A Morning in June: Defending Outpost Harry

Bibliography

206 / Notes to Pages 32–43 and George L. MacGarrigle, Black Soldier, White Army: The 24th Infantry Regiment in Korea (Washington, DC: Center of Military History, U.S. Army, 1996), 59. 3. Ibid., 265. 4. Gail Buckley, American Patriots: The Story of Blacks in the Military from the Revolution to Desert Storm (New York: Random House, 2001), 335–67. 5. D. F. Ravenscraft, 5th RCT, 5th Infantry Regiment, Company C Morning Report , 13 June 1953. 6.When cartridges are laid one next to another, they form a circle, since the rear of the cartridge is larger than the front with the projectile (slug). Therefore, the container (clip) that contains multiple cartridges must be curved. The clip (magazine), which contains thirty .30-caliber bullets, has to be curved and takes on the shape of a banana. For the .30-caliber carbine, each clip was about twelve inches long. About two inches of the top end (the end where the bullets were loaded) would be inserted into the carbine for shooting. With two of the banana clips we would have sixty bullets to shoot. For speed in reloading another thirty rounds (one clip), we taped one clip to another reversed so that the open end could be quickly inserted into the carbine. We would have to be careful not to let the open end of the taped magazine (now pointing down) get dirt in it, or it would become useless. 7. Gordon Rottman, U.S. World War II and Korean Field Fortifications, 1941–53 (Oxford, UK: Osprey House, 2004). 8. The normal procedure for exchanging one unit for another is to have an advance party visit the new area. Coordinating with the company to be replaced involves learning about any weapons that may be left, enemy positions, anticipated lanes of attack, and so forth. Most of these transitions occur at night so that the enemy doesn’t know if a new unit is responsible for the defense. Under a bright moon, a deep trench from the back to the fighting trench would be necessary to ensure secrecy. Then, in small groups, one squad would relieve another. Another technique for relieving troops is called“infiltration,”where a smaller number of soldiers move in to replace those that are leaving the position. This takes longer but ensures that the movement is made with the least noise. 9. In the summer of 1951, the United Nations and North Korea started talks that by 27 June 1953 resulted in a demilitarized area across Korea. During the two years of negotiations, neither side wanted to give up territory, so an imaginary line was drawn on the map across Korea.As the cease-fire grew closer, the United Nations didn’t want to give the Koreans (actually the Chinese) an excuse to stop the agreement. When the Turks moved out on their own, attacking the NKPA and occupying the land, it caused a “bulge” in the line of contact on the map, thereby creating great distress in Washington, D.C. The United Nations had to get the Turks back inside the contact line. 10. For those who have never been on a rifle range, when someone fires a rifle and you’re in the dugout pulling and marking the target, the ball (bullet projectile) makes a sharp crack as it passes over your head. Someone told me that what one hears is the sound of the ball breaking the sound barrier. If you listen carefully, you can then hear the sound of the rifle fire a split second after the ball passes over your head. The sound of the rifle firing doesn’t travel as fast as the ball. If you have experienced this sound, you know it is unforgettable. 11. COL Lee L. Alfred, 5th RCT, 40th Infantry Division Command Report (hereafter , Alfred, 5th RCT Command Report), November 1952. Notes to Pages 45–74 / 207 Chapter 4 1. Alfred, 5th RCT Command Report, December 1952. 2. Earlier in the Korean War, only leather boots were available (except for Marines, who used waterproof “snow pac” boots), and many warriors ended their tour in Korea with frozen feet. 3. Paddy Griffith, Fortification of the Western Front, 1914–18 (Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2004). Chapter 5 1. Alfred, 5th RCT Command Report, December 1952. 2. COL H. H. Fischer, 5th RCT Command Report (hereafter, Fischer, 5th RCT Command Report), January 1953. 3. Ibid. 4. Patrol leaders could call in a marking shell or a three-round concentration to kill any...