Who done it?

[<DGill11331@aol.com>]

Please bear in mind that this is from a fifty-year-old memory and some of the 
memory is sketchy.  On one of the days (probably Sept. 17,18 or 19) following 
the Inchon Landing my platoon was assigned to guard the right flank of the 
battalion as it marched up what I believe was the Inchon-Seoul Road. 
       In search of a potential enemy lying in bushwhack, my platoon made its 
way through the fields a couple hundred yards from the main body marching up 
the road. I was the furthest man from the road and as my platoon moved 
through the fields I came upon a dike.  To make sure there was no enemy lying 
in wait on the other side of the dike I climbed to the top of the dike. When 
I got to the top of the dike I let out an audible moan when I gazed into the 
field on the other side of dike.
       The field had numerous, long rows of freshly dug shallow trenches. 
Lying dead on the ground between the rows of trenches were what my memory 
tells me were hundreds of executed civilians (maybe there were more and maybe 
there was less).  Today I mostly remember that the victims were mainly women 
and children in their white summer dress. Even though I said I remember 
mostly woman and children that's not to say they weren't mostly men. All I 
really remember is that there before my eyes was the evidence of a mass 
execution and for whatever reason the victims had yet to be buried.  
       I called to the platoon leader to come to the top of the dike.  I then 
called down to a couple of my buddies and told them what was on the other 
side of the dike.  Before I knew it the Lt. and the rest of the platoon were 
on top of the dike to witness the results of a mass execution. I do not 
remember how the platoon got the word back, but I do remember that the 
platoon was ordered to stay at the site until people from HQ got there.
       I remember after waiting quite a long while a group of helicopters 
came flying in. How many I have no recollection, but I do remember they were 
carrying Marines with cameras and a lot of brass.  After the helicopters 
landed and the brass and the cameramen got busy doing their job, my platoon 
didn't stay on cite, but went on its way in pursuit of the rest of the 
company. 
       This was not a simple case of "war-rage" in which some troops have 
been personally hurt or offended by a deed done against them and in a blind 
rage executed people on the spot.  The uniform rows of open graves with neat 
rows of the executed would attest to an act of premeditation. This was truly 
a war crime, a serious crime against humanity. 
       For all the men running around with cameras, in all the books I have 
read on Korea, you would think that I would have seen a picture and a story 
of this incident. Unlike No Gun Ri and other battle related killings, this 
was simply cold blooded murder. Who did it, North Koreans, South Koreans?  I 
didn't know then and I certainly don't know now.  However, I'm sure that if 
Americans did it - the whole world would know and somebody would be looking 
for reparations. 
Have a nice day -Don