27th Regiment Commander John Michaelis, the Skilled Soldier enters the Fray - General Baik's Reminiscence

 

I am very proud of the military General Paik who have fought off communism over his lifetime during Korean war as a high ranking military commander and the chairman of the war memorial hall and is almost 100 years old this year. If my father, who served in KATUSA especially during Korean war, would live, he also get aged to the similar age of him. No matter how the political power changes to pursue for their own policy, General Baik should be one of the great man and hero in Korean history in the value of our freedom and free democracy. Our individual freedom, endowed from God, can never be disturbed and put responsibility with authority for pursuing for individual happiness, based on their own right or wrong value.

 

This story, abstracted from General BaiK’s “60 years with the military” published in 4 Jul. 2010, is re-introduced for reminding of him and his contribution to our freedom with his role model of American counterpart John H. Mike Michaelis. Few of USAK has not respected to him, and greeting him has been a customary for American military generals in charge of USAK. I wish him to be long live and healthy and appreciated to make me discover the life time value.

 

His story on Michaelis goes as below:

        

Last week, General Paik recounted the escalation of the Battle of Dabudong, during which untrained Korean student soldiers were sent into supplement the ROK troops amidst the growing number of casualties in the war.

When reading historical novels, we often come across a familiar plot in which a soldier who is in a tough situation and sure to meet a gloomy fate, is rescued by his team. The news that reinforcements are on the way is a moment of pure joy for the man in combat.

This may make some wonder what it feels like for soldiers who are surrounded by the enemy and desperately defending their fort when reinforcement troops arrive. I know something about this.

 

John H. Michaelis arrives, bringing valuable experience and needed troops.

...

 

John H. Mike Michaelis of the U.S. 8th Army,

25th Division, 27th Infantry Wolfhounds Regiment

in an edition of Life magazine.

Colonel Michaelis and his 27th Regiment along

with the ROK 1st Division, defended the Dabudong

line in August 1950.

 

The carpet bombing mission carried out by the U.S. air force on Aug. 16, 1950, basically wiped out enemy support units, along with their equipment and other goods, just west of the Nakdong river. But that did not stop the surviving North Korean troops on the front lines from continuing their attack.

 

It was on Aug. 17, a day after the carpet bombing mission when col. John H. Mike Michaelis of the U.S. 8th army, 25th division, 27th infantry (Wolfhound) regiment, stepped into the ROK 1st division’s command post at Dongmyung elementary school.

 

As one of the officers rising within the ranks of the U.S. army, the colonel Michaelis would go on to become a four-star general and the commander in chief of the United Nations command, U.S. forces Korea from 1969 to 1972.

 

As a West Point graduate, class of 1936, Michaelis rose through the ranks during World War II and was days from turning 38 when he joined the Korean war. The first impression I had of the colonel Michaelis, was that of a man with good looks and sharp eyes. He was ranked as a lieutenant major when he arrived but was bumped up to colonel soon after arriving in Korea.

The colonel Michaelis had brought with him what was considered the top group of support troops to help the ROK 1st division. He started by briefing me on his assignment.

 

I came to protect the main road. We will divide the 914-meter-long [1,000 yards] road into two and place our troops there, the colonel said.

...

Furthermore, the colonel had brought with him an ALO who could radio for air support.

...

Despite my true feelings of elation, I could not reveal them all to the colonel Michaelis.

...

In the ensuing days, I accompanied the colonel on his rounds. This was all in an effort to learn his tactical combat skills.

 

The colonel was quick and efficient in carrying out assignments. He started by dividing the main road line into east and west, and then placed one battalion in each area. Then he placed a fleet of tanks to the south of each area. The colonel then ordered his men to plant mines ahead of the front lines. As a last line of defense, the colonel set his artillery units. Everyone involved reacted to his orders quickly and efficiently.

 

When Colonel Michaelis visited the sites, he gave concise instructions to the battalion commanders and the tank company commander. He drew a clear line of defense around his troops and moved ahead to his next task only after checking the duties and locations of each of his officers.

 

I continued to follow the colonel around. It was a joy to watch him direct his men but it was also a learning experience for me. I could not help but be impressed by the efficient manner in which he got things done. His preparation and planning methods, and the mechanical yet precise movements of his men reminded me of the power of the U.S. Army.

After about two hours, the colonel Michaelis was done directing his men. He then entered a large sewer that had been constructed to direct water downstream. The entrance had large stacks of sandbags on each side. This was the colonel Michaelis command post. When I asked him why he had selected such a place for his command post, he replied with a smile: “Look how strong this place is.”