Dong S Kim MD
(Chairman, Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, OCSD Chapter)

Eight years ago, after going to Busan and touring Haeundae and Yongdusan Park, the first scene of the Gukje Market I saw in Seoul that evening was a movie that I was surprised to see the scenery of Busan from the top of Yongdusan Mountain that day. was Seeing the scene at the beginning of the movie, the bloody scene of the Heungnam evacuation operation and Captain Leonard LaRue telling him to throw away all the military supplies in order to save at least one more refugee, gave me the impression of being the savior of the refugees. This ship is Meredith Victory, well known to Koreans.

After the outbreak of the 6.25 War, the ROK and U.S. forces, who defended the frontline with the mindset that they could not be pushed any further along the Nakdonggang River in August, regrouped and brought about a epoch-making turn in the Korean War with the Incheon landing operation on September 15th. The North Korean army, whose supply route was cut off, eventually retreated under the order of Kim Il-sung, who had been advised by Stalin, and tried to defend Seoul, but eventually lost Seoul to the US forces on September 28 and began a total retreat.

The UN's decision to participate in the Korean War was originally to restore the 38th parallel, but President Syngman Rhee and Marshal MacArthur took this opportunity to decide to go north to unify the Republic of Korea. start to advance This day is the origin of October 1, today's Armed Forces Day.

MacArthur, commander-in-chief of the UN Forces, who wanted to end the war quickly, urged the US 8th Army to the west, and the US 7th Division and the 10th Corps, including the ROK Capital Division, to compete with each other to advance north.

The US 1st Marine Division, which launched the main attack during the recapture of Seoul on September 28, soon launched an operation to occupy Wonsan, and the ROK I Corps, along with the Capital Division, attacked and occupied Wonsan, which was armed by the North Korean army as the main defense line, on October 10. It will then head north at the end of October.

In the west, Lieutenant General Walton Walker of the 8th U.S. Army and ROK forces, who made the greatest contribution in the defense of the Nakdong River, began marching north on October 9, recaptured Pyongyang on October 19, and recovered Chosan, Hamgyeongnam-do on October 26, and reached the Yalu River.

In the east, the 10th Corps and the ROK Capital Division, led by Lieutenant General Edward Almond, recaptured Chongjin on November 26 and almost reached the Tuman River.

I thought the Korean Peninsula would be unified.

However, there was an army that was waiting for these US and South Korean forces to enter the mountains of North Korea, divided into the west and the east, and these were the People's Army of China.

When UN troops crossed the 38th parallel on October 1, Mao Zedong and the leadership held a meeting and decided that it would be better to wage a war on Korean soil if they wanted to wage a war with the United States. On October 18th, 300,000 troops began to cross the Yalu River and set up an operation to encircle and annihilate the US 10th Corps through the middle of the US and ROK forces, which were divided into eastern and western parts.

In fact, the first battle with the Chinese army took place near the Yalu River on October 25, but Marshal MacArthur continued to advance both corps without carefully watching the battlefield.

At this time, there was a unit that changed the fate of the Korean Peninsula. This is the 1st Marine Division. After the first restoration of Seoul, the US 1st Marine Division, which went to Wonsan and joined the subordinate units of the US 10th Corps, advanced north carefully and slowly under the command of Major General Oliver Smith. Commander Smith's experiences in the Asia-Pacific War played a major role in this. He was not only advancing slowly, but he was thinking of the approaching cold as well as making quarters in the area where he was stationed.

The People's Army of China was aiming for the 1st Marine Division of the US Marine Corps, which had the best combat experience during World War II among US forces.

They calculated that if they surrounded and annihilated the 1st Marine Division, considered the best unit in the world at that time, they would not only break the courage of the US soldiers, but also easily encircle and destroy the US 10th Corps, which was moving further north. And when the US Marine Corps 1st Division slowly advanced northward and arrived at Lake Jangjin, these Chinese forces waited in ambush and began to attack on a large scale from November 26th. The number of these Chinese troops was 120,000, four times the 30,000 of the US Marine Corps 1st Division and other troops.

As is known, the Chinese Communist Army was not simply a man-made tactic with a large number of people. They were a unit that moved swiftly in the mountains, having seized the Chinese mainland from Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang a few years ago and had combat experience with the Japanese army during the Anti-Japanese War. It was the first direct war between the United States and China in history. Fortunately, the US Marine Corps 1st Division, which has strong firepower and is supported by the Air Force, changes its strategy and turns to the southern Heungnam, fighting and retreating.

Commander-in-Chief MacArthur, aware that the war situation has changed, orders the 1st Marine Division to withdraw to Hamheung and only the soldiers to evacuate by plane. The sacrifice of the two battalions to be protected, and Lieutenant General Almond' army, who is isolated further north, the US 10th Corps and the ROK Capital Division could be surrounded and destroyed.

Commander Smith, who quickly grasped the urgency of the war situation, responded to the question of a war correspondent asking if we were retreating, saying, "We are not retreating, we are advancing in a different direction." After being attacked and counterattacked by the People's Volunteer Army, they went through battles in Kyoto-ri and Jinheung-ri, and finally arrived in Hamheung on December 11th.

It took 15 days to go 150km while fighting the People's Volunteer Forces ambushed everywhere and changing directions to advance. This is called a strategic victory in China and a tactical victory in the US. In English, it is called "Battle of Chosin Reservoir".

It is considered one of the most successful retreats in American combat history. Despite spending time and sacrificing like this, the 10th US Corps and the 1st ROK Corps, which had advanced deep into North Hamgyong Province, were able to withdraw to Hungnam with reduced sacrifices during the battle.

Beginning on November 26 and ending on December 13, 1950, U.S. forces sacrificed until the withdrawal to Hungnam, 1,029 dead, 4,894 missing, 4,582 wounded, non-combat losses amounted to 7,338. In contrast, 15,000 Chinese army dead and 12,500 wounded.

In the battle of Cheongjinho, the commando unit commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Dreis of England was also forward deployed to help the battle, but was caught in ambush by the Chinese and was in great danger.

The US 7th Infantry Division was advancing in a single column on a narrow road during its northward advance, but an ammunition truck was hit and blown up by Chinese artillery fire. This is why so many US soldiers were taken prisoner in North Korea.

In addition, the 31st Regiment led by Lieutenant Colonel Pace fought with the Chinese in an ambush, but Corsair, who was dispatched, failed to distinguish it and dropped napalm too early, resulting in almost all of his regiment's men being burned to death.

Thousands of soldiers who died in the war, but were not properly prepared in the cold of minus 30 degrees and slept on a shallow blanket without body armor, suffered frostbite and were injured.

In the midst of this, 193 U.S. warships, merchant ships, fishing boats, and passenger ships gathered in Heungnam. It was to transport 105,000 U.S. troops and 100,000 South Korean troops gathered in Heungnam.

However, 100,000 refugees who witnessed the brutality of communism also gathered there. At first, the ships intended to transport only soldiers, but with the permission of Commander Edward Almond, who changed his mind, also carried refugees.

At this time, Captain Leonard Lanu of the Meredith Victory also had 59 crew members and 47 crew members, so there was no choice but to carry only 12 more. "Do it!" Saying that saving people first is the true purpose of war…

Thus, from December 22nd to December 23rd, 14,000 refugees, more than 230 times the ship's maximum capacity, were transported from the docks of the ship by ropes lowered from the ship. and to avoid land mines scattered throughout the sea, they withdraw from Heungnam. When the abandoned military facilities were blown up and completely evacuated on December 24, many refugees were still left behind in Heungnam and became separated families.

After sailing for 18 hours, it arrives at Busan Port on Christmas Eve on December 24, but there is no place to get off, so it goes further south and arrives at Jangseungpo Port in Geoje Island on December 26.

This is called the "Miracle of Christmas", and this Meredith Victory is later recorded in the Guinness Book of Records because it rescued the most people with a single vessel.

The People's Army of China later sent additional troops from the 2nd Corps to annihilate the US Marine Corps 1st Division, which had never been defeated in war, but rather the US 1st Marine Division inflicted enormous damage on the Chinese, so the Chinese, which later descended to the 37th parallel, reached the Geumgang Line. It can't come down, and in the end, it becomes a decisive opportunity for the United States not to give up on South Korea. In the end, the 1st Marine Division saved the Republic of Korea.

Along with a few of our OCSD officers, we visited the Lane Victory, which was built on May 31, 1945 and ordered on June 23, 1945, almost exactly five years before the Korean War, similar to this "miracle ship."

This ship was built in Los Angeles three weeks earlier than Meredith Victory and was used during World War II. It was located in Olympic Strait in Washington State. When the Korean War broke out, it was hurriedly dispatched to Busan Port and helped the US Army with a cargo ship before the Heungnam evacuation operation began. On December 21st, it loaded 7,100 refugees from Heungnam and arrived at Jangseungpo Port in Geoje Island on December 25th. Like the Meredith Victory, she emptied the freighter and rescued the largest refugee. When she arrived at Jangseung Pohang, she disembarked 7101 refugees, including newborn babies born on the ship during the voyage.

Lane Victory was also active in the Vietnam War since 1989. She has been used as a national museum in San Pedro. The Meredith Victory, which she is almost the same size and shape, was ironically sold to China in 1993 and later she was scrapped. The Lane Victory, which looks almost identical to the Meredith Victory, is now moored in San Pedro, off Long Beach, which she uses as Musium.

She also cruised in the port of Long Beach until 2014, but now one of her turbine engines is damaged and requires repairs so she can sail.

Our party toured each carbine and toured the engine room, kitchen, and captain's quarters, listening to explanations.

Personally, I want this ship to go to Busan Port, Korea, and have a big exhibition at Busan Expo 2030 to inform Koreans and visitors from around the world about Korea's Forgotten War. It seems to continue the exhibition as a historic ship that performed its duties well as a Merchant Marine in the war, the Vietnam War. Of the approximately 600 similar ships built at that time, only three survived. The other two ships are said to be docked in Tampa Florida and Okland California.

It is hoped that many visitors to Southern California will visit this Lane Victory and feel at least a little the desperate situation during the evacuation of Heungnam and use it as a site for history education for young students.

Our party also visited the Bell of Friendship located right next to San Pedro, looking out at the Pacific Ocean, giving thanks together for peace on the Korean Peninsula and the 70-year history of the ROK-US alliance, and wishing for free democracy and prosperity for both countries.

In addition, I saluted again with gratitude and respect to the soldiers of the 1st Marine Division of the US Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, San Diego, which is not far from here.May God bless America and Korea!