer who fought in World War I, World War II and in the Korean War.
Early life
John Huston Church was born in the town of Glen Iron, Pennsylvania, on June 28,
1892. From 1915 until 1917, he was a student at New York University. When the United
States entered the First World War, Church joined the army and was given the
commissioned rank of second lieutenant.
Military career
In France with the 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, American Expeditionary
Force, Church fought valiantly and was wounded twice, earning a Distinguished Service
Cross for heroism in action at Cantigny. After the war, Church decided to stay in the
army. He instructed National Guard members in both Maryland and Arizona, and also
served in the Philippines from 1933 to 1936.
World War II
When World War II broke out, Church became the assistant chief of staff for
operations, and then chief of staff of the 45th Infantry Division. Church served with the
division from 1943–1944 in Sicily, southern Italy, Anzio, and Operation Dragoon, the
invasion of southern France. In September, 1944, having been promoted to brigadier
general after being commanding the 157th Infantry Regiment for a time, he was sent to
the 84th Infantry Division to be the assistant division commander. Church was wounded
again as his division, along with several others, led the way from the Netherlands to the
Elbe River towards the end of the war.
A year after the war ended, Brigadier General Church became the commander of the
Infantry Replacement Training Center at Fort McClellan, Alabama. He was given the
same post at Fort Jackson South Carolina, where he was soon given command of the
5th Infantry Division. From 1948 until 1949 Church served as the deputy chief of army
field forces in Fort Monroe, Virginia. In 1950, Church was serving in General Douglas
MacArthur's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.
Korean War
When the communist North Korean Army invaded South Korea, MacArthur sent
Church to lead a survey team of staff officers to work with Ambassador Muccio and the
Korean Military Advisory Group (KMAG) and assess what assistance could be provided to
the ROK Army. This task resulted in the establishment of GHQ Advance Command and
Liaison Group (ADCOM) at Suwŏn.
The 24th Infantry Division, which was stationed in Japan as part of the U.S. Eighth
Army, was the first army unit sent over from Japan under the command of Major
General William F. Dean. A reinforced company of the division, commanded by
Lieutenant Colonel Brad Smith, was sent north from Pusan to try to halt the North
Koreans. Meeting with Smith at Taejon, Church informed him "All we need is some men
up there who won't run when they see tanks", and instructed Smith to make his stand at
Osan. Task Force Smith was without tank support and had faulty communications, and
was promptly overrun in its first engagement with the North Koreans. Dean gathered his
troops in the city of Taejon and formed a strong defense. After a stubborn fight, the
American troops retreated. Dean got separated from his troops and was captured.
On July 22, Church, without a command following the dissolution of ADCOM, was
given command of the division.
The division was given a two-day period to rest, but then General Walton Walker, the
commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, decided that he needed the 24th to guard the
Southwest line (the Naktong Bulge) of the Pusan Perimeter. The North Korean 6th
Division inflicted more losses on Church's men and gradually pushed the 24th back.
Finally, Church by now promoted to major general, was able to regroup his men, and
they fought bravely, especially with the help of a marine brigade. Eventually, the 25th
turned the tables on the Communist divisions that were fighting them.
Frail and suffering from arthritis, Church remained in command of the 24th until
early 1951. Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway, commander of the U.S. Eighth Army
following the death of Walker in December 1950, replaced Church with Brigadier General
Blackshear M. Bryan. Church was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his
services.
Church subsequently was appointed commandant of the Infantry School at Fort
Benning, Georgia and served in that capacity until his retirement in June 1952.
Major General John H. Church died on 3 November 1953 in Washington, D.C.. He is
buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.
Medals and decorations
Combat Infantryman Badge
Distinguished Service Cross
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Legion of Merit
Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf Clusters
World War I Victory Medal with 3 battle clasps
Army of Occupation of Germany Medal
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 4 service stars
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Korean Service Medal with 2 service stars
United Nations Korea Medal
Biography
Bryan, Blackshear M. ("Babe") Jr.
[MajGen CO_24thID]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blackshear M. Bryan
General Blackshear M. Bryan
(1900-02-08)February 8, 1900
Alexandria, Louisiana
Died
March 2, 1977(1977-03-02) (aged 77)
Silver Spring, Maryland
Place of burial
West Point Cemetery
Allegiance
United States of America
Born
Service/branch
Years of service
Rank
United States Army
1922–1960
Commands held
24th Infantry Division
Lieutenant general
XVI Corps
I Corps
United States Military Academy
U.S. Army, Pacific
Battles/wars
Awards
Other work
First United States Army
World War II
Korean War
Cold War
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Order of the British Empire
Air Medal in Korea
President, Nassau Community College
Lieutenant General Blackshear Morrison Bryan (February 8, 1900 – March 2, 1977) was a
United States Army general who served during the Second World War and Korean War.
Early life and education
Bryan was born in Alexandria, Louisiana on February 8, 1900. He was attending
Virginia Military Institute when he received an appointment to the United States Military
Academy at West Point, New York in 1918. Because of World War I, two classes were
graduated from the academy in 1922. Bryan was the with the portion of the Class of
1923 that graduated after accelerated course of studies in three years, receiving a
commission as a second Lieutenant of artillery.
After graduation from West Point, Bryan took artillery officer training at Fort Sill,
Oklahoma. He returned to West Point to serve as an assistant Army football coach
during the 1925 and 1926 seasons. Bryan was also an instructor there in 1928-1929
and 1933-1934. He was promoted became a lieutenant in 1927 and captain in 1935.
In 1940 he was promoted to major and graduated from the Army War College, then at
Washington Barracks (Fort Lesley J. McNair) in Washington, D.C., before the school was
closed for the duration of World War II.
World War II
At the outbreak of World War II, Bryan was chief of the Policy Section for the War
Department General Staff in Washington, D.C. where he was promoted to Lieutenant
colonel. In 1942 he was promoted to colonel and assigned as Chief of the Aliens
Division for the Provost Marshal General's Office. With his promotion to general and a
1943 reorganization, he headed the Prisoner of War Division with charge over Japanese
internment and prisoner of war camps throughout the United States. In July 1945, Bryan
became Provost Marshal General and transitioned an agency whose lifespan rarely
exceeded beyond the end of combat hostilities into a post-war organization with charge
over Army military investigations, the military police and the Army's military police
school.
Cold War and Korea
In 1948, he transferred to Panama Canal Zone, serving as chief of staff under
General Matthew Ridgway who headed a newly established unified multi-service
command structure, the Caribbean Command, the predecessor to U.S. Southern
Command, replacing the Army's World War II Caribbean Defense Command.
In March 1951, Bryan was part of the first rotation of combat commanders since the
start of the Korean War, taking charge of the 24th Infantry Division, a first combat
command that he took on with Ridgeway's full faith, despite not having combat
experience.
After a year in Korea, Bryan served as Deputy Chief of Staff for the Far East
Command in Tokyo before commanding the XVI Corps in Japan. He then took on a
leading role on the military armistice commission of the United Nations that concluded
hostilities in Korea in 1953 and directed the repatriation of prisoners of war. After
promotion to major general and a short stint as commanding general of I Corps in
Korea, he was appointed the 43rd superintendent of the United States Military Academy
at West Point for which he served from 1954 to 1956. It was during this time Bryan
made an appearance on the March 30th, 1955 episode of What's My Line?.
In July 1956 he took command of U.S. Army Pacific in Hawaii. In July 1957 Bryan
assumed his final command as commanding general, First United States Army at Fort
Jay, Governors Island in New York City. After 37 years of active duty, Bryan entered the
retired list February 29, 1960.
Retirement and Family
From 1960 to 1965 Bryan served as the first president of the Nassau Community
College in Long Island, New York.
Two of Bryan's sons, Blackshear Jr. and James Edward, served in the U.S. Army.
Blackshear M. Bryan, Jr. or "Morrie" was born in 1929 at West Point during his father's
tenure as assistant football coach. He attended the Academy, graduating with the class
of 1954. He accepted a commission with the Air Force, then transferred to the U.S.
Army in 1963. Serving in Vietnam he was cited twice for heroism during his tour. On
September 22, 1967, as he was rounding out his tour in Vietnam, Major Morrie Bryan
was killed in a crash of his U-21A during a training mission as he attempted to avoid
trespassers on the runway.
Bryan's son, James Edward "Jamie" Bryan, also died in a military aircraft accident.
On September 14, 1977, at 23:48 hours, Jamie was coordinating his unit's operations
from aboard an Air Force Boeing EC-135K command and control aircraft that had just
taken off from Kirtland Air Force Base, near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Shortly after
takeoff, the aircraft banked right and crashed into a mountain peak in the Manzano
Mountain range, killing all 20 military crew members aboard. (Investigators said that
fatigue may have played a part in the accident.) Major Bryan had served two combat
tours in Vietnam.
Blackshear M. Bryan died March 2, 1977 in a Silver Spring, Maryland nursing home
after a long illness and was buried at the West Point Cemetery.
Frail and suffering from arthritis, Church remained in command of the 24th until
early 1951. Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway, commander of the U.S. Eighth Army
following the death of Walker in December 1950, replaced Church with Brigadier
General Blackshear M. Bryan. Church was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for
his services.
Biography
Menoher, Pearson [Brig. Gen. ADC 24thID]
Chief of Staff XV Corps and Seventh Army (1943–1945); Commanded 24th Infantry
Division in the Korean War (1949–1950)
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Awarded for actions during the World War II
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9,
1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Brigadier
General Pearson Menoher (ASN: 0-3805), United States Army, for exceptionally
meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty
of great responsibility as Chief of Staff, VII Corps, from November 1944 to April 1945.
The distinctive accomplishments of General Menoher reflect the highest credit upon
himself and the United States Army.
General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 16 (February 8, 1946)
Action Date: November 1944 - April 1945
Service: Army
Rank: Brigadier General
Company: Chief of Staff
Division: VII Corps
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Awarded for actions during the Cold War
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Brigadier General Pearson Menoher (ASN: 0-3805),
United States Army, was awarded a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award
of the Army Distinguished Service Medal for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished
services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility as
Commanding General, 24th Infantry Division, from 1949 to 1950.
General Orders: Department of the Army, General Orders No. 73 (1951)
Action Date: 1949 - 1950
Service: Army
Rank: Brigadier General
Company: Commanding General
Division: 24th Infantry Division
Silver Star
Awarded for actions during the World War II
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Brigadier General Pearson Menoher (ASN: 0-3805),
United States Army, was awarded the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity in connection with military operations against the enemy while serving as
Chief of Staff, VII Corps, during World War II.
General Orders: Headquarters, 7th Army, General Orders No. 443 (1945)
Action Date: World War II
Service: Army
Rank: Brigadier General
Company: Chief of Staff
Division: VII Corps
Legion of Merit
Awarded for actions during the World War II
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Brigadier General Pearson Menoher (ASN: 0-3805),
United States Army, was awarded the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious
conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United
States as Chief of Staff, VII Corps, from 1943 to 1945.
Action Date: 1943 - 1945
Service: Army
Rank: Brigadier General
Company: Chief of Staff
Division: VII Corps
The son of Charles Thomas Menoher, he was born on November 12, 1892 and died
on February 13, 1958.
He served in World War I, World War II and in Korea.
He received the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Silver Star,
the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters.
He is buried in Section 3 of Arlington National Cemetery with other members of the
family.
PEARSON (NMI) MENOHER, born November 14, 1892, Fort Monroe, Hampton, Virginia; d.
February 13, 1958, buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
BIRTH: 14 November 1892, Fort Monroe, Virginia DEATH: 12 February 1958, Southern Pines, North Carolina
WIFE: Laura Lee RYER
29 June 1903 - July 1979
BIRTH: 29 Jun 1903, Arizona DEATH: July 1979, Southern Pines, North Carolina
GENERAL MENOHER, 65, PATTON AIDE, DEAD
Corps Chief in World War II, a Classmate of President Succeeded Dean in Korea
SOUTHERN PINES, North Carolina, February 13, 13, 1958 – Brigadier General
Pearson Menoher, USA, retired a classmate at West Point of President Eisenhower in
1915, died at his home here last night after suffering a stroke. His age was 65.
General Menoher was born at Fort Monroe, Virginia, the son of Major General C. T.
Menoher, who for a time commanded the Forty-Second (Rainbow) Division in World War
I. He served with the Fifteenth Corps, which became part of General George Patton’s
Third Army in its drive through Europe in World War II.
In the Korean Conflict he was assistant commander of the Twenty-Fourth Division
and took temporary charge when Major General William F. Dean was captured.
General Menoher was Chief of Staff of the Fifteenth Corps in May 1945 when it
received the surrender of the German First Army near Munich.
It was General Menoher who as assistant commander of the Twenty-Fourth Division,
told of General Dean’s heroic stand against the North Korean Communists at Taejon,
Korea, in July 1950.
Photo Couresy of Russell C. Jacobs, August 2006
MENOHER, PEARSON
BRIG GEN USA
VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
DATE OF BIRTH: 11/14/1892
DATE OF DEATH: 02/13/1958
DATE OF INTERMENT: 02/19/1958
BURIED AT: SECTION 3 SITE 1962 RH
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Biography
Meyer, Henry J.D. [Brig. Gen. 24thID Arty USA]
"Brigadier General H. J. D. Meyer was the Div Arty commander [24th Infantry Division
Artillery]. He started us on a training cycle with physical exercise and field maneuvers. We
took training trips to Mori [a Japanese weapons firing area] and trained with the 21st Infantry.
We probably trained as a combat team twice. This period lasted until June 1950 when we
were launched into the Korean War.
Biography
Barth, George Bittman [Brig. Gen. 24ID Atry]
Artillery &
Artillery
George Bittman Barth
Back at Taejon General Dean, a big six-footer with a bristling crew cut cropping his
sand-colored hair, and beanpole General Church, slightly stooped, always calm
seemingly to the point of indifference, discussed the probability of imminent American
combat with the enemy.
The third general officer to come to the forward area in Korea, Brig. Gen. George B.
Barth, acting commanding general of the 24th Division artillery, now arrived in Taejon in
the early afternoon. General Dean decided to send Barth forward to represent him, and
with instructions for Task Force Smith. So, at 1500 4 July, General Barth started north
by jeep for P'yŏngt'aek. When he found Smith, General Barth relayed his orders to "take
up those good positions near Osan you told General Church about."
As these plans were being translated into field orders, yet another American general
arrived in Taejon. He was West Pointer (1918) George Bittman Barth, commander of the
25th Infantry Division artillery. He had come to fill in temporarily for Dean's artillery
commander, Henry Meyer, who was rushing back from leave in the States. Barth, then
fifty-two, was qualified as both an infantryman and artilleryman. He had made a
splendid record in World War II first as chief of staff of the crack 9th Infantry Division in
North Africa and Sicily, then as a courageous regimental commander in the trouble
plagued 90th Infantry Division, which Gene Landrum had briefly commanded in the
Cotentin. Barth had helped "save" the 90th Division (suffering a severe battle wound in
the process), and for that he had earned the everlasting gratitude (plus a DSC) of VII
Corps commander Joe Collins.
Date of birth: December 19, 1897
Date of death: 16-Aug-69
Place of Birth: Kansas
George Barth graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Class of June
1918. He retired as a U.S. Army Major General.
George Bittman Barth
Date of birth: December 19, 1897
Date of death: 16-Aug-69
Place of Birth: Kansas
George Barth graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Class of June
1918. He retired as a U.S. Army Major General.
Awards and Citations
Distinguished Service Cross
Awarded for actions during the World War II
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Colonel (Infantry) George Bittman Barth (ASN: 011241), United States Army, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for
extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy
while serving with the 357th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division, in action
against enemy forces on 27 - 28 October 1944. Colonel Barth's outstanding
leadership, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest
traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon
himself, the 90th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.
General Orders: Headquarters, Third U.S. Army, General Orders No. 85 (1944)
Action Date: October 27 - 28, 1944
Service: Army
Rank: Colonel
Regiment: 357th Infantry Regiment
Division: 90th Infantry Division
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Awarded for actions during the Cold War
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Major General George Bittman Barth (ASN: 011241), United States Army, was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal for
exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United
States, in a duty of great responsibility.
General Orders: Department of the Army, General Orders No. 2 (1958)
Service: Army
Rank: Major General
Silver Star
Awarded for actions during the World War II
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Colonel (Infantry) George Bittman Barth (ASN: 011241), United States Army, was awarded the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity in connection with military operations against the enemy while serving
as Commanding Officer of the 357th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division during
World War II.
General Orders: Headquarters, 90th Infantry Division, General Orders No. 72
(1944)
Action Date: World War II
Service: Army
Rank: Colonel
Company: Commanding Officer
Regiment: 357th Infantry Regiment
Division: 90th Infantry Division
Silver Star
Awarded for actions during the Korean War
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Brigadier General George Bittman Barth (ASN: 011241), United States Army, was awarded a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a
Second Award of the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in connection
with military operations against the enemy while serving as Commanding General,
25th Division Artillery, in Korea.
General Orders: Headquarters, 25th Infantry Division, General Orders No. 246
(1950)
Action Date: Korean War
Service: Army
Rank: Brigadier General
Company: Commanding General
Regiment: Division Artillery
Division: 25th Infantry Division
Silver Star
Awarded for actions during the Korean War
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Brigadier General George Bittman Barth (ASN: 011241), United States Army, was awarded a Second Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of
a Third Award of the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in connection
with military operations against the enemy while serving as Commanding General,
25th Division Artillery, in Korea.
General Orders: Headquarters, 25th Infantry Division, General Orders No. 146
(1951)
Action Date: Korean War
Service: Army
Rank: Brigadier General
Company: Commanding General
Regiment: Division Artillery
Division: 25th Infantry Division
Legion of Merit
Awarded for actions during the World War II
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Colonel (Infantry) George Bittman Barth (ASN: 011241), United States Army, was awarded the Legion of Merit for exceptionally
meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of
the United States as Commanding Officer, 357th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry
Division during World War II.
Action Date: World War II
Service: Army
Rank: Colonel
Company: Commanding Officer
Regiment: 357th Infantry Regiment
Division: 90th Infantry Division
Legion of Merit
Awarded for actions during the World War II
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Colonel (Infantry) George Bittman Barth (ASN: 011241), United States Army, was awarded a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a
Second Award of the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the
performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as
Commanding Officer, 357th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division during World
War II.
Action Date: World War II
Service: Army
Rank: Colonel
Company: Commanding Officer
Regiment: 357th Infantry Regiment
Division: 90th Infantry Division
Acronyms, Abbreviations and Codes
CofS
Chief of Staff
Biography
Moroney,William J. [Col. CoS 24thID]
24thID_USA
Biography
Powhida, J. P. [Lt. Col. G3 1stCD]
As a member of the 1st Cavalry Division's G-3 (Operations) section and liaison officer
to two of the infantry regiments in mid-July 1950 , Lieutenant Colonel Powhida
described how he arrived in Yongdong on or about July 21 and directed the Korean
police chief to use his 90-man police force to move the teeming refugee columns down
trails and off of the highways.
The police then directed the refugees to Kumchon for screening and subsequent
evacuation. Even though Lieutenant Colonel Powhida rated the effectiveness of this
hasty operation at 50 percent, the presence of the ROK National police certainly brought
greater order to the chaos and helped the ground forces keep the lines of
communication open.
Due to my World War II training and experiences I sat down and drew up a plan for
controlling civilian circulation. After a study by my section chief, the G2 and Chief of
Staff, the plan was approved and in addition to my other duties I was given the
responsibility of refugee control. All steps outlined were immediately put into effect. The
machinery outlined screened some 50,000 refugees in about a week. 31
31
Monograph, "Civilian Control in South Korea," by LTC J.P. Powhida. In Records of the
Office of the Provost Marshal General; Administrative Division Mail and Records Branch,
Classified Decimal File 19511952, Entry 433B, Box 221, RG 389, NARA.
Biography
MacLean, Allan D. [Col. CO 31stIR]
CO_31stIR_USA
MacLean (left) and Don C. Faith
Col. Allan D. MacLean (left) and Lt. Col. Don C. Faith, Jr., Japan, spring, 1950.
Photograph courtesy of Col. Erwin B. Bigger.
CO -- 31st Infantry Regiment,
7th Infantry Division
Task Force MacLean was comprised of the following:
31st Infantry Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Company;
the regiment's 2nd and 3rd battalions;
the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry;
the 31st Tank Company;
the 57th Field Artillery Battalion, normally in support of the 31st Infantry,
together with D Battery, 15th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (AAA AW),
Self-Propelled (SP), attached,
The Chosin mission had also come to MacLean as a surprise. He first learned of it in
a telephone conversation with General Barr on the evening of November 24. MacLean
had been in command of the 31st Regiment only about two months, succeeding to the
command during the fight for Sŏul, after the Inch'on Landing. During the summer he
had been a senior staff officer in the
G-3 Section of Eighth Army. Before that he had
been commander of the 32nd Infantry for about a year during its organization in Japan.
Accordingly, he was well acquainted with Faith and with all the officers of the 1st
Battalion, 32nd Infantry, who were with it at the time.
Lt. Col. Faith and his principal staff officers, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry, Japan, early 1950.
Front row: Capt. (later Col.) Robert E. Jones; Lt. Col. Don C. Faith, Jr.; Capt. Banyon
Patterson.
Back row: Capt. Erwin B. Bigger, Capt. Ed Scullion, Capt. Wayne E. Powell, Captain
Warren.
Photograph courtesy of Colonel Jones.
MacLean was born in Delaware in 1907. He graduated from the United States
Military Academy in the class of 1930 and was commissioned in the infantry. In World
War II he served in the European Theater. MacLean was aggressive by nature. His
officers and men in the 31st Infantry had discovered in the action near the Fusen
Reservoir in October that he liked to be up front when action threatened or was in
progress. This big, robust man was 43 years old when he arrived at Chosin Reservoir.
19501103 0000 389tfw0
Colonel Alan D. MacLean, commanding the 31st Infantry
That could not be said of Colonel Alan D. MacLean, commanding the 31st Infantry.
MacLean had been a tackle on the West Point football team, graduating in 1940. His
classmate, and colleague in the 7th Division, Charles Beauchamp described him. “He
was a real bull of the woods...a great guy. Don’t open the door; just walk through it. He
possessed ceaseless energy, a dynamic personality and an uncompromising will to get
things done...”
Blair p389 - Quoting interview with Beauchamp
MacLean had no combat experience until he took command of the 31st Infantry
during the battle for Sŏul. During World War II he had served in the ETO as a staff
officer coordinating troop movements. He had arrived in Japan in early 1949 to
command the 32nd Infantry Regiment. A year later he turned it over having won high
praise from Walker for a fine job of training under difficult circumstances. He then
joined the Eighth Army G-3 section. Until taking over the 31st MacLean had served as
Walker's personal "eyes and ears" at the fronts. As such he had been a close, and
fearless, observer of the war since July 1950.
Blair p389
In the action around the Fusen Reservoir earlier in the month his officers and men
had discovered that he liked to be up front when action threatened or was in progress.
He was a big robust man forty-three years old at Chosin.
Appleman East of Chosin pp 31-33
Biography
Clarke, Arthur M. [1stLt. aide 24thID]
Remaining with Dean at Taejon were Lieutenant Clarke, an aide; Capt. Richard A.
Rowlands, Assistant G-3; Capt. Raymond D. Hatfield, transportation Officer and Assistant
G-4; and two drivers. Dean instructed Maj. David A. Bissett to establish an office for him
at the 21st Infantry command post at Okch'on so that he could from there more easily
keep informed of affairs east of Taejon. Dean said that he would spend nights at
Okch'on. "But," commented Bissett, "he never did, and indeed none of us there expected
him to." [11-1]
Wadlington's jeep made a wrong turn into a cul-de-sac. He was forced to abandon
the jeep under fire and eventually escaped on foot. After unsuccessfully exploring for
various exits from the city, Dean mistakenly turned his jeep due south, down the
Kŭmsan road. He soon ran into a NKPA block. He and his aide, Arthur M. Clarke (a pilot),
abandoned the jeep and took to the hills with a group of stragglers who were hoping to
infiltrate south or southeast to friendly lines after dark. Many were wounded; Dean and
Clarke helped them along as best they could.
7/5/1950
That evening after dark General Dean and his aide, 1st Lt. Arthur M. Clarke, drove to
P'yŏngt'aek. There was still no word from Smith and his men, but the presence of
enemy tanks south of Osan raised all sorts of conjectures in Dean's mind.
Unit Detals
19th Infantry Regiment
Infantry Regiment Organization
Headquarters Company
Service Company
Antitank Company
Medical Detachment
1st Battalion
2nd Battalion
3rd Battalion Headquarters Company
CO
Rank Name
From To Status
(rank) Col. Guy S. Meloy, Jr. (from) (to) (rank) Col. Ned D. Moore (from) (to) 1. 2.'s
XO
Rank Name
From To Status
(rank) Chan Chandler (from) (to) (rank) Ed Logan (from) (to) 1.
2.
S-1 Personnel
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-2 Intelligence
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-3 Plan sand Operations
Rank Name
From To Status
(rank)
Ed Logan
(from) (to) (rank) Elliott C. Cutler, Jr. (from) (to) 1. S-4 Logistics
Rank Name
From To Status
Maj. Jack R. Emery (from) (to) (rank)
(name)
(from) (to) Service Company
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Antitank Company
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Medical Detachment
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Unit Details
21st Infantry Regiment
Anti-Tank Sect: (3) 2.36in Bazooka Team
Mortar Sect (2) 60mm SFC Patterson
Mortar Plat (-):(2) 4.2in Mortars [of 4] Doody, John [Lt. Mortar Plat 21stIR]
Recoilless Rifle Plat(-):(2) 75mm Recoilless Rifles [of 4]
HQ Co (-) Berthoff, Russell W. [1stLt. HQ 21stIR]
Comm Plat (-) Powers, Lawrence C. [1stLt Com Plt 21stIR]
Det, 52nd FA Bn Peppe, Isadore P. [Lt. A52ndFAB]
(4) 2.36in Bazooka Tms, (4) .50 cal HMG
52nd Field Artillery Battalion (-): (73) Vehicles Perry, Miller O. [Lt. Col. 52nd FAB USA]
Battery ‘A’ (-): (5) 105mm guns Scott, Dwain L. (Scotty) [LtCol A52ndFAB]
HQ Btry (-) Hooper, Richard [Capt. HQ 52ndFAB]
Infantry Regiment Organization
Headquarters Company
Service Company
Antitank Company
Medical Detachment
1st Battalion
2nd Battalion
3rd Battalion
Adj: Berthoff, Russell W. [1stLt. HQ Co. Commander, 21stIR]
Artillery LnO: Nugent, Ambrose H. [Capt. LnO A52ndFAB] ,
FO: Thompson, James [2ndLt FO 21stIR]
MMO: Overholt, Edwin [Capt. MO 21stIR],
MSO: AdAdams, Raymond (Bodie) [1st Lt. MC 21stIR]
SgtMaj: McCarthy, Billy M. [1stSgt SgtMaj 21stIR]
Headquarters
CO
Rank Name
From To Status
Col. Stephens, Richard W. (Dick) (from) (to) (rank)
(name)
(from) (to) XO
Rank Name
From To Status
LtCol. Mudgett, Charles F. (Fritz) (from) (to)
(rank)
(name)
(from) (to)
S-1 Personnel
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-2 Intelligence
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-3 Plan sand Operations
1.
2.
S-4 Logistics
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Service Company
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Antitank Company
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Medical Detachment
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) The 21st Infantry on 10 and 11 July north of Choch'iwŏn lost materiel and weapons sufficient to
equip two rifle battalions and individual and organic clothing for 975 men.
Unit Details
34th Infantry Regiment
Infantry Regiment Organization
Headquarters Company
Service Company
Antitank Company
Medical Detachment
1st Battalion
2nd Battalion
3rd Battalion
Headquarters
CO
Rank Name
From To
Status
Col.
Jay B. Lovless
prewar 07/07/50 Col.
Robert R. Martin
0707/50 07/08/50 LtCol. Robert L. "Pappy" Wadlington 07/08/50
XO
Rank Name
From
To
Status
LtCol.
William T. Ramsay
prewar 07/04/50 LtCol. Robert L. "Pappy" Wadlington 07/04/50 07/08/50 CO
S-1 Personnel
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-2 Intelligence
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-3 Plan sand Operations
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-4 Logistics
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Service Company
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Antitank Company
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Medical Detachment
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) [about 0800] Martin, manning a bazooka like an infantryman, attacked a tank at
pointblank range.
Simultaneously the tank fired off a round from its 85mm gun and cut Martin's body in
half. He had commanded the 34th Regiment for fourteen hours. Sergeant Menninger
commented: "When I say that the regiment lacked proper leadership, I can point to
the fact that this Colonel Martin was killed in the street fighting a T34 instead of being
where he could direct the movement of the troops."[4-69]
Unit Details
52nd Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
Battery A
Battery B
Battery C
Battery D
Battery E
Field Artillery Battalion Organization
CO Perry, Miller O. [Lt. Col. 52nd FAB USA]
XO
S-1 Staff
S-2 Intelligence
S-3 Operations ???? At 1300 Perry sent a third group led by his Assistant S-3
S-4 Logistics
A Battery
CO 1. Scott, Dwain L. (Scotty) LtCol USA
2.
XO
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-1 Personnel
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-2 Intelligence
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-3 Plan sand Operations
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-4 Logistics
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 1
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 2
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 3
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 4
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 5
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) B Battery
CO 1.
2.
XO
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-1 Personnel
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-2 Intelligence
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-3 Plan sand Operations
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-4 Logistics
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 1
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 2
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 3
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 4
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 5
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) C
C Battery
CO 1.
2.
XO
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-1 Personnel
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-2 Intelligence
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-3 Plan sand Operations
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-4 Logistics
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 1
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 2
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 3
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 4
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 5
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to)
(rank) (name) (from) (to)
D Battery
CO 1.
2.
XO
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-1 Personnel
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-2 Intelligence
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-3 Plan sand Operations
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-4 Logistics
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 1
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 2
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 3
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 4
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 5
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) E Battery
CO 1.
2.
XO
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-1 Personnel
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-2 Intelligence
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-3 Plan sand Operations
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-4 Logistics
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 1
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 2
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 3
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 4
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 5
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Unit Details
63rd Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
Battery A
Battery B
Battery C
Battery D
Battery E
Field Artillery Battalion Organization
CO Dawson, Robert H. [Lt. Col. 63d FAB USA]
XO
S-1 Staff
S-2 Intelligence
S-3 Operations
S-4 Logistics
A Battery
CO 1. Scott, Dwain L. (Scotty) LtCol USA
2.
XO
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-1 Personnel
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-2 Intelligence
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-3 Plan sand Operations
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-4 Logistics
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 1
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 2
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 3
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 4
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 5
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) B Battery
CO 1.
2.
XO
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-1 Personnel
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-2 Intelligence
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-3 Plan sand Operations
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-4 Logistics
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 1
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 2
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 3
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 4
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 5
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) C
C Battery
CO 1.
2.
XO
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-1 Personnel
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-2 Intelligence
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-3 Plan sand Operations
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-4 Logistics
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 1
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 2
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 3
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 4
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 5
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to)
(rank) (name) (from) (to)
D Battery
CO 1.
2.
XO
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-1 Personnel
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-2 Intelligence
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-3 Plan sand Operations
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-4 Logistics
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 1
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 2
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 3
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 4
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 5
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) E Battery
CO 1.
2.
XO
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-1 Personnel
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-2 Intelligence
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-3 Plan sand Operations
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) S-4 Logistics
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 1
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 2
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 3
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 4
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Gun 5
Rank Name From To Status
(rank) (name) (from) (to) (rank) (name) (from) (to) Unit Details
Far East Theater reserve
24th Infantry Division
In January 1952, the 24th Infantry Division, which suffered over 10,000 casualties in
18 months of fighting, was redesignated as the Far East Theater reserve and pulled out
of Korea.[19] It returned to Japan to rebuild. The 34th Infantry Regiment was
reconstituted, and the division returned to full strength during the next year, having
been replaced in Korea by the 40th Infantry Division of the California Army National
Guard.[62] In July 1953, the division returned to Korea to restore order in prisoner of
war camps. It arrived two weeks before the end of the war.[19]
Biography
Truman, Harry Simpson [President d-Mo]
Photograph of President Harry S. Truman in the Oval Office after presenting three
Korean War veterans with the Medal of Honor: (left to right) Lt. Carl Dodd, the
President, Sgt. John Pittman, Master Sgt. Ernest Kouma, Secretary of Defense George
C. Marshall. 10 May 1951
Truman,-- President Harry Simpson Truman Harry S. Truman "The Buck Stops Here,"
"Plain speaker," "Give 'em hell" -- all conjure up images of Harry S. Truman, the U.S.
president remembered for his doctrine of communist containment -- as well as his
decision to end World War II by unleashing the atom bomb on Japan.
Born on a farm near Lamar, Missouri, on May 8, 1884, Truman graduated from high
school in 1901 and held a variety of jobs before fighting in France as a lieutenant in the
National Guard. After the war, he and a friend opened a haberdashery store, but the
economy was bad and the business failed. At age 38, with the help of Kansas City
political boss Thomas J. Pendergast, Truman won a country judgeship.
Truman attended law school at nights, lost re-election in 1924 and was elected to
another term in 1926. In 1934, with Prendergast's help, he was elected to the Senate
and was branded a "Pendergast" senator upon his arrival in Washington. He was a
reliable "New Dealer." His hard work, diligence and fairness to all earned the respect of
his colleagues. In his second term, which he won without the help of Pendergast, he
enhanced his reputation by chairing the Special Committee Investigating National
Defense, exposing graft, waste and corruption and saving the United States much
money.
In 1944, Truman became the vice presidential nominee on the Democratic ticket.
Only a few months after coming to office, however, President Franklin D. Roosevelt died
(April 12, 1945) and Truman was sworn into office having only met with the president
twice since their election. He was virtually unbriefed in world affairs.
Less than two weeks after taking office, Truman finalized the arrangements for the
U.N. charter-writing meeting in San Francisco. After Germany surrendered to the Allies
on May 7, Truman attended his only Allied conference in Potsdam (July 17-August 2),
where he met with Stalin, Churchill and new British Prime Minister Clement Attlee to
help shape the world -- though much was left undecided.
While in Potsdam, he learned of the success of the atomic test at Los Alamos, New
Mexico. Less than three months after taking office he authorized the use of the atomic
bomb, first on Hiroshima on August 6, and then, three days later, on Nagasaki.
Japan officially surrendered on September 2. After World War II, signs of increasingly
troubled relations between the United States and the Soviet Union became evident. The
inability of the two countries to reach agreement on key postwar issues and the growing
wariness of his advisers contributed to Truman's hardening stance toward the Soviets.
On March 12, 1947, Truman proclaimed that "it must be the policy of the United
States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed
minorities or outside pressures" and proceeded to request $400 million to help fight
communist insurgents in Greece and Turkey. In June 1947, Secretary of State George F.
Marshall offered U.S. economic aid to European countries to help stave off hunger and
desperation, which the Truman administration believed provided the breeding grounds
for nascent communist movements. Four months later, State Department official
George F. Kennan's "Mr. X" article, which urged containment of the Soviets, appeared in
Foreign Affairs.
Truman stumped the country and lobbied Congress to approve the Marshall Plan.
Thus in several ways he attempted to "contain" communism. Domestically Truman
worked for civil rights legislation and reformed the foreign affairs apparatus. The
Foreign Service Act of 1946 professionalized the Foreign Service. The National Security
Act of 1947 created the CIA, the National Security Council and the present-day Defense
Department, with civilian control over the military.
Re-elected in 1948, Truman continued to press domestically for civil rights and to
contain communism abroad. He signed off on the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization in 1949 and the Paris and Bonn conventions, which helped bring West
Germany into the allied camp under the aegis of the European Defense Community. A
treaty was signed on 27 May 1952, but the EDC plan never went into effect.
In Asia, however, Truman's policies were less successful. He was unable to assure
the success of the Nationalists over the communists in the conclusion of the Chinese
civil war. Then, on June 25, 1950, the communist North Korean army invaded South
Korea. Two days later, Truman committed U.S. armed forces under the leadership of
Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
Truman later fired MacArthur for publicly challenging Truman's orders, thereby
asserting the primacy of civilian control over the military. In 1952, Truman announced
he would not seek a third term. He returned to private life, wrote his memoirs and built
his presidential library. He died at age 88 on December 26, 1972, and was buried in the
courtyard of his library in Independence, Missouri.
10 PM 6/24
ON Saturday, June 24, 1950, I was in Independence, Mo. It was a little after 10 in
the evening, and we were sitting in the library of our home when the telephone rang. it
was the Secretary of State calling from his home in Maryland. "Mr. President." said
Dean Acheson, "I have very serious news. The North Koreans have invaded South
Korea." My first reaction was that I must get back to the Capital. Acheson explained,
however, that details were not yet available and that he thought I need not rush back
until he called me again with further information. In the meantime, he suggested that
we should ask the United Nations Security Council to hold 2 meeting at once and
declare that an act of aggression had been committed against the Republic of Korea. I
agreed.
1130 AM 6/25 Central Time
Acheson's next call came through around 11:30 Sunday morning. Additional reports
had been received from Korea. There was no doubt that an all out invasion was under
way. Some decision would have to be made at once as to the degree of aid or
encouragement which our government was willing to extend to the Republic of Korea. I
asked Acheson to get together with the service secretaries and the Chiefs of Staff and
start working on recommendations for me. I was returning to Washington at once.
1230 PM Central Time
The crew of the Independence had the plane ready to fly in less than an hour from
the time they were alerted, and my return trip got under way so fast that two of my
aides were left behind. They could not be notified in time to reach the airport. I felt
certain that if South Korea was allowed to fall, no small nation would have the courage
to resist threats and aggression by stronger Communist neighbors. If this were allowed
to go unchallenged it would mean a third world war, just as similar incidents had
brought on the Second World War. It was also clear to me that the foundations and the
principles of the United Nations were at stake.
Sunday June 25, East Coast
Secretary of State Acheson was waiting for me at the airport as was Secretary of
Defense Johnson. We hurried to Blair House where we were joined by Secretary of the
Army Frank Pace. & Secretary of the Navy Francis Matthews; Secretary of the Air Force
Thomas Finletter General of the Army Omar N. Bradley; the Army Chief General Collins;
the Air Force Chief General Vandenberg; and Admiral Forrest Sherman Chief of Naval
Operations.
Dean Acheson was accompanied by Undersecretaries Webb and Rusk and Assistant
Secretary John Hickerson and Ambassador- at-Large Philip Jessup. It was late and we
went at once to the dining room for dinner. I asked that no discussion take place until
dinner was ended and over and the Blair House staff had withdrawn.
Earlier that Sunday evening. Acheson reported, the Security Council of the United
Nations had, by a vote of nine to nothing, approved a resolution declaring that a breach
of the peace had been committed by the North Korean action and ordering the North
Koreans to cease action and withdraw their forces.
I then called on Acheson to present the recommendations which the State and
Defense Departments had prepared. He presented the following recommendations for
immediate action:
I) That MacArthur should evacuate the Americans from Korea --including the
dependents of the military mission —and, in order to do so, should keep open the Kimpo
and other airports, repelling all hostile attacks thereon. In doing this, his air forces
should stay south of the 38th Parallel.
2) MacArthur should be instructed to get ammunition and supplies to the Korean
army by airdrop and otherwise.
3) That the Seventh Fleet should be ordered into the Formosa Strait to prevent the
conflict from spreading to that area.We should make a statement that the fleet would
repel any attack on Formosa and that no attacks should be made from Formosa on the
mainland.
At this point I interrupted to say that the Seventh Fleet should be ordered north at
once, but that I wanted to withhold making any statement until the fleet was in position.
After this report I asked each person in turn to state his agreement or disagreement and
any views he might have in addition.
Two things stand out in this discussion.
One was the complete, almost unspoken acceptance on the part of everyone that
whatever had to be done to meet this aggression had to be done. There was no
suggestion from anyone that either the United Nations or the United States could back
away from it.
The other point which stands out was the difference in view of what might be called
for Vandenberg and Sherman thought that air and naval aid might be enough. Collins
said that if the Korean army was really broken, ground forces would be necessary.
I expressed the opinion that the Russians were trying to get Korea by default
gambling that we would be afraid of starting a third world war and would offer no
resistance. I thought that we were still holding the stronger hand, although how much
stronger it was hard to tell.
8PM 6/26 Wash. DC
Throughout Monday the situation in Korea deteriorated rapidly. MacArthur's latest
message was alarming;
"... our estimate is that a complete collapse is imminent."
There was now no doubt! The Republic of Korea needed help at once if it was not to
be overrun. I directed the Secretary of Defense to call General MacArthur on the
scrambler phone and to tell him in person what my instructions were. He was to use air
and naval forces to support the Republic of Korea with air and naval elements of his
command, but only south of the 38th Parallel.
6/27 Wash. DC
Meanwhile the Security Council of the United Nations met again and adopted on
June 27 the resolution calling on all members of the U.N. to give assistance to South
Korea. That same morning, Tuesday, I asked a group of congressional
Biography
Dodd, Carl H. 1stLt USA
Biography
Pittman, John A. Sgt. C/1/23_USA
Biography
Kouma, Ernest R. MSgt.USA
A/77d_Tank_BN_USA