Casualties high in many Vietnam, Korean battles

Nowadays, we hear of a few soldiers getting killed in battle; it might be one, two, three, or four.

But it wasn't that way in Vietnam or Korea. For weeks when I was in Vietnam, I was at Quan Loi rubber plantation, where our 1st Infantry Division had units operating out of in operations against the Viet Cong. I had 30-35 KIAs (killed in action) coming in at a time.

In Korea, it was like that, sometimes worse. At the Chinon Reservoir retreat, a hill had to be taken as the Chinese were shooting and killing American troops on the road from that hill. Lt. McClelland and some riflemen were assaulting two stubbornly held bunkers.

McClelland saw that Platoon Sgt. Ernie Umbaugh was legging toward him from the opposite flank. But before Umbaugh could speak, they were hit with a volley of rifle fire. The lieutenant had numerous holes through his parka and equipment, but he was not hit with a bullet. Umbaugh was shot and hit by multiple bullets and died. 

They were in A Company, 1st Marines. When they finally got through, they had lost 112 dead, wounded, frostbite out of a company of 223, or 50% casualties. The frostbite was from 20 degrees below zero weather that they were fighting in.

Roger Gregory is a Vietnam veteran and business owner in Priest River. He served in the 1st Infantry Division.