OPHSA

OP Harry Survivors Association Newsletter

Oct/Nov 2002 Issue 27

JUNE REUNION PLANS

Our reunion planner, Jerry Cunningham is hard at work with the commanders of various units at Ft. Stewart to develop a program for the OPHSA Reunion on Friday, June 13th, 2003.

The program is still in it’s formative stages and will be announced as we get closer to the day.

Jerry has requests for bids out to several hotels in the Savannah area and will select the best one based on facilities and price for the reunion. Stay tuned.

PAST REUNION SITES LISTED

We have had some discussions as to when and where the OPHSA reunions have taken place. Our collective memories have acquired a few cobwebs over the years. OPHSA historian, Dick Martinet, supplied the following list of reunion sites and dates to sweep away some of those cobwebs. (Ed.)

1992 Ft. Stewart, GA 1993 Ft Knox, KY. June 23-27 1994 York, PA. June16-19 1995 Ft. Benning, GA. June 8-11 1996 Skokie, IL. June 6-9 1997 Ft. Benning, GA. June 5-8 1998 Colorado Springs, CO. June 11-14 1999 Washington, DC. June 10-13

(With L Co, 15th IR) 2000 San Francisco, CA. Aug 30-Sept 4

(With Society of 3rd ID) 2001 Fort Mitchell, KY. June 7-10 2002 New Orleans, LA. June 13-16

OP HARRY SURVIVOR REMEMBERED

Member Paul Gregory was a FO for 81mm mortars with the 5th RCT, D Co. during the defense of OP Harry in June 1953. One of his closest comrades was his radioman, David ‘Jack’ Hitt. Paul and Jack were attached to 5th RCT, Co. B and found themselves on OP Harry the night of June 12/13. In a recent e-mail Paul said, “Jack did a good job on Harry. He and I were together the whole time and walked off that damned worthless mountain of dirt.” After the Korean War they lost track of one another and life went on. After many attempts to locate Jack, Paul came up with his phone number last David ‘Jack’ Hitt year and found, to his sorrow, that Jack had passed away March 27, 1994. Jack’s wife Judy sent Paul a copy of the obituary published in the Berkshire Eagle (Massachusetts) excerpted below. David ‘Jack’ Hitt was born in Pittsfield, MA. After his time in the Army he married Judith Hanford in 1955. They had six children. Mr. Hitt was employed as a carpenter and later worked for GE and finally as a papermaker. He was a member of St Agnes’ Church of Dalton, MA, and the Dalton American Legion. Though never a member of OPHSA, David ‘Jack’ Hitt has a place of honor in Paul Gregory’s memory of the defense of that obscure hilltop in Korea.

Page 2 Then and Now

Sam Buck 1953 Sam Buck ‘s harrowing story of his night of battle and survival on OP Harry is printed in its entirety in the October issue of the Society of the Third Infantry Division’s “Watch on the Rhine”.

2002

CHATTER (Notes, e-mails and calls, from members and

friends) Jim, Many thanks for mailing me the Outpost Harry Newsletter. I sincerely appreciate and would very much like to continue to receive them. My time these past two years, with a year of Jerry’s illness and his passing, has at times been overwhelming. I, too, had surgery in June of 2001 and in the fall of 2001. My Mom and I emptied and sold her home here in Florida and she has moved in with me. The time has marched on very rapidly but there will always remain that “void”. Hello to the “Outpost Harry” group. I do remember them in my prayers and again thank them all for the support they have extended. God Bless. Joan Hawk (Wife of Gerald W. Hawk)

OPHSA

I had a phone call from Rich Kilgen who wanted to let us know that his foot is improving but still giving him some problems.

He was elated because he has recently received his MS Degree in history from East Stroudsburg University in East Stroudsburg, PA.

Rich said he found it interesting and challenging to be the oldest student in his classes but found he was well accepted among his fellow students.

Interestingly his thesis was on the Koje Island prisoner riots during the Korean War.

Congratulations Rich!

This e-mail exchange was written on June 9th 2002,

the 49th anniversary of the night before the Chinese attack on OP Harry. ( Ed.)

From: Martin Markley

Subject: This Day and History On this day 49 years ago Sam Buck was viewing

the vistas in the hills of North Korea overlooking the valleys below and a high star above. Having been in this secluded spot for almost a week, he was looking or some action.

The next day he had ACTION! From: Sam Buck Thanks Captain. I still don’t understand why you

came back up there when you had your ticket punched for a one way trip home. I did feel better being by your side when “it hit the fan”.

(From a telephone conversation with Dick Martinet 10/20/02)

Dick is continuing his recuperation from a triple

bypass operation in July and sounds pretty chipper. He has lost weight, is exercising regularly and watching his diet. He wants to express his gratitude for the calls, cards and letters that have come his way since the operation.

Chic Pellegrini had quadruple bypass surgery on Sept. 5th. He was able to go home from the hospital Sept.9th and is into the recovery phase at this time. We spoke to him a couple of weeks later and he sounded strong and confident as he was due to begin rehab in the next couple of days. Our best wishes go out to you, Chic!

You might be interested to know that the VFW 2003 calendar on June 10th lists the”Siege of Outpost Harry begins. 1953”

E-mail from Martin Markley (Ed.)

OPHSA

PRESIDENT’S CORNER Ladies and gentlemen: I hope everyone had a great summer! Here in the Midwest we had a much hotter and dryer one than usual. It’s always good to see new members joining from time to time. I just met two more men at the “B” reunion and I think they will be OP Harry members soon. Ft. Bragg and Fayetteville were great – five people there were on OP Harry. Everything was nice and the weather was good. Unfortunately, all was not good for my family. I received a call as the reunion was ending (Thursday) that my brother had been killed in an auto accident. There was some panic in trying to find Cora and I. My brother was living in Tennessee and so we made it to the funeral in time before returning home to Ohio. It has been a bad week for me. I wish you would remember Ed Hanrahan, for he has not been feeling well for the past few weeks. We missed him as he canceled his North Carolina trip. Hope you are feeling better, Ed. One item I would like to mention concerning veterans is the Veterans History Project sponsored by the Library of Congress in Washington D. C. Place your military experiences on tape for future generations. Keep veterans’ history alive by taking part in this project. Please check it out.

Information about the Library of Congress Veterans History Project can be found on the Internet at www.loc.gov/vets (Ed.)

Units such as local/school libraries and veteran organizations keep copies as well as send copies to the Library of Congress. You can request this for your own community. A small library in my area started last year. They have thirty or forty interviews so far.

The Library of Congress will send you information. Whether you are a wartime, peacetime, male or female veteran your experiences are worth preserving.

My local library can be logged onto at www.mlcook.lib.oh.us (veteran’s voices)

I did my interview last year and thought you might be interested in doing one also!

God Bless. CAN DO We Held. Walden Storie

Page 3 NOTES FROM THE CHAPLAIN

I hope you all had a

pleasant Summer and are in good health. I received a call from Malvin Goldstein’s sister, Ruth Alys Brown. Malvin was a lifelong resident of Birming ham, Alabama and former Lt. in the Medical Co., 15th Inf. Reg., 3 ID. He took part in the moving of the Aid Station to the bottom of OP Harry, assisting Dr. Harry Lee. Malvin held numerous offices and awards as former president of the State Board of pharmacy, and the last award being the “Bowl of Hygiea” In talking to Ruth Alys I remembered I had some pictures of Malvin taken in May 1953. They were enlarged and mailed out to Ruth Alys Brown and Malvin’s long time companion Delores Bates, of Pelham, Alabama. Ruth Alys and Delores are thinking about coming to the 2003 reunion. I came across the following article and immediately thought of Jerry Cunningham, the guy that does it all, especially our Memorial Service. Jerry does everything from creating the memorial program, setting up the room and supplying the music. Thanks, Jerry.

“The Significance of the Candles” The light of the candle has three aspects. The invisible essence of the flame, the light and the heat. Close to the wick is a faint blue glow. Around this is a ring of golden light and further out there is a light reddish flame which gives off more or less smoke. To some religious orders the flame represents the Trinity of God. Others draw parallels to the flame of life in man. The blue flame represents the spirit; the yellow, the life and light of mind; and the reddish glow with heat, the fire of sex, desire and personal drive, which distinguishes man from any other creature. The flame of the candle is like man’s soul ever stretching toward empyrean heights. (Excerpted from “Good Graces” by Patricia Warner DD) So, with the above said, Walden Storie and I hereby promise Jerry we will bring a No Sweat, One Shot, Foolproof Candle Lighter in 2003. I have copies of the OP Harry prayer cards. Anyone who wants copies drop me a note and I’ll send them. Stay well and please remember in your prayers all our men and women in the service and the victims and survivors of Sept 11, 2001. Ed Hanrahan

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TELEPHONE TALK

Your editor had an interesting conversation with OPHSA member Clyde Shinault. He served with the 1st Infantry Division in WW II. In Korea his service was with the 5th RCT, A Co.

He remembered that he had been promoted to company first sergeant on June 6, 1953, but only found out about it after the OP Harry battle. He and another man were assigned to fire illuminating flares from 60mm mortars the night of June 12/13. After the battle he was assigned to account for A Co. casualties. He went up to the rear of OP Harry to get all the information he could and then moved toward the rear, checking medical records and other information to account for all A Co. casualties. The task took about three days to complete. He had nothing but praise for the medics who had kept records that helped trace casualties, how they were treated and transported. A Co. was formed behind the hill as this work was being done and then was moved to the rear to re-equip and take on replacements for those that had been killed and wounded. 1st Sgt. Shinault became deeply involved in sorting the records of the new men. He found that many had been in military prisons and given early releases if they volunteered for duty in Korea. Because of the casualties suffered by his company on OP Harry he had many NCO spots to fill. He discovered that many of those with records showed promise and, in fact, became leaders eligible for promotion as the company was rebuilt. Clyde had high praise for A Co. officers, Lt. James Evans and Lt. Del Tolen. He said he would always remember the great spirit of the 5th RCT. Clyde Shinalut, who will reach the 80-year mark this year, is battling cancer and so was unable to attend the reunion in June. Our best wishes go out to him.

Martin Markley, RAB Burgess and Charlie Scott. Columbus, GA Holiday Inn. OPHSA reunion 1995.

OPHSA

STORY OF A PICTURE Claude Williams of the 10th Engineers made contact with Eugene C. Markle in 1997. Markle was a second Lt. with 10th Engineers, C Company during the time the defense of OP Harry took place. Gene originally sent this picture to Claude in January 2000. Eugene Markle passed away later in 2000.

Claude had a computer crash and lost the picture but Steve Markle, Gene’s son, sent it to Claude recently, having found Williams it on his father’s computer.

As Claude passed the picture around among 10th Engineers ‘alumni’ the story behind the picture

emerged. The jeep belonged to 10th Engineers, C Company

and was the transportation for a mine laying detail on OP Harry the night of 16 May 1953. They drove to the supply point on the rear of OP Harry. While the detail was at work that night, the enemy decided the jeep was illegally parked and gave it a ticket in the form of a mortar round. Fortunately no one was in the Lichtenberg vehicle at the time.

The jeep was totaled. The name of the person who

took the picture the following morning has been lost in time but the two officers examining their fallen steed are 1st Lt. Alan Lichtenberg and 2nd Lt. Gene Markle.

Markle

Claude remembers walking by the wreckage that morning and noting that the jeep was still smoking.

OPHSA

WEB SITE HAPPENINGS Allen Muellenbach wrote to Ray Anderson after having viewed the OPHSA web site on the Internet. Hello Mr. Anderson My name is Allen Muellenbach. My mother is currently visiting and brought some of my dad’s Army records along. My dad died of cancer a couple of years ago and never talked about most of what happened in Korea. We were hoping you might be able to tell us something about how he was wounded or any other details you may have about his time in Korea. Any information you might have would be greatly appreciated. I have read your account on the Internet and appreciate knowing some of what happened that night on Outpost Harry. My father was PFC Marvin Muellenbach. He was with B Company, 10th Engineers. He was wounded in the leg on June 13,. was sent to Japan to recover and was assigned to another unit to complete his tour. He drove a compressor truck and also served as company radio man on occasion…… Ray Anderson’s comments: Strange as it may seem, Marvin Muellenbach was in my squad. The OPHSA web site has been getting around. I have answered Allen’s request for info about his father. If I am not mistaken, Marvin was wounded the night the 10th Engineers went up to lay anti personnel mines out in front of the outpost and got caught in the next Chinese attack. That would have been the night that Jim Evans Company was defending the outpost. (June 12) Member Albert Beierschmitt who was with 39th FA, B Btry. and Hq. Btry. sent the Newsletter a photo of a framed souvenir from Korea. His son-in-law, a Command Sgt. Major serving in Korea, came home on leave in July. He brought a framed certificate on which is mounted a rusty piece of barbed wire from the DMZ fence that still divides Korea. The certificate commemorates the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War (July 25, 1950) and is signed with the chop of the mayor of Paju City.

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Al has been help in loaning us a pin with the

crest of the 39th FA. We wanted to use the image on the members stories page. We reproduced the image of the crest and returned the pin to Al with thanks. The Newsletter started a flurry of e-mails when Al was asked an innocent question as to the meaning of the motto that appears on the crest (Celeritas in Conficiendo). With the help of member Lee Phillips the answer came back from Maj. Robert Townsend, XO, 39th FA Bn. The accepted meaning of the Latin phrase “Celeritas in Conficiendo” is SPEED IN ACTION. When a FO calls for a fire mission, that is exactly what he wants! As part of these communications Lee also discovered that the 39th FA,, which had been designated a regiment, has become a battalion again.

OPHSA and 3rd Division web sites prompted this e-mail

to Martin Markley. Jim Tanner has been sent an OPHSA application.

(The web site) has brought back many memories for me. I was never on OP Harry. I was a medical aidman with Fox Company of the 65th Regt. On 10 June we raided hill 412. When we withdrew I was left on the hill with two wounded men. One died and the other one and I spent the night in the valley to the right front of OP Harry. We saw the attack on the outpost that night from a different perspective. The Chinese set up a machine gun to fire support fire on to the OP within just a few yards of us and walked around us all night. Through the Grace of God they pulled back before daybreak, allowing us to get back to the American lines. It is an amazing thing that now, after almost fifty years, I am learning more about that battle than I knew at the time. I was also out in the valley on the night of 14 June. I was awarded the Silver Star as a member of the medical company. I don’t know if any of this makes me eligible to join your association. If so I would be happy to join. Thanks for your interest but more than that, thanks for the great web site you have. Thanks for remembering those who were not lucky enough to have lived these past fifty years. Jim Tanner

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OP HARRY AERIAL PHOTOS OPHSA members have spent endless hours at

the reunions pouring over books of pictures, stories, clippings and slides brought by other members. Among the many remembrances that emerge a common curiosity grips us. We are all seeking a clear idea of just where we were and when. Those who were on the OP did not have a safe opportunity to stand up and stroll about, noting locations of bunkers and trenches. FO Joe Chink was ready to scratch another notch on his BC scope for those who got careless. The field of view of the infantryman in those circumstances was limited to that small space between the lip of his helmet and the ground! The limited view from a bunker aperture and the hard fact that the most intense action took place at night further obscured one’s ability to clearly orient him. The OP layout was marked on many map overlays which, for the most part, have not survived. A couple of those maps are reproduced on our web site as are photos taken from the OP looking at enemy territory. It would be very desirable to have aerial photos of the OP taken during the time of the ”Siege of OP Harry”. Your editor has been attempting, through the Freedom of Information Act, to acquire some Air Force reconnaissance photos of OP Harry. This has been an ongoing effort for about four years, so far, but some progress has been made. We have determined that film from an Air Force tactical recon run (May 27,1953) mentioned in the OP Harry after action report is in the possession of the National Archives. This may be a long shot because the goal of the photography was to record enemy territory for intelligence information. Whether OP Harry is on the film is still to be determined. I am awaiting some maps, ordered from the Library of Congress; to help clarify the location of OP Harry relative to the plots the Archives has of the recon mission. If Harry does appear on the film, prints can be ordered of selected frames. We believe that film taken by 3rd Signal Company using 3rd Division Light Air L-19s would give better detail but have not been able to locate any of that material to date.

Recently Freeman Bradford, our web master, received two aerial photos from Edward Matney. Matney was company commander of Co B, 23rd Infantry, 2nd Division. His company defended OP Harry from a Chinese attack in the last days before the cease-fire in July. 2nd ID photographers took the two photos from an L-19 on July 19, 1953. The photos apparently were given to him by G-2 for orientation purposes. The photos are included here for reference. There are difficulties in interpreting these photos, due to the fact that they have been copied at least once, with a consequent loss in quality.

OPHSA

This photo was taken looking east from the west

side of OP Harry. The area known as the loop is almost dead center in the frame. The very light shade of the whole OP area is indicative of the pounding the artillery gave this area. There are many well-defined bunkers along the trench lines indicating that much reconstruction was accomplished after the June battles. The ‘finger’ is out of the picture to the right. The trench from the supply point and aid station enters about 1/2” up the right side from the bottom of the picture.

This photo is taken from east of the OP looking toward the northwest. The finger is about 3/4” from the left near the top pointing straight at the camera. The supply trench extends out of the picture to the left from its intersection with the finger. The trench leading to the loop extends from the intersection to the right about 1/8” below the top edge of the photo. The center of the loop is about 3/4” from the right edge and 1/8” below the top edge. The dark diagonal mark at upper right is the wing strut of the L-19 showing that the airplane was flying to the right and the photo was made from the back seat.

OPHSA

LOOKING FOR Ever look for something and find something else that surprises you? Read on. E-mail from Clyde Corsaro to OPHSA webmaster..

I'm looking for some of the guys who I served

with in the 5th RCT, Company C, 4th Platoon. I have a bunch of pictures that you can access to see if names or faces are familiar. These were taken during June, 1953. In addition to OP Harry we were on Christmas Hill until shortly after the fighting ceased. I'd sure like to contact some of the guys if possible. Clyde Corsaro mcorsaro@twcny.rr.com

Clyde Corsaro and Pat Carbone [This from Pat Carbone] Thanks for the photos [on the website}. This is one of the most amazing coincidences I have ever experienced. My name is Pat Carbone also and I have been in contact with Clyde Corsaro on several occasions. When I saw the photo with the other Pat Carbone I was finally convinced that there was another guy with the same name that served on OP Harry at the same time I was there! When Clyde first contacted me I was certain that I was the Carbone that he was searching for and that he was confused about the times places and outfits he was assigned to. No way could I believe that there was another with the same name serving so close together. How I wish now that somehow the other Pat Carbone would show up. I think that I would be just as happy as Clyde would be, if that ever happened. Pat Carbone patcarbone@attbi.com All the photos mentioned above can be found at http://63.193.244.245/ophsa/clyde corsaro/index.htm

WEB SITES OF INTEREST

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OPHSA does not levy dues. To pay for our basic expenses we must ask for contributions.

Please make your checks payable to OP HARRY SURVIVORS ASSOCIATION

MAIL TO: SAM BUCK 1514 WEST COURT AVE.

WINTERSET, IA 50273-1789

OPHSA-- http://btainc.com/OPHSA/ 3 ID-- www.warfoto.com/3rdiv.htm 15 IR- www.sergeantsmajor.org/cando/5RCT-- http://5thrct.com