Stars and Stripes

[Jim Olson <olsonjam@uwec.edu>]

John Sonley's recollection of reading the Stars and Stripes from 
light supplied by the searchlights jarred my memory of various 
recollections that involved the Stars and Stripes.

During  the relatively few times I was in action as an FO,
Fox Oboe Charley 987 FAB, I don't recall a single case of meeting any 
reporter or media person anywhere near the front.

The only exception were Stars and Stripes reporters who generally
travelled near the FO team- back of the point platoons of infantry- 
usually in close proximity to the infantry Company commander.

They were the real heroes of the press coverage of that war in my opinion.

I understand they took quite a few casulaties along with the infantry.

I'm not sure that everything they saw or heard was reported in any 
detail in the Stars and Stripes.

I think their ediors chose material that was most appropriate for 
troops to read.

I recall one mission where I walked along with a S@S reporter
during an attack on a hill in 1951.

He was carrying a speed graphic and a notebook, snapping pictures and 
taking notes.

We talked briefly when the action allowed and he said he had been on 
many such operations as part of his assignmewnt.

At one point the advance stalled and we heard the Captain talking to his
lead Platoon officer leader.

The coversation was something like this.


Lt- We are pinned down up here and can't move.


note :an ROK unit was on our flank and they were moving (unusual for 
an ROK unit)

Capt- You are holding us up- get out of these holes and move up.

Lt. I can't - the men won't budge.

Capt- Get your ass out of that hole and lead them forward.


He didn't- the Captain turned to us and explained that he didn't want 
to get them killed but that there would be fewer casualties in the 
operation if they did move and get that hill quickly- )

He then  told then to stay put for a little and  called in fire from 
the infantry mortar team supporting the attack - we couldn't safely 
call in fire just ahead of them but were firing further out on enemy 
positions on the top. We were in a difficul position to reach that 
spot as our shells were going fairly close overhead and if we lowered 
the trajectory  even slightly we would have taken some hits on our 
ridge. The mortars with a higher  trajectory could get the position.




The ROK unit took the hill moving up, passing us on our left.

Earlier we had supported an ROK division that completely dissolved
and went south in a rout during a Chinese advance. This was probably 
not the same outfit.


Later I read the reporters story in the Stars and Stripes- It simply 
gave the general story of taking the hill and had a feature about the 
Sounds of Battle- which was very accurate.

Later  the war slowed somewhat and we were sent back about 15 miles to
get new tubes for the howitzers (quite worn now after heavy firing) 
and general rest, training, and repair.

There was an infanyrt outfit next to us doing the same thing and I 
recall a brief discussion one day with a doggie I met on a beer 
cooling expediton up to the Hwachon reservoir.

He was pissed becaues his outfit had been ordered to train by 
simulating the taking  of a hill the next day in as realitstic a way 
as they could.

It was all for the benefit of a newsreel team that was "at the front 
filming battle action".

I left in August of 51 so I don't know if the media coverage improved 
or changed after that.

Earlier when I was stationed in Seoul in 1945 as part of occupation 
forces I met another S@S reporter who had been (at least he said so) 
present at the famous MacArthur "I have returned" landing in the 
Phillipines.

He claimed the event had been elaborately staged and there was really 
no need for wading ashore as MacArthur did.


His report of the incident to the S@S was heavly edited.

But I always looked to the Stars and Stropes for at least relatively accurate
reports,

Back home my wife wrote that based on my letters and accounts of 
events the "U.S. News and World Reports" was the most accurate of the 
weekly
news magazines in reporting the war.

Time was the worst.

JimO
Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA
olsonjam@uwec.edu