News - pcgazette.com

News

Wohlbier looks back on time in Korean War

By GEORGE ROGERS
of The Gazette
Carl Wohlbier said the hotel where he stayed during a recent visit to Seoul, South Korea, was "comparable to the finest hotels you'll find in this country."

And definitely better than his accommodations the last time he was in Korea. He was there for a year and estimates he spent 300 days in foxholes. It was wartime.

Wohlbier and his three sons, Erik, Hans and John, were in Korea in June. It's been 50 years since North Korea invaded South Korea, starting a war that soon involved the United States and cost the lives of more than 36,000 Americans. It's sometimes called "the forgotten war," but it caused repercussions that are felt to this day. American troops are still stationed there to help prevent a new flare-up.

North Korea remains a Communist country. It is impoverished, repressive and has a hard time feeding its people. South Korea is prosperous and has much industry. And, at least by the standards of that part of the world, it's a democratic society.

Today, Wohlbier is a retired Junction City banker and lives on Lake DuBay in the town of Eau Pleine. In 1949 he was a senior at Chippewa Falls High School. Four days after graduating, he joined the Army. It was peacetime, but not for long. In June 1950 the Korean War began. He was stationed at Camp Carson (now Fort Carson), Colo., but the following September he was shipped to Japan and then, quickly, to Korea, where he joined the 1st Cavalry Division as a member of a machine gun platoon in a heavy weapons company.

At that point the American and South Korean armies had been pushed into what was known as the Pusan perimeter, a constricted area in the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula. But a few days later American forces under Gen. Douglas MacArthur pulled an end run, making an amphibious landing at Inchon, behind the North Koreans' lines.

Caught between American forces, the North Korean offensive collapsed, and Wohlbier's unit was among those pursuing the enemy northward. The pursuit continued beyond the 38th parallel of latitude, the line drawn to separate the areas occupied by the Soviet Union and western forces after World War II.

In an apparent failure of intelligence, the American Army discounted the possibility that the Red Chinese would enter the Korean War. But later in the fall they did. By that time Wohlbier's unit was close to the Yalu River, the boundary between North Korea and China. His battalion, said Wohlbier, was surrounded by Chinese forces for three days without realizing it.

Caught by surprise, the American forces retreated, often in confusion. Wohlbier remembers moving back in the dark, crossing and recrossing a wide, shallow river, and being joined by Americans from other units. A man behind him asked for help. When it became lighter, he saw he was a lieutenant "who was just a mass of blood."

It was a disorganized retreat, but Wohlbier finally found his unit. He estimates his battalion suffered 85 percent casualties -- killed, wounded, missing and prisoners. "We were one of the last units to cross the river out of Pyongyang (North Korea's capital)," he said. "The engineers blew up the bridge behind us."

The retreat continued below the 38th parallel before a counter-offensive regained some territory. Then the line stabilized, although fighting continued until it ended with a truce in July 1953. Today the border between North and South Korea is not exactly on the 38th parallel, but close to it. And technically the two Koreas are still at war.

Despite months in combat, Wohlbier escaped unscathed. Well, almost. He hurt his hand diving into a foxhole. And while being shelled by mortars a piece of hot shrapnel landed on his backside, but it only scorched his clothing. A sergeant suggested he put in for the Purple Heart, awarded for wounds received in action. Wohlbier declined.

After a year in Korea he was rotated back to the United States. Following his discharge he worked for the state on a road survey crew, spent a year at what is now the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and then transferred to Central State College (today's UW-Stevens Point), graduating in 1958. While in school he met Kay Greaton of Stevens Point and married her in 1959. They have four children -- the three sons and a daughter, Kristin.

After graduating, Wohlbier went to work for the Junction State Bank in Junction City and eventually became its president. It's now a Firstar Bank branch.

He made his return trip to Korea with a tour group. In it were six Korean War veterans and the widow of another vet. He saw a changed country. Seoul is now a huge city of 12 1/2 million people, said to be the fifth-largest in the world. Dirt roads have been replaced by excellent paved highways. The roads are crowded with cars, and Seoul has been afflicted with the curse of modern metropolitan areas -- air pollution. But it's a safe city, said Wohlbier, even at night.

South Korea is a modern country with a well-trained army, and Wohlbier can't believe North Korea poses a serious military threat to it. A North Korean attack, he said, would be "mass suicide."

"I always wanted to go back," he said, but wishes he could have gone after North and South Korea were unified so he could have visited the area where he was when his unit was hit by the Chinese. "A lot of the guys are buried there," he said of the members of his unit who were killed in combat. "I can almost picture where we set up our machine guns. It's pretty much indelible in my mind."

Only now are the North and South Koreans starting to talk to each other, so unification seems far away. But many people thought East and West Germany would never be united, he noted.

Wohlbier is glad he went back but said the visit was a bit short. The tour company took them out on excursions, and a highlight was Panmunjom, where the truce that ended the fighting was signed. But, he said, "I was kind of disappointed that I couldn't point out to my kids where I'd been" in North Korea. Still, he said, there's no way they could have seen what he saw.

Toward the end of his visit, he and other vets were at a dinner sponsored by the Navy League, which presented each of them with a medal.

Wohlbier is a member of four veterans' organizations: the Disabled American Veterans in Stevens Point, the American Legion in Junction City, the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Chippewa Falls and the Kettle Moraine Chapter of the 1st Cavalry Division Association.

He said he recalls vividly many of the things that happened to him during the Korean War. "Other things I don't remember clearly," he said, "but once in awhile it comes back."



	Wohlbier looks back on time in Korean War By GEORGE ROGERS of The Gazette Carl Wohlbier said the hotel where he stayed during a recent visit to Seoul, South Korea, was "comparable to the finest hotels you'll find in this country." And definitely better than his accommodations the last time he was in Korea. He was there for a year and estimates he spent 300 days in foxholes. It was wartime. Wohlbier and his three sons, Erik, Hans and John, were in Korea in June. It's been 50 years since North Korea invaded South Korea, starting a war that soon involved the United States and cost the lives of more than 36,000 Americans. It's sometimes called "the forgotten war," but it caused repercussions that are felt to this day. American troops are still stationed there to help prevent a new flare-up. North Korea remains a Communist country. It is impoverished, repressive and has a hard time feeding its people. South Korea is prosperous and has much industry. And, at least by the standards of that part of the world, it's a democratic society. Today, Wohlbier is a retired Junction City banker and lives on Lake DuBay in the town of Eau Pleine. In 1949 he was a senior at Chippewa Falls High School. Four days after graduating, he joined the Army. It was peacetime, but not for long. In June 1950 the Korean War began. He was stationed at Camp Carson (now Fort Carson), Colo., but the following September he was shipped to Japan and then, quickly, to Korea, where he joined the 1st Cavalry Division as a member of a machine gun platoon in a heavy weapons company. At that point the American and South Korean armies had been pushed into what was known as the Pusan perimeter, a constricted area in the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula. But a few days later American forces under Gen. Douglas MacArthur pulled an end run, making an amphibious landing at Inchon, behind the North Koreans' lines. Caught between American forces, the North Korean offensive collapsed, and Wohlbier's unit was among those pursuing the enemy northward. The pursuit continued beyond the 38th parallel of latitude, the line drawn to separate the areas occupied by the Soviet Union and western forces after World War II. In an apparent failure of intelligence, the American Army discounted the possibility that the Red Chinese would enter the Korean War. But later in the fall they did. By that time Wohlbier's unit was close to the Yalu River, the boundary between North Korea and China. His battalion, said Wohlbier, was surrounded by Chinese forces for three days without realizing it. Caught by surprise, the American forces retreated, often in confusion. Wohlbier remembers moving back in the dark, crossing and recrossing a wide, shallow river, and being joined by Americans from other units. A man behind him asked for help. When it became lighter, he saw he was a lieutenant "who was just a mass of blood." It was a disorganized retreat, but Wohlbier finally found his unit. He estimates his battalion suffered 85 percent casualties -- killed, wounded, missing and prisoners. "We were one of the last units to cross the river out of Pyongyang (North Korea's capital)," he said. "The engineers blew up the bridge behind us." The retreat continued below the 38th parallel before a counter-offensive regained some territory. Then the line stabilized, although fighting continued until it ended with a truce in July 1953. Today the border between North and South Korea is not exactly on the 38th parallel, but close to it. And technically the two Koreas are still at war. Despite months in combat, Wohlbier escaped unscathed. Well, almost. He hurt his hand diving into a foxhole. And while being shelled by mortars a piece of hot shrapnel landed on his backside, but it only scorched his clothing. A sergeant suggested he put in for the Purple Heart, awarded for wounds received in action. Wohlbier declined. After a year in Korea he was rotated back to the United States. Following his discharge he worked for the state on a road survey crew, spent a year at what is now the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and then transferred to Central State College (today's UW-Stevens Point), graduating in 1958. While in school he met Kay Greaton of Stevens Point and married her in 1959. They have four children -- the three sons and a daughter, Kristin. After graduating, Wohlbier went to work for the Junction State Bank in Junction City and eventually became its president. It's now a Firstar Bank branch. He made his return trip to Korea with a tour group. In it were six Korean War veterans and the widow of another vet. He saw a changed country. Seoul is now a huge city of 12 1/2 million people, said to be the fifth-largest in the world. Dirt roads have been replaced by excellent paved highways. The roads are crowded with cars, and Seoul has been afflicted with the curse of modern metropolitan areas -- air pollution. But it's a safe city, said Wohlbier, even at night. South Korea is a modern country with a well-trained army, and Wohlbier can't believe North Korea poses a serious military threat to it. A North Korean attack, he said, would be "mass suicide." "I always wanted to go back," he said, but wishes he could have gone after North and South Korea were unified so he could have visited the area where he was when his unit was hit by the Chinese. "A lot of the guys are buried there," he said of the members of his unit who were killed in combat. "I can almost picture where we set up our machine guns. It's pretty much indelible in my mind." Only now are the North and South Koreans starting to talk to each other, so unification seems far away. But many people thought East and West Germany would never be united, he noted. Wohlbier is glad he went back but said the visit was a bit short. The tour company took them out on excursions, and a highlight was Panmunjom, where the truce that ended the fighting was signed. But, he said, "I was kind of disappointed that I couldn't point out to my kids where I'd been" in North Korea. Still, he said, there's no way they could have seen what he saw. Toward the end of his visit, he and other vets were at a dinner sponsored by the Navy League, which presented each of them with a medal. Wohlbier is a member of four veterans' organizations: the Disabled American Veterans in Stevens Point, the American Legion in Junction City, the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Chippewa Falls and the Kettle Moraine Chapter of the 1st Cavalry Division Association. He said he recalls vividly many of the things that happened to him during the Korean War. "Other things I don't remember clearly," he said, "but once in awhile it comes back."