USMC small arms in the Korean War

[Louis of PA]

These are a few of the views I took of the Korean War Memorial in Philadelphia on a sunny autumn afternoon.

It is close to the waterfront tourist area; sadly I was the only person there.
Regards,
Louis of PA







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[Gyrene]

smle-man - There may have been cases where the rifles failed to function, but only a few of the ones I saw fit into that category, and most of those were greased or oiled too heavily (the ones run almost without lube were performing as advertised). Mine was lubed with pencil lead, and never failed me.

Gyrene OFC

semper fi

`

[smle-man]

The book said that a fair number of the men in the company were reservists that had never been to boot camp prior to shipping out. Maybe they didn't know any better on cold weather weapons lubing.

[Iceman66]

I haven't read this book, but some of what you report sounds questionable to me. I have read numerous works (there are many) regarding the Marines at the Chosin, served with survivors of the Frozen Chosin in RVN during the '60's and know Gyrene personally as well. Not everything that gets written is accurate.

Why are Army and Navy personnel often so irate at the mere mention of the USMC? Poor self image? You cannot change the facts of history, be it the Army collapse in Korea or the Navy disappearing at Guadalcanal. You just have to own it, like we own Chapultepec, Bellaeu Wood, Iwo Jima, Khe Sahn, et. al.

Gyrene, what days you on this week?

Semper Fi
OFC
When are

[Gyrene]

Iceman66 - Wednesday10 to 4 -- Friday 12 to 4 -- Saturday and Sunday 8 AM to 4 PM. I sometimes drift in on Thursday, but not to be counted on that day.

Accuracy of what is printed is in the eyes of the author, and proof readers.

Of course I know you know that, in war two guys fighting side by side have different experiences. Many of us see and feel the same things, but still we fought in different battlles, though they were in the same place and same time.

As a runner/courier (the radios were almost non-functonal, except from hilltop to hilltop), I spent my time, alone, carrying messages between units (companies/battalions/regiments). I fought in a war vastly different from those who were in conventional combat. I started with the 1st Marines H&S Company; then stuck (at the Chosin) after carrying messages to the 7th Marines, and spent the rest of the time running between the 7th Marines and the 5th Marines and their various battalions and companies.

Gyrene OFC

semper fi

`

[0311Shooter]

Great history and great stories, Guys. Keep 'em coming.

I recall a little bit of what went on at Parris Island and had not read much of history prior to enlisting. I remember that I was amazed when our instructors covered Marine Corps history. We WON so many battles, and even their stories of Korea, they said that our guys were always saving the Army's butt. Even the brutal training we went through, it was to counter the term "Give-up-itis". It was how they described the Korean POW camps.

Ok, I am fairly intelligent, I eventually realized that they were preaching to us from someone who had actually "been there, done that". All branches have their heroes and pride and today I totally respect that. In war, it takes many everyday Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines to become heroes and we should all have pride in our service.

Today I wish that I could go back and say "Thank You" to everyone of them who served, did the dirty work, in WWII and Korea.

Ya see, I can be humble, as well as mean, too.

[Mk VII]

S.L.A. Marshall's work on weapons performance in Korea comments that "the troops proceed empirically as if no procedures for cold-weather lubrication had ever been given them. Each unit adopts whatever has worked for them, even if it is the opposite of what another is doing. It is as if no cold weather research had ever been done by the DoD, or recommendations made" (I am paraphrasing somewhat here)

[Sudaev]

The Chinese army was equipped with a hodgepodge of weapons, and among them were US-made small arms which were sent to Nationalist China at the end of WWII, and retained by the PRC. Chief among these weapons were Thompsons, and these certainly were the ones the Marines mistakenly assumed came from army units. Many accounts of the Korean War mention these Thompsons.

In fact several Thompsons were likewise captured from the Chinese by members of RCT 31 (colloquially referred to post-war as "Task Force Faith").

It's also unlikely that army weapons, if captured, would have made it over to F/7's positions, due to terrain.

[Stumbler]

I'm reading the book now, and one reason I found this discussion was my questioning of some of weapons-related comments in the book. They made my eyebrows go up in the very beginning by saying that MSR meant Main Service Road.

I spent a year (in the 50's, after the war) along the DMZ (Army-26 years), with an M-2 Carbine. Used the same weapon other places. Korea is cold. I know about the "lack of power" of the Carbine, but not to the extent they tell it. At close range, it'll put a hole in your jeans. It is a little more powerful and a lot more accurate than a PPSh, also .30. And it works OK in the cold. That's enough for a first post here.

[HoosierDaddy]

My Dad's Reserve company was called up. Dad went to boot camp as he was fresh out of high school. The ones that were WW2 vets and had been to a certain number of meetings or summer deployments were given a short training refresher. One Marine had been to several meetings and a couple of summer camps. He was sent put with the group that had experience and was deployed. He was at Chosin and made it out. After his tour the Corps realized he had never been to boot camp so he was sent after his return to the US. Needless to say he was less than pleased and was not into the training. The DI pointed it out that he was trying to save his sorry butt when he went to Korea. When the DI found out he had already been there things changed.
This came from a great little book "Unexpected Journey" by Randy Mills. Lots of first hand stories are shared in this book.