"Crew Brave Red Gunfire to rescue wounded GI's!"
With 40th Infantry, Korea. Delayed by "Mail (Special)". Eight tanks rolled though a valley of frozen rice paddies, inched out from behind a hill, and rumbled into "no man's land" to attack Communist positions.
After 16 months of training, the 223rd Infantry Regiment's Tank Company,
El Monte Unit of Southern California's 40th National Guard, was entering
it's "baptism of fire".
With a platoon of doughboys the El Monte Unit supplied the fire power of a tank-infantry combat patrol team. All the principals of team work learned in training (at Camp Cook, California and Honshu Island, Japan) were employed as the infantry probed enemy lines under supporting fire from the tanks big guns.
After two enemy bunkers had been destroyed and an estimated 25 Chinese killed, the patrol was ordered to withdraw. Tank crews braved the intense enemy mortar and small arms fire to carry 12 wounded infantrymen back to friendly lines.
The damage from the "bogy" and Chinese mortar to the tanks, included a broken track suffered by "Vat 69" and a large hole in the side where the suspension had been blown out. The men could not evacuate the tank for what seemed like hours. The tank company was commanded by 1st Lt. Allison E. Bryan of the Chatsworth. Although immobilized by a land mine explosion,
"Vat 69" maintained fire support. Then after the infantrymen had been evacuated, three tanks returned to retrieve the damaged vehicle.
Cpl. Stanley Carroll, bow gunner (and assistant driver) sat behind a 30 caliber machine gun, in "Vat 69". He lost his seat when the mine exploded. The escape hatch and seat simply dropped out from under him. "It's like somebody gave
me a good wallop" Stanley Carroll recalled. A buddy, Cpl. Richard James of Baldwin Park cut in: "Aw, so what! You're always sitting down anyway."
A tank commander, Sfc. Richard J. Odd (of El Monte) brought his tank to the base of the Chinese held hill and with Pfc. Robert Blair (of Baldwin Park) rescued a group of infantrymen.
Pfc. John T. Dulyen of Port Hueneme (a Navy aid man in WWII) helped medics administer first aid, until all the wounded had been evacuated.
*Company commander Capt. Thomas B. Walson of Fort Knox, KY. (first reserve officer to join the 40th Division) was proud of his men (a tank platoon leader with the Fifth Armored Division in Europe during WWII). Walson said: "They did a fine job on their first mission. I'm glad they're my men!"
**When the hatch blew, the seat went flying, a hole torn in the suspension and Carroll shot up off his seat! It is here Stanley Carroll adds a little humor here: "My buddy Albert Natchy, owed me $5.00 bucks from and old bet. It was then Al looked around and said: "I guess I won't have to pay Carroll back the $5.00 now"
