Learning the lessons of the past

Photo By Chung Il Kim | Soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, visited the Incheon Landing Operation Memorial Hall, South Korea, during a staff ride July 8, 2015.  

YEONSOOGU, 28, SOUTH KOREA

07.08.2015

Story by Pfc. Chung Il Kim 

2nd Combat Aviation Brigade

INCHEON, South Korea – On Sept. 15, 1950 during the Korean War, U.S. forces made a surprise landing at the port of Incheon, on the west coast of Korea.

The location had been criticized as being a risky fighting position. Even the North Korean troops never imagined an attack from this position. United Nations Supreme Commander Douglas MacArthur, however, insisted on carrying out the bold landing. Afterward, the U.S. forces were able to break the North Korean supply lines and push inland to recapture Seoul, the South Korean capital.

Soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade visited the Incheon Landing Operation Memorial Hall on July 8. First Lt. Zachary Bontrager, a platoon leader from Troop C, 2-6th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd CAB led the staff ride to Incheon to witness and discuss Operation Chromite, the U.S.’ decisive amphibious operation championed by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, during the Korean War.

The memorial hall was built to commemorate the brave men who fought for South Korea in Incheon on Sept. 15, 1950.

Inside the building, there are photos of military armaments used by the South and North Korean military as well as photos showing what life was like back then. Outside, there is an 18 meter-tall memorial tower and the national flags of the sixteen countries that participated in the Korean War.

“The Incheon Landing Operation was a big gamble, but it paid off and was a major turning point in the Korean War,” Bontrager said. “As Soldiers deploy to Korea, we should learn a lesson from the strategic thought process that General MacArthur went through.”

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mitch Anderson, an OH-58 Kiowa pilot from the 2-6th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd CAB, walked around the hall and carefully observed the historical traces of the Korean War.

“I didn’t know much about the historical background of the Korean War, but the staff ride helped me understand not only the strong alliance between the two nations but also the key terrain,” Anderson said. “As a Kiowa pilot, visiting an actual place on foot before flying over it gives me whole new insight and betters my performance.”

At the top of the memorial hall where one has to climb up a long, narrow stairway, a huge statue of U.S. Soldiers stands strong. During the Korean War, 36, 516 U.S. Soldiers died and 92,134 Soldiers were injured. The statue symbolizes the bravery and sacrifice that U.S. Soldiers made here in Korea, a far, distant land from home. Korea wouldn’t be free today, if it had not been for the brave young Soldiers who fought to protect it.

• Date Taken: 07.08.2015
• Date Posted: 07.12.2015 22:05
• Story ID: 169813
• Location: YEONSOOGU, 28, KR