Richard Shaw

Led an adventurist life....filled with excitement and fun...also death and the brutality of man. Co.K,3rd Bn 180th Infantry Regiment.............13-14 June 1952............... After K Company took it's portion of Eerie on the 13th of June52.......it found itself in the unique position of occupying the top and the outside of the hill............................while the Chinese held the inside of the hill. In all there were 12 entrances to their network of tunnels.....................we referred to them as bunkers..........................they were large holes that went straight down...................at intervals the Chinese would toss a grenade out..........causing us to scramble for cover. In response..............we would toss a grenade into the hole...........................however since they must have had some form of baffle........they seem unaffected by the blast and shrapnel. Knowing we had to resolve the situation...........I called for satchel charges from Blue 6( LT Col Caprino,3rd Batallion Commander) ............ ...which contain 10-1 pound blocks of TNT.....................and we then blew up the entrances. Doing so.....it cut off their air supply. That night.....................we could hear the Chinese digging to get out............................I felt.........and I'm sure each soldier felt..........................that the digging sound was directly behind them.................and that at any moment the Chinese would burst out directly behind me or to my side in the shallow trench......................nerve wracking. They did break out the next morning........and refusing to surrender....they were shot. The first sight i saw as morning dawned on the 14th of June...........was a slope littered with Chinese bodies.......................those far away reminded me of crabs.......not humans..........because of the crawling motion of those bodies..................as if they could crawl away from their pain and suffering.......................that sight haunts me even today.........................it was that horrible. The compassion of the troops of K Co amazed me...........................for on the morning of the 14th...they would go and bring back the lesser wounded Chinse soldiers from the slopes..............................the same ones they fought all night................................put them in the trenches with them.............................offer them water,c rations and cigarettes. However........once the shelling resumed again......................and the need to be able to move in the shallow trenches became paramount again.............................those Chinese were tossed out of the trenches........again to the slopes to await their fate. Such was the fighting on Eerie........................... Because of the bravery of the men of Company I and K........including much hand to hand combat... They were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation........which is equivalent to the Distinguished Service Cross....but in this case is awarded to an entire unit. In addition.....Three soldiers of Co K were awarded the DSC. Bill Slavins.....Commanding Company I......my long time combat buddy and friend................. was severely wounded the night of the 13th......... Although Company I began the fight to secure the right side of Eerie..with 180 men......... by morning ...........only 20 were left capable of fighting. Company K's casualties were much lighter taking the left side of Eerie...... probably due to the destruction of the Chinese tunnels. We absorbed the remainder of Company I...........which was reduced to combat ineffectiveness. Such is the honor of the 3rd Bn,180th If Regt in Korea. During this action...over 2000 Chinese were killed or wounded by small arms fire,artillery,mortar,and quad fifties. Dick Shaw