Picture of the Day: Remembering Fallen ROK Soldiers
A U.S. soldier places a flower on a memorial altar for 10 brave fallen soldiers in the South Korean border city of Paju, north of Seoul, on May 4, 2016. The government marked the 67th anniversary of their deaths the same day. On May 4, 1949, the 10 commandoes from the Army’s 1st Division rushed forward carrying bombs in their arms toward North Korean trenches in the area around Mount Songak in the city of Gaesong, destroying the trenches and themselves and playing a decisive role in the South retaking the area. (Yonhap)
Interesting, this is one of the fights nK cites to prove that the South instigated the war……
The Southern account:
“On 3 May 1949, North Korean troops attacked and occupied a South Korean defense position on Mt. Song Ak near Kaesong. The South Korean troops staged a counter attack to regain the position, but they were repelled by North Korean machine gun fire. Armed with 81 mm mortar shells and grenades, ten South Korean soldiers formed a task force led by Master Sergeant Seo, Boo-duck. They launched a suicide attack on the enemy and regained their position. In honor of their ultimate sacrifice, the government awarded them the Order of Military Merit.”
The northern accout:
(3) Armed Intrusions into the Area of Mt. Songak
While making invasions upon Pyoksong County, Hwanghae Province and upon the area of Kangwon Province, the enemy tried to create favourable conditions for the “northward expedition” by taking Mt. Songak (Height 488.2) in Ryongnam Sub-County, Jangphung County, Hwanghae Province, north of the 38th parallel.
For both the north and the south, Mt. Songak was a point of key importance in military actions. If the “ROK army” had taken it, the defending units of the DPRK Security Forces would have had no recourse but to pull back far into the rear to take up new positions. That was why Syngman Rhee’s troops had made several surprise attacks to capture it. But each time they were driven back to the south, sustaining a setback. Nevertheless, the tactical importance of the height tempted the “AMAG” to persist in its wild attempt to take it. Early in May 1949 a south Korean puppet army unit as large as one battalion made a surprise attack on Mt. Songak under the cover of artillery fire but encountered the fierce counterattack of the units of the DPRK Security Forces and beat a 100 retreat, leaving over 100 casualties behind.
@Flyingsword, I would not be surprised if both sides were giving untrue accounts of what happened. 😕