JMJ

Friday, May 28, 2010

aug 2nd 51

 
                                                                      JMJ
Million Dollar Hill
Aug 2nd 1951
Kumwah North Korea
"L" Co. 5th RCT 24th Div,
                                                            Attack on Million Dollar Hill
   At the end of July we made one more patrol which turn out to be a ambush patrol..We found a path late at night and covered all sides of the path.Any person passing would meet a soldier..That night when we return to our fox holes the platoon officers says we are on alert so nobody would get any sleep.it was a rough night,
                                                               August 1st 1951
 We were told to fill up our fox holes.I had found a North Korean bayonet and threw it in the fox hole..One less thing to carry,Early in the morning of the 2st August after filling our fox holes we came off the hill we knew we were going to attack the hill.An officer was in a tiny tent and paying soldiers with what we called
"Funny money:" Military money.Why?? I went to get paid.I knew what was going to happen in the next few hours,As I approach the officer my hands were shaking so bad I could not sign my name, So he "red line me" meaning I had not been paid,,Then they put us in trucks and they drove us to the bottom of the million dollar hill.At the bottom were these huge light shining up the hill.We started up the hill which was very high.As the sun came up we were reaching the top.At one point I looked to my left.and I saw a long line of bunkers, (Enemy bunkers).When we stopped I hid myself in some brush.On my left some radiomen stopped.I listened as they called in artillery.The first rounds fell short.Then I heard them say raise the artillery. I watched as a round went straight into the enemy bunker with a puff of smoke coming out,Then we continued up the hill.Our mission believe it or not. "To draw enemy fire on us" so that another company going up the hill would get less fired upon.On the ridge line a Sgt went out blowing a whistle and shouting.When he came back we were told to fire at the enemy positions.Everybody was down and here I was standing firing my M! Rifle.Thje Sgt saying get down Meyer get down..Then from in back of me a Sgt said to me .We need help taking a wounded man off the hill.He took me and another soldier.there was a black man lying on the ground.They put him in a strecher,And we proceeded to take him down the hill..His only words :Water I want water"...At one point we took as break and put him down.Now the troops were drawing fire..We saw another wounded soldier come off the hill.As they put him down near us I ask. What happen to you" as he did not look that bad. He said look at my foot.he moved it a little and we saw that a
bullet had gone through one side of his foot to the other.How did that happen..He said I did what I was taught to do.I hid behind a rock but I spread my feet and caught a bullet.He said (Ill never forget) "You wont see me again" and we didnt.So up the hill.It rained the firefights went on all night,
The sad news even tho we drew fire on ourselves a squad of soldiers got killed by machine gun coming up the other side of the hill.A black man threw a grenade which destroyed the machine gun bunker...So the rest of the company had a better chance to get up the hill.
Phillip Meyer S./sgt Ret