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1 Norman L. Beal
By Bill Youngkin captured were probably just volunteers.
Special to The Eagle
"When we jumped off to move to the Yalu River, we
PART TWO knew the Chinese were not just volunteers because the
Norman L. Beal of the Edge community was a Marine area was crawling with Chinese troops. We pulled back
with the 5th Marine Division for the landing at Inchon, into a defensive position, the 7th Marines on one side of
Korea, on Sept. 14, 1950. After taking Inchon, the target the mountain and us, the 5th Marines, on the other side.
That night, Nov. 27,1950, the Chinese hit us. We bloodied
was to be the South Korean capital of Seoul.
them enouh that According to Beal, "Our assignment was to advance they had, I don't kno would c have happened g to t us,
over the seawall at Inchon, clear the nearby trenches and but I know it would have been real bad."
bunkers of North Korean soldiers and capture the Kimpo
airfield. It was nothing more than dirt runways and I was There is an account of that battle by Max Hastings
in his book, The Korean War, that described the events
out in the big middle with nothing to get behind.
of that day. He wrote, "The night of Nov. 27, the Chinese
"Along about midnight I could hear the North Koreans launched violent assaults for 30 miles down the American
screaming 'banzai' and they seemed to be only 75 to 100 lines and supply route. All through the hours of darkness,
yards away. Fortunately, all they did was scream. The the Chinese hurled themselves again and again upon the
next morning we headed to Seoul. The closer we got to company positions of the two Marine regiments. It is a
Seoul, the stiffer the resistance. Thank goodness for those remarkable tribute to the quality of units, reconstituted
Corsair planes. They were great at ground support and we only three months earlier, that they manned so dogged
needed their help. a defense under the most appalling conditions. Almost
"At Seoul, they sent the 1st Marines into downtown every man who returned from the hills of Chosin Reservoir
Seoul, the 7th Marines to the north and the 5th was sent brought with him an epic story of close - quarter combat
to take out the North Korean positions in the hills outside amid the flares, mortaring, grenade and small arms duels.
of Seoul. It wasn't long before the North Koreans were Although the Chinese broke into a succession of positions
running away from us and into the hills. With the Army's and inflicted severe casualties, no where did they succeed
4th Division coming up from the south, that pretty much in breaking the Marines Companies."
cut off their retreat." As recalled by Beal, "On the other side of the reservoir
After Beal and the Marines secured the capital for was now the Army and that is where we had been two
Gen. Douglas MacArthur, MacArthur entered Seoul and nights before, but they held. We had left Fox Company on
turned it back over to the South Korean government. one of the mountain tops just before we headed to the
The Marines were pulled back to Inchon to board ship for Yalu. There they remained and were now under constant
what Beal and his Marines buddies hoped would be the attack, especially every night. They too held, but I really
long overdue trip to Japan for rest and relaxation. When don't know how.
they boarded ship, they realized this was not to be an R &R "Each unit, Fox Company, the Army, the 5th and
trip. 7th Marines, were surrounded and cut off from each
As recalled by Beal, "We boarded ship in combat form other. We would later learn that we were facing 120,000
and headed north to Wonsan harbor in North Korea. We Chinese troops. What also added to our problems was
later learned it was the most mined harbor ever. It took the weather. The temperature was below zero every day
the Navy several days to clear those mines. We went in on sometimes reaching 30° below. Your feet got cold and
the beach with very few casualties. stayed that way and hurt. It was a continuous hurt every
"After all the ships were unloaded, we loaded on Army hour of every day.
trucks and headed for Chosin Reservoir on the Manchurian "The Air Force dropped equipment and supplies to
border. The road was hardly more than a cow track and us and we started fighting our way back to Fox Company.
mostly switchbacks up the mountains. The farther and There were mountains on each side of us and they were
higher we went, the colder it got. At the village of Koto- full of Chinese. The Corsairs that were providing ground
ri we were at the foot of the reservoir. We were sent up support came in so low that the brass from their guns were
each side into a defensive position and settled in just in falling all over us. The Corsairs were especially helpful in
time to celebrate the Marine Corps birthday. Every year, knocking out the Chinese machine gun positions. We
no matter where you were while a Marine, on November finally made it back to Fox Company or what was left of
10, you celebrated the Marines Corps birthday and that is them."
what we did on Nov. 10, 1950. Next week, the conclusion of the battle that would be
"We had to fight our way up the mountain but forever known as the Frozen Chosin. Norman L.Beal'sname
when we started killing and capturing the enemy, they can be found on the Brazos Valley Veteran's Memorial. For
were Chinese, not North Koreans. Word was sent back to more information, to make a contribution, or if you know a
MacArthur's headquarters that we were encountering World War llor Korea War veteran whose story needs tobe
Chinese troops. The word that came back was the Chinese told, contact the Brazos Valley Veteran's Memorial atwww.
were not in North Korea and what we had killed or veteransmemoriaL.orgorBill youngkinat (979)776.1325.
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Norman 1. Beal
By Bill Youngkin "With our forces now joined together, we had to
Special to The Eagle get back to Hagaru -ri. We heard that some officers or
press complained to General Smith that Marines don't
PART THREE retreat and what General Smith said was, "Retreat, hell
Norman 1. Beal was a Marine with the 5th Marine we're not retreating, we're just attacking in a different
Division that had advanced to Chosin Reservoir in North direction." I guess when you are surrounded like we
Korea just below the Yalu River and the Manchurian were, that would be a true statement.
border. The time was late November and early
December 1950. What was unknown to the American "My company was the last unit out. What we didn't
Forces was the extent of the Chinese involvement. To need in the way of supplies and rations, we started
add to the problems faced by Beal's Marines, there burning. As we left the Chinese came pouring into our
was only one road into Chosin and that was also area. It looked like fire ants swarming all over those
the only road out. The battle would be fought over piles of burning rations and supplies. We fought our
some of the roughest terrain and during the harshest
winter weather conditions of the Korean War, with way down that road to the bottom o the mountains.
temperatures reaching 35 degrees below zero. That was where we finally got to ride on trucks and
On November 27, 1950 Beal's unit, the 5th Marines it was wonderful. At the port, tents had been set up
were surrounded and out 'off from other American and we were able to spend the night in tents before
Forces, Army and Marine. The night of November 28, boarding ship. We boarded ship the next day and 1
five Chinese Battalions attached, hoping to annihilate crawled under a life boat and slept for two days. I was
the Marine position. Close fighting occurred as wave completely worn out:'
after wave of Chinese troops assaulted their positions. Those troops that survived, like Norman, Beal,
The Marines managed to hold despite suffering heavy will forever be known and honored by their nickname.
casualties. As day broke, all five Chinese Battalions °
his Marines were still surrounded. The Chosin Few." American forces suffered significant
had been rendered combat ineffective. But, Beal and casualtiesbut the Chineselost forty p ecentofitsforces.
As recalled by Beal, "Our Commander, Colonel Beal returned to Pusan where he would finally receive
Murry who was an Aggie said 'we are going to come out word that he was to be among the first of the "Original
of of here and we are going to come out as Marines. The Brigade "to come home.
Air Force started dropping us supplies and equipment "We landed in San Francisco and were met by good
and we started to fight our way to Fox Company who looking women driving convertibles to take us through
had been surrounded and under constant combat town. 1 soon found out that San Francisco was a good
for days now. When we reached their mountain top, "liberty town." I caught a train to Dallas, and called my
to what was left of Fox Company, we started a fire family w hen we stopped in El Paso. They all loaded up
to try to warm up a little. We then started attacking in cars in Br and met the train i n Dallas. The first
the Chinese that surrounded us, fighting, running,
stopping and fighting some more. You stoppe so y ou person I saw at the stat was my brother Jacob.
could catch your breath because we were fighting all "I returned home where a parade was held in my
the way down to the road. You would fight, run like honor at Allen Academy which meant a lot to me. 1
hell, stop, catch your kreath, fight some more and run was discharged, attended college at Stephen F. Austin
like hell again. When we reached the road that was and did graduate work in biology at Wyoming and
where the running stopped. Oklahoma State. I taught school, including junior
"After we joined forces, we had our first hot meal college at Allen for several years before getting into
in a long time. They had trucks with cook stations in the real estate business with my brother in Beal Realty,
the back and they were making pancakes. 1 got into now owned by my nephews Mike and David Beal.
line and got the last plate of pancakes before they ran
out. Those were the best tasting pancakes 1 had ever "As! have gotten older the prouder 1 have become
eaten. We also got to sleep in a tent in sleeping bags. of being a Marine and having done my duty. But, Korea
I almost got warm. is something I will never forget nor will our family as
"We were lined at the bottom of East Hill protecting we still have a cousin, Charles Heartfield, still missing
our airfield which was in the middle of our perimeter. in action in Korea. No, I will never forget Korea."
1 was in a hole smoking when my gunnery sergeant Norman L. Beal's name can be found on the Brazos
crawled up and whacked me on my helmet. He crawled Valley Veteran's Memorial. For more information, to
away and then crawled away to me, pulled out his plug
of chewing tobacco and cut me off a piece and gave make a contribution, or if you know a WWII or Korea
it to me before crawling off again. 1 appreciated the War Veteran whose story needs to be told, contact
gesture but 1 was not a tobacco chewer and would have the BVVM at www.veteransmemorial.org or Bill
much preferred to have finished my smoke. Youngkin at (979) 776.1325.
Korea :1950 -1953
rnembering the Forgotten War
One in a series of tributes to members of "The Forgotten War
who served our country during The Korean War
By Bill Youngkin
Special to The Eagle
Norman L. Beal of the Edge community of Brazos
County is a survivor of what was called the Frozen Chosin,
the battle that was the beginning of the Chinese invasion
into Korea. It was bitterly cold, brutally bloody and was the
near destruction of the Marine and Army troops engaged
in that battle.
Beal's story begins on September 3, 1929. He grew
up just across from the old Allen Academy campus on
Ursuline Drive in Bryan. He also attended Allen Academy,
graduating in 1948.
According to Beal, "After graduation I managed to get
a job in the oilfield but decided real quick that the oilfield
was not a place for me. I didn't have the money to go to
school, so I thought I would join the Navy and then go
to school. I drove to Houston to join the Navy, but they
wouldn't have any openings for two to three weeks. I had
time to kill so I visited a friend in Lufkin. While there, he
decided to join the Marines. I went with him to the post
office, where I met the nicest Marine Corps recruiter you
could ever hope to meet. He talked me into joining, too,
and sent me along with my friend to Houston.
"In Houston they were so nice, even getting us a room
at a hotel that first night. We were sworn in, and after the
swearing -in ceremony that nice gunnery sergeant I met
earlier turned into one of the meanest old guys I had ever
run into. We were on a train that day to San Diego for boot
camp. At boot camp, my background at Allen Academy
came in handy because I knew close -order drill and some
of the military matters we were being taught.
"After boot camp I came home and then to San
Francisco, where I received 13 shots in my arms before
heading to China. Chiang Kai -shek and his followers were
being run out of China by the communists, so we left too.
I ended up on Guam and a neighboring island for the next
two years, where we trained constantly. While I was on
Guam we were still rounding up Japanese soldiers who had
hidden out after the war. A friend and I walked up on four
Japanese soldiers ourselves out exploring the countryside
on our time off. Also, Typhoon Allen came through while
I was there, which made a miserable place even more
miserable.
"I came back by ship to Camp Pendleton and vowed
that I would never got on another ship as long as I lived.
Three months later I was back aboard ship headed to
Korea. When the Korean War broke out there were only
75,000 Marines in the Marine Corps. The thought was
the next war would be a push -button war. It wasn't. We
formed the 1st Marine Brigade with only two companies
in each of the three regiments. They pulled Marines from
shipboard duty, embassy duty, anywhere they could find a
Marine to form the brigade.
"We boarded ship in San Diego to Pusan, Korea. The
Pusan Perimeter was all that we still held of South Korea.
The North Koreans were well trained and well supplied.
They had T34 tanks and carried burp guns. The U.S. Army
troops that were located in South Korea were not prepared
to fight a war and as a result, were almost annihilated.
"We were met at the dock by our commanding general,
who had flown over. He told us to unload and we would be
in the front lines that night. Marines are a confident bunch,
but we were real confident after all our training. We also
had a lot of senior officers and nco's who were veterans of
World War II, and that also helped our confidence.
"The Army used us as 'fire teams' to plug in where
needed along the Pusan Perimeter. I really felt sorry for
the Army guys there. They were just whipped. We came
across several that the North Koreans had captured, then
tied their hands behind them with commo wire and then
shot them in the back of their heads.
"On August 7, 1950, our Marine Brigade went on
the attack. That was also the anniversary date of the first
Marine action in the Pacific at Guadalcanal. Within three
days we had pushed the North Koreans back over 30 miles.
That was when we were told by the Army to stop because
they didn't have the ability to protect our flanks. We were
up against the 6th North Korean Division, which was their
'super troopers: They had enjoyed nothing but success in
the war thus far, but they had run into a different breed of
cat with our Marine brigade.
"We were finally pulled out of the line after almost
continuous combat and moved back to Pusan. We thought
we might be sent to Japan for a little rest and relaxation.
When we boarded ship in attack form we realized our
destination was not R &R. The next day the ocean was full
of all kinds of ships, American, British, even French.
"We were told over the ship's loud speakers that'You
have been selected to hit the enemy in the throat' The
throat was to be a landing at Inchon and then on to Seoul
to recapture the capital.
"We had to capture an island off Inchon first, which
we did in one morning. A 30 -foot tide then came in and we
landed at Inchon at their seawall. When we hit the beach
at the seawall in our LCVPs, we had to use a ladderto scale
the seawall. On the other side of the seawall were zig -zag
trenches and bunkers full of North Koreans. The ladders
only allowed one man at a time up the ladder and over
the wall. That was a pretty hairy time when you went over
that wall and saw those tracers coming at you in the near
darkness. Those Koreans didn't hold out very long and we
eventually controlled our first objective, an airfield, by
nightfall.
The Marines now controlled Inchon. The Capital of
Seoul would be next.
Norman L. Beal's name can be found on the Brazos
Valley Veteran's Memorial. For more information, to
make a contribution, or if you know a World War 11 or
Korea War Veteran whose story needs to be told, contact
the BWM at www. veteransmemorial. org or Bill Youngkin
at (979) 776.1325.
The Eagle
See more stories of Brazos Valley veterans on
"Veterans of the Valley, with host Tom Turbiville, '
on KAMU -TV each Saturday at 6:30 pm and Sunday at 5:30 pm.