Re: Query: American post in N. Korea

[Ed Evanhoe <ede@oio.net>]

Mike,

> >>Last November we had a Korean War veteran visit my classroom to
>celebrate the meaning of Veteran's day.  He served on a minesweeper
>during the war.
>
>In his presentation he mentioned that an American outpost was held
>during the war in the northeast section of North Korea.  He didn't know
>a lot about it, having visited there only once with his minesweeper, and
>tangling with some enemy shore defenses there.<<

The veteran is correct.  The outpost he referred was the island of Miyang-do
located approximately 40 miles east-northeast of the port of Hungnam.  The
island was occupied by ROK Marines, a small ROK Higher Intelligence
Department (HID -- then the ROK version of the CIA) detachment, a small
American Army Security Agency (ASA) radio intercept detachment (I don't
know the unit number) and a small detachment belonging to Combined
Command Reconnaissance Activities, Korea (CCRAK,) 8240th Army Unit.
The ROK Marines were there to provide security while the HID and CCRAK
units were used as staging areas for sending agents into that part of North
Korea.  Total American strength on the island rarely was more than five or
six people, the exception being when agents were being inserted or
retrieved.  There were similar small detachments scattered on most islands
off North Korea's east coast.  The only reason having garrisons on these
islands was feasible was UN naval forces controlled the seas and were
close enough to provide gunfire support if needed.  Thus, it was not worth
it to the North Koreans to take these islands since, even if they did, they
would have been unable to hold them.





Ed Evanhoe, PO Box 916, Antlers, OK, 74523
Author: DARKMOON: Eighth Army Special Operations in the Korean War
Life Member:  Special Forces & Special Operations Associations
Web Site:  http://www.korean-war.com
Co-list owner: KOREAN-WAR-L (University of Kansas listproc)