Battle for the Punchbowl: The U. S. 1st Marine Division 1951 Fall Offensive of the Korean War Page: 220
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slope at all to dig in. The second a man showed himself above the crest, WHOOOSHH,
in came an enemy round. After dark some positions were successfully scraped into the
forward slope while the enemy observers could not see.11
For the 5th Marines that night the enemy incoming grew very intense. "One officer
stated that the North Koreans 'threw everything but the proverbial kitchen sink at us,
including all popular sizes of Soviet artillery and mortar shells.'" The 5th Marines
Intelligence Officer (S-2) "reported an estimated one hundred twenty-four enemy
artillery pieces," in the 5th Marines zone alone. All night long, 2/5 replied with its own
81mm and 60mm mortars.12
That night Hospitalman Kivette (no first name supplied) passed through the
Weapons Company area tending casualties and was told that a wounded Marine was a
few hundred yards to the front of the lines who had not been brought in. Kivette headed
up the trail to find the injured man alone in the dark with incoming mortar and artillery
fire interdicting the whole area since it was a logical route of resupply for the Marines on
Hill 812. He found and treated the wounded Marine and then commandeered several
passing Korean ammo bearers into stretcher duty to get him to safety. The man would
have one small boon; at the forward aid station that night, all wounded were offered
pears and "pogey bait" (a Marine term for candy).13
At 1730, friendly artillery began hitting in 2/5's vicinity. A call went back for the 1st
Marines (from whence the rounds seemed to be coming) to keep all called fires to the
east of the battalion's boundary. KSC laborers had it rough that night. Between 0200 on
"Historical Diary," Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, 48-49; Lynn Montross, et al., The East-Central Front,
196; 1 Mar Div "Historical Diary", September 1951, 21.
12 "Historical Diary," Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, 50, 53.
13 Ibid.220
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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/m1/235/?rotate=180: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .