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SSgt David Nowak
to remember
Marine Cpl Stanley Nowak, Jr. (Stats).
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Casualty Info
Home Town North Tonawanda
Last Address North Tonawanda, NY
Casualty Date Jun 11, 1951
Cause KIA-Died of Wounds
Reason Gun, Small Arms Fire
Location Korea, North
Conflict Korean War
Location of Interment Elmlawn Cemetery - Town of Tonawanda, New York
Wall/Plot Coordinates Evergreen Section D Lot 203 Northwest Grave
Description On 22 April enemy activity across the whole front suddenly increased and the U.N. advance halted abruptly. The expected spring offensive was at hand.
Following a four-hour artillery bombardment, three Chinese Communist armies attacked the U.N. line in the evening hours of 22 April. The main attack was against the U.S. I and IX Corps in the Seoul sector, coupled with a secondary thrust in the central Yonch'on-Hwach'on area and a p w h in the seat near Inje. U.N. lines held firm except in the IX Corps central sector, where ROK units were forced back in confusion. With the line broken, Van Fleet ordered the I and IX Corps to withdraw through a series of delaying positions to Line KANSAS, thus giving up the ground gained in recent U.N. offensives. When the enemy cut the Seoul-Kaesong highway on 26 April, Van Fleet withdrew the IX Corps back to the Hongch'on River.
Meanwhile, in the I Corps area, the enemy crossed the Imjin River on 22 April and drove the ROK unite south of the KANSAS Line on the 23d. On 27 April the enemy outflanked Uijongbu, forcing U.N. units to pulls back to within four miles of Seoul, and also made an unsuccessful attempt to outflank the city to the east. On the east-central front North Koreans captured Inje. By 29 April, however, their drive had been halted. On this date Van Fleet established a new line, designated NONAME-LINE, extending from north of Seoul to Sabangue and thence northeast across the 38th parallel to Taepo-ri on the east coast. Because the major enemy attack had been in the west, Van Fleet reshuffled his units to put more American divisions there. By the end of April, U.N. forces had stopped the enemy short of Seoul and the Han and held a strong, continuous defense line.
As the enemy withdrew to recoup losses, Van Fleet improved his defenses on NO-NAME-LINE and planned an offensive to carry the Eighth Army back to Line KANSAS; but signs of another impending enemy attack led him to postpone it.
On the night of 15-16 May an estimated 21 Chinese divisions, flanked by 3 North Korean divisions in the west and 6 in the east, struck in the central sector against the U.S. X and the ROK III Corps in the Naep'yong-ni-No-dong area. ROK units were again forced back by the swarming columns of Chinese and North Koreans. Once more Van Fleet reshuffled his units, moved in reserves, and laid down a tremendous curtain of artillery fire which exacted heavy casualties and stopped the enemy offensive.
On 17 May the enemy struck down the Pukhan River toward the Han in the western sector, against the I and IX Corps, with a force of about 250,000 men. This attack was also contained after three days of violent action. By 20 May U.N. troops brought the enemy to a standstill, having thus stopped two major offensives in two months.
Van Fleet decided to renew the offensive, so as to give the enemy no chance to gather himself for another counterstrike. On 18 May he opened a series of local attacks. Once more enemy forces pulled back and U.N. forces moved forward against light resistance. Within a few days the I Corps reached the Imjin River north of Munsan-ni and entered Uijongbu and Sinp'al-li. The IX Corps pushed toward Kap'yong, drove the enemy across the Hanch'on River, and moved toward the Hwach'on Reservoir. In the X Corps area the 1st Marine Division attacked Yanggu on 24 May. The 187th RCT headed for Inje, which it captured on the 27th. The Marines were pushing toward the Hwach' on Reservoir and Yanggu. The 7th Division of the I Corps took Hwach'on. By 31 May the U.N. forces scored a significant advance which brought them just about back to the KANSAS Line, and South Korea was virtually cleared of the enemy.
At this point the Joint Chiefs of Staff prescribed that the Eighth Army was not to go beyond the general vicinity of Line KANSAS. The only tactical operations permitted were those necessary to protect itself, to maintain contact, and to harass the enemy. This was the basic pattern of U.N. military operations which was to be followed throughout the remainder of the war.
On 1 June, therefore, Van Fleet ordered his reserve forces to strengthen KANSAS so as to make it virtually impregnable. Meanwhile the I and IX Corps were to continue Operation PILEDRIVER toward Line WYOMING (the bulge north of KANSAS that ran from the Imjin River to points just south of Ch'orwon and Kumhwa and thence southeast). Ch'orwon and Kumhwa were captured on 11 June. Two tank-infantry task fences reached P'yongyang, the northern tip of the Iron Triangle, on 13 June and found it deserted. The dominating high ground north of the city was held by the enemy, however, and U.N. forces withdrew. The Chinese reoccupied P'yongyang on 17 June. Meanwhile the X Corps on the east-central front pushed through mountains toward its sector of the KANSAS Line, which extended over a series of ridges from the Hwach'on Reservoir northeastward to the lower lip of the "Punchbowl," an aptly named circular depression north of Inje. Thus by mid-June the Eighth Army had attained the principal terrain objectives of Operation PILEDRIVER. Action for the rest of the month was confined to developing the KANSAS and WYOMING Lines, and to patrolling and local clashes.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
April / 1951
To Month/Year
July / 1951
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember Chain of Command:
Commanding General, 1st Marine Division (Rein):
MajGen Oliver P. Smith----------------------- (to 23 Feb 1951) BrigGen Louis B. (Chesty) Puller------------- (from 24 Feb 1951 to 4 March 1951) MajGen Oliver P. Smith----------------------- (from 5 March 1951 to 24 April 1951) MajGen Gerald C. Thomas---------------------- (from 25 April 1951)
BrigGen Edward A. Craig---------------------- (to 20 Jan 1951) MajGen Edward A. Craig----------------------- (from 21 Jan 1951 to 1 Feb 1951) BrigGen Lewis B. (Chesty) Puller------------- (from 2 Feb 1951 to 19 May 1951) BrigGen William J. Whaling------------------- (from 20 May 1951)
Commander, 1st Marine Regiment:
Col. Lewis B. (Chesty) Puller---------------- (to 24 Jan 1951) Col. Francis M. McAlister-------------------- (from 25 Jan 1951 to 19 May 1951) Col. Wilburt S. (Big Foot) Brown------------- (from 19 May 1951)
Executive Officer, 1st Marine Regiment:
LtCol Robert W. Rickert---------------------- (from 16 Jan 1951 to 11 Feb 1951) LtCol Alan Sutter---------------------------- (from 12 Feb 1951 to 30 May 1951) LtCol Donald M. Schmuck---------------------- (from 31 May 1951)
Commander, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment:
LtCol Donald M. Schmuck---------------------- (to 27 Feb 1951) LtCol Robley E. West------------------------- (from 28 Feb 1951)
Maj Robley E. West--------------------------- (to 27 Feb 1951) Maj David W. Bridges------------------------- (from 28 Feb 1951)
Commander, "A" Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines:
Capt Robert H. Barrow------------------------ (to 30 Jan 1951) Capt Thomas J. Bohannon---------------------- (from 31 Jan 1951 to 30 June 1951) 1stLt Calvin R. Baker------------------------ (from 1 July 1951)
Memories To this point dad has participated in: The "Pohang Guerrilla Hunt" in January and February 1951. *****************************************************************************************
The CCF Counterattack in Wonju-Chipyong area lasted from 12-21 Feb 1951-(Defensive operations were conducted during these major Communist offensives.) *****************************************************************************************
Since dads letter of 8 Feb the following events had taken place:
The enemy struck back during the second week of February in the Wonju area, and a breakthrough by four CCF divisions created a menacing salient.
The night of 11-12 Feb the enemy reacted to Eighth army pressure with a large-scale counterattack, which threatened to wipe out UN gains on the central front. As a consequence IX Corps units had to abandon Hoengsong on the 12th to the Communists who were hammering out a salient in the direction of Wonju.
On 15 February the 1st Mar Div was assigned to IX Corps. The Marines were ordered to move to Chungju (about 30 to 40 miles south of Wonju) with orders to be prepared either to defend or to conduct further operations.
While the Marines were making their move, the CCF counteroffensive continued full blast along the central front. The enemy had penetrated east of Wonju by the 17th, and another CCF column drove within seven miles of Chechon.
The evening of 18 Feb General Ridgway planned Operation Killer. *****************************************************************************************
Dads letter written approximately 20 February 1951 included the following excerpts:
*****"We pulled out at eight for destinations unknown. We rode all day in open trucks. Arriving here we had to dig in machine guns before we could even put the tent up. We didn't get here until close to midnight. The next morning we broke camp again and moved about six to eight miles from here. Lugged all our gear up a hill, set up the tents for the first day plus digging in the guns. Then the next day we dug in our own holes. The shock came yesterday when we broke camp again and moved back the six to eight miles again, set up and dug in all over again. This plus standing guard every night for anywhere's from an hour to three hours is getting me very disgusted."
*****"The name of the nearest town now is Chongju. It sits right on the bank of the Han River about thirty or forty miles from Wonju and about ninety to a hundred miles from Seoul. We're still held in a reserve status for the Eighth Army. As long as they put up a good fight I think we'll sit back and take it easy as we have." *****************************************************************************************
