BUSHMAN, WARREN M
DRAPER, GLEN ROY
JOHNSON, L LAVAR
MATTHEWS, ARNOLD JR
SCHOFIELD, THEODORE
STEVENSON, MAX B
TANNER, MARLIN A
TIBBS, DON E
WILKINS, KIRK CHASE
WILKINS, KIRK CHASE
I've been sick for a few weeks and haven't been able to run. This morning though, with a lot of encouragement, I went 9 miles. I was planning on 8, but it was pointed out to me that one extra mile would finish the names from the Korean War. I couldn't walk away from such a small extra effort when these guys gave it all.
Every name on this blog belongs to a hero, but as I transition to more recent wars, it's easier to research each name and find out exactly what made them a hero. Every picture I see, every letter I read, every story I hear lead me to admire these men more and more. I'm inspired daily by their examples of living righteously, and of living courageously.
Warren Bushman attended BYU for only one semester before enlisting in the Army. From Navajo Arizona, he enlisted into the 7th Cavalry Regiment. On the boat to Korea he conducted church services and truly lived his religion.
He took part in the fierce battle of Heartbreak Ridge, so named for a month long offensive which resulted in 3,700 American and French dead and many other Korean dead with only a few small hills to show for it. He survived the battle, but was killed in action a few weeks later.
Colonel Lorin Lavar Johnson was a legend. A hero of WWII and member of the Utah Aviation Hall of Fame, he fit the mold of a dashing pilot. Born in Payson Utah, he graduated from BYU and after 4 years in the national guard entered the Army Air Corps.
Colonel Johnson participated in the first mass flight of land-based aircraft across the Pacific Ocean. In this flight the 18th Bomb Group flew from San Francisco to Clark Air Base in the Philippines. He then commanded the 392nd Bomb Group and personally flew 37 combat missions. In WWII, bombing was incredibly dangerous and as a commander, he wasn't obligated to fly many missions. Colonel Johnson led by example though, and showed his troops that he was willing to put his life on the line for them. He led the first daylight raid on Bremen and his unit enjoyed incredible success. He was later killed in action during the Korean War.
Donald Tibbs was born in Indianola Utah. He played football at Brigham Young High School and attended BYU in 1948. Growing up, he was very close to his brother Robert, who served in the Air Force during WWII. When the Korean War broke out Robert was deployed again, while Don became a mechanic in the Utah National Guard. Don's unit was called up to deploy right as Robert was coming home, and they only spent one day together before Don had to leave. As soon as Don got to Korea he was given an M-1 rifle and told to go to the front lines instead of his original duty assignment as a mechanic. He was sent directly to the battle of Heartbreak Ridge, as they needed more men desperately. He wrote a letter to his friend that said he had been at the bottom of a hill for 3 days without moving an inch. On September 24, 1951 Don Tibbs was killed, after only a few days on the front lines.
Heartbreak Ridge was exactly that- a heartbreaker. It's a classic example of using misguided benchmarks and outdated tactics in a war. The Allied forces would pound the hill with planes and artillery all day, then order their troops to take bunkers built into the hill which had been largely unscathed by the previous shelling. The Allied troops would make a frontal assault uphill and fight tooth and nail during the day to conquer this series of hills, only to be swept off of it by fresh Korean troops during the night. Day after day, they would endure the heartbreak of seeing their friends and brothers killed in a grotesque version of King of the Hill. It paralleled the Korean War at large which, after all of the fighting, returned the political lines right back to the 38th parallel. Sometimes you wonder what their sacrifice means. I don't pretend to have all of the answers, but I do know that over 60 years later the citizens of North Korea are suffering from incredible human rights violations, and those who our soldiers were able to protect in the South are doing alright.
There are too many names and too few resources, but it has been incredible to learn more and more about my heroes. One of the names that I didn't get to is Glen Roy Draper. The Next Post will be dedicated to him.
Warren Bushman attended BYU for only one semester before enlisting in the Army. From Navajo Arizona, he enlisted into the 7th Cavalry Regiment. On the boat to Korea he conducted church services and truly lived his religion.
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| Warren Bushman |
He took part in the fierce battle of Heartbreak Ridge, so named for a month long offensive which resulted in 3,700 American and French dead and many other Korean dead with only a few small hills to show for it. He survived the battle, but was killed in action a few weeks later.
Colonel Lorin Lavar Johnson was a legend. A hero of WWII and member of the Utah Aviation Hall of Fame, he fit the mold of a dashing pilot. Born in Payson Utah, he graduated from BYU and after 4 years in the national guard entered the Army Air Corps.
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| Colonel Lorin Johnson |
Donald Tibbs was born in Indianola Utah. He played football at Brigham Young High School and attended BYU in 1948. Growing up, he was very close to his brother Robert, who served in the Air Force during WWII. When the Korean War broke out Robert was deployed again, while Don became a mechanic in the Utah National Guard. Don's unit was called up to deploy right as Robert was coming home, and they only spent one day together before Don had to leave. As soon as Don got to Korea he was given an M-1 rifle and told to go to the front lines instead of his original duty assignment as a mechanic. He was sent directly to the battle of Heartbreak Ridge, as they needed more men desperately. He wrote a letter to his friend that said he had been at the bottom of a hill for 3 days without moving an inch. On September 24, 1951 Don Tibbs was killed, after only a few days on the front lines.
Heartbreak Ridge was exactly that- a heartbreaker. It's a classic example of using misguided benchmarks and outdated tactics in a war. The Allied forces would pound the hill with planes and artillery all day, then order their troops to take bunkers built into the hill which had been largely unscathed by the previous shelling. The Allied troops would make a frontal assault uphill and fight tooth and nail during the day to conquer this series of hills, only to be swept off of it by fresh Korean troops during the night. Day after day, they would endure the heartbreak of seeing their friends and brothers killed in a grotesque version of King of the Hill. It paralleled the Korean War at large which, after all of the fighting, returned the political lines right back to the 38th parallel. Sometimes you wonder what their sacrifice means. I don't pretend to have all of the answers, but I do know that over 60 years later the citizens of North Korea are suffering from incredible human rights violations, and those who our soldiers were able to protect in the South are doing alright.
There are too many names and too few resources, but it has been incredible to learn more and more about my heroes. One of the names that I didn't get to is Glen Roy Draper. The Next Post will be dedicated to him.
Love this. What a wonderful project.
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