Honor Fidelity - United States Army Center Of Military History

ForewordOriginally formed at the turn of the nineteenth century to protectAmerica’s strategic interests in the Caribbean, the 65th Infantry wascomposed of locally recruited Puerto Rican soldiers led primarily bynon-Hispanic “continental” officers. Although in existence for almostfifty years, the 65th had not experienced intense combat until it was committed to the Korean peninsula in the initial months of the war. There,despite its lack of previous wartime service, the regiment did extremelywell from September 1950 to August 1951, establishing a solid reputationas a dependable infantry unit and a mainstay of the heavily embattled 3dInfantry Division. After that period, however, its performance began tosuffer as experienced cadre rotated out of the regiment and were replacedby new leaders and soldiers who lacked the skills and special cohesivebonds displayed by their predecessors. The net result was a highly publicized series of incidents and disciplinary actions that have never beenadequately explained or understood.This study reviews the performance of the 65th Infantry throughoutthe war, providing insights not only into the regiment’s unique problemsbut also into the status of the U.S. Army’s combat forces during one of themost trying periods in its history. Its findings underscore the critical impactof personnel-rotation policies, ethnic and organizational prejudices, andthe work of small-unit leaders on combat readiness and battlefield success.They also illustrate the critical role of senior leaders in analyzing problemsin these areas in a timely fashion and instituting effective reforms. Forthe 65th, a catastrophic shortage of trained NCOs, unaddressed languageproblems, and inept command leadership temporarily undermined its combat effectiveness. Making matters worse, senior commanders reacted in aheavy-handed manner with little analysis of what was really going on. Inthe end, it was the martial traditions of the 65th’s Hispanic soldiers and ahost of new leaders willing to address its special problems that pulled theunit through.The regiment’s colors remained in Korea until November 1954, whenthe unit returned to Puerto Rico. Today, the 1st Battalion of the 65th Infantryremains as part of the Puerto Rican National Guard, a testimony to a uniquecombat unit that served the United States Army well for over one hundredix

years. Yet, what has sometimes been called the Forgotten War is still richin lessons that the Army of today can ill afford to forget if it is to succeedon the battlefields of tomorrow.Washington, D.C.2 June 2009Jeffrey J. ClarkeChief of Military Historyx

The AuthorCol. Gilberto N. Villahermosa is a 1980 graduate of West Point, wherehe received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. Commissioned an Armorofficer, he has served with troops in Germany and the United States, including several tours with the XVIII Airborne Corps and the 82d AirborneDivision at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His staff experience includes assignments with the Joint Staff; Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe;International Security Assistance Force, Afghanistan; and Combined JointTask Force, Allied Force North, Netherlands. Colonel Villahermosa hasearned a Master in International Affairs, Master in Philosophy of PoliticalScience, and Certificate in Advanced Soviet Studies from the HarrimanInstitute, all at Columbia University. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he isfluent in Spanish and Russian. He is currently assigned as the chief, Officeof Defense Cooperation, U.S. Embassy, Sana’a, Yemen.xi

PrefaceIn 1999, at the urging of Puerto Rican veterans who felt that officialrecognition was overdue, Secretary of the Army Louis E. Caldera asked theU.S. Army Center of Military History to conduct a full and impartial examination of the 65th Infantry’s performance in the Korean War. The first studyI prepared looked at the regiment’s controversial actions at Outpost Kellyand Jackson Heights in 1952. Later, the chief of military history, Brig.Gen. John S. Brown, taking advantage of rich source material, decided toexpand the account into a full-length treatment of the Puerto Rican unit’scombat experiences across the entire three-year span of a deadly war. Thisbook is the result.The 65th left San Juan, Puerto Rico, in much better shape than mostU.S. infantry regiments headed for Korea. Its ranks were filled with experienced regulars and enthusiastic prior-service volunteers. During the firstyear of the war, the 65th experienced many triumphs and few setbacks. Thissituation began to change as personnel-rotation policies led to the departure of combat-proven veterans who were replaced by mobilized PuertoRican National Guard soldiers beginning in the summer of 1951. When thebulk of the National Guardsmen left a year later, they were replaced withdraftees who lacked English-language skills. The story of the regiment,which labored under mounting difficulties, makes for a compelling studyof stresses placed upon infantry units in combat.During the course of my research and writing, I have received supportand encouragement from many individuals. First and foremost, I remaindeeply indebted to successive chiefs of military history, Brig. Gen. JohnS. Brown and Dr. Jeffrey J. Clarke, for recognizing the value of this workand helping to see it through to completion. The leadership of HistoriesDivision, notably Drs. Richard W. Stewart and Joel D. Meyerson, alsocontributed importantly to this volume, as did several of my colleaguesin the division: Dr. William M. Donnelly, Dr. William M. Hammond, JonT. Hoffman, and Dr. Erik B. Villard. Special thanks go to my friend, Lt.Col. (Ret.) Mark J. Reardon, also of Histories Division, who juggled manypriorities to remain involved with every aspect of the book’s developmentafter my departure from the Center for another assignment. The narrativeis a better one for his generosity.xiii

Others at the Center of Military History also deserve mention. InPublishing Division, Diane M. Donovan edited the text with painstaking dedication and attention to detail; Sherry L. Dowdy updated existing maps and created new ones to accompany the text and photographs;Beth F. Mackenzie, chief of Production Branch, helped in the development of the map plan and in the selection and procurement of photographs.Frank R. Shirer and James B. Knight of Field Programs and HistoricalServices Division located key documents and books relating to the MilitaryDepartment of Puerto Rico and the 65th Infantry.Useful comments came from the review panel chaired by Dr. RichardW. Stewart, now the Center’s chief historian. For the panel’s diligence andobservations, I wish to acknowledge the efforts of its members: Dr. AllanR. Millett, Cols. (Ret.) Kenneth E. Hamburger and William T. Bowers, andDr. William M. Donnelly.A number of people outside the Center provided valuable advice andassistance, including Dr. Richard J. Sommers and David A. Keogh, whoprovided access to the James Van Fleet Papers, the Clay Blair Collection,and the Korean Veterans Questionnaires maintained by the U.S. ArmyMilitary History Institute, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania; the staff of theGeneral Archives of Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and GeorgeStreatfeild, curator of the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Military Museum,Gloucester, England, and Graham Gordon, a museum staff member, whoprovided photographs and accounts of the “Glosters” in Korea. Willis D.Cronkhite Jr. provided an interview conducted with his father, Capt. WillisD. Cronkhite, commander of Company F at Jackson Heights. I also owe adebt of gratitude to Cynthia Holdren, daughter of Lt. Col. Lloyd E. Wills,who donated photographs of her father as a battalion commander with the65th Infantry in 1952.Many 65th Infantry combat veterans assisted me with their knowledgeof events and personalities. Col. (Ret.) George D. Jackson explained indetail the fighting on Jackson Heights during October 1952. Col. (Ret.)William F. Friedman recounted the 65th Infantry’s deployment to Koreaand its combat performance from September 1950 through April 1951. Ibenefited from Lt. Col. Carlos Betances-Ramirez’s willingness to share hisexperiences as the 2d Battalion’s commanding officer during the autumnof 1952. Colonel Betances-Ramirez opened his home to me for a lengthysession on Outpost Kelly and Jackson Heights. Other veterans who contributed include Charles E. Boyle, Walter B. Clark, Winfred G. Skelton Jr.,and Duquesne A. Wolf.Finally, I would like to thank my wife Natalie and my sons Alexander,Nicholas, and Michael for their support, understanding, and assistance during the time spent creating this volume. My father, Jesus Villahermosa,xiv

whose service as a young infantryman in the 65th Infantry during theKorean War inspired me to begin this project, also assisted in ways toonumerous to mention.It remains only to note that the conclusions and interpretationsexpressed in this book are mine alone and that I am solely responsible forany errors. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Departments of the Army and Defense or theU.S. government.Sana’a, Yemen2 June 2009Gilberto N. VillahermosaColonel, U.S. Armyxv

Honor and FidelityThe 65th Infantry in Korea, 1950–1953

Chapter 1Prologue: Before KoreaOn 18 October 1898, following the end of the Spanish-American War,the U.S. War Department established the Department of Puerto Rico, withheadquarters in San Juan, to administer the island. The department wasresponsible for all insular military affairs on Puerto Rico as well as theislands and keys adjacent and belonging to it.1 Maj. Gen. John R. Brooke wasappointed the first commander of the department and the military governorof the island. The withdrawal of Spanish troops and police after the signingof the peace protocol was followed by what General Brooke described as“a Saturnalia of crime,” including “forced contributions, out-and-out robbery, burning, assassinations,” and “violence to women.”2 The U.S. Armyencountered great difficulty in stopping this crime wave. Furthermore, ithad to do so with a diminishing number of troops as President WilliamMcKinley had ordered one hundred thousand U.S. Volunteers mustered outof service and returned to the United States as quickly as possible. The burden of administering the island thus quickly passed to the Regular Army.Maj. Gen. Guy V. Henry, U.S. Volunteers, replaced Brooke as thedepartment commander on 9 December 1898. When Henry took command, the Department of Puerto Rico had only 176 officers and about 3,000enlisted men.3 This was about one-third of the troops previously employedby the Spanish to administer the island.4 To offset troop shortages, GeneralHenry initially retained many of the police and firefighting organizationsthe Spanish had established. A new insular police force of 313 members,charged with the “prosecution of evil-doers, the capture of fugitives, and1Annual Reports of the War Department for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1899, 1899,vol. 1, pt. 3, pp. 319, 376 (hereafter cited as WD Annual Reports, 1899).2Annual Reports of the War Department for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1900, 1902,vol. 1, pt. 6, p. 97 (hereafter cited as WD Annual Reports, 1900).3“General Return of Exhibit Showing the Actual Strength of the Army of the UnitedStates According to the Latest Returns Received at the Adjutant General’s Office,” in WDAnnual Reports, 1899, vol. 1, pt. 3, p. 382.4WD Annual Reports, 1900, vol. 1, pt. 13, p. 17.

Honor and FidelityColumn of American artillery entering Ponce, Puerto Rico, in August 1898the preservation of public order,” was formed between 25 and 27 January1899.5While the insular police force was well suited to deter minor criminalactivity, it was poorly prepared and equipped to confront organized gangs,armed insurrection, or external aggression. American officials determinedthat a standing military force would be needed to accomplish those tasks.Rather than permanently stationing large numbers of American troops inPuerto Rico, the War Department cabled General Henry in February 1899to ask for his views as to the advisability of recruiting a battalion of infantryfrom the island’s population.6 Henry responded that military employment ofthe island’s native population “may prove to have an excellent effect uponthe people of Porto Rico” and advised that the island possessed “an abundance of fine material” from which soldiers could be selected.7 In response,the War Department ordered Henry to form four companies of one hundredmen each “from among the natives of the islands for such military serviceas he may deem it desirable.”8 On 2 March 1899, Congress formally authorized the formation of the Puerto Rican Battalion of Volunteer Infantry.Maj. Lorenzo P. Davison became the first commander of the PuertoRico Battalion. An experienced officer, Davison was an 1885 graduate ofWest Point. He had previously served on frontier duty as a lieutenant withthe U.S. 7th Cavalry and 11th Infantry. During the Spanish-American War,he had fought with the 5th Infantry. Shortly after Congress authorized theIbid., p. 50.Army and Navy Journal (18 March 1899): 670.7Ibid.8Ibid.562

Prologue: Before KoreaGeneral BrookeMajor Davisonformation of the Puerto Rico Battalion, Davison received orders from theWar Department to take command of the newly raised unit. Along with theassignment came a promotion to major in the U.S. Volunteers.9By the end of the first year of existence, the Puerto Rico Battalion hadproven so effective that the Army decided to expand the unit. The Armyalso decided to mount the unit on horseback to give it the capability tomove quickly to any threatened point on the island. On 12 February 1900,Secretary of War Elihu Root issued instructions to organize a mounted battalion of Puerto Ricans. Department of Puerto Rico General Order no. 34directed that this battalion would consist of four companies (E, F, G, and H)and be designated the Mounted Battalion of the Puerto Rico Regiment. Itwas to be equipped with Springfield carbines; Colt pistols; and U.S. Armysaddles, bridles, and saddle blankets.10On 20 February, Headquarters, Department of Puerto Rico, issuedGeneral Order no. 38, formally designating both battalions as the Puerto9The U.S. 5th Infantry would provide three commanding officers to the Puerto RicoBattalion and later the Puerto Rico Regiment. Official Army Register for 1901 (Washington,D.C.: Adjutant General’s Office, 1900), p. 142; Register of Graduates and Former Cadets,1802–1980 (West Point, N.Y.: U.S. Military Academy, Association of Graduates, 1980), p.272.10WD Annual Reports, 1900, vol. 1, pt. 13, p. 106.3

Honor and FidelityRico Regiment, U.S. Volunteers. This made it the last of the U.S. Volunteerregiments to be formed in the wake of the Spanish-American War. Theorder directed that the second battalion be stationed at Camp Henry in themountainous Cayey region of southeastern Puerto Rico.On 1 May 1900, the military governor of Puerto Rico transferred controlof all civil affairs to a new civilian governor. Two weeks later, the Departmentof Puerto Rico was absorbed by the Department of the East.11 At that time,the island’s garrison numbered 1,635 officers and men, including the 900officers and men of the Puerto Rico Regiment and 475 police. Natives thusmade up the overwhelming percentage of military forces stationed there.12By early the following year, most of the American military personnel still inPuerto Rico were redeployed back to the mainland United States.On 20 May 1901, the War Department directed that the existing regiment be replaced by a new formation, designated as the Puerto RicoProvisional Regiment of Infantry. The new organization would consist oftwo battalions of four companies each and a band. With these modifications, the Puerto Rico Provisional Regiment of Infantry came closer tomirroring the organization of Regular U.S. Army formations. Althougheach infantry company was authorized 104 officers and enlisted men, theunit’s ranks would not be at full strength because of a presidential orderimposing on the regiment a ceiling of 554 active-duty personnel.13 Thiswas not an uncommon situation in U.S. Army units of the period. In orderto meet peacetime fiscal constraints, most regiments consisted of cadreunits that could be augmented with volunteers in the event of hostilities.On 30 June 1908, the Puerto Rico Provisional Regiment of Infantrybecame part of the Regular Army as directed by an act of Congress andGeneral Order no. 100 of the War De

United States Army Center of Military History. Honor and Fidelity The 65th Infantry in Korea, 1950-1953 . This study reviews the performance of the 65th Infantry throughout . The regiment's colors remained in Korea until November 1954, when the unit returned to Puerto Rico. Today, the 1st Battalion of the 65th Infantry