Battle for the Punchbowl: The U. S. 1st Marine Division 1951 Fall Offensive of the Korean War Page: 123
View a full description of this thesis.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Marines." Ramer was badly wounded himself for the second time, but refused aid.
When his men returned, he made them take cover, while he continued to defend
against the enemy. He was eventually overwhelmed and mortally wounded. He would
posthumously receive the award of the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for
bravery in combat.23
After the attack in the morning had failed to completely wipe 673 clear of
defenders, 2/7 had been turned north to attack Hill 749 while 1/7 had completed taking
673. It was a tough fight, but by 1700, Objective Baker was thought to be secured. That
estimate was wrong. Only one knob of 749 had been attained. Hill 749 had dense
woods cloaking its slopes and these masked other defenders. Other NKPA still manned
bunkers between 2/7 and 1/7 in bypassed positions. Hard fighting would be required to
secure these areas. Furthermore, much of the large hill was yet to be traversed by
USMC feet.24
Broken down by companies, the Marines of 2/7 assaulted thusly, after turning
towards Hill 749 while it was still relatively early in the morning (0900): the battalion
moved out that morning in column up a draw. One airstrike was reported to hit Hill 749
with "good results," meaning it appeared to the FAC (Forward Air Controller) to have hit
the target with good coverage.
Jon Charles Genrich related the experience of ground Marines when an airstrike
was overhead:
Daybreak brought constant aircover from the Army, Navy, and Marines
from daylight to sundown. We had Mustangs, Corsairs, and I believe some
hellcats. As one group left, the next group arrived. They dropped bombs and
23 Medal of Honor Award Citation for George H. Ramer.
24 Lynn Montross, et al., The East-Central Front, 184; 1st Mar Div, "Historical Diary," September 1951, 15.123
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This thesis can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Thesis.
Montandon, Joshua W. Battle for the Punchbowl: The U. S. 1st Marine Division 1951 Fall Offensive of the Korean War, thesis, August 2007; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3938/m1/138/?rotate=90: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .