In each attack, you’re faced with situations that may take your life. The attack for Mae-bong, a 3604 ft mountain on the 38° parallel, lasted five days 20 - 24 of May 1951. My first experience came, I think, the second day, while standing in line waiting for the assault platoon working on it’s objective.
I saw an enemy soldier laying on a big boulder about twenty-five feet above me, his rifle and fully extended bayonet aimed directly at me. I quickly dropped down on my left side and pulled my pistol and stared at each other for a long time. I fired once and he rolled towards me, off the rock dead. Why he didn't fire first, I don't know...Maybe he new that others would get to him.
Sgt. Alley did not believe ‘one shot Iezzoni’. Weeks later, he bet me $50 that I couldn’t hit a good size tree to our front – I missed all eight times. He did not take the money when I offered it to him. So, it could be that someone else saw and at that enemy at the same time I fired my pistol or the Guardian Angel was with me.
The objective taken, we moved up a quarter mile where the mortar was set up to fire. Shortly after, the BARman next to us on the line was hit. Over an hour later, a squad of enemy soldiers appeared on the ridge just eight feet away from us. Before they could fire, two of our new US ammo bearers opened fire and killed at least six of them. Counter-attack was called and we all ran back a half mile, down the ridge and started digging in.
That night we were attacked five or six times.
We continued our attack in the morning and retook our objective and more. On the way past our old position, I counted the 5 dead enemy out loud to Sgt. Alley and added one more 6th on the other side of the ridge.
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