This section is for collecting historical information on Korea Defense Service (post 1953 until now). This information is hard to find for many reasons. If you have any unclassified information, please post hear.

I will start with some links to some DMZ and other incidences that have occurred over the years (since 1953):

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/dmz-list.htm

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL30004.pdf

The RL30004.pdf file was real interesting. It' amazing how much bad stuff has gone down over the decades and how many people have been killed over the years. I was there early 1969 to 1970 in a signal company in Camp Coiner. Before I got there the company had been out in the field for months on end waiting for something to happen. It was just after the Pueblo capture and the military rightfully so was kind of jumpy. Before my tour ended the BN had another field exercise that lasted several months.

We were warned to take our guard duty seriously. There were always reports of "infiltrators", but most of that was just rumors. I was stuck up on top of a mountain top radio relay center that had only one approach by road. We could see anyone coming miles away, yet one night when I was on guard duty and not running a carrier rig, I saw a set of headlights winding it's way up the mountain side. We weren't expecting anyone so everyone was alerted. We had about 20 guys locked and loaded scattered around the only approach to the compound when we noticed it was a "kimshe cart" (three wheeled truck) The road up to our radio site was fenced and had plenty of warning that this was a military compound and one could die by entering. The NCO in charge and myself stepped out in the headlights and made some sort of disply with rifle in hand for the driver to stop. IT DIDN'T stop and kept coming directly toward us. Frankly I was scared crapless. The NCO lowered his M14 and fired three round over the hood of the truck. The driver got the message and stopped the truck. In fact the driver had killed the engine and it started to roll back down the hill.

What went through my mind after the warning shots were fired was get the hell out of there. I was in direct line of fire with the other guys behind me. The problem is 20 signal guys with a few Korean Katusas thrown in here and there armed with M14s was a perfect recipe for getting killed. As fate would have it, no other shots were fired and nobody got hurt. The terrified truck driver explained he had driven through a farmer's field and didn't know he was on a military compound. We bought the story and sent him on his way.

During that field exercise in the fall of 1969, what one didn't read about was how many civilians got killed by guards. The Korean guards shot and asked questions later. GI's were less apt to shoot. I heard that the number was close to 20 people got killed during that exercise ignoring the command to halt.

Attached is a picture of that road leading to the mountain top we called Bayonne.

Road_up_Bayonne.jpg (53 Kb, 7 downloads) The road approach to the top of the signal site.

Here's to you and the guys that were there from 66 to 69.

The KIA figure in the plaque prototype is grossly understated (the public law that established the KDSM has the figure at 1,200, not including some 2,300 ROK soldiers...our brothers...that have paid the ultimate price) but the plaque is nice. It's suppose to go up near the Korean War Memorial in DC.

BronzePlaqueDesign2.jpg (99 Kb, 11 downloads)

Rickrick,

Here is an excellent Levenworth Doc that covers the time period you were there.

http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/Bolger/bolger.asp

smokincobrajoe: It's amazing that so much happened and yet so little was ever made public. If it was, Vietnam ruled the headlines and what happened in Korea made little impression. I have to admit that signal guys like myself had it easy compared to the dudes walking the fences up north. We rode in big green trucks dragging along generators that kept our lives more comfortable. We had to do little to protect ourselves because others were protecting our asses and our communication efforts. Our general orders were if something were to happen was to pack everything up and HEAD SOUTH! They wanted to save the communications equipment. The reality was Camp Coiner was about 60 seconds south of the DMZ by jet. It would have been tough getting across the Han River when at that time there were only 6 two lane bridges in Seoul crossing that river. The time I was in country about once a month we had the alerts and practiced packing up and bugging out. At the time it was a pain in the ***, but the reality was dead serious stuff!

I'll take time and study the Leavenworth Papers a bit closer. Thanks for the URL's.

The attachment is a photo of a guy squeezing off a few rounds on the top of Bayonne. I don't know where we came up with the extra ammo because everything in a signal company was inventoried down to the last round. The NCO in charge seemed to find some extra rounds for us to blast away. Behind the guy with the M14 is the road where we stopped the kimshe cart and narrowly avoiding killing a civilian.

Bayonne_M14.jpg (88 Kb, 12 downloads)

quote:

Originally posted by smokincobrajoe:
Here's to you and the guys that were there from 66 to 69.

The KIA figure in the plaque prototype is grossly understated (the public law that established the KDSM has the figure at 1,200, not including some 2,300 ROK soldiers...our brothers...that have paid the ultimate price) but the plaque is nice. It's suppose to go up near the Korean War Memorial in DC.

It will be great to have that plaque at the KWM in DC. Something that officially states (where the public will see it) that the US fought another war against NK in the 60's. Far too few people know about that. 40,000 incidents - I had no idea it was that many, and I've done a lot of research on the subject (tried to write a novel set on the DMZ).

Here is a link to the actual Senate Bill that would establish the plaque at the KWM.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:S.2914:

I don't know what the status of the bill is but the bill language sites the 40,000 plus cease fire violations in the body of the bill.

Excellent article by Norm Treadway regarding Korea Defense Service from "Military Magazine". I believe this article may have had in significant impact on the subsequent awarding of the KDSM.

Korea_Defense_Service_Article_-_Norm_Treadway.txt (19 Kb, 7 downloads)

After compleating a very tough engr.school at ft Belvior,Va.(Topographical surveying 82d20,of which only 12 graduated out of 20)I thought I was destined to join the 40th Topo Battalion in Ethiopia.
When the Pueblo was siezed in Jan 68 a huge levey for Korea came down and I was sent there,first serving with HQC 2/76 arty,I Corps at Camp Santa Barbara as an artillery surveyor for the 8" SP TRACKS.Every nite I would go to the E.M. club ,sit under an umbrella with "cizzano vermouth:"printed on the top,sit back ,drink a 25 cent tom collins and watch the fireworks to the SW of us.
The guys that had been there for a while told me it was the action on the DMZ and the fireworks were illumination shells and tracers being fired.
After 2 months of living like a king at Santa Barbara( we had brick buildings,a bakery,forced hot air,and the occasional Donut Dolly,my name was called out at the morning formation and was told to get ready ,I was being transfered.
When the trucks pulled up I could see 7th div on the bumpers.I thought "what the hell are they going to do with a surveyor.
I arrived at Camp Parris home of the 2/8 arty,a 105mm towed battalion.
After telling the officer who was interviewing us that I was a highly trained topographical sureyor,he said"can you read a map?"CAN I READ A MAP,SIR I WAS TRAINED TO MAKE MAPS.Good, you are now assigned to the laison section,dont worry we will give you OJT.
For the next 10 months it was digging bunker holes for line papa,op guard,patrols,and driving the battalion,latter the divisonal F.O.to various places for fire missions.When Joe Chink started to amass troops along the DMZ or when there was increased activity along the D,we would go out for a fire mission to let them know what was in store for them if the ballon went up.
I went everywhere,from Camp EAGLE,BLUE LANCER VALLEY ,UP TO CAMP kaiser,AND PLACES ALONG THE Korean patroled DMZ, which was marked by a pile of stones, as compared to the American section which had a fence.All without any kind of supporting documents or written orders,just the arty f.o. grabbing me ,"lets go".No combat pay no nothing.
When I saw how the guys of the 2nd ID lived on the D, I felt very fortunate.They lived like animals,no offence boys,but thats the way I saw it and they were only 4 or 5 miles aways from our camp as the crow flies.they got Combat pay and earned it.With out orders you couldnt get it
There was a lot that went on that nobody will ever know.We used to say"The best kept secrete in the U.S.Army is Korea."

2bn_8th_arty_7th_inf_div___163.jpg (228 Kb, 5 downloads) OP DUTY

OOPS WRONG PIC

KOREA_PHOTOS__RA_11961927-1.jpg (22 Kb, 7 downloads) OP IN THE YAMA

quote:

Originally posted by UNCLECHARLIE58:
OOPS WRONG PIC

Aint nothing better than a good YAMA.....