Wednesday, January 4, 2012

OPERATION NOMAD, 15 Oct 51

OPERATION NOMAD/POLAR, NORTH KOREA 
From a letter written by MSGT Keeble to his wife, Nettie, during Op Nomad. Story printed by a Wahpeton newspaper.


He notes that three battling -ooks not only brought up rations to their men in the hills, but when the company moved into the attack, they volunteered to bring up vitally needed ammo and take badly wounded men to the aid station.Shouldering two boxes of ammo each, throwing several bandoleers over their backs, the gooks started winding up the steep path on a climb “that takes 40 minutes if you don’t stop for a break.”As they climbed, the fury of the battle increased. The Chinese laid down a heavy mortar barrage which blanketed the top of the hill and began to creep down the slope toward the ammo-bearing -ooks. Eager hands relieved the men of their precious cargo as they reached the hill top.“We were almost out of ammo when they got here,” writes the Wahpeton fighter. Going down, the -ooks helped the medics carry the wounded down the mortar splattered slope.
 Note: Is Keeble writing about the 3 Carriers gooks???

Morning Report 15 Oct 51, Unit moved into the attack apprx 0500 hrs received heavy artillery & small arms fire secured position apprx 0930 hrs 6EM & 2 ROK atchd fr Med Co fr rats & qtrs 1 Off & 4 EM atchd fr 13 FA Bn for rats & qtrs 25 EM atchd fr H Co 19th Inf for rats & qtrs  
15 Oct 51
    G Co is on the attack, they called for small arms resupply which they needed badly. I elected to bring them up with three Korean carriers. Koczorowski Norber (Ski) was in charge of the ammo supply and the Korean carriers. He drove us as close as possible to the fighting. We got off the full jeep and worked our way towards the ongoing action. Halfway up, we took cover near the supporting platoon until the ridge was taken.
    We moved up the ridge and delivered the ammo. Just then, I was presented with a prisoner. His semiautomatic weapon, I passed on, to a carrier next to me(see photo taken by SFC David Derry, 4th Platoon, Mortar Section).
    I left the Korean carriers to help with the wounded and walked the prisoner down to the jeep, where Ski waited for me.  As I came down, I noticed there was fighting going on just to the right of our unit’s position. Two halftracks, with quad 50s on  turret, were both firing, nonstop, targeting the side of the hill from left to right and up to the ridge. The halftracks were located at the assembly area of the day's attack.
    Curiously, I walked towards the firing machines, then, the Chinese started their mortar attack on them. The prisoner and I took cover in one of the foxholes our unit had dug the day before. In it, was a nest of yellow jackets almost as big as hummingbirds. When the barrage ended, I jumped out into another foxhole, leaving my prisoner there. There was another barrage, and, when it ended, my prisoner decided to rejoin me. He must have felt safer with me since we were near the halftracks and he didn’t want to be mistaken for an enemy combatant.
    A third barrage followed and the halftracks moved out, one after the other.
    The mortar fire continued for two more times after their departure. Five barrages of fifteen to twenty rounds in each. One hit a tree only a few feet from us.
     I located the jeep with Ski in the driver seat and handed over my prisoner. Ski turned his carbine on him I pushed it away then told Ski that he was a good prisoner and related to him what had happened in the foxholes.
    The jeep left with the Chinese, I  returned to the hill and waited for the hot food to come with Jacob Gruener who took my place bringing it up today.
    On the 16th, Chief Keeble came down with me because the food truck was waiting below. His men were part of the assaulting platoon. I remember this as the day he came off the hill for ammo but ended up having 83 pieces of shrapnel also wood splinters removed from his body at the aid station. The splinters were likely from the wooden handle of Chinese hand grenades. A Jeep drove him back near the hill wearing a new winter field jacket.

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