VIDEO HERE (9:41 minutes)
*****
This is a really great interview, well worth watching.
I first heard of Ola Mize reading a book about SF by Leigh Wade (I think). He talks about sitting at a table discussing how weak the 30 Carbine they issued to their VN strikers was, and a guy got up from the next table and said it worked out pretty good for him in Korea. It was Ola Mize, back for more fun and games.
WOW! After Korea he did 3 tours in the Nam...He was a bad ass.
ReplyDeleteMedal of Honor
Legion of Merit (2)
Silver Star
Bronze Star (5)
Purple Heartservice
True American Bad Ass. I know more than a few of them. They never tell you about all they've done. And then one night after after you've known them a few years and been drinking all night they'll open up.
ReplyDeleteI'm truly honored to know those guys. Although they're getting up there in the years you still don't want to fuck with them. The oath they took to protect this country is something they take very seriously. They haven't forgot. Beware.
I watch youtube videos about some of these MOH awardees, and it is almost unbelievable the things that they accomplish, in service to the country. I honestly don't think that America of today is worthy of such sacrifice. Also, I don't think many Americans today understand how horrific the war in Korea was. We have been blessed to have brave men, and in today's military, women defending our nation. I pray that we can one day live up to their service.
ReplyDeleteOf the 167th Infantry Regiment in WWI, General Plummer who was impressed with the ferocity and esprit de corps but exasperated by their rambunctiousness said: “in time of war, send me all the Alabamians you can get, but in time of peace, for Lord’s sake, send them to somebody else.”
ReplyDeleteProbably was the same in the civil war.
Or “The recent unpleasantness” as we refer to it down here.
ReplyDeleteIn 1978 Colonel Mize was the commander of SF training. He would frequently come out to Camp MacKall and observe students in Phase 1 of the SF Qual Course.
ReplyDeleteMore than a few times he would participate in the daily pre-dawn ruck marches (runs in actuality) around the perimeter of the airfield in ankle deep sand. He never seemed to be smoked or overly affected by the exertion. At lunch time he would come with the other (also damn near as legendary) instructors over to where the students ate under a cargo chute to with anyone regardless of rank or background. He treated everyone with respect and consideration.
He was the first SF officer I got to observe over time and he set an extremely high bar to measure those I later interacted with.
He was truly one hell of a soldier and man and someone I am extremely proud to have had as a SF role model.
DOL
Around 250,000 Chinese surprise attact the Americans in Korea. Those boys at the Chosin were hammered. The USA didn't do a fucking thing. We should have lit those bastards up like we did Hiroshima and Nagsaki. I have all the respect and honor I can muster for the Korean Vets.
ReplyDeleteDad did WWII in the Pacific and Korea in the Army. He was in the occupation forces in Japan when Korea started. They sent him to the Chosin pocket with an M1 Carbine and no ammunition. He went to war with a couple layers of cotton for armor and knife...he was good with a knife...6 guys came back from his battalion at the end of the war. Watching a video of the conflict later he commented that they must be Marines...they have ammunition.
ReplyDeleteWhat I've read about the M1 Carbine was that in the Islands in WWII (the big one) they were very effective against lightly clothed enemy, but in Korea they'd barely penetrate padded, cold weather clothes. Jeff Cooper had no use for them and he was in both places. Others who were there obviously had different opinions. As a child during WWII, I was fascinated by them. Still am.
ReplyDeleteThe main problem with the M1 carbine was the light cartridge in comparison to the other small arms used by US forces. The M1 Garand (30/06) and the subma Hine guns (45 ACP) used just hit so much harder. Audie Murphy actually preferred the carbine because of it being handy and easier to carry. The problem in Korea was ammunition related. MI carbine ammunition was loaded with a Winchester ball powder which was difficult to ignite in the cold winters of Korea. The ammunition worked fine in the tropical Pacific during WW2.
DeleteThe tropical Pacific wasn't the only place the M1 carbine was used in WWII. It got pretty cold during the Battle of the Bulge, and in Germany over the winter of 1944-45. If there were problems with cold ammo, it would have been discovered then.
DeleteOTOH, two other anonymous posters could be right. The ammo issued in 1950 was probably left over from WWII. When it was manufactured in 1944-45, everyone expected it would be used in Japan by 1946, so no one was much worried about whether it would keep 5 years in storage.
Also, the Germans were never equipped well for winter, and I suspect that when the Wehrmacht did supply good winter clothes, there was a preference for down insulation that didn't add too much weight - or bullet resistance. OTOH, the Chinese Commies probably anticipated fighting in bitter cold weather, but could only meet the need for insulation by supplying more layers of coarse heavy clothing.
Korean Winters are minus 30 and 40 degrees, France and German winters not that bad.
DeleteI read somewhere that the ammo used in Korea was stuff left over from WW2 and should not have been used after sitting for so long.
ReplyDelete