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C h a p t e r  Prelude to Chipyong-ni Campaigns and battles are nothing but a long series of difficulties to be overcome. The lack of equipment, the lack of food, the lack of this or that are only excuses; the real leader displays his qualities in his triumphs over adversity, however great it may be. —Gen. George C. Marshall Unity and confidence cannot be improvised. They alone can create that mutual trust, that feeling of force which gives courage and daring. Pride exists only among people who know each other well, who have esprit de corps, and company spirit. There is a necessity for an organization that renders unity possible by creating the real individuality of the company. —Ardant du Picq T he battle of Twin Tunnels gave the Americans and their French comrades confidence in their ability to absorb anything their foes could muster against them. The battle had been a close call in which the defenders were saved by airpower at the last moment before disaster struck. Nonetheless, the UN forces had prevailed. On the day following the battle, the d Regimental Combat Team patrolled the area around the tunnels and the road to Chipyong-ni. The patrols found Chinese troops in the village of Sindae, about three kilometers north of the tunnels and halfway between the tunnels and Chipyongni . They engaged the Chinese with artillery as well as fire from the tanks accompanying the patrol.1 The d Infantry continued to the north and entered the village of Chipyong-ni on  February. The village was at a road junction about two and a half miles northwest, or about four miles by road, from the tunnels. There was nothing to distinguish the village from countless others in that part of the peninsula. Dirt streets led between small buildings with mostly thatched roofs. Rice paddies took up all the flat ground around the village, and on the west, came right up to the buildings themselves. On the other three sides, low hills formed the edges of the town, and from any spot in the village one could look toward the horizon and see high, almost treeless mountains dominating the site. Freeman was cautious after the battle at the tunnels, and ordered a watchful approach march. The st Battalion followed the high ground to the east of the road, while the French Battalion scoured the high ground to the west. Both battalions ranged far out to the flanks of the main body, which was moving slowly up the road. The st Battalion saw enemy soldiers on Hill , east of Chipyong-ni, and directed air strikes on them. Otherwise, the approach was uneventful and the regiment arrived at the placid village by late afternoon. By  hours, the regiment had occupied the line of low hills closely surrounding the town to the north, south, and east.2 It was a busy day for the regiment as the entire Eighth Army chain of command visited the headquarters. Generals Almond and Ruffner were the first to arrive just after lunch. Then, at  hours, General Ridgway, accompanied by Assistant Secretary of the Army Earl D. Johnson, arrived. Ridgway presented the Presidential Unit Citation to the regimental headquarters , the d Battalion, and the French Battalion for their victory at Twin Tunnels. He also decorated Colonel Freeman with the Distinguished Service Cross. Freeman later recalled that the large number of Chinese bodies scattered throughout the area impressed Ridgway.3 Freeman’s mission was to deny the enemy the use of the road net and hold the area that would become the left flank of the d ROK Division when it maneuvered into line before attacking to the north. His experiences at Wonju and the Twin Tunnels had impressed upon Freeman the importance of having a perimeter as tightly integrated as he could make it. He especially wanted to avoid any gaps like those that had given the Chinese an opportunity to attack between units at the tunnels. As a result, he and Lieutenant Colonel Meszar decided to occupy the largest ring of low hills they could man while keeping a small reserve—the largest ring they could afford in order to fully man the perimeter without any breaches.4 The final perimeter was an irregular oval measuring about a mile and a half from west to east and about a mile from north to south. It assured the continuity of defense needed to avoid infiltration into weak areas or the...

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