April 1, 1952 - Pusan, Korea: Went to the Seoul National University (SNU) campus in exile (a tent city) to see if I have passed the entrance exam. What would I do if I have failed it? An anxious crowd waits in the rain. Finally, the list is posted and I see my name on it! A dream comes true. I am now a proud member of the most prestigious university in Korea.
The War is still on and the faculty is not quite what it should be. Most 'professors' are more like graduate students - not a single one of them has an advanced degree. Lectures consist of the Prof. copying his old school notes on the blackboard and us the students copying them down in our notebook - no textbooks, no explanations! You simply memorize the notes and regurgitate them on exams - the profs are happy.
My best friend, Kim Hyo Gun gets me a job with an American BOQ (Bachelor Officers Quarters) at Yondo Island in Pusan harbor. It is an old Japanese resort. The job involves waiting on the table for American officers. It does not pay much, but does include meals and lodging. For the first time since 1940's, I get to eat real "white" rice and beef! And also, daily hot bath! Most importantly I get to practice my English on the Americans. I am free to attend classes during the day.
Photo: Kim Hyo Gun and me in 1952, Pusan
The BOQ is for a US CIA training camp. Most officers are in civilian cloth or in officer's uniforms with no insignia. There is Captain Tanaka - a Japanese American; Mr. Smith - a fat old man - supposedly a spy master. And Col. Johnson - the commanding officer - very cold guy, loves to party with Red Cross ladies. I get along fine with Mr. Smith - I make sure that he gets extra servings (he is always hungry for second and third servings - normally charged extra) and he helps me with my English.
April 11, 1952: US intensifies guerrilla warfare in N Korea. Partisans are mostly anti-red residents of N Korea. The US Army, Navy, Air Force, and CIA run separate gangs of partisans. A 'combined command" - CCRAK - is created for the services but the CIA runs its own operations north of Wonsan and China and Siberia.
April 20, 1952 - The S Korean general in charge of the S Korean Army Intelligence ("Higher Intelligence Department") appears and inspects our setup. The general is tall and lean in his fifties. The American officers line up and salute the Korean general. All of us watching this scene had tears in our eyes.
We have been treated like 'niggers' by these white guys and here it is - they are saluting a Korean! They say that the old man fought the Japanese army in China. The general asks the Americans to train his officers. Soon a group of young Korean officers move in the BOQ. The Americans are not crazy about the arrangement.
April 24, 1952 - Rhee states: "I am still opposed to any cease-fire which leaves our country divided. No matter what arguments others may make, we are determined to unify our fatherland with our own hands."
Rhee wants: (1) Complete withdrawal of Chinese forces, (2) Disbanding of N Korean Army, (3) UN promise to prevent any support of N Korea, (4) S Korean participation in any UN discussion of Korean affairs, and (5) S Korean sovereignty over N Korea.
May 7, 1952 - Kojedo: North Korean POWs take Gen. Dodd, the POW camp commander, hostage. The POW leaders demand a meeting to air grievances with the general. The general agrees and meets the POW delegation just outside the camp entrance. While the meeting is in process, a column of POW's returning from a work detail surround the general and drag him inside the gate.
The prison guards watch this carefully planned kidnapping of their commander helplessly. The POWs threaten to kill Gen. Dodd unless their demands are met. On this day, Gen. Clark arrive in Japan to replace Gen. Ridgway as the UN Commander. Gen. Clark says - "let them keep the dumb son of a bitch Dodd, and then go in and level the place."
May 11, 1952 - The POWs demand
"cessation of brain washing, use of poison gas, germ warfare, and atom bomb experiments by the US prison guards".
Gen. Colson, standing in for Gen. Dodd, agrees to their demands and Dodd is freed. Gen. Clark is angry at both Dodd and Colsen and sends a combat general (Gen. Boatner) to clean up the POW mess once for all. British and Canadian troops are called in to help the Americans in the campaign to pacify the POWs.
The POWs send out their demands in crude English -
"Immediate ceasing the barbarous behavior, insults, torture, forcible protest with blood writing, threatening, confinement, mass murdering, gun and machine-gun shooting, using poison gas, germ weapons, experiment object of A-bomb, by your command...Immediate stopping the so-called illegal and unreasonable repatriation of North Korean People's Army and Chinese People's Voluntary Army. ..Immediate ceasing the forcible screening which thousands of POW's of NKPA and CPVA be armed and falled in slavery (sic)."
May 15, 1952 - Pusan: The S Korean Assembly does not have the votes to reelect Rhee. Rhee orders the Assembly to amend the constitution whereby presidents are elected by popular votes, but the Assembly refuses Rhee's command.
May 25, 1952 - Rhee declares martial law and liquidates his political opponents. Truman is shocked and orders Rhee to lift the martial law. Rhee threatens to detach his army from the US control for the first time since its formation in 1945. Gen. Clark plans "Operation Everready" to arrest or assassinate Rhee. Gen. Clark readies secretly a special forces unit for the operation. He warns the Korean general staff of the consequences of siding with Rhee. The 8th Army will eliminate any ROKA units defending Rhee.
June 2, 1952: Gen. Clark meets with Rhee face to face. Rhee claims that the Korean people want to go on fighting and that his army is capable of going alone. Rhee accuses US of building up a Japanese army which will take over Korea after US troop withdrawal. Rhee claims that the National Assembly is controlled by Communists. Rhee stirs up anti-American demonstrations in the streets of Pusan and Seoul.
June 10, 1952 - The N Korean POWs stage an uprising at Kojedo. Gen. Clark issue a "shoot-to-kill" order to the POW guards. US paratroops move in with tanks and kill 150 prisoners.
June 14, 1952 - Ambassador Muccio informs Acheson that the time has come to get rid of Rhee once for all. He recommends that Gen. Clark order the ROK Army Chief of Staff to take over Rhee's government. Truman agrees and orders the State and the JCS to formulate an action plan.
June 23, 1952 - American bombers strike dams and power generators along the Yalu River. The largest dam in N Korea, Supong, is destroyed. Bombing raids continue unabated through June, July and August culminating with the largest air raid of the war on August 29 on Pyongyang. 6,000 civilians are killed. The communists retaliate by mounting a ground attack at Cholwon.
June 25, 1952 - Truman orders Muccio and Gen. Clark to proceed with Plan Everready at the earliest opportunity. More specifically, if Rhee threatened the safety of US personnel or messed with the Korean National Assembly, Clark and Muccio would (1) demand Rhee to desist, and (2) if Rhee refused, Gen. Clark would order Gen. Jung Il Kwon to take over the Korean government. Rhee would be forced to proclaim the end of martial law. If Rhee refused, he would be eliminated. Gen. Jung secretly agrees to Clark's plan. (NB. After the war, Gen. Jung claimed that he kept Rhee informed of the US plans.)
July 3, 1952 - In a sudden about-face, the Korean National Assembly revises the constitution for a popular election of presidents. Rhee frees assemblymen jailed earlier and lifts the martial law. On August 5, Rhee is reelected through a rigged election. Gen. Clark sets aside Plan Everready for now. Truce talks falter. Ground actions come to a virtual stop. But the air war over N Korea intensifies.
Oct. 16, 1952 - Kim Il Sung officially puts an end to the talks.
