Exploration of Hwachon Battle Places against Chinese 5th Spring Offensive in April 1951

We kick off at 9 am to explore Hwachon battle places of which were primarily Para-ho lake, Pukhan-kang river side, Chilsong observatory post at first. I and my wife packed a lunch box, planning to have dinner at restaurant for one day trip. We took a river-side road of Pukhan-gang river, passing Kapyong to the merging point, Euam Lake, of Soyang-gang river where we run northward. We had a lunch at around noon at Animation Museum, near Bam-som islands, known as good for walking around the facilities with the river stream.

In the way of Hwachon, passing by USMC retreat route from Hwachon to Mojin Bridge in Wonpyong-ri and Mal(Horse) & Hill 902 where a battalion ,1^st US Marines, breathlessly hiked up to fought off running headlong Chinese in Apr. 1951 to secure the retreating route. We also passed through the junction for Horseshoes Ridge and Hwachon. Horseshoes Ridge, occupied to protect the west flank of the division by each battalion of 7^th and 1^st Marines,  was not far westward from the junction and fierce fighting had been taken place as ROK 6^th DIV destroyed near the west side of the ridge so the west side of the division was immediately unprotected. Just before arriving Hwachon downtown to west of which Quantico line had been established for 5^th Marines control zone, we turn our car to north for Chilsong observation post. That road was main supply route for Kumhwa, one of Triangle Zone in Korean War. We drove for 10 km and arrived at Chilsong Observatory Post Registration Center. After registration, we were allowed to visit the post in attendance with the attendant of the center at 3 pm and drove northward for 15 km more along the road.

There were many curves along the road of which side was faced with steep valley, I had to drive slowly and carefully even though no snow was deposited. The attendant informed us of the snow was removed by the soldiers recently and it was possible for visitors to get the permission to drive. The road was used to be covered with snow and to be frozen because it was hidden with shadows of near-by mountains.

It took for 30 minutes and we were guided by a briefing soldier to the observatory post on top of the hill.  The soldier pointed at a hill, over the barricade fence, with his briefing stick and explained that ROK 6^th DIV fought fearlessly to take the hill and the distance, between the ROK and NK side GPs, was the shortest in the DMZ in Korea. In front of the observatory post, the high mountain was seen in distance and said the soldier that that NK GP was commanded by one of the highest officer of NK force.  It was told that the glass of observatory window was not anti-bullets though the post was within NK sniper’s shooting range.

After visiting the post, we dropped the attendant to the center and kept going through Hwachon downtown to see Para-ho Lake known as the reservoir into which a lot of Chinese dead bodies had been dumped by ROK soldiers to prevent corruptions around the mountains and roads in time of May Massacre Operation in 1951. At that time, Chinese had launched all-out attack, Chinese 5^th Spring Offensive, toward the front line of 9^th US Corps including ROK 6^th Army, US 1^st Marines and 2^nd US Army to surround Seoul South for destroying all UN forces on the western front line along Imjin river above Seoul.  

We tried to locate the stop gates of Hwachon dam at the outlet of Lake but, due to the map, we could not challenge. Rather, we crossed the river to visit the monument of Para-ho battle erected by President Syngman Lee and arrived the monument museum near the lake. It was 5 pm and the opening hours was specified to be just ended. But kindly, the attendant allowed us to come in and to explain of the battle about the lake heard from survivals in the village.  The heaviest fighting had been taken place just back mountains of the museum and herds of Chinese stragglers, advanced already crossing Han-gang river for their Spring Offensive, were now desperately finding the way to escape from counter attacking UN forces including US Marines and ROK 6^th DIV. They were blocked by the lake without no exit to Kumhwa and Hwachon North and destroyed by all kinds of UN fires. It was one of May Massacre incident and since then Chinese forces knew how ruthless deployed squarely were their human wave tactics against modernized fire power. They had got a valuable lesson after paying the cost of 70,000 lives. We also have to remember 1,000 US & Korean marines were sacrificed in the battles.

It was late to be back home as getting dark quickly in winter season. I had to cancel exploration of 1^st Calvary Rangers, with mission to destroy the dam stop gates, landing point over the lake on the opposite side.  We hurriedly took the return road for South Chunchon IC and Seoul Chunchon Expressway and was back at 9 pm. The mileage meter of my vehicle was indicating 330 km for one day trip.