The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-06-10
Americans Forced To Kill
81 Connie Prisoners OF
War As Reds Defy World Law


battle that made a shambles of
notorious Compound rs and uncov-
cred q prisoner plot to seize the
island.
Thirty-one prisoners we're killed
and 100 wounded In the bloody
fighting. Autopsies showed that IL
prisoners were killed by their fell
low Reds with crude spears.
One American was killed and il
wounded. The slain American had
been speared to death and not
killed by conclusion grenade as
first reported. Only one American
was seriously wounded. Seven re-
turned to duty and the others viii
10 back in q few days.
The fight broke out when the
POWs disobeyed orders to move
peaceably into new. smaller en-
closures of about 500 each.
u. S. Army intelligence officers
found master plan in rs to lib
crate all 1000 Communist prison
ers held on Koie. It called for the
Reds to seize the island and its
u. N. garrison and turn its wea-
pons against any force from the
mainland. Further details were
withheld.
Not a shot was fired in the
Not q shot was fired in the
barbed wire encircled battle field.
The $50 Americans Of the "An-
gels from He'll combat team used
conclusion grenades, hayonets, tear
gas and fists to subdue the rebel
lious 6.400 North Koreans. The
Reds were armed with spears,
knives, rocks and fire Bombs.
Surrendering prisoners we're hus-
tied off to the new enclosures.
Brig. Gen. Hayden /. Boatner,
the Koje commander, had given
the Reds chance to move to the
new quarters peacefully.
Die hard Communist leaders
chose to fight.
Boatner met the resistance with
force in his campaign to gain I'M
contested control over the prison
pens.
The wild. swirling battle was wit
messed by prisoners Of two other
unruly compounds--7s and n.
Shortly after the fight ended
Boatner told prisoners In rs to get
ready TO be moved--or else. The
prisoners obeyed meekly.
And leaders In Compound "
sent word that they would be
ready to move on Boatner's CON-
mand. They win be moved wednes-
day.
Boatner was juhilant over the
way the paratroopers from the
18th Airborne Regimental Com.
bat Team quelled the Reds. He
said:
THE discipline Of the troops was
superb. | have an official report
that not one shot was fired in
Compound 76. We captured the ex.
act plan of resistance
He referred TO the map and pa.
pers found inside rs.
Boatner personally had ordered
North Korean Col. Lee Hak Woo,
a Compound rs leader. to assemble
the PoWs for moving. Lee refused.
AT 5:4s q. m. loudspeakers
blared to the compound:
in Is minutes you will be moved
into newly constructed compounds
-. II you move quietly you win
not be hurt. II you resist you do
90 at your own peril
The Communists dueked into
freshly dug trenches and waited.
Fifteen minutes later the para
troopers attacked. They stormed
through the harbed wire fences
from several directions.
Twenty minutes after the fight.
ING started Col. Lee was captured.
Rugged paratroopers grabbed
him by the seat Of the pants and
walked him frog legged
hands and knees--out of the com
Pound. Tears streamed down from
his face. He was cIamped in soil.
tary confinement.
Tents famed and wooden build.
mgs were torn from their founda.
tinns when conclusion grenades
set fires and explosions in POW
caches Of gasoline.
faratroopers bounded into the
prisoners trenches. Rayone,s
plunged into Reds who resisted.
Some Of the wounded fought as
long as they could move.
Thirty minutes after the fight
started the field Was strewn with
dead.
Many Of the dead prisoners were
slain by fellow inmates. MAJ. Da.
sid korE, Richmond. Va. said he
saw Red leaders Kill al least five
81 their own men who tried 70
surrender.
They were stuck In the stomach
with spears" be said.
In the trenches that surrounded
OIL buildings hodles cf deeapiiated
Communists were found.
Three hundred hate splitting