Evening star., 1951-03-23
Parachute Operation
In Korea Is Described
As Perfectly Executed
By John RondoIph
Associated Press War Correspondent

tNS'SShP'
Associated Press War Correspondent
OVER THE IMJIN RIVER
FRONT, Korea, Mar. 23.-Thou-
sands of American troops para
chuted behind Red lines in South
Korea today in an operation so
perfectly executed that an officer
exclaimed:
"It would be beautiful-really
beautiful-if it weren't so terri
ble."
The quote was from 1t. Col. I.
A. Edward, an 9Th Army intelli-
gence officer.
1t. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway,
9th Army commander, who landed
in a tiny plane on this new front
just 20 minutes after the first of
his airborne troops, left no doubt
that it was intended as a terrible
operation for the Communists.
'The purpose of this operation
is to kill the enemy. he said
bluntly. That enemy comprises
some 10000 Red troops. presum-
ably North Koreans.
Jets Dip Into Strafing Runs.
For a solid hour men and equip
ment poured down in the drop
zone-only mile wide-in five
waves-infantry and rangers, es-
pecially trained for this task; am
munition. field guns and jeeps, all
carried by bright-hued parachutes.
AS the men dropped, F-51 Mus
tangs and F-80 Shooting Star
Jets dipped into strafing runs OH
distant hills.
However, there was no ground
fire and no opposition.
The operation was as neat as
a practice jump at Fort Benning,
Ga. This is how it went:
8 a.m.-The first wave para
chuted down, swinging in the air
like giant floating flowers of many
colors.
9:12A-The second wave few
in and 'chuted down.
9:1812-The operations COM
mand flew over, and dropped.
9:29-Gen. Ridgway's tiny plane
landed on a dirt road only a few
feet from infantrymen, who were
startled to see him step out.
9:34-Third wave landed. right
where the first wave had. BY this
time the men were tanning out
in all directions, pushing out to
form a solid perimeter.
Helicopters Appear.
o:44-Two helicopterS appeared
TO carry out any wounded or in
jured.
9:48-They landed in the main
drop area.
9:5O-The ''copters took off.
presumably carrying two injured
men each. In drops that size
there would be some injuries.
Ten surgeons from India, a
World War II 'chutist team, were
In the air drop.
Troops were walking about. GET
ting into skirmish order-behav-f
ing as men never do when bull
lets are flying. There wasn't a
sign of mortar fire.
Almost 10 oclock-Back came
the Flying Boxcars. Precisely on
the hour they dropped their
heavy cargo-ammunition, guns
and jeeps.
Jeeps swung like pendulums
The shock of the chute opening
was too much for two big har-
nesses, and two jeeps went plung-
ing to scrap. /
Another landed in tree. Still
another plunged through the roof
Of Korean mud farmhouse.
The drop was over.
Plane Spots No Reds.
Our silver Bit swung north to /,
see if any Reds were moving
toward the airborne group A.
long search failed to find even
one.
Earlier 1t. Col. Benjamin c.
Capshaw, an 9th Army assistant
operations officer, pointed to three
tiny figures running along a ridge
line. They were the only ones
we saw in more than hour.
Eighteen miles south, along the
road back toward the regular front
north of Seoul, 1t. Col. James
Quirk. an 9th Army staff officer,
spotted lead tanks of the ground
force. They we're moving north
ward to link up with the air.
dropped troops.
Look, you can see the spe-
cially planted mines in the road.
They've got engineers ahead of
the tanks, digging them out" he
said.
All down the road were irregu-
lar dots where the road had been
dug up and explosives planted.
Back of the armored spearhead
were miles and miles of tanks,
trucks. jeeps and special vehicles
and marching infantry.
This task force must push
through those 18 miles of Red
territory to link up with the air.
borne force.
From the air it looked easy, ex-
cept for the mines. Nowhere was
there any sign of action. Later,
headquarters reported a linkup.)
FTC Orders Investigation
l.