Oral Histories and Remembering the Forgotten War

 A reminder to talk to your relatives now.

It's great to get reader feedback. Over the years I have heard from several folks who read The Boldest Plan is Best who told me that their father or grandfather had served with the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion during WWII. Unfortunately, they also shared that their relative passed away without telling them about their experiences.

Way back in 2008, I wrote a post about the National Day of Listening, sponsored by StoryCorps. I shared then about doing an "oral history" session with my own dad about his service with the 187th Airborne RCT in Korea. It wasn't easy to get him to open up about it. He never talked about combat when I was growing up. A familiar story, I know. But I worked at it. I made it kind of a formal thing and recorded our conversations. That seemed to work to a certain extent. Having served myself might have helped. But I encourage you to do whatever it takes to get the veterans talking.

Here's an article I wrote based on those talks I had with my dad a few years before he passed away. It was the first thing I ever wrote and got it printed in the reader submission part of the old History Channel Magazine. I hope you enjoy it.

Remembering the Forgotten War

Corporal Bob Broumley, Kumwha Korea, 1953

Most of us who enjoy history have heard the cliché that the Korean Conflict is known as the "Forgotten War." However, clichés are often based on truth and this instance is certainly a prime example.

Most Americans do not know about the intensity of that conflict, its importance as the first "limited war," or its significance as part of our overall Cold War victory over communism. Although termed a police action, Korea was not a trivial event; from 1950 to 1953, approximately 1.79 million uniformed service members went into that theater of operations; 36,574 died and another 103,284 were wounded. And according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, we lost more than 173,000 Korean War veterans in 2007.

One of these Korean War veterans is Bob Broumley from Fort Worth, Texas. When the North Koreans crossed the Thirty-eighth Parallel to invade South Korea on June 25, 1950, Bob was enjoying the summer before his senior year at Tech High School. He would not wait to be drafted and joined the Army after high school. He took great pride in the fact that the two-letter identifier on his service number was "RA," which stood for "regular army" vs. "US" for draftees and "NG" for National Guard members.

Practice jump in Japan, 1952

Upon completion of infantry basic training at Fort Ord, California, and airborne school at Fort Benning, Georgia, 19-year-old Pvt. Bob Broumley shipped out to Korea. He, like most of the new soldiers on his troop transport, moved up as replacements in units that had heavy combat losses. Broumley's first assignment was as a rifleman with the 2/279th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division, which had been mobilized from the Oklahoma National Guard.

The 2/279th Raider Platoon was tasked with gathering intelligence that included raiding the enemy trench for prisoners. Although assigned to a rifle company as a BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) man, Broumley accompanied the Raiders on one occasion. A section of the enemy trench between bunkers was selected. Automatic weapons fire would isolate that section from the bunkers on either end. An assault team would then go into the trench and kill or capture any enemy soldiers found there. Quick, violent, and dangerous, the operation was over in minutes.

Ceasefire Declared

After two trips to the line and a stint guarding prisoners of war on the infamous Koje-Do Island, Broumley transferred to the 187th Regimental Combat Team (Airborne) in September 1952. The 187 RCT was being refit in Japan as a theater reserve under the command of Brig. Gen. William Westmoreland. Broumley was ready for the challenge.

Sgt Bob Broumley, Fort Bragg, 1954

Through the winter and spring of 1953, the "one-eight-seven" trained hard in Japan. The days were filled with physical training, small-unit exercises, and practice jumps. The unit was always aware that they might be needed again in Korea. 

The stalemated war continued while both sides jockeyed for position in the armistice for which everyone was waiting. As those talks came close to an agreement, the Chinese Communist Forces threw a massive assault against the line, overwhelming South Korean forces. The 187 RCT was rushed to Korea once again to plug the gap, and Broumley (now a corporal) went with them. 

About a month later, on July 27, 1953, the armistice was signed. 

Broumley had enough "points" to rotate home shortly after the ceasefire. He served the remainder of his time at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with the 82nd Airborne Division. Staff Sgt. Bob Broumley left the service in 1954 and returned to Fort Worth. He got his job back in the grocery store where he worked during high school.

The 1st Armored Division "Old Ironsides"

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A Short History of the 1st Armored Division
"Old Ironsides"

The 1st Armored Division, nicknamed "Old Ironsides," is the oldest and most recognizable armor division in the United States Army. It was the first armored division to see combat in World War II. The Division is currently home-based at Fort Bliss, Texas, and is part of the US III Corps.

As part of the mechanization of the U.S. Army and the buildup for WWII, cavalry and reconnaissance units were brought together to form the 1st Armored Division at Fort Knox, Kentucky on July 15, 1940. Major General Bruce R. Magruder was the Division's first commander, serving in that capacity from July 1940 until March 1942. General Magruder is also responsible for the Division's famous nickname. In 1941, General George S. Patton Jr. had just named his 2nd Armored Division "Hell on Wheels." The 1st Armored Division needed a nickname too, so General Magruder held a contest to find a suitable name. Approximately two hundred names were submitted including "Fire and Brimstone" and "Kentucky Wonders." The General chose to study them over the weekend but none of the suggestions appealed to him. It happened that General Magruder had just bought a painting of the U.S.S. Constitution during a drive for funds for the preservation of that famous fighting ship, which is nicknamed "Old Ironsides." General Magruder was impressed with the parallel between the development of the tank and the Navy's "Old Ironsides" spirit of daring and durability. He decided the 1st Armored Division should also be named "Old Ironsides."

The 1st Armored Division boarded the Queen Mary at the New York Port of Embarkation, Brooklyn Army Terminal on May 11, 1942. Five days later the soldiers of the Division landed in Northern Ireland and trained on the moors. On October 29, 1942, Old Ironsides moved to England to depart for North Africa.

The 1st Armored Division's first contact with an enemy was as part of the Allied invasion of North Africa, Operation Torch on November 8, 1942. The Allies did receive unexpected, and heavy, resistance from Vichy-French units; however, the invasion forces suppressed all resistance in the beachhead area within three days. Old Ironsides then advanced toward Tunisia. The soldiers of the Division learned hard lessons about armored warfare and the harsh conditions of North Africa.

In January of 1943 Old Ironsides was part of II Corps and received the mission of defending central Tunisia against an Axis counterattack. In February the 1st Armored Division met with a superior German armored force at Kasserine Pass. The Division sustained heavy losses in personnel and equipment and was forced to withdraw. Old Ironsides was battered but kept in mind its lessons learned. The Germans outran their supply lines and faced determined Allied resistance. After three more months of hard fighting, the Allies could finally claim victory in North Africa. Old Ironsides was reorganized in French Morocco and then moved to Naples, Italy on October 28, 1943, to support the Allied effort there.

As part of General Mark Clark's U.S. Fifth Army, the 1st Armored Division took part in the attack on the infamous Winter Line in November of 1943. Old Ironsides then flanked the Axis forces in the landings at Anzio and moved on to participate in the liberation of Rome on June 4, 1944. The 1st Armored Division continued to serve in the Italian Campaign until German forces in Italy surrendered on May 2, 1945. In June of 1945, Old Ironsides was moved to Germany as part of the U.S. Army occupation forces.

In the drawdown of forces after WWII, the 1st Armored Division was deactivated on April 25, 1946. With the success of the Russian-made T-34 tank by the enemy at the outset of the Korean War in 1950, there was a renewed enthusiasm for armored forces in the U.S. Army. As part of the new buildup of forces, Old Ironsides was re-activated on March 7, 1951, at Fort Hood, Texas, and was the first U.S. Army unit to field the new M48 Patton tank.

Although the 1st Armored Division did not participate as a division in the Vietnam War, two of their subordinate units did. Company A, 501st Aviation and 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry served with distinction. Both units earned Presidential Unit Citations and 1-1 Cavalry received two Valorous Unit Awards and three Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry. Neither unit was officially detached from the 1st Armored Division. Veterans of both units may wear the Old Ironsides as a combat patch. Also, in 1967 three Old Ironsides infantry battalions were formed into the 198th Infantry Brigade and deployed to Vietnam. Two of those battalions, 1-6th Infantry and 1-52nd Infantry, were returned to the 1st Armored Division.

As Vietnam wound down, the United States turned its attention back to the Cold War in Europe. The 1st Armored Division was moved to Germany in 1971, home-based in the West German city of Ansbach. The Division remained in Germany for the next twenty years as part of the American forces committed to a NATO defense of Europe.

In November of 1990, Old Ironsides was alerted for deployment to the Middle East in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. In less than two months the Division moved 17,400 soldiers and 7.050 pieces of equipment by rail, sea, and air to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield. On February 24, 1991, the 1st Armored Division crossed into Iraq to begin Operation Desert Storm as the leading unit in VII Corps' main flanking attack. Its mission was to destroy the elite Iraqi Republican Guards Divisions. In an 89-hour blitz across the desert, Old Ironsides traveled through 250 kilometers of enemy territory. They destroyed 768 tanks, armored personnel carriers, and artillery pieces. The 1st Armored Division also captured 1,064 prisoners of war. Old Ironsides returned to Ansbach, Germany on May 8, 1991. Their triumph was celebrated by a visit from the Vice President of the United States and participation in victory parades in Washington D.C. and New York City.

The 1st Armored Division was called to serve once again, this time in the Balkans. Old Ironsides was ordered to Bosnia-Herzegovina and part of Operation Joint Endeavor on December 14, 1995. The 1st Armored Division was relieved by the 1st Infantry Division and returned to Germany in November of 1996.

In 1999, Old Ironsides was deployed again. This time 1st Armored Division was supporting Operations Allied Force and Joint Guardian. Operation Allied Force took Old Ironsides soldiers to Albania in response to the ethnic cleansing and fighting there. Operation Joint Guardian was to uphold the United Nations Security Council resolution to bring peace back to the Kosovo region.

The 1st Armored Division began its participation in the global war on terrorism when it received deployment orders to the U.S. Central Command on March 4, 2003. By April 15th Old Ironsides was moving out to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom. During their 15-month deployment, Task Force 1st Armored Division was the largest division-based task force in U.S. Army history. Units serving with the Task Force included brigade-sized elements from the 82nd Airborne Division, the 3rd Infantry Division, the 1st Cavalry Division, the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, the 124th Infantry Battalion, the 18th and 89th Military Police Brigades and the 168th MP Battalion. At its height, more than 39,000 soldiers were part of Task Force 1st Armored Division. The Division took responsibility for Baghdad in April of 2003. Old Ironsides was scheduled to return to Germany in April of 2004, but their tour was extended by three months to defeat a Shia militia led by Moqtada Al Sadr.

The Division's 3rd Brigade was deployed to Iraq once again for Operation Iraqi Freedom III in January of 2005, this after only eight months at home. They were attached to the 3rd Infantry Division as part of Task Force Baghdad. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team (BCT) deployed to Kuwait in November 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom IV. Old Ironsides' 1st Brigade deployed again to Iraq in January 2006.

In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission determined that the 1st Armored Division should leave its home bases in Germany and move to Fort Bliss, Texas. While it took several years to accomplish the movement, Old Ironsides' division headquarters uncased its colors in May 2011.

Like their naval namesake, the 1st Armored Division carries with it the traditions and military values for which Old Ironsides has been known for over half a century. They also are the standing armor division of the United States Army, on the cutting edge of technology and tactics, and remain relentlessly strong today. Both active soldiers and veterans are proud to wear the 1st Armored Division patch and say, "I was with Old Ironsides."

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