Family Exploration of Nakdong Bulge Defensive Line_2026.8.12-14

 This visit was suggested by my son a month ago in regard of the dates and family vacation. The date had been determined but the place was revised for my wish. It was determined the Nakdong Bulge for two nights and three days and planned by my son who had referred to my previous Nakdong visit on my blogger. At first, I considered starting my exploration from the North-West District of Nakdong Bulge like Kochang, Hapchon and Hadong where North Korean had stealthily appeared and attacked toward Pusan. But I realized it was impossible with two nights and three days’ journey and didn’t like to disturb the original plan established by my son. These places can be explored next time with plentiful of days. Summarily, it has wrapped up to cost me KRW fifty-five thousand for meals and gases to cover unexpected Taejon journey and cost my son about KRW forty thousand for comfortable accommodations.   

On the first day (Wed.) of August 12, 2026, my wife, son and I started at 0830 for Youngdong, where Nogun-ri Incident Memorial Hall was located. It could be missed from the itinerary, but my son wished to visit the hall. We drove to the West Hanam IC and drove on the 2^nd Kyongbu Expressway to the Hwanggan IC. We started without breakfast, so we had breakfast of the Ansong Stew at a restaurant in South Ansong. We arrived at the hall at around 1200 and looked around the facilities. It felt regrettable to see the café temporarily shut down at the administration building. We went into the theater as leaded by a female guide and saw the documentary on Nigun-ri Incident where a battalion of the 1^st US Cavalry Division incidentally had killed a stream of refugees from near villages. They had been forced to leave their houses and led by a group of US military polices including interpreters a day before the incident. They followed instructions and walked along the rails near the twin tunnel, but they were suddenly shot by some fighting aircraft. They had to evacuate from the rail and seek shelters like the twin tunnel and culvert. It was said most of young men had evacuated before, so most of the refugees were old men, women and children. It was not easily understood at the condition why the American soldiers shot the innocent refugees, but the American soldiers were terrified by the fact that North Korean force utilized refugees to hide their soldiers and stealthily infiltrate rear of American line. The soldiers were very young and hurriedly dispatched from Japan for replacing the 24^th US Army Division destroyed in Taejon and other withdrawal battles from Osan to Keum River line. They might be heard from the cruelty of North Korean forces and utilizing refugees for their infiltration.  However, no matter how the order from higher level was, in my opinion, if battalion commander could assess the situation upon his eyes or reports, he would nicely avoid the killing and stop the refugees’ movement.   

Here is the battle map about the 1^st US Cavalry Division’s Yongdong defensive battle.

We walked to the twin tunnel on wall of which a lot of bullets holes were identified and explore nearby creek along which the shooting had been taken place from the low hills. If it had been unavoidable incident in the time of beginning of the war and confusion, it would have been enough more seventy years after the incident for compensation for the sacrificed families. But it has not done yet by the government, while most of the victims died. Who should be blamed between American horrified young soldiers dispatched hurriedly from far away country for saving Korea or the old man of refugees who had urged a young woman killing her baby crying at the twin tunnel only for silence?   

Here is the photograph of the parking lot of Nogu-ri Memorial Hall. You can see the defensive line which was occupied by the 1st Calvalry Division along the low hills behind the parking lot.

After visiting the Nogu-ri hall, we drove to a restaurant in Youngdong and had lunches of freshwater snail soup with rice at around 1330. We drove to Hwanggan IC for the Kyongbu Expressway for the first destination, Dabu-dong War Memorial Hall located in north of Taegu. We arrived at the hall at around 1600 and looked around the outdoor facilities and exhibition hall. We saw the monuments of President Truman and Synman Lee and may military weapons exhibited. On top of the hall, I could see Yuhak mountain and entrance of the Bowling Alley and Soya Pass all of which had been battle places.

Here is the photograph about the Dabu-dong Memorial Hall.

After visiting the hall, we drove to the Bowling Alley monument at Chonpyong Valley north of the hall between Yuhak-san and Ka-san. This valley was the fierce tank battles between the 27^th US Regiment and 4^th Division of North Korea where T-34 enemy tanks were all destroyed. The 4^th North Korean Division was praised for its Seoul occupation and destroying the 24^th US Army Division but here in this valley, they were defeated and lost their tanks.     

Here is the photograph about the battle monument of Bowling Alley at the valley.  

After visiting the monument in the valley, we drove southward on road 5 and found the Soya Pass where the 27^th US Regimental Commander Michaelis had commanded. We drove far down to Dongmyong Elementary School where the 1^st South Korea Army Division Commander General Paek had commanded with support of Americal regiments. Between the Soya Pass and the elementary school, there was another pass not easily identified but the 23^rd US Regiment Commander Freeman had commanded to support General Paek firing his artilleries toward Ka-san mountain on the right side for preventing NK rear infiltration.

Here are the photographs of the Soya Pass and Dongmyong Elementary School. 

After visiting the Dabudong area, we drove back on road 79 linking Waegwan and Dabu-dong west to eastward for our accommodation in Waegwan. Before check-in at 1900, we had Hamburgers at a Burger King near Camp Carrol where General Walker, the 8^th US Army Commander had commanded.   

On the 2^nd day (Thu.) of August 12, 2026, we had a continental breakfast at hotel buffet and checked out at 0900. As planned, we drove to Waegwan Battle Memorial Hall and Chilgok Battle Park near Nakdong River in west and Jago Mountain in east. As soon as we arrived at the parking lot, I had a phone call from my younger brother. It was unusual to get the phone, but he said his wife’s mother died just yesterday. We had to reconsider our exploration, but we had a conclusion that we could drop by the funeral in Taejon in the afternoon. As my son suggested, we tried to drop by a café, Pascucci near by the hall. But it wasn’t open yet, so we crossed the Waegwan Bridge and alternatively had a coffee at a riverside caffe, the Bridge. It was good to look over the old Waegwan bridge destroyed in time of the war, new bridge and new railroad bridge. We also had time to cross the Nakdong River through the old bridge rebuilt in 1941 in Japanese era and used for pedestrians. It was demolished at the imminent North Korean threat by the order of the 1^st US Cavalry Division Commander General Gay, though it was delayed as lately as possible to demolish the bridge, but there were many casualties of refugees trying to cross.   

Here is the photograph of the Waegwan Bridge.

In the morning, we walked around the hall and park. We could see the battle history and military weapons and gears used for the war. On the parking lot, we could look up the Jago mountain where a platoon of American artillery unit had captured by North Korean force and brutally executed on their heads. Its point was behind the side of mountain nested for the Korean American Friendship Park. It could not be visited due to unexpected Taejon trip. After lunch of roasted fish downtown, we started for Taejon at around 1400 and returned at around 2100. I would like to thank my son for encouraging me to attend the funeral and drive long distances.

We checked into a three-star hotel located in North Taegu, offered by my son. He said he paid quite bargaining price for it, but it was good to stay comfortably. In the morning, we left hotel at around 0830 as planned and drove to North Taegu IC. Kept driving southward through Kumho and Okpo Junction to the Jungbu Inland Expressway. To have breakfast, we drove out of North Hyunpoong IC and found a restaurant offering beet bone soups. After having the breakfast in Hyunpoong downtown, we drove back to the IC and drove southward for Pakjin District Battle Memorial Hall. We drove out of the Changyoung IC and drove westward on road 20 till switching to road 79 running southward. We passed by the fierce battle points of Kogok-ni and Tugok-ni nearby Clover Hill and Obong-ni Hill recovered by the 34^th US Army Regiments and 19^th Army Regiment and 1^st US Marine Battalion from the 4^th North Korean Division forces.     

Here is the 1^st phase of battle map of the Nakdong Bulge Defensive Line.

We arrived at the District Battle Monument Hall at around 1200 and looked around the hall. My son and I looked at a three-dimensional model (a sort of sand table) and helped us understand the progress of battles taking place in this area. North Korean soldiers infiltrated through crossing the river at Ohang ferry and Ilmok ferry near the memorial hall and made their bridgehead at the Clover ridges and Obong-ni ridges with artillery transported through the river. The first group of infiltrators hike over the mountain pass linked to the mountain where the memorial hall was located but American soldiers couldn’t secure view and stealthily came into Kokok-ri valley where American mortar battery and company commanding post were stationed. They attacked and destroyed the American rear units in the valley while reinforcing the bridge head when other units were crossing the river. One of the American companies among three of the 1^st Battalion of the 34^th Regiment stationing in the hills were forced to retreat. Others were called to withdraw to rear. The 34^th US Regiment Commander asked the Divisional Commander General Church of reinforcement to stop enemy attack toward Yongsan and Pakjin, he got the reserve unit of the division, the 19^th US Army Regiment and ultimately the elite force of the 1^st US Marine Battalion under preparation of Inchon Landing after approval of General Walker. Fierce battles continued on until the Clover and Obong-ni Ridges were retaken in the middle of August in 1950. The 23^rd US Army Regiment was cooperatively attacked westward toward Yongsan from Milyang, and the 27^th US Regiment also attacked northward toward Yongsan from Haman, crossing the river.

Here is the photograph of the Pakjin District War Museum.  

After touring at the hall, I asked my son to locate a road for the Ohang Ferry, a North Korean Crossing Point and after reviewing a map, he drove us to the old ferry site untrodden by people near the memorial hall. It was known that at night, North Korean soldiers and civilians being forced to labor transported sandbags and laid to the bottom of river to decrease the water depth.       

Here is a photograph of the Ohang Ferry.

As my son tried to drive farther as road was seen, though it was bushed and untrodden, probably linked north to the Ilmok Ferry, another crossing point. At the edge of mountain foot adjacent to the river, we had to turn our car back. After many trials, my son succeeded in turning his car back at around 1200 and drove to the final destination of Akok Ferry. Along the country roads paralleled to the river, we drove to the ferry site where Sergeant Kouma, a member of the 2^nd US Army Division, bravely and solely fought off North Korean infiltrators with his Patton Tank. Due to his heroic fight, the American infantry soldiers stationing in Mabun mountain adjacent to the river could evacuate under cover of Sergeant Kouma. It was the point where river was confluence with Nam River flowed from south and now developed into the Namji Riverside Park. It has been known that heroic action of Kouma gave an inspiration for making film Fury played by Brad Pitt.

Here is the photograph of the Namji Riverside Park where Sergeant Kouma’s tank was bravely fighting off numerous North Korean infantries.

 

After visiting the park, we drove to Namji downtown and had lunch of cold noodles and don-cutlets. It’s the final activity of our plan, so we drove back home after coming into Namji IC on the Jungbu Inland Expressway at around 1400. It was estimated to take five hours for Seoul but actually seven hours as we had rests and dinner at Chinese restaurant in Kwangju, Kyonggi-do when there was traffic jam around Kamgok IC and we needed to slip away from the expressway.