Following the stunning success of the North Korean invasion of
South Korea in the summer of 1950, United Nations forces were trapped in
the southeast corner of the peninsula in an area known as the Pusan
Perimeter. With the bulk of the North Korean People's Army (NKPA)
engaged around Pusan, UN Supreme Commander Gen. Douglas MacArthur began
advocating for a daring amphibious strike on the peninsula's west coast
at Inchon. This he argued would catch the NKPA off guard, while landing
UN troops close to the capital at Seoul and placing them in a position
to cut the North Korean's supply lines.
Many were
initially skeptical of MacArthur's plan as Inchon's harbor possessed a
narrow approach channel, strong current, and wildly fluctuating tides.
Also, the harbor was surrounded by easily defended seawalls. In
presenting his plan, Operation Chromite, MacArthur cited these factors
as reasons the NKPA would not anticipate an attack at Inchon. After
finally winning approval from Washington, MacArthur selected the US
Marines to lead the attack. Ravaged by post-World War II cutbacks, the
Marines consolidated all available manpower and reactivated aging
equipment to prepare for the landings. Richie was in on some dangerous preparations for the landings. To pave the way for the invasion, Operation Trudy Jackson was launched a
week before the landings. This involved the landing of a joint
CIA-military intelligence team on Yonghung-do Island in the Flying Fish
Channel on the approach to Inchon. Led by Navy Lieutenant Eugene Clark,
this team provided intelligence to UN forces and restarted the
lighthouse at Palmi-do. When Clark's activities were discovered, the
North Koreans dispatched a patrol boat to investigate. After mounting a
machine gun on a sampan, Clark's men were able to sink the patrol boat.
As retribution, the NKPA killed 50 civilians for aiding Clark. Richie said it was all horrible and dat dat stuff on MASH was nothing like da horror of dis war. He used ta hang out at da Marine Museum and was always complaining about some a da details in da dioramas of da battles dat dey had der.
Following China’s shock intervention, the US marine division,
reinforced by British marine commandos, was surrounded about 70 miles deep inside North Korea’s mountains by eight Chinese
divisions at Chosin Reservoir.
“Chosin was 30, 40 degrees below zero, dead bodies, frozen bodies,” recalled Richie. “We got the hell kicked out of us.” He was a good Marine Richie was.
