January 26, 2007
Oroville Mercury Register January 3, 1951
Core of Experienced combat Men Give GIs in Korea Top Leadership
By ARTHUR T. WILSON, Major General, U. S. A. Retired
Written Exclusively for the Oroville Mercury
When the censorship was lifted, we knew just before Christmas that
the entire X Corps had been evacuated from the Hungnam beachhead
under an umbrella of fire from naval guns and air bombardment and
with a covering force manning an ever diminishing beachhead until
the last soldier and the last bit of equipment on board the transports.
The X Corps now taken its place with the Eighth Army – and that
is the tip-off on our immediate future policy in Korea; had the
corps gone back to Japan it would have indicated we were to abandon
the peninsula. (I say immediate because policies often change) Incidentally
the magnificent withdrawal of this corps under pressure was done
as any military man could have foretold, just exactly as it is taught
in our higher defense schools of war – and it puts to shame the
great bulk of war correspondents and self appointed military experts
who wrote as columnists in various newspapers that we were faced
with “annihilation” a “Dunkirque.” The enemy simply can not annihilate
a modern American army corps, there is too much fire power and will
to fight. As I wrote long before the embarkation, at Dunkirque the
British got away with no equipment and practically no wounded and
with only disorganized mobs in any kind of boats they could lay
hands on, over the Straights of Dover. In this case we not only
took our corps but thousands and thousands of civilians. They can
laugh that one off.
The 3rd Division was the covering force and manned the
final beachhead. This is the same division that so magnificently
withstood the great counterattack of the German army on Anzio beachhead
in Italy in 1943. Undoubtedly among the personnel of that division
are several who were also with it at Anzio. There has certainly
been no time in the history of the Army or Navy or Air Force of
the United States when the country has been blessed with such superior
leadership in a war from General MacArthur right on down to the
captains. Most of the older general officers commanding divisions
and on the staffs went through World War I as junior officers or
enlisted men, some of them even were with Pershing in Mexico. Most
of them were general officers throughout World War II. In the grades
from Captain to Colonel, they are all graduates of combat service
in World War II as officers or as enlisted men. Many of the enlisted
men have had World War II experience.
So the mothers and fathers of the boys who are in the fighting can
be sure that they have wonderful leadership, and experienced commanders.
Without the wealth of experience and background it would have been
impossible for them to have done the things they have done ever
since the Korea campaign opened. Every move has been a military
classic. To top them all off no soldier in any army in the world
had the battle experience and wealth of strategic and tactical planning
as has General MacArthur. He was retired as Chief of Staff of World
War II to become governor general and field marshal of the Philippines.
He was a general officer in World War I. Everyone knows what he
did in World War II. To indicate his span of military prestige in
the U. S. Army, General Marshall was a lieutenant colonel, Generals
Eisenhower and Bradley and Spaats and all their contemporaries were
majors, Admiral Sherman, a lieutenant senior grade General Collins
a captain and all of the general officers now serving under MacArthur
in Korea were first lieutenants or captains or the equivalent in
the Navy – when MacArthur was a major general and chief of staff.
Stu’s Notes: When Gen Wilson’s letter appeared in the OMR. Out
troops along with the United Nations troops, which in that war unlike
now consisted of almost all of the Free World, were in a very orderly,
but still a retreat from overwhelming communist North Korea and
Chinese troops. As a young boy I remember seeing a movie on this,
which was said, “Retreat Hell we’re just attacking in a different
direction.” This was almost a shocking word in those times. We did
soon attack in a different direction and pushed the Commies back
into what is now North Korea. To this day each side glares at the
other across no man’s land. Gen. Douglas MacArther, hero to many
of his troops, despised by others. He had a long military career,
served his country with honor.
I have written before of General Wilson, see Aug. 4th,
11th,2006, Feb. 2003, Sept, Oct Nov 2005 and July 2002
OMR. Oroville’s most Famed Soldier Dies. He served his country very
well for a long time. He was born in the little town of Cherokee
one of three sons of Agnes and Alex M. Wilson. Pioneers of Butte
County and Graduate of O.H.S.
Our Memorial is taking a new direction and we will have to raise
a lot of money.