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Best Friends MSGT GEORGE NESTOR:SSGT JOSE MARSANS:TSGT FRANK COX:MSGT JIM STILARTY:MSGT HOWARD LEGG.
Best Moment 2200 27 JULY 1953.
Worst Moment ALL THE OTHER TIMES AND DATES BETWEEN 2 OCTOBER 1952 & 2200 27 JULY 1953.
Other Memories APRIL 11th 1953:OPERATION "LITTLE SWITCH" Agreement to exchange sick and wounded POWs was finally reached at the Truce Talks at Panmunjom. A tent compound was hastily contructed at Munsan-ni, named "FREEDOM VILLAGE" and was prepared to receive the returnees. The POWs were exchanged during the period 20Apr-3May 1953. The Communists returned 684 sick & wounded UN troops. The UN returned 1,030 Chinese; 5,194 Koreans and 446 civilian internees 26 March 1953:BEGINING OF THE NEVADA CITIES BATTLES JUNE 18th 1953: SNYGMAN RHEE removes the South Korean guards from the POW camps and set free 27,000 north Korean prisoners with out UN or U.S. approval. This brought the Peace talks to a halt for awhile before the Chinamen and North Koreans returned to the table. This action also inceased the population of South Korea since all the loose ex prisoners were declared citzens of South Korea and were quickly absorbed into rice farming families, who claimed them as long lost relatives. 1 JULY 1953: BEGINING OF THE FINAL BATTLE BERLIN CITIES AND BOULDER CITY. THEN THE IMJIN RIVER ROSE TO OVER 11 FEET WASHING AWAY THE SPOONBILL BRIDGE. ON THE 14-15 JULY THE IMJIN CRESTED AT 26 FEET AT LIBBY BRIDGE, LEAVING ONLY FREEDOM BRIDGE OPEN FOR THE MOVING OF SUPPLIES TO THE DIVISION FORWARD SUPPLY POINTS. MARINES OF COL.JAMES A. MOREAU'S 1ST COMBAT SERVICE GROUP, CURSING THE RAIN AND MUD, FOUGHT THEIR WAY THROUGH AND DELIVERED THE MUCH NEEDED AMMO,RATIONS AND SUPPLIES TO KEEP THE BATTLE GOING. 24 JULY 1953 AT 0900 THE CHINESE LAUNCHED THE ATTACK ON BOULDER CITY FOR THE FINAL BATTLE OF THE WAR.DURING THE ATTACK THE CHINESE REGAINED OUTPOSTS BERLIN & EAST BERLIN, BUT FAILED TO TAKE THE KEY DEFENSIVE POSITION OF BOULDER CITY FROM THE MARINES.BOTH SIDES CONTINUED EXTENSIVE PATROL ACTION UNTIL THE TRUCE WENT INTO EFFECT AT 2200 27JUL53. AUG 5-DEC 23 1953-"OPERATION BIG SWITCH" The large and final POW exchange began at Freedom Village near the Imjin River, shortly after the cease fire (27JUL53)and went on and on for 5 long months while the UN and Communists argued over who was going where. There were many side issues during the exchange, which was supervised by neutral Indian Army troops. One being the twenty one USA troops who elected to stay with their communist captors instead of being repatriated.Another was the belligerent,riotous and somewhat admirable military attitude of the hard core communists being repatriated. On their trip from the POW camps on Koje-Do to the exchange site,they stripped off the utility uniforms issued to them and tossed them from the the trains and trucks along with all other American gear and supplies in their possession. They returned to the other side in skivvies or in some cases naked as Jaybirds. The United Nations returned 75,823 POWs (70,183 Koreans,5640 Chinese) The Communists returned 12,773 POW UN troops (7,862 Koreans 3,597 Americans, 946 British) In the final count 21 Amercans elected to stay with the Communists (NO MARINES)
