Operations
of the 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion in Korea
The 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion was one of the few U.S Army units prepared to meet the surprise onslaught of North Korea in July 1950. The battalion was severely understraaangth but superbly trained. Rushed from peacetime duties at Edgwood Arsenal, Maryland, the battalion fired its first combat mission 16 days after landing. From that day until the armistice, 1008 days the battalion was never out of the line. The three weapons companies and HQ company, were always in combat, setting up for combat, or travelling to a new combat position.
The
battalion fired in support of 18 different divisions of four
nations. It received citations from the Army, the Navy, and
the presidents of the U.S. and of South Korea. The U.S. presidents
citation read in part,
“…this
battalion moved along the
entire width of the battle line, emplacing where the fighting was
heaviest,
inflicting tremendous casualties among the attackers, and redeploying
as soon
as a relative lull occurred to yet another location where the savage
battle
flared anew.”
Red Dragons tells the story of this battalion for the first time. Based on inteviews with veterans, original photographs and documents, Walt Eldredge has captured what happened and what it was like to be there.