Voices from the Korean War - Douglas Rice [18]
This went on for days, as we took one mountain after another. Every morning at 0700 hours, we would start our advancement as soon as the artillery eased up, and the planes started up. It was difficult getting our wounded down the hills and our supplies up the mountains. Men were tired and knowing that we would be moving out the first thing in the morning, we didn’t even bother digging foxholes.
After six days of going up and down those mountains, Baker Company came under heavy fire, which pinned us down about halfway up one of the mountains. Neither artillery nor planes were called in; because they were afraid they might hit us. We were trying to withdraw when some of the new replacements got up and ran—they got hit. This went on for two hours before we could withdraw with the wounded and dead far enough down the hill so our tanks and twin-40’s could provide us with cover. Finally, we were back far enough so the artillery, and planes, could be called in. They hit the hill and the men that were left from Baker Company, along with the French, attacked and secured the hill.
We stayed there for two days, and then we were on the move again. The men began to wonder when we were going to stop and rest. Men were so tired they were falling out of line, and could hardly climb the hills—let alone fight. We had become tired of sleeping in foxholes, eating C-rations, and most of all—we stunk.
Days of being on the attack, and constantly climbing mountain after mountain, were beginning to take its toll on the company. Morale was getting bad. We needed a rest! Taking a second hill, we saw a big lake and a town; here our attack stopped. Orders came down for us to dig in and set up booby-traps, and to send out patrols. Finally, we were getting a much needed rest. It was late April and the weather was beginning to get better.
Word was passed down that the enemy was using a trail that led out of the village, and that there was a lot of activity there. Two platoons, one each from Baker and Charlie Companies, were sent out during the night to set up an ambush along the trail. About an hour out, the platoons came under fire—we had walked into a trap. We called for help and they sent the French. After a two hour firefight, the enemy left. The darkness of night made it difficult to tend to the wounded, of which we had several, plus six men that had been killed. One of those wounded was my foxhole buddy—Bob—who had only been with the company for two months.
* * * * * *
During the first weeks of May 1951, the weather had become hot and rainy. The division was moved into a new position on the front line. Word had it there was a large build up of enemy forces in a sector they called No Name Line. We had received some new replacements and they were put through training on firing the different weapons, and going on patrols. Now that it had turned hot, we had to put up with mosquitoes and the awful smell of the rice paddies.
Our division was in the center, an ROK outfit was to our left, and the French were to our rear. All companies had set out their booby-traps, and flares.
Early one morning, the expected enemy offensive began hitting our division. Bugles and whistles were blowing, and everywhere you looked you saw the enemy. All hell had broken out along the line, with the fighting continuing all through the night. We beat back attack after attack, until the enemy withdrew at daylight. All up and down the line, the wounded and dead were collected and taken to the battalion aid station.
The following night, the ROK was hit hard and they took off—no one knew to where. The divisions left flank was now getting hit hard. Some of the French, with platoons from Baker and Charlie Companies, were called in to fill the gap that had been created when the ROK bailed out. We came under heavy fire and had to withdraw under the support of artillery and tanks. The fighting went on until daylight, and then the men from Baker and Charlie Companies made a counterattack, taking back the ground that had been lost.
Before