Memorial Day.

426wedge

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My brother was lost at Chosin Resorvoir on 2 December 1950. I had contacted a childhood friend of his about 7 years ago. His name was William G Mahar. Bill was able to tell me the events leading up to my brother's death as he was in Korea the at the same time period.

This is a copy of a remembrance entry at the Korean War Project by Mr. Mahar:

"I knew Remi growing up as kids in Westfield, went to his house High St. as I recall, ran into him again in Tokyo PX in the summer of 1950, stayed overnight at my unit in Tokyo on his way back up to Sendai to rejoin the 7th. Division, we had pictures taken together and I gave them to his mother when I returned from Korea in 1952. At the time she was living up near Noble Hospital. Later years talked to his 1st. Sgt. in Heavy Mortar Co up at the Chosin Reservoir. WGM"

I also located another friend of my brother that enlisted on the same day with him in 1948. His name was Gordon Snyder, also a Korean War vet. Gordon happened to be a ceremonial guard at the Agawam Veterans Memorial Cemetery. He contacted me after doing research so he could have a memorial erected at the cemetery for my brother, because it had to be done by family. I had to prove my relationship to the cemetery to get the stone put up, which did happen eventually.

Anyway, here is the letter that Bill Mahar had sent me. I posted this here a while ago, but I will do this every Memorial Day. Bill was in his 80's when he wrote this...

Remi and I used to fish together in the Westfield River over where the railroad bridge crosses from Elm to North Elm St. Met Remi in Tokyo at the snack bar in the PX., he had been down in Eta-jima school command attending a school and when the Korean War started the military closed the school and sent all the students back to their units, Remi was heading back to the 31st. Infantry Regiment, heavy mortar company, 7th. Infantry Division up in Northern Japan, Sendai. He stayed over night at my unit in Tokyo, then left the next day to report in to his unit. During his stay with me we had pictures(portrait) taken and when I got back to Westfield I took a picture of him and gave it to his mother, who at the time lived on W. Silver St. in a house across from Noble Hospital. It probably is around somewhere. My unit got to Korea ahead of his unit and when his unit got to Pusan Harbor on troop ships designated to the invasion of Inchon Harbor. I recall talking to a 7th. MP down on the docks in Pusan and mentioned Remi's unit to him and he pointed out the actual ship that the unit was on. Unfortunately I did not go out to see him as I figured I would see him up the line sometime. Never did. Remi was in the Inchon invasion and later was involved with the Chosin Reservoir operation. Where Remi's Regiment had 4 Chinese Divisions roll over them. If you do any reading and can get the book titled East of The Chosin, author Roy Appleman you might find it interesting. Talked a few years back to Remi's First Sgt(now dead) in Phoenix AZ. He told me that Remi had been shot in the chest and loaded with the other wounded in a truck and the truck in attempting to run a Chinese roadblock the truck was stopped, shot up and burned by the Chinese with all the wounded aboard. Trying to ascertain that Remi was on the truck I made contact with another guy from Mississippi in Remi's unit and he told me that he remembers giving Remi a cigarette on the truck just before the roadblock incident. Remember this all occurred in an area where zero degrees and no snow was considered a good day. Keep in touch, see if whoever has that portrait of Remi. I will add to this that I am glad our Mom never knew this ending of his life..
 
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So sorry for your loss and the loss of all veterans to be remembered on Memorial Day. Your story of your brother is a gut check for sure. My father was in Korea also, but did come back.

I never say "Happy Memorial Day" as it is a solemn remembrance of our fallen hero's.

Memories Eternal,

Jay
 
Hey 426wedge,
My grandfather never talked much about his brother Giuseppe killed in France during WW1.
Sorry for your loss.
Be proud of him, fly our flag up high and remember those that gave their lives for our freedoms!
 
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My brother was lost at Chosin Resorvoir on 2 December 1950. I had contacted a childhood friend of his about 7 years ago. His name was William G Mahar. Bill was able to tell me the events leading up to my brother's death as he was in Korea the at the same time period.

This is a copy of a remembrance entry at the Korean War Project by Mr. Mahar:

"I knew Remi growing up as kids in Westfield, went to his house High St. as I recall, ran into him again in Tokyo PX in the summer of 1950, stayed overnight at my unit in Tokyo on his way back up to Sendai to rejoin the 7th. Division, we had pictures taken together and I gave them to his mother when I returned from Korea in 1952. At the time she was living up near Noble Hospital. Later years talked to his 1st. Sgt. in Heavy Mortar Co up at the Chosin Reservoir. WGM"

I also located another friend of my brother that enlisted on the same day with him in 1948. His name was Gordon Snyder, also a Korean War vet. Gordon happened to be a ceremonial guard at the Agawam Veterans Memorial Cemetery. He contacted me after doing research so he could have a memorial erected at the cemetery for my brother, because it had to be done by family. I had to prove my relationship to the cemetery to get the stone put up, which did happen eventually.

Anyway, here is the letter that Bill Mahar had sent me. I posted this here a while ago, but I will do this every Memorial Day. Bill was in his 80's when he wrote this...

Remi and I used to fish together in the Westfield River over where the railroad bridge crosses from Elm to North Elm St. Met Remi in Tokyo at the snack bar in the PX., he had been down in Eta-jima school command attending a school and when the Korean War started the military closed the school and sent all the students back to their units, Remi was heading back to the 31st. Infantry Regiment, heavy mortar company, 7th. Infantry Division up in Northern Japan, Sendai. He stayed over night at my unit in Tokyo, then left the next day to report in to his unit. During his stay with me we had pictures(portrait) taken and when I got back to Westfield I took a picture of him and gave it to his mother, who at the time lived on W. Silver St. in a house across from Noble Hospital. It probably is around somewhere. My unit got to Korea ahead of his unit and when his unit got to Pusan Harbor on troop ships designated to the invasion of Inchon Harbor. I recall talking to a 7th. MP down on the docks in Pusan and mentioned Remi's unit to him and he pointed out the actual ship that the unit was on. Unfortunately I did not go out to see him as I figured I would see him up the line sometime. Never did. Remi was in the Inchon invasion and later was involved with the Chosin Reservoir operation. Where Remi's Regiment had 4 Chinese Divisions roll over them. If you do any reading and can get the book titled East of The Chosin, author Roy Appleman you might find it interesting. Talked a few years back to Remi's First Sgt(now dead) in Phoenix AZ. He told me that Remi had been shot in the chest and loaded with the other wounded in a truck and the truck in attempting to run a Chinese roadblock the truck was stopped, shot up and burned by the Chinese with all the wounded aboard. Trying to ascertain that Remi was on the truck I made contact with another guy from Mississippi in Remi's unit and he told me that he remembers giving Remi a cigarette on the truck just before the roadblock incident. Remember this all occurred in an area where zero degrees and no snow was considered a good day. Keep in touch, see if whoever has that portrait of Remi. I will add to this that I am glad our Mom never knew this ending of his life..
I'm very sorry for the loss of your brother.
I read a book about 10 years ago called, The Coldest Winter, by David Halberstam. At the time I read it, I wasn't aware that it was considered a literary masterpiece of the Korean War.
 
Sorry for the lost of your brother.

My Dad lost his cousin (who was more like a little brother to my Dad) in the Korean War. Given my Dad survived WWII without a scratch, it was very hard on him to lose his cousin in a “Policing Action". His parents gave my Dad the flag from his burial. They couldn’t bear keeping it and wanted it to have a respectful home. So they give it to Dad, since they were so close. We’d fly that flag every Memorial Day, even though it only had 48 stars and was so big that it almost covered the front of our small house. It’s still in the family, passed down to my nephew, the son of my oldest brother.

The December 1950 battle of the “Frozen Chosin” was one of the most remarkable fighting withdrawals of all time. I first read about it in Robert Leckie’s book “The March to Glory”. The 1st Marine Division and attached Army units (two infantry regiments) along with a few men from the British Royal Marines unit 41, a total of about 30,000 troops held off the 9th Chinese Army (10 Infantry Divisions, around 120,000 troops). The Marines were completely surrounded and had to make a fighting withdrawal to the sea. When General Oliver P. Smith, the commander of the 1st was asked by some reporter what it was like leading the first retreat in the history of the Marines, he gave the famous reply "Retreat, hell! We're not retreating, we're just advancing in a different direction.” Which, when you are surrounded, is actually true. In the process of the fighting withdrawal, the Marines and attached units basically destroyed the 9th Army as an effective force (it lost about one third of its total strength).
 
Very sorry for your loss.

I am so very grateful for the courage and sacrifice of those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

I pray we honor their sacrifice by defending our Constitution and cherishing our freedom and never surrendering it to communists bent on destroying America and enslaving us once again under tyrannical rule.

May God have mercy on us and grant us the courage and strength to fight on.
 
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