Major Stegall's Memoirs now available in print!
Laision Pilot for the 7th Infantry Division
Korea, 1950-1951
After Inchon
Well, I suppose you can start worrying now and I’ll tell you why. We’ve been in combat a couple of days now and from the looks of things, by the time you get this letter and begin to worry the war here in Korean will either be over or almost over. Right now we are having nothing but a picnic. I went out on a mission this morning (it is now 1 o’clock PM) at six o’clock. We went up to Seoul, found a bunch of troops concentrated to the northeast of the city in a bunch of woods. We adjusted fire on them and when we were firing for effect we must have hit an ammunition dump. It blew up and smoke and dirt blew up to about two thousand feet. Really a juicy target. The North Koreans troops are all on the run and all they’re thinking about is to get the heck out of there - out of Seoul, that is and the North Koreans that were down around Pusan are all heading north and we are all flying as hard as we can and just blasting the heck out of them with artillery and planes. Remember I said I would get here in time to fight the chasing war? That’s exactly what the situation is now. It’s a brutal war though and I’ve seen more here than I ever did in Italy.
Excerpt from letter to Jim's wife, Hitto September 25, 1950
Flight Line, Korea: From left to right: L-19, L-3 Aeronca, L-4, two L-5's, and an L-17.
I don’t want you to worry because I’m okay and I’ll
admit that I’m enjoying myself - that is I have enjoyed seeing some
of the North Korean Army destroyed due to my efforts. We have been back in
combat for three days now. I left Seoul about a week ago. So far I have fired
on troop concentrations, gun positions, mortars, and all day today we have
been firing on retreating infantrymen. We’ve been pouring it on their
sore backs as they were trying to get away. This is what they sent me over
for and I feel like I’m doing my part, but I’m still taking no
undue chances, so don’t worry.
In your letter you ask if I thought I would cross the 38th parallel, and when
I was reading them I was sitting beside a road above the 40th parallel. You
also asked me if I had a weapon. I’ve got toxon (many) weapons. I have
a .45 pistol that is constant company with me. In addition to this I have
a rifle- a .30 calibre carbine, and also I have a .45 calibre submachine gun
which fits in a rack in the back end of my plane. All these are my personal
weapons so you can see that I’m strictly loaded. However, I’ve
had no occasion to use any of them except just to test them
Excerpt from letter to Jim's wife, Hitto November, 1950 .
Jim and his Korea ROK guards with his L-4. Note the worn 7th Inf. Div. patch on the tail.
Earning the Distinguished Flying Cross
After the Iwon landing the 7th Division was again committed
with the mission of moving northward to make contact with the NKPA. The 17th
Regimental Combat Team, of which the 49th FA BN was a part, moved south along
the road from Iwon and then west until the road turns in a northerly direction.
At that point Lt. Dare and I had landed on a road north of a schoolhouse where
our battalion had set up their headquarters. We pulled our L-4s up next to
the schoolhouse and under some trees for safety and camouflage.
After reporting in to the Fire Direction Center, we spent the night there.
We were to fly early the next morning. We heard small arms and mortar fire
during the night which indicated the enemy had been contacted and seemed to
be putting up resistance. We rose early and were told that the enemy held
the high ground along the road north of the schoolhouse. This road was our
landing strip. If we took off north we would be flying right into enemy positions
on the high ground at slow take off speed. Our other option was to taxi up
the road taking our chances on small arms fire then turn around and take off
south toward friendly troops. However, the road was narrow with ditches on
each side to keep us from turning around.
We devised a plan. Sgt. Weibelt and Cpl. Slaven were to circle out to the
right and follow a fence line which would circle back to the road. We could
see them darting and running until they were near the road. At that time I
taxied as fast as I could to the point where they were. They ran out, picked
up the tail and turned the airplane around so I could take off safely to the
south. The tail was very light as I was flying from the front seat with no
one else in the plane. Sgt. Weibelt and Cpl. Slaven had been under enemy fire
while performing their duties and were later awarded Bronze Stars for heroism
under fire.
Later that day we found a hole in the fuselage of my plane possibly sustained
during this action. I was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for this
effort.
Excerpt for "Grasshopper Pilot"
Sgt. Wiebelt (front) and Sgt. Howard (in cockpit) with an L-4. Note the worn condition of the plane and the tape on the door. Sgt. Wiebelt won the Bronze Star at the same time Jim won the DFC after the Iwon invasion.
We’ve been chasing the enemy down the roads and over the hills most all day yesterday and again today. The Seventeenth Regimental Combat Team of which the 49th FA is a part has been on the offensive for about four days now. Maybe five, I’ve forgotten. Anyway, yesterday morning I was up on the first flight from seven until about nine thirty and we chased the enemy the full two and a half hours. They were pulling out of their positions as our infantry advanced. They were streaming down the road as hard as they could go - sometimes even running as we would circle over them. We would find a bunch of them together and adjust artillery on them. That was yesterday. Today we went up and on a hill in front of the tanks and infantry we located a few of the enemy. The more we looked, the more of them we saw. We started putting artillery on them - there must have been a hundred and fifty or two hundred. We put fire on them all the way down the mountain, through a valley, and plum out of range. When we finally couldn’t reach them anymore there was a group of only around thirty or fifty left.
Excerpt from letter to Jim's wife, Hitto January 21, 1951.
Yesterday we had real good hunting above Yongwol. The ROK’s were on the attack there (as I wrote you a couple of days ago) and we had the job of putting artillery on them. Lt. Page was up with me and yesterday morning we figured we killed about seventy-five and during the afternoon we figured about thirty-five. Like you say, it’s a heck of a way to earn a living. Seventy five and thirty five - just like counting so many potatoes or so many rats (that’s it). Actually it gives me a pleasure to really put it on them hot and heavy because they have treated our people (troops) doggone rough, but it really hurts me to see these people - the women and children - suffer so much. You know how soft hearted I am - it really hurts me.
Excerpt from letter to Jim's wife, Hitto January 25, 1951.
Lt. Dare and Jim inside the Pusan Perimeter shortly after the evacuation for Hungnam Harbor. The second great drive to the north started out at the bottom of the Korean peninsula once again.
Well, we gave them a hard time today. We caught about seventy five or a hundred in a town. We fired into the town and the ones we didn’t hit we chased them across to a cave. Then we got the Air Force to bomb the cave entrance and seal it up. Before that we caught four of them on a trail. We adjusted on them and they ran and got in a ditch. One of the rounds hit right in the ditch with them and we saw no more of them. Later on today we caught a bunch more on a trail and just put it all over them. So you can see that’s what your sweet husband does for a living. Something to be proud of, you bet. It sounds pretty brutal, I guess, but I’ve seen a few things here that makes it pretty easy for me to do.
Excerpt from letter to Jim's wife, Hitto January 25, 1951.
Jim and Cpl. Slaven with the L-4. Cpl. Slaven was with Jim and won the Bronze Star in the action shortly after the Iwon invasion.
Things are pretty dull around here just now. Several days ago it was far from dull, however. We had a large group of Chinese and North Korean troops move in due north of us here. They were preparing an attack on Chechon, but we attacked also and after about three days the enemy was on the run back to the north. We had all the artillery targets we could handle and we took advantage of it. We caught one group of about five hundred right on the road. We put the artillery on them hot and heavy and when we finally went back to the field there were about eight or ten still running around. I mean they were all over those hills up there and we really shot them up. Right now the war for us is looking pretty good. What may come up in the future is another matter, but we’re all hoping for the best.
Excerpt for letter to Marguerite Stegall (Jim's Sister) February 23, 1950
The Han River Runs Red
The Chinese Army was now beginning to disintegrate. It was more like a
rout with the enemy running in front of our advance. There seemed to be
no order, and a large number were moving along a ridge line trying to get
away. We took them under fire and followed them along the ridge line with
artillery fire. Some we hit, but others kept moving along the ridge line
and on down to a river crossing. These troops plunged right on into the
river which seemed fordable as some came out on the other side of the river.
We were at extreme range for our artillery now, but we zeroed in on the
river crossing and continued firing. The river ran red as the enemy tried
to cross. This sight has been vivid in my mind these many years.
We continued moving on up the Korean peninsula with the enemy pretty much
in full retreat. Their strength is mostly in numbers so there were a lot
of soldiers on the run almost shoulder to shoulder as they fled.
As we approached the outskirts of Seoul, we found troops crossing the Han
River south of the capital of Korea. The Han River is a wide river with
large flat areas with sandy beaches. We had used this same river bed for
our landing strip when we had been in Seoul before. The river was down,
so the enemy troops were crossing all along the river creating a mass of
humanity; again shoulder to shoulder in the river bottom. This was an ideal
target, but again, we were out of range for our battalion. All of this was
reported to our Fire Direction Center, and they informed us that they were
in contact with an 8 inch howitzer unit that could reach this area. The
8 inch howitzer has a larger projectile than anything we have in our division
artillery. It is a very large shell.
We called in the coordinates we wanted. Shortly, we received the message,
“On the way.” The enemy troops in that river bottom had no idea
what was about to happen to them. The first shell hit in the middle of this
congregation of troops. From our viewpoint it caused a ripple effect like
you had thrown a pebble into a still pond with rings going out from the
center. Those who could would run away from the burst causing this phenomenon.
We adjusted, “Left one hundred, repeat fire.” When it landed,
the same thing happened - the circle effect. After the second adjusting
round hit where we wanted it we called for “Fire for effect”.
Then came four shells at a time. Soon there was very little activity on
the river bed of the Han River. Not often do you have targets like this,
but large or small, it’s all the same. This is our job. This is what
we do.
Seoul was again in our hands as we pushed on toward the 38th Parallel. The
Chinese had taken quite a beating by all the UN Forces, yet they were still
a force to be reckoned with. Action slowed a lot as we neared the 38th Parallel,
and the Divarty Air Section consolidated our units so we all were using
one air strip.
Excerpt for "Grasshopper Pilot"
Jim and a papasan after a forced landing in the L-17 in the bed of the Naktong River.
Another Lucky Landing
I had settled in flying these routine missions and one day I was assigned
a flight to Taejon or Seoul; I can’t remember which. My passengers
in the L-17 were medical personnel, a Lt. Colonel and a Major who was the
head nurse in Korea.
The take off was smooth and we climbed to an altitude of around two thousand
feet. We were relaxed and comfortable as we settled back to enjoy the trip.
Suddenly the engine sputtered and quit. Silence! We would land somewhere
and soon. I remember no panic in the cockpit. I told them that we would
have to land with the gear up to keep from cart wheeling. They accepted
this very calmly. As I began my glide looking for a place to put it down
I spotted a long expanse of sandy beach along the Naktong River. I adjusted
my glide for a landing there with my landing gear still up.
As we drew closer, the landing area along the river looked so good that
I decided to try landing with the gear down. I snapped the gear down, slowed
the aircraft to just above a stall, and the wheels rolled along on the sand.
I held the nose wheel up as long as I could after touchdown. The sand slowed
us perceptibly, and the nose wheel came in contact with the sand. We rocked
up on the nose wheel but it held. We were down safely in the Naktong River
bottom. Thank you again, Guardian Angel!
I rolled the canopy back and we all breathed a sigh of relief. Being a lady,
the Major was out first. The Lt. Colonel followed just being glad to stand
on terra firma and unwind a little. I stayed in the cockpit and said to
myself, “Thank you, Lord!” I then turned on the radio and transmitted,
“Mayday.”
An Air Force C-47 somewhere above answered my distress call. I explained
our plight and location and requested the information be forwarded to Eighth
Army Headquarters. The pilot of the C-47 answered, “Wilco” (will
comply.)
By coincidence, when the message was being received at Eighth Army, a newly
assigned pilot fresh from the States was monitoring the information as it
came in. His name was Captain Donald B. Thompson who was a close friend
of mine from our Fort Sill days. He said, “I know this guy. Let me
fly out and pick him up.”
Meanwhile, back at the emergency landing area, a crowd of Korean kids began
to gather and form a circle around the plane. It was amazing how quickly
they arrived and so many. They were joined by some older Korean men called
“Pappasans” with their special black hats. For the crowd it
was a festive atmosphere.
Eighth Army was doing their job and after a couple of hours the military
police arrived to take charge. They also brought a jeep to transport the
Major and the Lieutenant Colonel back to Taegu. An Ordinance repair team
was to arrive the next day for an engine change .
It was nearing dusk when my friend Capt. Thompson flew an L-19 in and landed
on the sandy shore. It was quite a reunion in an unusual circumstance. We
were glad to see each other. We just barely got back to the Eighth Army
air strip before dark. Another lucky day.
Excerpt for "Grasshopper Pilot"
Children gather near Jim's L-17 on the banks of the Naktong River
Copyright © 2000-2003 Ravnhaus Press. All rights reserved.
More of Major Stegall Memoirs
From the Yalu to Hungnam: Korea, 1950
Invasion at Salerno and Beyond
L-4 encounter with a ME-109
Major Stegall's Memoirs now available in print!
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