Who Blew Up the Han River Bridge in 1950?

["Young Kim" <y_s_k@worldnet.att.net>]

Who Blew Up the Han River Bridge in 1950?
US Army Major Richard Crawford, former KMAG adviser, believes Capt. James
Hausman ordered the bridge blown.

http://www.kimsoft.com

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Maj. Richard I. Crawford was riding in a jeep with Col. Choe Chang Sik, the
chief of the ROKA engineers. They were waiting to cross the bridge when it
went up in a giant fire ball. Col. Choe managed to lead Maj. Crawford across
the river safely and saved the American's life. Ironically Col. Choe was
arrested, tried and executed for the crime of blowing up the bridge.
Maj. Crawford tried to clear poor Col. Choe, but his superior told him to
keep his mouth shut and not to meddle in Korean affairs. His superior was
none other than Captain James Hausman, an officer junior in rank but with
connections with the right people. Maj. Crawford stated that it was "an
American officer" who told the ROKA chief of staff, Gen. Chae Byong Duk to
blow up the bridge.

Maj. Crawford never mentioned the officer by name but he said that it was a
captain who was advisor to the ROK Army Chief of Staff - i.e., Captain James
Hausman - the Father of the South Korean army. It was strange that an army
captain was the advisor to the Chief of Staff of the South Korean Army while
a major was advisor to the Chief of the Engineers, the latter subordinate to
the former.

Maj. Crawford recalled that the US Ambassador resisted issuing the
evacuation order until pushed by a group of KMAG officers and the confusion
that ensued as it was a "secret" plan so no one new how it was supposed to
work. An American merchant ship captain refused to return to take evacuees
even when ordered by the ambassador invoking the office of the president.
The captain lost his master's license. Maj. Crawford's wife was evacuated on
a Norwegian fertilizer carrier.

Maj. Crawford knew for some time that the North Korean forces were massing
but that "Dug-out Doug" refused to listen to KMAG or the ROK on this point.

When the attack came, the major was ordered to direct the ROK engineers to
plant mines. He replied that they had no mines. He was told by his superiors
that they had 50,000 mines. He responded that they were inert training mines
and not likely to stop North Korean tanks. When the real mines subsequently
arrived, they were sent directly to the ROK units but they were a different
type that the ROK soldiers did not know how to arm. The instructions were
printed on the mines in English!

By the time he knew what had happened a truck load had been dropped,
actually thrown from the back of the truck, on the road in front of the
advancing enemy, unarmed and unconcealed. He went back with them around and
they planted the mines, armed this time, along the road. On the return trip,
the enemy tanks were close behind them.

Maj. Crawford was with the KMAG from 21 Oct. 1949 to 7 Dec 1950. For his
service in Korea, he received two Legions of Merit and the CHUNGMU
Distinguished Military Service medal with Gold Star.


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The Hangang Bridge Massacre: Who Was Behind It?