GUARDIANS OF FREEDOM
Saluting Those Who Served in the U.S. Army
Tim O'Neil in Korea, Part 3
by Janis Stein

Join in the continuation as Tim’s company is pulled off-line and shipped to Koje-Do Island to restore order and free the captured Commander, Brigadier General Francis T. Dodd.

During the beginning days of August, Tim’s platoon returned to the reserve area where the survivors of Tim’s original platoon tried to recover and recuperate from their intimate war experience. They knew, however, their time of relative peace in the back would be short-lived. Time in reserve might last two weeks or a month – or it might be three days; the reserve was ever ready, and if soldiers on-line met heavy casualties, reinforcements pulled from the reserve would move forward to fight.

In reserve, new soldiers replaced the fallen, bringing Tim’s platoon back to the full strength of 120 men. Intense training resumed, for the 23rd Fox Company would be fighting on-line as soon as the need arose.

Time in reserve also meant guard duty. The enemy worked hard at infiltration, and they were notorious for success in their mission. When Tim stood watch, although he knew another soldier stood on guard 30 feet away, he never relaxed. An infiltrator might take all night, but enemy soldiers were patient, crawling an inch at a time using the dark night for cover. If an enemy soldier made it past the guards in reserve, he would raid an allied bunker, killing as many sleeping men as possible. This kamikaze-style soldier never made it back out of the bunker alive, but before he sacrificed his life, he took a few allied soldiers with him.

After their allotted time in reserve, the 23rd received orders they would be replacing the allied troops who had been occupying Porkchop Hill. While they guarded the hill, during the quiet times, Tim and the soldiers set up picnic tables outside. As always, the respite was short-lived, for as soon as the enemy had built up adequate munitions, the artillery bombardment began once more. The fight would continue until the enemy expended their ammunitions yet again.

Frustrated they were not allowed to cross the 38th parallel line and chase down the enemy, the allied soldiers waited ever ready atop Porkchop Hill for the next round of warfare. The enemy didn’t have to heed this rule, however, and they crossed over the line at will, ambushing allied soldiers. Such were the rules of this war.

Six GIs shared a bunker; while three slept, the other three stood guard, ever mindful of the enemy. Because only three soldiers slept at a time, there was only need for three bunks, the bunks three high and created by driving in posts and stringing commo wire (communication wire) back and forth. A soldier threw his sleeping bag over the wire, creating an instant bunk.

Because the bunker was enclosed, soldiers were allowed to light a candle at night; the glow of the candle provided many men a bit of comfort in the dark as they read again letters from home, the pages tattered from so many readings. Tim enjoyed letters from his wife, his mother, sisters and his brother, Harold. It was tough being away. And while Tim took advantage of using a candle when he could, with the aid of the dismal light he soon realized something else lurked in the night besides the enemy – rats!

GIs were not known for their cleanliness, leaving C-rations lying around the bunker at will. It didn’t take long for scavengers in the night to worm their way through the sand bags, their sniffing noses and their beady eyes leading the way. Tim chose to lie on his stomach in his bunk, pulling his sleeping bag completely over his head in an effort to protect himself from the night’s unwanted visitors. Tim showed more fear toward the rats than he did the enemy – and he wasn’t a bit ashamed of it. Some things couldn’t be helped.

After the 23rd Fox Company spent a month occupying Porkchop Hill, Tim and his fellow soldiers moved on, maintaining the United Nations stronghold atop another range of hills on-line dubbed the Three Sisters, better known as Faith, Hope and Charity.

During his time in Korea, Tim’s company was pulled off-line and shipped to Koje-Do Island; the second division was a glory division – had been since before the Civil War – wherever things got hot, that’s where the second division was sent.

Koje-Do was home to all of the male prisoners of war. The American Red Cross ensured the prisoners had adequate care, providing them with small care packages. The enemy though, never gave up the fight. They used the generosity of the Red Cross. From the cellophane, they made little gas masks to cover their eyes, and they melted down their soap to make glycerine. They used anything and everything they could get their hands on to make a weapon.

Enemy POWs pulled a surprise raid, and they took the Commander, Brigadier General Francis T. Dodd, prisoner. It would be the job of the 23rd Fox Company to restore order on Koje-Do and free the General.

Koje-Do Island contained thousands upon thousands of prisoners. Their quarters consisted of buildings measuring about 70 feet long by 40 feet wide, with 50 prisoners to each building. Each also contained a fenced-in recreation area; barbed wire encircled each yard. United Nations soldiers occupied outposts manned with machine guns, and more guarded the perimeter of the recreation yards.

The United Nations first asked the prisoners very nicely to let the General go. The POWs declined. The United Nations waited. Still no release. There was really only one solution.

In an effort to reclaim the General, the second division brought forward a tank and, with infantrymen lining either side, the tank barreled through the first compound. No General in that one. The tank proceeded to the next building; smashing through the wall, it rolled right through the middle. Prisoners ran. Some didn’t make it out alive. Still no General.

Before the tank reached the third compound, the prisoners released the General. Mission accomplished.

After the prisoners gave up the General, they found the compassion of the Red Cross and the allied troops had diminished. No more care packages. No more goodies. The prisoners received a bucket of rice and a big pot of water to cook it in, with enough wood that they could heat their meals. No more, no less.

Tim’s company remained at Koje-Do, and during that time, guard duty continued. But the prisoners remained restless, throwing rocks and stones at the allied guards. When the guards caught the prisoners in this act, they promptly forced the offenders on their knees, placing the rocks where their knees bent and making them lie back.

When a prisoner refused to conform and continually caused trouble, all 50 prisoners in that particular compound would be punished, the prisoners hit with a stick – not so bad that it was a beating, but bad enough. When the rogue prisoner continued his unpopular behavior, more often than not, the other 49 prisoners took matters into their own hands, their minds intent on escaping punishment for an act they didn’t commit. When the guards opened the doors in the morning, it turned out that the willful prisoner had committed suicide. Or did he?

Tim found his time at Koje-Do a welcome relief from the front line. His conditions were excellent, and he enjoyed with regularity hot meals the cooks prepared. During his duration on the island, he spent much of his time walking guard. One POW, an engineer from North Korea, idly spent his time counting down the days until the war’s end. Tim felt a bit sorry for the POW, knowing the man didn’t want to be in this war anymore than he did. The POW continually asked Tim how the peace talks were progressing; he wanted to go home. Tim understood that desire all too well. But there was still work to be done and a war to win.

President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower remained true to his campaign promise of making his way to Korea to work on peace talks in December 1952. And true to their reputation, the glory division was called upon to greet the president; they were promptly flown to an Air Force base to prepare for his arrival. The weather was cold and the troops anticipated wearing parkas and the fur-lined boots they had dubbed “Mickey Mouse” boots. This was a special occasion, though, and the men were called upon to wear their dress uniforms and low quarter shoes. The commander-in-chief would be afforded a proper welcome, despite the cold. Back at home, Tim’s wife, Jackie, later received a letter from President Eisenhower commending her husband.

Be sure to look for this column next month as Tim O’Neil recalls more memories from his days in Korea.

©2008 Stein Expressions, LLC