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deciSioNS 209 11 Decisions War is nothing but a duel on a larger scale. —Carl von Clausewitz, On War operation killer Shortly after taking command of Eighth Army, Ridgway issued what became known as the “Why We Are Here” message. Distributed throughout the command , the message explained the Eighth Army commander’s views regarding why they were fighting. The battle was for far more than Korea only. “It has become, and continues to be, a fight for our own freedom, for our own survival , in an honorable, independent national existence. These are the things for which we fight.” And fight is precisely what Ridgway intended to do.1 On the evening of 18 February, Ridgway assembled his staff and announced that he planned a major counterattack against the withdrawing Chinese and North Koreans. The eight divisions of IX and X Corps would attack to destroy any enemy forces south of the Han River. I Corps would hold in position along the Han but would also feint crossings to fix the enemy in position. Operation KILLER would begin at 10:00 a.m., 21 February.2 In what Ridgway referred to as “an interesting footnote,” the State Department and army chief of staff Collins expressed concern about the name of the operation. Planning advisor John K. Emmerson wrote to assistant secretary of state Dean Rusk that the term “killer” “has had a most unfortunate effect.” He feared “that to many people Korea now means only killing.” According to Ridgway, Collins was concerned that such a name would have a negative effect on public opinion. Collins, perhaps with tongue in cheek, said that the 209 210 Spare Not the Brave name “caused us sensitive souls in Washington to ask whether that term was really necessary.” Ridgway believed that the public should be told the true nature of war. “I am by nature opposed to any effort to ‘sell’ war to people as an only mildly unpleasant business that requires very little in the way of blood,” he wrote.3 From the SAG journal it is apparent that Hanes had received information regarding KILLER. At 9:00 a.m. on 18 February Hanes, the S-2, and the S-3 briefed the officers on the KILLER operation. SAG’s mission was to move to Tanyang and from there maintain contact with the 7th Division, which was to move north and destroy any enemy forces found to be infiltrating the area near that town. By 6:30 p.m. the 1st Raider Company had occupied new positions near Tanyang. SAG headquarters, the 2nd Raider Company, and the SAB remained at Chungju. For the next several days the latter two units patrolled the area between Chungju and Tanyang. Squads from the SAB also manned refugee control points to ensure no enemy soldiers attempted to infiltrate the rear areas while disguised as refugees. One SAB platoon was to secure the airstrips. Reconnaissance patrols reported contact with North Korean forces. The only evidence that KILLER was under way were reports from the 1st Raider Company that elements of the 7th Infantry Division were moving north.4 On 22 February S-2 Birch and S-3 Lockhart again briefed the SAB officers on KILLER. The two officers then burned the maps used for the briefing to prevent any possibility of them falling into enemy hands. Indigenous Koreans often were hired to perform manual labor for UN troops; that some might be spies was a distinct possibility. Highly classified material had to be carefully safeguarded. Reports that enemy soldiers had infiltrated behind UN lines made inadvertently hiring enemy agents a distinct possibility. To reduce that possibility, SAB S-2 Lt. Han Shin Hai led a patrol near Chungju to apprehend any suspected infiltrators. An unusual incident occurred the next day when a 1st Raider patrol encountered what Davis described as a “Mongolian cavalry platoon.” The patrol quickly prepared an ambush and succeeded in capturing all fourteen riders and horses. SAG headquarters notified the X Corps G-2, who sent a message about the unit: “Possibly enemy. Evacuate through PW [prisoner of war] channels. Keep horses.” For several hours Virgil Franklin and others had a respite from the war as they rode those horses around the area. Soon X Corps confirmed that the horsemen were from the Fifth ROK Division.5 On 27 February Ramsey’s 3rd Raider Company joined the remainder of SAG at Chungju and immediately was assigned a portion of the perimeter [3.138.204.208] Project...

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