Tag: Chinese surprise attack 1950

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Smith, Vernon Dean
Army Corporal

Vernon Dean Smith from Newport, Vermont, Orleans county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, November 1, 1950
Death details: During the last week of October 1950, Republic of Korea (ROK) Army forces under the control of the U.S. Eighth Army were advancing deep in North Korean territory, approaching the Yalu River on the Chinese-Korean border. Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) struck back in a surprise attack, engaging the ROK 1st and 6th Divisions near Unsan, some sixty miles north of Pyongyang. The U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, with the 8th Cavalry Regiment in the lead, was rushed forward to reinforce the ROK units in the Unsan area. On November 1, the regiment’s 1st Battalion took up positions north of Unsan, while the 2nd Battalion moved to guard the Nammyon River valley west of town, and the 3rd Battalion was placed in reserve at the valley’s southern end. Sergeant Vernon Dean Smith, who joined the U.S. Army from Vermont, was a member of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. By midnight on November 1, 1950, the 8th Cavalry Regiment was forced to withdraw from Unsan to Ipsok to avoid encirclement by the enemy. The CCF infiltrated around the road out of Unsan and continuously attacked the withdrawing men, who had to fight through several enemy road blocks to reach Ipsok. Sergeant Smith was captured by the CCF during this moving battle. He was eventually marched to Camp 5, a prison camp on the bank of the Yalu River in Pyoktong, North Korea. Returning prisoners of war reported that SGT Smith died at Camp 5 in February of 1951. His remains have not been recovered or identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the war. Today, Sergeant Smith is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Rutland Daily Herald (1954)

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Stamm, Harold Charles
Army Corporal

Harold Charles Stamm, age 21, from Oak Harbor, Ohio, Ottawa county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, November 1, 1950
Death details: During the last week of October 1950, Republic of Korea (ROK) Army forces under the control of the U.S. Eighth Army were advancing deep in North Korean territory, approaching the Yalu River on the Chinese-Korean border. Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) struck back in a surprise attack, engaging the ROK 1st and 6th Divisions near Unsan, some sixty miles north of Pyongyang. The U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, with the 8th Cavalry Regiment in the lead, was rushed forward to reinforce the ROK units in the Unsan area. On November 1, the regiment’s 1st Battalion took up positions north of Unsan, while the 2nd Battalion moved to guard the Nammyon River valley west of town, and the 3rd Battalion was placed in reserve at the valley’s southern end. Sergeant Harold Charles Stamm joined the U.S. Army from Ohio and was a member of Company G of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, Company G was in defensive positions with the 2nd Battalion near Unsan, when it came under intense rocket and mortar attacks and was forced to withdraw. Sergeant Stamm went missing during this action. A Company G survivor of this battle reported that SGT Stamm was shot dead by CCF while attempting to ‘play dead’ along one of the evasion routes; however, he could not recall the particular evasion route. Two other survivors of this battle who were lieutenants of Company G, likewise reported that SGT Stamm was shot and killed while in their small group and trying to evade the enemy south of the Yongsongdong on the Unsan road. No burial or recovery information was reported. Sergeant Stamm was never officially reported as a prisoner of war and his remains have not been identified among any returned to the U.S. following the war. Today, Sergeant Stamm is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Ottawa County Exponent (1950)

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Stim, Robert James
Army Sergeant

Robert James Stim, age 23, from Inglewood, California, Los Angeles county.

Parents: John Stim

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, November 1, 1950
Death details: During the last week of October 1950, Republic of Korea (ROK) Army forces under the control of the U.S. Eighth Army were advancing deep in North Korean territory, approaching the Yalu River on the Chinese-Korean border. Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) struck back in a surprise attack, engaging the ROK 1st and 6th Divisions near Unsan, some sixty miles north of Pyongyang. The U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, with the 8th Cavalry Regiment in the lead, was rushed forward to reinforce the ROK units in the Unsan area. On November 1, the regiment’s 1st Battalion took up positions north of Unsan, while the 2nd Battalion moved to guard the Nammyon River valley west of town, and the 3rd Battalion was placed in reserve at the valley’s southern end. Sergeant Robert James Stim joined the U.S. Army from Pennsylvania and was a member of Company G of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, Company G was in defensive positions with the 2nd Battalion near Unsan, when it came under intense rocket and mortar attacks and infantry assaults, forcing it to withdraw. Sergeant Stim went missing during this action, though circumstances surrounding his loss are unknown. He was never officially reported as a prisoner of war, and his remains have not been identified among any returned to the U.S. following the war. Today, Sergeant Stim is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, North Hollywood Valley Times (1954)

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Thompson, Ogden Neil
Army Sergeant

Ogden Neil Thompson, age 20, from Aurora, Illinois, Kane county.

Parents: Freeda Belle Thompson

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, November 1, 1950
Death details: During the last week of October 1950, Republic of Korea (ROK) Army forces under the control of the U.S. Eighth Army were advancing deep in North Korean territory, approaching the Yalu River on the Chinese-Korean border. Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) struck back in a surprise attack, engaging the ROK 1st and 6th Divisions near Unsan, some sixty miles north of Pyongyang. The U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, with the 8th Cavalry Regiment in the lead, was rushed forward to reinforce the ROK units in the Unsan area. On November 1, the regiment’s 1st Battalion took up positions north of Unsan, while the 2nd Battalion moved to guard the Nammyon River valley west of town, and the 3rd Battalion was placed in reserve at the valley’s southern end. Sergeant First Class Ogden Neil Thompson joined the U.S. Army from Illinois and was a member of Company G of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, Company G was in defensive positions with the 2nd Battalion near Unsan, when it came under intense rocket, mortar, and infantry attacks, forcing it to withdraw. Sergeant First Class Thompson went missing during this action, and in a published veteran’s recollection, he was said to have been killed while evading out of the company area. He was never officially reported as a prisoner of war, and his remains have not been identified among any returned to the U.S. following the war. Today, Sergeant First Class Thompson is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Chicago Tribune (1954)