A heart-breaking withdrawal

The “point” of any tactical movement is a critical element of moving combat forces from one place to another because it is the point that determines how fast a column of troops will move. If the point is aggressive and employs alert flanking elements, then the following units will experience an uninterrupted movement forward. If the point is overly cautious, following units will experience the confusion that always comes with stopping and starting a long military train. The point must always move forward until it is taken under enemy fire.

When the Marine Brigade continued its advance on Sachon, minus one battalion, [then] Captain Kenneth Houghton’s Reconnaissance Company took the point and Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines provided the advance party. The push west was made with little or no enemy opposition. The roadside was littered with enemy equipment, which was a testament to the destruction handed to the NKPA forces the previous day by Marine aircraft. As the Marines moved forward, they noted that the destroyed vehicles were Russian made variants of the Ford Jeep. The Marines, always looking for ways to increase their equipment inventory, confiscated the vehicles that were still operative. Within a scant five hours, the point unit had advanced sixteen miles and Sachon was only about four miles further to the west.

Mentally, the 5th Marines felt that they were in competition with the Army’s 5th Regimental Combat Team (RCT); they wanted to take Sachon before the Army captured Chinju. The route of march for the Marines involved 34 road miles, while the Army’s route of march involved 28 — and it was this competitive spirit that kept morale high among the foot-sore, overheated Marines. They forgot their blisters, ignored the fact that they had not had a heated meal for six days, or that they were always short of the much needed water. As the Marines entered the u-shaped valley of Changallon, surrounded by hills upward of 600 feet in elevation, they were unaware of the enemy’s presence. In fact, the North Koreans were so well concealed that low-flying aircraft were unable to snoop them out. The North Koreans were determined to wait until the point and advance guard units were well within the ambush site. Captain Houghton was wary of the u-shaped valley because he knew that the terrain provided advantages to an enemy force, and as it turned out a massacre was only prevented by good luck and the alertness of Houghton’s forward elements.

Approaching a small bridge outside of Changallon, Marines spotted to enemy soldiers moving toward the village; two soldiers out of 500 well-placed North Korean infantry gave away their position. The Marines took the two NK’s under fire, and the North Koreans’ momentary lapse in fire discipline, opened up with small arms and automatic weapons. It was thus that the bloody battle of Changallon began, and Captain Houghton realized that he could not handle the situation alone. With the sound of fire, Company B deployed to the left and right of the route of march. As the Marines sought cover in the two feet of water in the rice paddies, all but two of the company’s radios went out of operation and platoon leaders were forced to rely on runners to communicate with squads and the company command element. Using a tank radio, the Company B commander sent a request to his Battalion Commander for air support. Meanwhile, the Marine artillery units came on line almost immediately, although the mortar crews had some problem finding a solid base from which to set up their tubes.

Marine tanks moved forward immediately and engaged the enemy at 750 yards, inflicting massive casualties on the North Koreans, but the tanks were unable to maneuver in the rice paddies and were forced to engage the enemy while in column on the road. The fire fight lasted for more than four hours and support Marines ran forward to administer first aid to their wounded comrades. Slowly, the Marines advanced under heavy enemy fire. As they reached the crest of surrounding hills, the well-enemy along the reverse slope, counter-attack inflicting heavy casualties among the advancing Marines.

The battle continued well past 2200 hours, and it took that long to reestablish solid radio communications throughout the 1st Battalion and set in defensive positions, but it was Marine aircraft flying low over the battle area that helped to keep casualties to a minimum. Marine helicopters were kept busy retrieving downed pilots. In four days, the Marines had traveled some 28 miles, but an equivalent of four times that distance considering the rugged uphill terrain. The Marines realized that they had but two directions in Korea: uphill, and downhill.

Before morning on the 13th of August, however, the Brigade received orders to withdraw from their positions and move with all due haste to Chindong-ni to help the 25th Division hold its position. So urgent was the need for additional forces, General Craig was authorized to destroy in-place any equipment that hindered his relocation. The 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines became the Brigade’s covering force, and 1st Battalion Marines were ordered to withdraw from the hilly terrain they had fought so hard for the previous day. When the Marines decided to destroy the field galley ranges, the always stoic Marines remarked, “What the hell . . . this is a purple heart and K-ration war anyway.” But the fighting wasn’t over — yet. As Marines from Company B were getting ready to withdraw from the ridge line at 0430, one of the platoon commanders reported enemy movement to his immediate front, and within minutes, the Marines were assaulted with savage fury. North Korean forces attempted to split and isolate the rifle platoons and roll up the left flank. Heavy fighting knocked out the radio of the artillery forward observer, so fire missions had to be related by company radio to Battalion, who called in for suppressive fires. Suddenly, artillery and mortars opened up in a brilliant display of pin-point marksmanship. Decimated enemy forces were replaced with wave after wave of North Korean forces.

Overwhelmed by superior forces, and in order to maintain a solid wall of resistance, the Marines moved further back; by daylight, the Marines were ready to counter-attack when the Company B commander was ordered to immediately withdraw. The captain challenged his orders, informing his battalion commander that he had a squad of Marines isolated and about to be destroyed. He asked for an additional hour to retrieve the Marines — but his request was denied. The Marines withdrew cursing as only Marines can curse when they are emotionally extended and physically exhausted. The troops became gloomy, silent, and very angry, and even when the reason for their withdrawal was explained to them, the Marine riflemen hated the thought of leaving eight of their friends behind. One Marine was heard to remark, “May God burn the son of a bitch who gave the order.” In this one action, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines suffered fifteen killed, 33 wounded, and 8 missing in action.