Tribute to United States Marine Corps.
Oliver Morehead, E27 Corpsman during Vegas outpost attacks, furnished the following. The article dated March 28, 1952 was taken from his hometown newspaper by his Dad and saved for him.
Outpost Vegas Recaptured By Marines
Leathernecks Crash Out Of Red Trap, Surge To Crest of Hill.
TOKYO (UP) - American Marines crashed out of a communist trap on Vegas Hill early Sunday and recaptured the hilltop for the third time in two days.
The leathernecks counter-attacked immediately after freeing there encircled "Easy" Company comrades and surged to the crest at 6:50 a.m. Sunday (2:50 p.m. CST Saturday) without any Chinese opposition.
A Chinese battalion of some 750 men, attacking behind a murderous artillery barrage pushed the marines off the crest of Vegas Saturday night. It was the third time the Reds seized the vital outpost, which guards the 30-mile far-west invasion route to Seoul.
Surrounded by Foe.
Pulling back down the south slope, battle-weary Marines soon were surrounded by the onrushing Chinese.
Allied artillery unleashed a pin-point barrage on the Reds and reinforcements were rushed to besieged Easy Company. Two hours later, at 1:45 a.m. the reinforcing Marines broke through the Chinese Communist defenders.
The shattered Chinese force retreated and five hours later the leathernecks regrouped and reoccupied the decimated crest of the hill.
Bombs Hurled on Reds.
A Marine spokesman said at 8:15 a.m. (5:15 p.m. CST Saturday) that the hill was quiet.
The spokesman said allied warplanes had hurled 154 tons of bombs on Vegas since the Reds first captured it early Friday.
Since then Vegas has been the scene of bitter, close in- fighting. Marines lost it for the third time at 10 p.m. Saturday when Chinese moved around both sides of the hill to get behind them.
U.N. guns immediately ringed the surrounded men with artillery and mortars while the Marines battled with rifles, pistols, machine guns and grenades.
At 1:45 a.m., 5th regiment Marines smashed through the encircled Chinese. They were believed to be pushing remnants of the attacking force westward.
March 28 (Saturday) - Marines today retook the crest of Vegas hill on the Western front for second time in two days.
First Marine Division spokesman said leathernecks drove the Chinese off the crest at 1:12 p.m. The Marines had been driven off the crest earlier then four counter-attacks had failed to dislodge Chinese Reds on the northern slope.
Vegas is one of two outpost hills near Bunker hill in the Panmunjom area where Marines fought to the last man before yielding to Chinese attacking at 10 outposts Thursday.
Armor vested Marines struck back behind rocket and tank barrages and won back Vegas last night after 10 hours of fighting. But they were unable to hold the crest.
Best Off Assault
Other Marines last night beat back a communist assault against outpost Dagmar, where two Red platoons attacked under cover of a 1,500-round artillery and mortar barrage.
A correspondent reported from the front that the heavy communist concentration of artillery and mortars had stunned many Marines.
Communist barrages were so intense that in the Vegas sector they drove some men out of their minds temporarily.
A young marine staggered back and told an officer, "Sir, it's murder - it's murder."
Throughout the battle Navy corpsmen carried out the wounded in helicopters, litter jeeps, ambulances, and personnel carriers.
One badly wounded Marine was crying softly to himself as he lay in his litter, the correspondent reported. A friend patted his hand softly.
Smaller Raids Elsewhere
The Chinese threw smaller assaults at several positions in the Panmunjom area.
To the northeast, United States artillery blasted Chinese Reds seeking to reinforce Old Baldy under cover of darkness. The Chinese swept over the strategic hill defenses Monday night in the opening round of their spring drive and United States 7th Infantry Division forces abandoned their last footholds on the slopes Thursday at dawn.