The Key West citizen., 1952-11-10
Korea Battle OF The Kumhwa
Ridges Unites American Men !,
In Close-Knit Organization i
By JOHN RANDOLPH


Kumhwa front, korea R-The
battle of the Kumhwa ridges, which
began Oct. IA, has been a close,
almost family experience for .
small group of Americans.
It was a battle fought mostly by
the South Korean Army. The only
Americans present at the headquar-
ters of the ROK division was a 80
man Korean Military Advisory
Group, the usual collection of visit
ing generals, a handful of liaison
officers from neighboring corps and
divisions, and a floating population
Of war correspondents.
At one time there were 10 cor
respondents for only IA KMAG Of
ficers, probably a new record for
the Korean War.
The result was that everybody
knew everybody and nearly every
one worked until he dropped.
When the Chinese turned the
fight for Triangle Hill and Sniper
Ridge into one of the bloodiest bat
ties of the Korean War, the little
KMAG headquarters mushroomed.
It's tiny mess hall, presided over
by hard-boiled Sgt. Bernard Mon
troy of Minneapolis. jumped from
feeding 80 KMAG officers and GIs
to new high of $50 per meal.
Most were visiting firemen of one
kind or another, including Gen.
Mark Clark, Far East commander.
All had to be met and taken to a
forward observation post through
shellfire.,
There were also such diverse
characters as four Japanese news
papermen on an uneasy visit to
the Korean Army, and the suaye
British military attache to Korea,
Maj. r. w. B. Cunningham Of the
Royal Scots. Cunningham raised
the tone Of the little mess hall inn
measurably by breaking out natty
pair of green plaid pants for din
ner. The Americans settled for dir
ty green overalls, muddy from the
shell holes jumped into during the
day.
Once there was q woman from
United Nations headquarters at
Pusan who showed up in two Of an
Army public information officer.
II am speechless," gulped Cum
ningham, as she arrived. "This is
never done in the British Army" "
KMAG officers don't command
ROK units, but as the transmits.
sion belt between the R0Ks and
the American Army they have
powerful influence and many heavy
duties in battle. In addition, they
are the natural focal point for the
visiting colonels and generals from
higher headquarters, many Of
whom have power to change the
course of battle.
As a result. the little KMAG
group found itself doing almost
the same job in this battle that an
American division headquarters
would do. The only catch Is that
an American division headquarters
has more than 800 men to do the
work.
A division headquarters in the
middle Of a big battle Is an inn
pressive sight--to be compared only
to q newspaper on election night
or the stock market on . heavy
selling day.
At the top Is the general, who
must make the decisions. and then
have the moral courage to stick
with them until something hap
pens.
1t. Col. Sidney C. Carpenter. Of
Bowling Green. KY. was not only
helping 1t. Gen. Chung II Kwan
make the decisions. He also was
out in the forward bunker and
even on Sniper Ridge seeing how
they we're being carried out
Once, he and Mai. Ross Z. Lefty,
San Diego, Calf. an infantry tao
teal expert, went out on the ridge
during a Chinese bombardment 70
inspect defense lines. There Nss
only the briefest scream Of warning
and 4 Chinese shell landed right
beside them. Lefty was nearly
blown of an so-fo0t cliff while q
shell fragment ripped open his
pants leg across the knee.
Carpenter hurled himself into the
nearest shell hole only 10 find some
Korean soldier had already used L
for . latrine.
1T didn't stop me" said The
colonel afserward II dove right
on in.
Such il the salty humor ol war.
where > near miss raises 4 laugh
and q hit tears bali your face
away.