Evening star., 1950-07-23
CTS Fought Way Through Fire,
Tanks, Snipers to Flee Toejon
Exhausted Groups of
StruegIers Continue
To Reach u. S. Buses
By William R. Moore and
q II p kinn
Assoeioted Press War corrsspor

by WUitom N. mOOTe Qnu
o. n. P. King .
Associated Press War Correspondents
AN ADVANCED AMERICAN
COMMAND POST in Korea, July
22.-The next 10 days may give
a truer picture of American losses
in the furious three-day stand
and eventual withdrawal from
Taejon.
Among the missing in that saw
age action is Maj. Gen. William
F. Dean, fighting commander of
the oath Infantry Division.
The stragglers still are coming
in-small exhausted groups of
them. Their wits and will to live
carried them through enemy lines,
over mountain trails, through
sniper-infested country to this
rain soaked river bottom where
camp was pitched.
More than 200 of them had
walked out. They had been forced
to the hills after fighting in
Taejon Thursday. BY round about
trails that took them so miles
through hostile country they
reached safety before dawn today.
Many Missing May Return.
Another group of Is arrived
later in the morning, led by a
lieutenant colonel. They had
started out about 80 strong, but
only this handful made it all the
way. The others dropped from ex-
haustion along the route.
Pfc. Earl M. Snow of Butler, Pa,
expressed the feelings of most of
those footsore, dead-tired men:
Il amt got no feet-I got blis-
terS clear up to my ankles"
Noses have been counted. While
actual casualties were unknown,
there were blanks where friends
had lined up two days before.
Undoubtedly, many of the miss
ing will show up later.
A regimental commander, who
went through the 34th Infantry's
withdrawal. said he was confident
that the next 10 days would give
a better picture of losses.
The colonel estimated there
must have been 5000 North Kore-
ans killed" in Taejon. He pre-
dicted the Reds are worse off in
victory than we are in defeat"
OutpOsts Surrounded.
Describing the last hours before
the North Korean attack, the
colonel said his men were divided
up at outposts near Taejon air
field.
About 2 am. heard vehicles
moving and figured it was the
first battalion.
Il sent a man down to find
out for sure, but he never came
back. About 5 am. we were sur
rounded. But we rounded up the
men from three outposts-the
fourth was empty and probably
left with the first battalion-and
pulled a nervy stunt.
We walked across the airstrip
with our guns Slung.
Nobody shot at us and plenty
OF them could have. We circled
around and walked Is miles with
out firing shot"
The colonel couldn't seem 10
rest, in spite of his exhaustion,
What could I have done differ
ently?" he asked. "There was that
misunderstanding - word that a
force was coming up to relieve US
from the south.
MY men fought bravely. What
needed was more infantry j
The colonel added: "They asked
us to hold for 48 hours. We held
for three days. We were buying
time. One Of these days I look for
an abrupt turnabout that will be
the payoff for all this"
SurvivalS Miraculous.
Stories of miraculous survivals-
and Of the others who weren't so
lucky-were legion.
Pfc. Okey Adkins, Spencer, w,
Va. and three others were CAP
tured by a dozen North Koreans
when their jeep was hit by a
mortar shell. Other Americans
appeared on hillside and a North
Korean guarding Adkins drew a
As. Three of us made a dash for
it,"
I'VE heard shots behind U.S."
said Adkins, "but we weren't hit.
They must have shot down the
other prisoner in cold blood"
One sergeant walked SO miles
without shoes. First 1t. Paul M
Reagan, 80, of Magnolia, Ark,
stripped to cross a river and lost
all his clothes except his under
shorts. He walked the last three
miles to. safety without shoes.
Chaplain G. H. Chaphey, SO.
OF Erieville, N. Y, gave away his
socks to a buddy and apologized
II would have been in better shape
if I hadn't