PAGE 2 - The Manning Exchange, December 26, 2016

Robert Wegner - Korean War

Bob Wegner “in the shower.” A log was placed into the stream of water that came out of the mountains to make the shower.

Therewerea fewcows in thefields.Mostly,however, thelandwasblownupfromthefighting.Atoneplace,theymadea shower out of a drain from a mountain stream, and alsodrankfromthestream.Halogentabletswereusedtodisinfectthedrinkingwater.Later, theyhadtowalkupthatmountainanddiscoveredadeadhorse in thestream.TheChinesesol-diersoftenusedhorsestotravel,sotheyfiguredthehorsehadbeenshot.Bobandhiscomradessatononehillfornearlytwomonthsduringofficialpeacetalks,whiletheywatchedtheChi-nesecontinuetodigtrenchesandfoxholestofortifytheirposi-tions.AfterthepeacetalksfailedBob’scompanyhadtoblowtheenemyoutoftheareaagain.

Bob Wegner with his 30 caliber weapon - live action during six days clearing a hill. When I worked with Bob on captions for his pictures I asked him how he could have a slight smile when this picture was taken dur-ing a live fire event. Bob said “You had to adapt as best you could to some sort of nor-mal life, and if you didn’t you would go crazy.”

Duringthefallof1951,Bobwasinvolvedintwomajorof-fensives.ThefirstwasOperation Cleaver,whichstartedSep-tember 21 and lasted about two weeks. The purpose of theoperationwastostraightentheboundarylinesofthe38thPar-allel.Theentire21stInfantrywasinvolved,withaKoreanunitatoneflankandanotherunitattheotherflank.Althoughtheyonlymoved3-4miles,CompanyCstartedwith29menandhad14leftattheend.Therewerenofatalities-infact,duringtheentiretimeinKorea,CompanyCdidn’tloseanymen-butthereweremanywounded, includingonewho steppedon ahandgrenade.

Members of Company H, 21st Infantry Regiment, 90th Reconnais-sance Battalion, out of Fort Leonard Wood. Back: Herman Wis-trich, Ralph Webber, Kenny Wallen, Harvey Vance, Lial Thoms, Thomas Vaughn; Front: Robert Wegner, Fay Unruh, Howard We-dower, Don Treimer, Chuck Wagner

Bobwasalso involved inOperation NOMAD,which tookplace in thecentral sectorof theKoreanpeninsula, southofKumsong, North Korea. The operation began October 13,1951,overlapping thefinaldaysof theBattle of Heartbreak Ridgetotheeast.Itwasoneofthemostbrutal,andmostcostly,battles experiencedby theUS24th InfantryDivisionduringitshistorictenureinKorea.TheAlliedtroopslaunchedanag-gressivepushagainstChineseCommunistsdeeplyembeddedinthemountainsbeforethem.TheobjectivewastopushtheChineseofftheirfortifiedwinterlineandalsototakethecityofKumsong,akeysupplycenterforenemytroops.Theclusterofjaggedpeakscomprisedaformidablefortresswithanelabo-ratetunnel,trenchandbunkersystembuiltwithinthemoun-tains.Duringair,mortarandartilleryattacks,theenemywentunderground toprotect themselves.Emergingpredominantlyunharmed, theypreferred toattackorcounterattackafter thesunwent down.TheAllied troopsmovedby truck at times,butalsowalked,sometimesonlymaking2-3milesaday.The24thDivisionreachedLineNOMADbyOctober17,andafterfivestraightdaysoffighting,thetroopshopedforachancetorest.Buttheywereimmediatelyassignedanewobjective,LinePOLAR;theysecureditfivedayslater,onOctober22.Coin-cidentally,PeaceTalksresumedOctober22.CCompanyandHCompanywereattachedtoGeorgeCompanyandeveryonereceivedtheBronzeStar.

Bob 2nd from left in back row: While only one soldier was killed in Bob’s company while he served in Korea; during the October 1951 offensive, only these 14 men out of a total of 29 in their company came out unscathed…The rest were wounded and had to be mede-vaced out, but fortunately none were killed.

Don Weggandt, Bob Wegner on reserve. Bob had his own camera and took pictures while in Korea. He had them developed in Japan.

Betweenthetwooffenses,Bob’scompanywentonreserve.Whileonreserve,theystayedintentsratherthansleepingbags.Theyworkedontheirequipment,playedcards,andsharedinguardduty. CompanyCwasallowedR&Rinthewinter,andBob’sturncameDecember26,1951-January2,1952.HewenttoKoto-hira,Japan,whichwasawonderfulexperienceovertheNewYearholiday.Theworstpart,however,wasknowinghehadtoreturntothefrontlines. January29,the21stRegimentreceivednoticethattheywerebeingrotatedhome.TheystartedmovingsuppliesofftheFrontLinetoIncheon,doingtheworkatnightinanattempttokeeptheChineseunawareofwhattheyweredoing.Itwascommonknowledge that theydidn’t fool theenemywhennewtroopswerecomingin.Bob’splatoonleader-whohadarrivedaftertherestoftheunitandthereforecouldn’tleavewiththem-hadtostaybehind.HewaslaterkilledinactionafterBobleft.

Taken when heading home from Yokohama, Japan, after process-ing out of service in Korea. February4,theyleftIncheon,andFebruary9,theylandedinSendai,Japan.March25,theyboardedtheUSSGaffey(thesameshipwhichtookthemtoJapan)andarrivedinSeattleonMarch 28. From there,Bobwas sent toCampCarson, nearColorado Springs, Colorado, to finish his 21 month assign-ment.CampCarsonhousedthe11thArmoredCavalryand,forBob and the other returning troops, didn’t offermuch to dootherthanputtingintheirtime.Theydidgetthechancetorideintanks.BobreceivedhisdischargeAugust16,1952,onhis24thbirthday. DonWeggandt,Bob’stentmatetheentiretimetheywereinKorea,hadsuddenlydisappearedshortlybeforetheywereduetoleaveforhome.BobwrotetoDon’swife,andlearnedthatDonhadanappendicitisattackandhadbeenhospitalized.Hereturnedaftersixweeks.Hadheleftearlier,whiletheywereontheFrontLine,BobwouldhavebeenofficiallynamedagunnerandwouldhavereceivedhisSergeantstripes.BeforeleavingKorea,Bobwastoldthatifhewouldstaythere,hewouldgethisrankandextrapay.“Noway,”Bobsaid.“Whenthenextboatleaves,I’llbeonit.” Asaprivate,Bobearnedaround$110amonth;sergeantpaywasaround$150permonth.Hesent$50homeeachmonth,keepingtherestofthemoney-minusdeductions.Atfirst,hehad topay for the$10,000 life insurancepolicy thathewasrequiredtobuy,whichleft$30amonth.Later,hewasnolon-gerrequiredtopayforthepolicy-whichhestillhas-andhewouldhave$50-$65amonthspendingmoney.ThewarwasofficiallyoverinJuly,1953. In addition to the Bronze Star, Bob received the CombatInfantryBadge,theKoreaServiceMedal,theUnitedNationsMedal,andoneOverseasBar. Afterreturninghome,BobworkedforMaxDetlefsenacou-ple ofmonths, then started farming.He andShirleyHansenweremarriedin1960.

Back: Kyle, Dale, Tom, Bruce, David; Front: Deb, Shirley (Han-sen), Robert, Nancy Bob joined theVFW in 1951before he left forKorea; assoonashewasthreemilesoffthecoastoftheUS,hebecameeligible,andhasheldallofficesintheorganization.Hejoinedtheceremonialteamaround1960.HeisalsoamemberoftheAmericanLegionandtheKoreanWarVeteransorganization. In1989, the21st Infantry startedholdingyearly reunions.Bobdidn’tattendthefirstfiveyears,butafterthedeathofhiswifein1994,hestartedattendingandhasn’tmissedonesince.Oneofthepeopleheseesishistentmate,DonWeggandt.

Wegner farm southwest of Manning

AsBob’smother,Lolida,wouldreceivethepictureshesenthomeduringhistimeinKorea,shewouldputtheminascrap-bookshemadeforhim.BelowareafewmoreitemsofinterestandpicturesfromBob’stimeinKorea.

Propaganda flier that the Chinese dropped over the area the US soldiers were located.

US military certificate - 10 cents

Safe Conduct Certificate (front): Attention U.N. Soldiers - This cer-tificate guarantees good treatment to any Chinese or North Korean solider desiring to cease fighting. Take this man to your nearest of-ficer and treat him as an honorable prisoner of war. (signed) Mat-thew B. Ridgway, Commander in Chief, United Nations Forces.

After four days push toward Kumsong, Korea

C.W. Redding, and Bob Wegner in the snow. They dug bunkers in the snow and used cans similar to smudge pots for heat and light. They had winter sleeping bags for night. About four men could fit into these bunkers. They were at this location for about a month. Food and supplies were brought up by trucks as close to camp as possible and then carried by men the rest of the way.

Pre-Korean War Veterans on page 3