Family Summer Vacation near The Battle Place of Chipyong-ni in Yangpyong_2025.7.13
In every summer, I and my wife with our son and his family used to go to Muju for a family reunion, because my mother’s birthday was in the middle of July. A condominium in the Muju Resort or a pension by the Gucheon-dong Valley was used for our family accommodation. The Nalin Poolvilla, Naos Pension, Songi Cottage and Tobis Condominium were typical facilities for our family while my father and mother were living.
In this year, a poolvilla of Lau Haus
was reserved by my son and daughter, not in Muju but near Chipyong-myon. It was
freely selected by them, because my mother had recently passed away on Lunar
New Year’s Day on January 31st, this year. Due to her age and mobility,
Muju had always preferred to, and the days of family reunion were 1 night and 2
days. For that event, not only the location but also the time was changed,
increasing to 2 nights and 3 days. If my mother were living, she could join in
her 97-birthday anniversary and I could see her bright smile and happy face,
having a bowl of fried shrimps. The summer season reminded me of her and the
times with her as before.
The Lau Haus was in a little valley by
a golf club of The Star Hue positioned in the valley adjacent to a north ridge
and an east ridge of the mountain Samgak. I was so glad to visit the pension located
near Chipyong-myon which could be linked with a village of Kosong through a mountain
road of the Molachi. The road was unpaved and rough to drive but existed in the
Korean War and had been used for a patrol route by a battalion of the 23rd
US Army Regiment Combat Team. The village and the mountains like mountains of
the Samgak and the Nogi was Chinese troops assembling points in the battle of
Chipyong-ni in Feb. 1951. It was about 8 km off Chipyong-ni around which the 23rd
RCT established its defensive line against the Chinese mass offensive in time
of the Roun Up Operation initiated by the 10th US Army Corp.
On the first day on July 9th,
2025, I drove to Yongmun in Yangpyong and had lunch with my wife. I had mind to
explore the Chipyong-ni battle place and Chinese assembly area of Kosong
village to the east, because I had a few hours to check in the pension. It was
very hot at noon, so I parked my car under a big tree near a south ridge of defensive
line for my wife wishing to stay at the car. I put a straw hat on my head and walked
into the empty ground where the old railway had been laid. It had been occupied
by an artillery batteries and final resistant line when the G Company Ridge had
been penetrated by Chinese force on the final day of battle. I walked into a
low hill assumed as the F Company Ridge and tried to observe the penetrated
route between the G Company Ridge which had been named after McGee Hill, Schmit
Hill and Nance Hill. The hill in front of the village hall of Chipyong-ni 2 and
the low hill adjacent to the hill in front of the valley of Haegol (meaning the
skull valley) had defended by the G Company at the battle. The lost ridge had
been finally recovered by the counterattack that had desperately lasted for 1
night and 2 days on Feb. 15th, 1951.
Hill 444 located at the Geumwang Crossroad, Yangdong near Chipyong village
At the Lau Haus Pool-villa, we met our
son, his family and our daughter. My son told me that he had been guided with a
navigator to drive on the unpaved Molachi road on the way of the accommodation,
but he felt uneasy to drive the rugged road along the high pass and he drove
back for another road for Gwanngtan-ni, Yangpyong. He was right to decide coming
out of the road or his car could be damaged due to heavy impacts on the engine
mount which I had experienced here on this road. Our family enjoyed pork
barbeques roasted with an outdoor grill as a dinner and swimming at the pool. I
also enjoyed drinking a bottle of Chipyong Makkeolli, a rice wine, made in the Chipyong
Brewery which had been used for the French Battalion Head Quarter in time of
the battle.
On the second day on July 12th, 2025,
we had ramyons as breakfast and drove to the Seokbul Station on the railroad of
Jungang Line for Wonju. It was preserved up to date as like as the battle and
took photographs in front of it. I drove leading other family to the battle
place of Twin Tunnel where the 23rd Regiment had fought off Chinese forces before
the Chipyong-ni Battle during Jan. 31st to Feb. 1st, 1951. It was the place
visited by me and my family while my son and daughter were young and taken
photos. My son and I were walking along the trail of the railroad which was dismantled
with its tunnels shut down. We stood in front of the monument of the Twin
Tunnel Battle, taking a photograph. After the exploration, my family and I
drove to the Hall of Chipyong Battle Monument in the village and looked at the
photographs and the military gears of the soldiers. It was great to see the 3D movie
describing the battle progress. After visiting the hall, my family and I drove
to the Milinae Resort (Healing Center) surrounded by hills in the eastern part
of village. It had been defended by the 1st and 3rd Battalion of the 23rd
Regiment along the east ridge and hills including the Bongmi Mountain. To avoid
the scorching heat of summer daytime, we hiked up the ridge and walked along
the trail supposed as the fox holes entrenched in the battle. Its area was
heavily attacked by the Chinese troops hiked down from the mountain area including
the peak of Pyottae (Hill 506) detected by air surveillance as a point of major
Chinese assembly moved from Hoengseong. We had cold noodles at a restaurant and
returned to the accommodation in the afternoon. I enjoyed swimming at the pool and
felt cool and comfortable. For dinner, we had fried beefs roasted by my son
with a cup of the Makkeoli. After the dinner, I walked out of the accommodation
and explored the mountain ridges and hills of the Samkak Mountain adjacent to the
pass of Teokkeoli. After 30 minutes’ walk, I could observe the valley and long
ridge leading to the summit which had been patrolled by the 23rd Regiment,
joining into another patrol unit of the 9th Regiment. It was a quite long and
steep pass of an isolated road that I felt nervous about the cars passing by.
Battle Monument of the Twin Tunnel in Muwang-ni 3, Chipyong-myon, Yangpyong
On the third day, on July 11th, 2025,
we had sandwiches made of ingredients packed from my house for breakfast. The
pool was not allowed to swim in the morning and all our family members checked
out at 11:00 AM. We were appointed to meet a nice bakery located at riverside
of the Pukhan River recommended by my daughter. I arrived there after 1 hour driving,
and we sat together, sharing cup of coffees, and a piece of bread and cake.
After finishing our summer vacation and my Chipyong-ni exploration, my wife and
I were back home at 15:00 PM. I am thanking my mother who passed away at the
end of January and spiritually reminded me of the anniversary of her 97th
birthday that never happened. I also thank my son and daughter for planning the
vacation plan and for providing the nice pool-villa for our nice family reunion.
It shouldn’t be forgotten for the sacrifices of young soldiers, officers and
commanders of the 23rd Regiment and other units supporting and protecting it in
air or on ground, 74 years ago.
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