12-263 Garand Picture of the day

[Mark in Rochester]

During the Korean War, there were disparaging rumors about the 1st Cavalry Division's fighting abilities, including a folk song of the time called "The Bug-Out Ballad."[6] It was also rumored that the series of engagements that gave rise to the song were due (at least partly) of the myth that the Division lost its unit colors.[7] Other Army and Marine units disparagingly described the division shoulder insignia as representing 'The horse they never rode, the river they never crossed, and the yellow speaks for itself'. Another version goes: "The shield they never carried, the horse they never rode, the bridge they never crossed, the line they never held, and the yellow is the reason why." The incident that apparently gave rise to this rumor appears to be the Battle of Unsan which took place on November 1-2, 1950 at Unsan, Korea. In that battle, the 8th Cavalry regiment, a component of the 1st Cavalry Division, was pushed back from positions in and around the town of Unsan by superior forces of the Chinese forces. The regiment was severely battered, experiencing heavy casualties and losing a considerable amount of equipment. This was one of the first major Chinese operations in the Korean War and, like the Changjin (Chosin) Reservoir Battle of this same period, it took the United Nations Command by surprise. Considering the circumstances, the 8th Cavalry regiment fought well, and it has never been criticized for its conduct in this operation


The Battle of Unsan (Korean: 운산군 전투), also known as the Battle of Yunshan (Chinese: 云山战斗; pinyin: Yún Shān Zhàn Dòu), was a series of engagements of the Korean War that took place from 25 October to 4 November 1950 near Unsan, North Pyongan province in present-day North Korea. As part of the Chinese First Phase Campaign, the People's Republic of China's People's Volunteer Army made repeated attacks against the Republic of Korea 1st Infantry Division near Unsan beginning on 25 October, in an attempt to take advancing United Nations forces by surprise. In an accidental first encounter with the United States military during the Korean War,[7] the Chinese 39th Corps attacked the unprepared US 8th Cavalry Regiment in Unsan on 1 November, resulting in one of the most devastating US losses of the Korean War.



But we have been here before:
10-065 Garand Picture of the Day - Korea December 1950
#277 Garand Picture of the Day - Japan

[Paul S.]

Thanks for the clarification on the 1st Cav's history. I know they were one the highest decorated units in Vietnam and had a long and proud combat record there.

A little side story. One of the 1st Cav units was passing through on a unit move and RON'd at our base camp. Rivallry between us and them required a little "decoration" of equipment. As the sun came up we discovered nice, bright yellow CAV patches stencilled on anything they could get to that wasn't physically occupied or guarded. It took them a little longer to discover all their aircraft had our big red rat (our red kangaroo marking) stencilled on them.

[Thaine]

I still have a waste basket that sports a "red rat" courtesy of an Aussie F-111 crew that used the simulator at Mountain Home AFB and raided our offices before they left in the 80's.
Thaine