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also known as... Sandy Strait |
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What Happened to American CHAPTER 1 Introducing The Survivors APPENDIX:
PREFACE The men whose stories you are about to read have reached into their souls to bring out memories that are harrowing and unrelenting. Their experiences were nothing short of horrific. It was a time in their lives that they would much rather be able to forget ever happened. But they cannot forget, and neither should we. They served at a time when America was exhausted from one war and wanted nothing to do with another. While most of the country was busy trying to get back to work, they were struggling to just stay alive. Their stories are deeply moving and inspirational. We are now at a time in our history when our children need heroes. A hero is defined as a person of distinguished valor, a person who shows courage and bravery in the face of overpowering adversity. These men are heroes. They survived, and helped each other survive, a true frozen inferno. They should never be considered the forgotten prisoners of a forgotten war, for they have important lessons to teach us all.... One issue that stunned me, and further emphasized the need for this book, came up in the beginning of this project. It was the issue of "Circular 131". Harold Kaschko sent me a copy of a certificate he had been told to sign when he was repatriated in September of 1953, during Operation Big Switch. Being eager to return home after years of captivity, he signed the certificate like everyone else, and was able to produce a copy of it which he sent along with his answers. "Circular 131" was an official document denying the returnees the right to speak about their military experiences, either at that time or later on in civilian life. Being the kind of men that they were, they honored this vow, and for the most part did not divulge their experiences to anyone. Harold also sent a letter, dated July 29, 1993, from the Department of Defense finally relieving the POWs from their obligations under the certificate. There was nearly 40 years between the dates on these two documents. [Please see the Appendix for actual copies of these documents] ..... It is with utmost respect that this book is dedicated to all who were held as Prisoner of War during the Korean War. We have so much to learn from their courage in the face of such terror. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCING THE SURVIVORS P.F.C. Jack Chapman Jack served in Korea with the Army's Seventh Infantry Division. He became a member of Task Force Drysdale, which consisted of US Army personnel, US Marines, and members of the 41st Independent Commando, British Royal Marines. Jack took part in the Inchon Landing and the Iwon Landing. On November 30th, 1950, after being wounded seven times, Jack was captured at the Chosin Reservoir along with 143 other survivors of the original 900 man Task Force Drysdale, when it was overran by thousands of Chinese Communist forces. This area became known as "HELL'S FIRE VALLEY". Jack was to spend his 19th, 20th, and 21st birthdays in communist prisoner of war camps. He was released on August 20th, 1953. [Jack's story is featured in Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11] Sgt. First Class Richard Rook Richard was sent to Korea when President Truman called in the Reserves in June of 1950, leaving behind a wife and infant daughter, who waited for him through everything. He served as a rifleman with the 2nd Infantry Division. Richard was captured on May 19, 1951, during the spring offensive. He spent his 23rd, 24th, and 25th birthdays in North Korea. Two weeks before the war ended he and a few others were removed from their camp and isolated, being referred to as "bad elements" by their captors, due to their rejection of communist indoctrination. They thought this was the end for them, but peace finally came and Richard was released on August 25, 1953. [Richard's story is featured in Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11] Lt. Col. Harold Kaschko (Retired) Harold was drafted into the Army in 1942 and went to Officers Candidate School at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. In 1944 he was assigned CO (Commanding Officer) of Battery A, 241st FA Bn., under General Patton's 3rd U.S. Army, where he spent 263 consecutive days in combat in the European Theater. Harold held the rank of Captain when he was shipped to Korea in August of 1950, and there served as Commanding Officer, Battery "C", 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was captured on December 1, 1950 near the Chinese roadblock just miles from Kunu-ri. He spent 1,011 days in captivity and was released in Operation Big Switch in August of 1953. [Harold's story is featured in Chapters 2, 3, 8, 10 and 11] Sgt. Edward Sheffield Edward was stationed with the 24th Infantry Division at Camp Hakata, Japan, only 200 miles from Korea when the war started on June 25, 1950. "It all happened so fast and unexpected," he says. By the 5th of July he found himself on the front lines, watching column after column of Chinese troops go by, in full combat dress. He was captured on July 14, after taking a bullet to the leg. Edward is a survivor of the infamous death march lead by the brutal North Korean major known as the "Tiger". During the death march he watched the "Tiger" murder 125 men. Edward was released on August 30, 1953, in Operation Big Switch. [Edward's story is featured in Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 11] Cpl. James Ransier James was assigned to the 7th Infantry Division, 32nd RCT, 3rd Battalion, "I" Company, as an infantryman when he reached Korea in January of 1951. On the morning of March 2nd, 1951, he and his friend, Don Faudskar were captured by a small group of North Koreans who shot them both in the feet, as they took them into custody. Two other soldiers with them were killed. They were taken to a North Korean colonel for questioning. The two soldiers were held for several days and then released as the North Koreans were being forced to retreat the area. Being seriously wounded, they had to crawl back to their outfit, helped along their way by both South Koreans and Americans. [James' story is featured in Chapters 2, 3, 8,10 and 11] Sgt. Andrew (Chief) Aguirre Andrew joined the Marine Corps at age 18, looking for adventure and excitement as young men do. He soon found it. He was in WW II for two years and three months. He served at Guadalcanal, the Russell Islands, Okinawa, and later was stationed in Tientsin, China, and Kobe, Japan. He was an experienced combat Marine by the time Korea came along. He left a girlfriend behind then, who is still is wife today, more than 40 years later. Andrew was with B Company, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division. It was his job to fire the main turret gun. His knowledge of the Japanese language helped him and his men out of several risky situations. He was held POW for two years and nine months, being released during Operation Big Switch. [Andrew's story is featured in Chapters 2, 5, 10, and 11] Staff Sgt. (E-6) Richard Makua Richard is a man of few words, but much emotion. During the war he was a forward observer with the Army's 7th Division. He held the rank of staff sergeant, and was an infantryman with a heavy mortar company. Richard does not like to talk about his experiences as a POW where he faced starvation and death every day, and who could blame him. He was repatriated during Operation Big Switch in 1953 and returned home to Hawaii. [Richard's story is featured in Chapters 2, 3, 5, 10 and 11] P.F.C. Joseph Wilson Joseph served for 5 years after WW II as a merchant seaman, helping to rebuild Europe. He was only in the Army for 6 months before going to Korea. He served as a rifleman with the all black Company K, part of the 25th Infantry Division. He was a POW for 27 months, being captured on April 22, 1951, after being wounded twice. He tells of facing racial prejudice from the Chinese. He feels blessed to be born in America where as he says, "We are all one people." He was released during Operation Big Switch. Since then, he has found that his experiences dealing with wounded POWs during the war has given him great incentive to work with needy veterans in his community. [Joseph's story is featured in Chapters 2, 3, 5, 10 and 11] P.F.C. Theo Baudoin, Jr. Theo volunteered for the Army at age 17. He served with the 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division on the front line in Korea. He helped build pontoon bridges, cleared mines, and did demolition work, helping troops to cross the Nacktong River on their way north. He personally witnessed atrocities committed by the North Koreans. Theo was taken prisoner by Chinese communist soldiers on December 1, 1951, at Kunu-ri and released in August of 1953 in Operation Big Switch. He is now active in writing and speaking about his experiences in Korea. [Theo's story is featured in Chapters 2, 3, 5 and 11] P.F.C. Wayne A. (Johnnie) Johnson Johnnie enlisted in the Army and was sent to Japan in May, 1949, where he was a scout in "L" Company, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. During only his first week in Korea, his unit was overran and he was captured on July 11, 1950. He was held as prisoner for over three years, finally being released during Operation Big Switch. As a prisoner, he was a survivor of the brutal North Korean guard known as the "Tiger". During his entire captivity, Johnnie worked diligently, at great personal risk, to secretly record the names of hundreds of people he saw die. He smuggled out his list inside an empty toothpaste tube when he was repatriated. His work has enabled many families to know the truth about the death of a loved one. Johnnie has just recently been awarded the Silver Star for his valiant effort over 40 years ago. [Johnnie's story is featured in Chapters 2, 9, 10 and 11] CHAPTER FOUR ----- DEATH MARCHES Edward Sheffield (page 96) "The Chinese troops had crossed the river and were going to the front lines with combat equipment. Column after column we watched them go by for four days. Then the worst thing happened to us, October 31. This was the day the "Tiger" took over our command and this was the beginning of the infamous Death March or one of the major Death Marches. He and his company of guards were men with hatred and revenge in their hearts. After all, our United Nations, and especially the American troops had deprived these men of rich war loot and victory over South Korea. They were determined for us not to fall into the hands of the fast advancing UN troops, even if it meant death for us. Leaving 16 more men in this cornfield too weak to walk from dysentery -- some of us had built a wind breaker around them, but the Tiger wouldn't let us move them. Before we got on the road, we heard a machine gun rip the place apart. Tiger was commander of the North Korean people's police force with a company of guards with automatic weapons. We learned later that he and his guards had killed around 300 prisoners on a train that was about to be liberated. The civilians and communist troops were all in a state of confusion and unrest. Before we reached the town of Manpo, again we were rushed off the road and against a big mountain cliff. They huddled us together and set up three machine guns out in front of us. The Tiger was giving some commands we couldn't understand until the group of civilians following behind broke loose from their guards and came running, crying and pleading with the Tiger. They could speak and understand the Korean language and knew we were about to be shot. He suddenly left and went into town. In about 20 minutes he came back, hurried us on the road and marched us through the town. It was dark and they had no electric lights. A few houses were still burning from the bombing late that afternoon. The streets were crowded with people, military and civilian and none had any love for us. Three men were grabbed from the column as we went through town. We never saw them again. About two miles the other side of town we spent the night in another cornfield. There must have been two inches of snow that night. We were not glad for such weather. At dawn the next morning, we found 10 men frozen to death and they wouldn't even let us bury them. The news came when the Tiger walked down and told us we were going on a hundred mile march with only six days to reach our destination. Any man that fell behind would be executed. Lt. Thorten jumped up and told him he was crazy, called him a mad man. The Tiger pulled his pistol, walked Lt. Thorten over to a high cliff and shot him in the head. By forced marches, we were taken up through the rugged mountain country of far Northern Korea. This march would have been rough for an able-bodied man. We were sick, tired, and starved. The narrow roads up through these mountains often had ice on the road which made it more difficult to walk. The best of us were in no shape to help carry the ones that fell behind, but we would try to brace the men and help them along until the column would get ahead. The Tiger was walking at the rear of the column and when we couldn't keep up he would motion for us to put the man down and catch up to the column. Trying to crawl, our buddies would beg us not to leave them, but there was nothing we could do. Then the Tiger would shoot them and roll them down the side of the mountain. I saw men fall to the side that I thought would make it for sure. This made me wonder if I would be next. 125 men died on this march with a bullet in the head from this Tiger's pistol." CHAPTER NINE -"A Promise Kept", The Story of Johnnie Johnson (page 184) "In August of 1953, when the newly released prisoners of war made the long trip home from Panmunjon, Korea, each man brought his memories with him. Appalling memories of torture, starvation, disease, filth, and death. Memories that would last a lifetime. One of these brave Americans brought home something else. Smuggled out inside of a small empty toothpaste tube was a precious cargo, something he had nearly paid for with his life. Inside the tube was a faded and worn handwritten list of nearly 500 men and women he had seen murdered by their North Korean captors. P.F.C. Wayne A. (Johnnie) Johnson, of Lima, Ohio, had spent over 36 months in the prison camps along the frozen Yalu River which separated North Korea from Manchuria. He was a survivor of the brutal death marches lead by the infamous North Korean guard known as "The Tiger". Soon after his capture on July 11, 1950, Johnnie began to realize that because of the horrible situation they were in, knowledge of those he saw die might be lost forever. He was haunted by the fact that their families would never know what happened to them. So, starting with stolen scraps of paper and the stub of a pencil, he began to record information about the those around him he watched struggle and die. He secretly wrote the name, rank, unit, date of death, and hometown of each. He eventually chronicled the deaths of close to 500 people at the hands of the communists. In spite of the constant fear of torture or death if his actions were discovered, he persisted in his quest. He even went as far as to make two complete lists, carefully hiding one in a wall and the other under the floor of his hut. When the list he had hidden in the wall was found by a guard, Johnnie was interrogated, beaten and threatened at gunpoint. Even this could not persuade him to stop. He intended to make good on the promise he had made to himself and to the families, no matter what the cost. When the joyous news came that they were being released, Johnnie had to quickly devise a way to get his list home safely. What precious little they had was being taken away. There didn't seem to be any place to hide the list from his captors. Then in the last few days, the prisoners received soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste from the International Red Cross, the first of such luxuries they'd seen since their capture. Johnnie immediately emptied and cleaned out his toothpaste tube and carefully pushed his list inside. Over forty years later, on August 3, 1996, Johnnie was finally recognized for his valiant deed and awarded the Silver Star for valor. He has also received the deep personal reward of being able to share information with the some of families of the people on his list, telling them about the last days of their loved ones' life. At last he was able to feel his dream of long ago was fulfilled, that his promise to the families was kept. [Johnnie has graciously sent a copy of his list to be included in this chapter.] Sources: "Johnson's List", Malcolm McConnell, Reader's Digest, Volume 150, No. 897, January, 1997. "POW honored for listing deaths", AP, Tucson Citizen, August 8, 1996. "How deaths of POWs were secretly recorded", Robert Burns, AP, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 2, 1996. [ Buy this book now | See excerpts from this book ] |
VETWRITER