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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
Korean War/First UN Counteroffensive (1951)/Operation Killer
From Month/Year
February / 1951
To Month/Year
March / 1951
Description The 2nd Division jumped-off on "Operation Killer" on 22 February. The initial advance was slow, not so much due to resistance as to terrain. The sector assigned to the 2nd Division presented enormous problems. However, by 1700 hours both the 9th and 38th Infantry Regiments had reached the Chuchon River where swift waters and a lack of bridges delayed crossing. The engineers constructed a foot bridge for immediate use of the 9th Infantry and, in the 23rd Infantry Regiment's zone of advance, tanks of the regimental tank company were used to ferry people to the north bank. The 9th Infantry ran into moderate resistance on 23 February but with all three battalions teaming up, an enemy force of 2,000 was routed, dispersed to the north, leaving their dead and wounded behind. The Second Battalion of the 23rd Infantry, with the 37th Infantry FA Bn attached, moved east into the 7th Division zone on 26 February in preparation for an attack on the following day on Ungyo-ri, an important town on the Hoengsong-Pangnimni road. The 9th Infantry, after securing Haanhung-ni, west of Ungyo-ri, sent a battalion eastward along the road in anticipation of an enemy withdrawal from Ungyo-ri when the Second Battalion of the 23rd Infantry launched its assault. The evening of this last day of February found the 2nd Division in positions astride the Hoengsong-Pangnimni road in its sector and preparing to continue its advance to Phase Line Arizona which paralleled the road roughly 7,000 meters to the north. Ahead of the Division were strong elements of the 17th and 18th CCF Divisions and lesser elements of the III and V North Korean Corps which were retreating slowly to the north in the face of the grinding X Corps offensive. Intelligence reports indicated the foe intended to delay the advance as much as possible while he prepared fixed defenses north of the 38th parallel. "Operation Ripper," was designed to carry UN forces to the 38th Parallel. Similar to "Operation Killer" it aimed at maximum destruction of enemy personnel and equipment with minimal friendly casualties. It wasn't the character of the opposition so much, although at times throughout the month it was fanatic and as strong as any ever faced. It was the terrain, coupled with alternate spring thaws, rains and days of sub-zero freezes which hampered every activity and wrought unprecedented burdens on every unit and operation. The operation concluded by the end of March.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
February / 1951
To Month/Year
March / 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 following:
The "Pohang Guerrilla Hunt" in January and early February 1951. The "CCF Spring Offensive" in mid February 1951. **************************************************************************************
Operation Killer was conducted to reestablish UN Line east of Wonju and lasted from 21 Feb to 7 March 1951. **************************************************************************************
Since dads letter of approximately 20 Feb the following events had taken place:
Operation Killer was the first occasion in Korea when the 1st Mar Div took part as a unit of a large army making an advance on line on a wide front.
The division scheme of maneuver of 21 February envisioned an advance by two regiments on line (RCT-1, on the left of RCT-5), keeping close contact with each other and with the Army units on either side.
RCT-1 attacked from a Wonju line of departure toward the high ground east of Hoengsong. Little opposition was encountered by RCT-1, with the 1st Bn leading, in an advance of four miles along the Wonju-Hoengsong road. That night was uneventful except for the dispersing of two small enemy groups in the 1/1 area with mortar and artillery fire.
The next morning (the 22nd) in the zone of RCT-1, the 1st Bn was topped by heavy automatic and small arms fire from Hill 166, the western knob of a ridge overlooking the Wonju-Hoengsong road. The men tied in for the night with the 2d Bn in readiness for a joint assault. And in the morning (the 23rd), after a brisk artillery preparation, the two battalions launched a frontal attack.
By 0900 the 2d Bn had gained a foothold on the center and right of the ridge which permitted observation on Hill 166, the objective of the 1st Bn. Two effective air strikes were called on the position, which the 1st Bn secured at 1015.
That afternoon both battalions jumped off to attack the next ridgeline. They met a stubborn resistance from CCF troops defending log bunkers with mortar, automatic, and small arms fire. The fight was hot and heavy for a few minutes, but elements of the 2d Bn decided it by seizing a portion of the ridge just to the left of the enemy bunkers. From this point they swept down the ridge line, overran the CCF mortar positions, and put the enemy remnants to flight. That night RCT-1 dug in on the high ground overlooking Hoengsong from the south.
On the 24th in the zone of RCT-1, Marine tanks led a 1/1 combat patrol into Hoengsong itself. Although the enemy had abandoned the demolished town, the two battalions of RCT-1 came under CCF mortar and artillery fire from the ridge to the north.
Thus the Marine participation in the First Phase of Operation Killer ended with the assault regiments organizing their positions on the Corps objective and sending out patrols.
The First Phase of Operation Killer had ended satisfactorily. Eighth Army units on either side of the 1st Mar Div had made gains, and the Marine capture of Hoengsong on the 24th nearly wiped out the salient left by the recent CCF counteroffensive.
The next few days were devoted to planning and preparations to resume the attack on an enemy reported to be withdrawing northward. **************************************************************************************
Dads letter of Wednesday, 28 February 1951 included the following excerpts:
*****"We've moved around now for almost two weeks and we've been pretty busy. We went from Uisong to Chungju to Wonju and now we're near a town about fifteen miles north of Wonju called Hoengsong."
*****"I've been moved to gunner on my machine gun. My squad leader and gunner were both wounded on the push. We were lucky on that. Nobody was killed, a number of wounded (none serious) and the enemy lost quite a few and retreated quite a ways."
*****"I know that I shouldn't be telling you these things but don't worry too much. I know you'll worry but I know enough to keep my head down, my eyes and ears open, and my mouth shut."
*****"We're moving out again somewhere tomorrow. Where we don't know but we know it's north. We're about thirty to thirty-five air miles south of the 38th parallel. Maybe we'll reach it soon and this will be settled." **************************************************************************************
