WE RETURNED TO THE NAVY BASE AT SASEBO, JAPAN, PERIODICALLY, TO TAKE ON STORES OR MAKE REPAIRS.  THERE WAS BASEBALL, BEER, AND SHOPPING DOWNTOWN IN SASEBO.  THE ARMY MAY HAVE HAD SOME SERIOUS PROBLEMS, BUT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE THE WAR WAS PRETTY MUCH ONE SIDED.  THE SEA AND SKY BELONGED TO THE NAVY.  LIFE WAS GOOD.

        WHEN AT SEA WE PERFORMED MESSENGER DUTIES, DELIVERING GUARD MAIL, US MAIL, AND AN OCCASIONAL PASSENGER.  GENERAL DRILLS AND GUNNERY PRACTICE WERE HELD BETWEEN G.Q. AND FLIGHT OPERATIONS.

        IN SEPTEMBER WE WERE AT INCHON. CORSAIRS FROM SICILY AND BADOENG STRAIT POUNDED WOLMI-DO, A SMALL ISLAND ATTACHED BY A CAUSEWAY TO DOWNTOWN INCHON. HEAVIES OF TF 77 BOMBARDED THE INVASION SITE; THE LSMR’S ROCKETED THE CITY WITH AN UNFORGETABLE DISPLAY OF FIREWORKS. THE MARINE AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT ON SEPTEMBER 15 WAS A COMPLETE SUCCESS. FROM THE BRIDGE ON MT.KINLEY (AGC7)  GENERAL MAC ARTHUR SIGNALLED ADMIRAL STRUBLE. “THE NAVY AND MARINES HAVE NEVER SHONE MORE BRIGHTLY THAN THIS MORNING".  SEVERAL DAYS LATER, SMALL WAS MOORED ALONGSIDE THE DESTROYER TENDER PIEDMONT (AD-17) IN FLYING FISH CHANNEL.  I GOT PERMISSION TO GO ABOARD FOR SOME DENTAL WORK, RETURNING TO THE SMALL WITH FOUR LESS TEETH, SOON AFTER, DENTISTS ON PIEDMONT FIXED ME UP WITH A TEMPORARY PARTIAL PLATE.  DEAD NORTH KOREANS FLOATED IN THE HARBOR; BURIAL ASHORE WAS NOT AN OPTION WITH THE RETREATING COMMUNISTS.

        THE NEXT LANDING WAS TO BE AT WONSAN ON KOREA’S EASTERN COASTLINE. MINES IN THE HARBOR CAUSED SOME SERIOUS DELAYS.  THE MARINES WALLOWED OFFSHORE IN TRANSPORTS AS THE PIRATE AND PLEDGE (MINESWEEPERS) WENT DOWN, SUNK BY ENEMY MINES. ON OCTOBER 25 THE MARINES LANDED, THEY WERE MET BY UNITS OF THE SOUTH KOREAN ARMY AND NONE OTHER THAN BOB HOPE, TO THEIR PROFOUND EMBARASSMENT.

        SMALL CONTINUED OPERATING WITH SICILY AND BADOENG STRAIT, WHICH WE NOW WERE CALLING ‘BING-DING’, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.

SMALL OPERATED IN AND AROUND WONSAN HARBOR AND THE EAST COAST, CONDUCTING FLIGHT OPERATIONS WITH SICILY. IN LATE OCTOBER WE WERE DISPATCHED TO SINK A FLOATING OIL DRUM.  ON ONE OCCASION WE LEFT STATION TO INVESTIGATE A POSSIBLE MINE, THE OBJECT WAS IDENTIFIED AS A BUOY, SHARPSHOOTERS IN THE GUN TUBS SANK THE BUOY, AND WE RETURNED TO OUR SCREEN STATION.  THIS WOULD BE TYPICAL OF OUR ACTIVITIES MUCH OF THE TIME.

        IN NOVEMBER OF 1950, SMALL AND TAUSSIG ACCOMPANIED SICILY TO GUAM, IN THE MARIANAS, TO CONDUCT CARRIER QUALIFICATION FLIGHT OPERATIONS.  WE RETURNED TO YOKOSUKA ONE WEEK LATER AND ENTERED DRY DOCK FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.  DISCOVERING A RUDDER PROBLEM, WE RETURNED TO SASEBO, REMAINING IN DRY DOCK UNTIL DECEMBER 7.

        GENERAL MAC ARTHUR HAD BEEN PREDICTING THAT THE TROOPS WOULD BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.  NORTH KOREANS WERE IN RETREAT.  THE FIRST MARINE DIVISION AND 8th ARMY WERE MARCHING TO THE YALU RIVER AND TOTAL VICTORY.  ON 27 NOVEMBER, 100,000 CHINESE VOLUNTEERS ENTERED THE WAR AND AMBUSHED UN FORCES AT THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR, THEY WOULD HAVE TO FIGHT THEIR WAY SOUTH TO HUNGNAM.

        WITH OUR RUDDER REPAIRED, AND A FULL LOAD OF FUEL WE REPORTED TO COM 7th FLT FOR DUTY.  WE JOINED UP WITH ALL OF OUR OLD FRIENDS, SICILY AND ‘BING DING’, ENROUTE HUNGNAM FOR FLIGHT OPERATIONS IN SUPPORT OF OUR SURROUNDED TROOPS.

        IT WAS BRUTALLY COLD IN KOREA IN DECEMBER, SALT SPRAY IMMEDIATELY FROZE, HEAVY ICE ACCUMULATED ON THE SUPERSTRUCTURE AND HAD TO BE CHOPPED AWAY.  NO ONE WENT OUT ON DECK WHEN THEY COULD STAY IN THE INSIDE PASSAGEWAYS.  WHEN WE DID VENTURE OUT YOU COULD SMELL THE COUNTRY.  KOREA STUNK, AS DID THEIR GARLIC-CHEWING ARMY.  THE SOUNDS OF ARTILLERY FIRE GOT LOUDER AND CLOSER EVERY DAY.  OUR ARMY AND MARINES WERE RUNNING THE GAUNTLET FROM CHOSIN TO HAGARU, KOTO-RI, AND ON TO HUNGNAM WHERE TRANSPORTS WERE

WAITING.

        BY DECEMBER 24 EVERYTHING THAT COULD SAIL WAS LOADED WITH SURVIVORS AND CIVILIANS ENROUTE TO PUSAN.  THERE WOULD BE NO DUNKIRK IN KOREA.  ARMY ENGINEERS AND NAVY UNDERWATER DEMOLITION TEAMS BLEW UP THE HARBOR FACILITIES AND ANYTHING THAT COULD BE USED BY THE CHINESE, WHAT A MEMORABLE SIGHT IT WAS.  CERTAINLY, THE MARINES ENJOYED THEIR SHORT STAY ABOARD SHIP, BUT ONCE IN PUSAN, THEY WOULD HAVE TO REGROUP AND TAKE THE OFFENSIVE AGAIN.

        ON CHRISTMAS DAY, SMALL AND THE TASK GROUP REFUELED FROM CACAPON (AO-52) AND HEADED FOR KOREA’S WEST COAST, CONDUCTING GUNNERY PRACTICE AND GENERAL DRILLS WHEN SECURED FROM FLIGHT OPERATIONS.

        THE NEW YEAR ARRIVED UNNOTICED, NO CELEBRATION, JUST OUR REGULAR DIET OF SEA DUTY.  DES DIV 72 WAS NOW OPERATING OFF THE WEST COAST OF KOREA WITH USS BATAAN (CVL-29).  THE REPLENISHMENT GROUP WAS ALWAYS AROUND WITH FRESH AND FROZEN STORES, AMMO, FUEL OIL, AND THE MEDICAL CARE FOR ANYONE WHO WAS TOO ILL FOR OUR OWN PHARMACIST TO HANDLE.

        SMALL ACTED AS COMMUNICATION LINK SHIP FOR TWO FRIGATES, SENT TO KOREA BY THAILAND, HMTS BANGPAKONG AND HMTS SICHANG.  WE ESCORTED THEM TO YOKOSUKA, ARRIVING ON 30 JANUARY.  LATER IN THE DAY, SMALL AND DES DIV 72 LEFT THE HARBOR ENROUTE THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES VIA MIDWAY IS. AND PEARL HARBOR.

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