United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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CHAPTER 1 NORTH KOREAN AGGRESSION 27 June-2 November 1950 The forces of the Republic of Korea Qfrequently referred to as ROKQ proved unable to stem the offen- sive of the better-trained and better-equipped troops from the North. General MacArthur drew upon all available men from the occupation forces located in Japan and elsewhere? Three U.S. Army divisions K24-th, 25th, and lst Cavalryj, then on a peace-time basis, psychologically and physically unprepared for actual combat, were grouped as the 8th Army under Lt. Gen. Walton H. Walker and hurriedly sent to Korea. Even such reinforcements were unable to stern the steady southward advance of the North Ko- rean soldiers who, indoctrinated with a fanatical zeal, pressed onward confident that complete victory was within their immediate grasp. By late July four bat- tered ROK divisions and the three U.S. Army divisions had been driven back to within some fifty miles of the ,vital supply port of Pusan. The rim of defense around lthe last remaining free area of the Republic of Korea, labout 120 miles long, was called the Pusan Perimeter. Into this critical situation General MacArthur was throwing every possible reinforcement in order to keep a toe-hold in Korea for future retaliatory action. The Pusan Perimeter On 2 August the ground forces of the lst Marine Provisional Brigade landed at Pusan? With the ex- ception of a small Marine legation guard at Seoul, it constituted the 1st Marine land force to fight in the Korean War. Four chaplains were attached to the ground units-Orlando Ingvoldstad, Jr., and William G. Tennant QProtestantsj and Otto E. Sporrer and Bernard L. Hickey fRoman Catholicsj. Writing 1 Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. I, ch. III Kesp. pp. 435.5 and ch. IV fesp. pp. 68ff.l See also: Cagle and Manson, op. cit., ch. 2. Karig et al., op. sit., chs. 6-13. A preliminary Army account of the first 6 months of the Korean War is entitled Korea, 1950 fDepart- ment of the Army: Office of the Chief of Military History, 19525. Ch. II deals with the first frantic efforts to stem the Red advance. 2 Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. I, ch. V. aboard the transport on 2 August, just before the Ma- rines disembarked at Pusan, Chaplain Sporrer com- mented on his work in a letter to Chaplain Daniel F. Meehan, Assistant Director of the Chaplains Division. We had great numbers every day at Mass and confessions every night. The morale is wonderful and if ever the Marines did a job we will do it. I am 'very proud and happy to be with them. I will never cease to thank you for this duty. Please don't separate me from these men until you absolutely have to, and then let me stay with the Marines until this war is over. On 7 August the Marines went into action in defense of Hill 342, southwest of Masan, the first casualties were received and Navy chaplains were once again under fire. At this time the chaplains were assigned as follows: Chaplain Hickey, 3d Battalion, 5th Ma- rines, Chaplain Sporrer fartilleryj , lst Battalion, 11th Marines, Chaplain Tennant, BU Medical Company, at Masang and Chaplain Ingvoldstad, Rear Echelon, at Pusan. Hickey and Sporrer covered the forward aid stations, Tennant the evacuation center and the cemetery at Masan, and Ingvoldstad the Army evacu- ation hospital at Pusan through which all patients passed on their way to hospitals in Japan. This engagement in the Chindong-ni-Kosong-Changchon area lasted 7-13 August? Chaplain Ingvoldstad of- fers many valuable comments on this period based upon his personal experience. First Naktong On 17 August, having been regrouped at Miryang, well within the Perimeter, the Marines were again committed to action, assaulting Obong-ni Ridge, in what became known as the First Battle of the Nak- tong QRiverj.4 During this day Chaplains Ingvold- albid., chs. VI-VIII. For a journalistic, but useful account of the early Pusan Perimeter battles, see Geer, op. cit., chs. II and following. Also Korea, 1950 QDepartment of the Armyj, ch. III. 4 Montross and Canzona, op. cit., vol. I, chs. IX, X. -5-.

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V A ,. , L Q - 1, f Hi' ' ' ' i , . W ' NKPA GAINS a S30 JUNIC -I AUGUSI' 'Q 1950 O 25 50 75 ' H ' Z' MILES ' A ? 5 E A OF Wonson ff 4 P A N O ' Pyongyang ' Koaong 0 ' 38' 4 A ' gKoesong A' ' 33' 1 Chunchono ' , Seoul 50 JUN 50 A lnchon ' Sumdok oSuwon--- 'W0 33 J5Z 50 a 0Chungju Y E' 1. L 0 W 41 ' 'Chonun I5 JUL 50 E SEA ' , f V Andong , 'SOWJJU ' Yongdok Toeyon UG 50 Q 7 f ctw' - f Kumwn I Q Pohong-Dong 0Chonju Q3 'Toegu F a m 3 G' . Q Z a Q Gi H swongju Chmju. gd lmson w Q h Puscn 0 Sunchono 2 Mokp qkli, i fm ' QS-jig? - Tim 'ihimo 1 -rv wx f-wx-a',s:.f:1xvuV',sv:2s-zxffr ,',. 'NQMWMGRNW Reproduced by permission from U.S. Marine Operations in Korea. - 5 -