The summer of 1951 ‘G’ Company established a patrol base in front of the (M.L.R.) Main Line of Resistance positions occupied by the 31st or 32nd Infantry Regiment, (depending on which was ‘on the line’ at the time), of the 7th Infantry Division which occupied the MLR for the period of our patrols on their front some 5 or 6 times.
Our unit road marched or motor marched (assisted by trucks) to a point where we would leave the road to a trail leading to the MLR on top of the mountain where the 31st or the 32nd Regiment were positioned. We turned right on the friendly side of the ridge and descended on the first down ridge on enemy side or No Man’s Land then and set up a patrol base some 5000 yards forward of the MLR. Our dug in positions were reoccupied by us each time we returned to patrol.
On each patrol day the rifle platoons would lead down ridge the 4th platoon followed taking positions on ‘Objective Nan’ overlooking the Kumhwa valley. The patrolling went on for some 3+ hours before returning to our patrol base positions where we would have to defend the often nightly attacks. Thanks to the 86th Engineer Searchlight Company for illuminating our base patrol defensive positions. They made it possible for us to see the enemy attackers before nearing our foxholes at night. The next day we went back on patrol and returned to base positions. We patrolled for 3 or 4 days before going back on reserve.
During this period I was the 4th Platoon booby trap man, as an added duty. It was my job to set explosive traps in front of our 4th platoon defensive positions. The deadly snares consisted of hand grenades, M-48 trip flares (the tripped flare had a parachute that opened and illuminated the area) and sometimes unexploded ammo rounds found nearby. They were all individually tied to a trip wire set below knee level.
Before our daily patrol, I would have to disarm some booby traps in the passage way leading to our patrolling area and rearm them after we returned to our base positions. Each time we departed back on reserve it was dark before daybreak our booby traps were left activated. (I have often thought of those active booby traps left in enemy territory)
One day returning to our base positions I went to went to deactivate my traps on the path but was not able to locate the olive-drab trip wire. I could see the hand grenade on the tree but where the wire was just not visible to me…until I accidentally tripped it! I FROZE IN PLACE standing there just waiting for the grenade to go off. I should have hit the ground or jumped out of the way but I didn’t. I don’t know why, I just remained in place. As I realized the grenade didn’t explode I was afraid to look at it. My whole body was limp. I finally got the courage to look and I noticed the lever on the grenade was stuck on the bark of the tree. (A NO NO, I was trained to never secure a granade near a branch, this time I did saving my life) I placed my hand on the granade pulling the lever back in place. Now I had another problem: the granade's security pin tied to the wire was on the ground and out of reach. I decided to replace the lever back stuck on the bark, but this time I had planned to jump out of the way if the lever flipped off the bark, I then bent down, grabbed the pin with the wire and re-inserted it back on the granade spread the pin open and untied the granade from the tree. My guardian Angel at worked.
On one of our patrols (7-7-51) after reaching our Objective Nan, I was with John DiBello 57mm recoiless gunner, who was positioned in a earlier dug hole on the top ridge. He in the hole and I stretched out on the ground with my right hand supporting my head talking with him when a single incoming 120mm mortar round exploded twenty yards away. A shrapnel hit the neck of Michael Kennedy killing him instantly an other hit Clark McMinn on the leg. They were carried back up the MLR then down off the mountain where a medical jeep waited.
As Clark McMinn departed on the stretcher up to the MLR, sang, “California here I come,” because he thought he had a ‘million dollar wound’, that would warrant a trip back to the US. (He was returned back to the Platoon 27-7-51 but rotated in Aug 51).
With McMinn gone I took over the gunner's job of the 60mm mortar. I now carried the tube w/ base plate, my assistant carried the bipods. Normally, a mortar team consists of, a gun commander, a gunner, assistant gunner and ammo beares. Here, Sgt Alley, Plt leader, acted as gun commander.
The next day as we just arrived to our objective, Alley became all excited and immediately commanded to fire a WP (white phosphorous) round 50ft down to our left. I quickly began assembling the bipods to the tube but was not responding fast enough to please him... I yelled back, “There’s no way I can fire without the bipods. It might land right on top of us!” He looked at me with great agitation and I knew he wanted that round fired right away! “Hell,” I said, “I could probably throw it that far!” “Well dammit Iezzoni, do it!” he roared back. (20 seconds had passed in a 1 and 2 between us). I removed the pin and tossed it some 25ft creating a beatiful plume of white smoke making my platoon Leader grin from here to God knows where...
I asked him what was that all about? He just pointed deep down the valley to our right where the enemy had fired a marking WP (white phosphorous) round that had gone way overhead past us. So, Alley wanted to full the enemy into thinking that their WP was on target and it worked. Within minutes enemy started firing at us non stop 5 or 6 barrages of 15 - 25 rounds per barrage, about 125 to 150 rounds. They all went over our heads wastefully way down to no man's land. Imagine the damage if all those rounds exploded on us!!!
I don't thing that Alley ever got credit for his quick thinking because I never heard this mentioned around our Company. In combat many good things go unmentioned.
Thank You M/SGT Alley Thane for Saving Many of Us that Day on Objective NAN or Pong Dong Dong Ni, N. Korea Jul 51.
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