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INCHEON, Republic of Korea – In Incheon's Freedom (Jayu) Park, a
10-foot-tall statue of MacArthur has stood strong since 1957. In
front of the statue, Soldiers gathered from the 3rd General Support
Aviation Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division.
Capt. Richard
Pazdzierski, a battalion intelligence officer for 3-2 GSAB, planned
and led a staff ride to Incheon, South Korea, to examine and discuss
Operation Chromite, the United States' decisive amphibious operation
championed by General Douglas MacArthur, during the Korean War.
Soldiers from 3-2 GSAB went to the Freedom Park where they
conducted presentations on the significant events, leaders, and
locations surrounding the Incheon Landing in September of 1950. The
battle, which began in Sept. 15, 1950 and ended on Sept. 19, 1950,
led to the recapturing of Seoul and a strategic victory for United
Nations forces. The group also hiked Radio Hill and Observatory Hill
to view high ground objectives of the Green Beach and Red Beach
amphibious operations, and lastly, visited the Memorial Museum.
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April 30, 2015 - Soldiers from U.S. Army 3rd General Support Battalion, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade visit
Freedom (Jayu) Park that honors the Incheon Landing in September of
1950 ... the pivotal operation during the Korean War. (Image created
by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Army photos by Sgt. Jesse Smith)
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At an observatory platform where one can observe the
Incheon beaches, Pfc. Thomas Nguyen, an intelligence
analyst, 3-2 GSAB, presented the brief background of the
operation.
“Early in the Korean War, MacArthur
designed the Incheon amphibious operation to cut North
Korean supply lines and trap enemy troops. However, the port
of Incheon was far from an ideal spot for an amphibious
assault operation due to the 31-foot tidal fluctuations,
restricted approaches and steep seawalls.” He said,
“Nevertheless, following the Incheon landing, Eighth Army
broke out from the Pusan Perimeter and repelled enemy forces
to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang in less than a
month.
As he toured the
Memorial Hall, filled with historical documents, army
uniforms, and weapons, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Edward
Pregana, a Battalion Safety officer from 3-2 GSAB, was glad
he participated in the staff ride.
“I didn't know
much about the historical background of the Korean War, but
the staff ride helped me understand the military tactics
used then and learn how important key terrain was and still
is on Korean peninsula.”
KATUSA Pfc. Seung Weon Lee,
Human Resource specialist, Republic of Korean Army Support
Office 3-2 GSAB said, “I never knew how many sacrifices U.S.
Soldiers made during Korean War to save my country.”
Looking at the statues of the Korean War Veterans, he
said, “What my country has accomplished today would not been
possible without their sacrifices.”
By Chung Il Kim, U.S. Army
2nd Combat Aviation Brigade
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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