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It's a Jeep, it has four wheel drive, it must be able to go up this muddy hill.  It was interesting watching these folks from Regimental Supply going up the hill without getting out, getting dirty, or walking.

It still isn't working.  These guys fiddled with this Jeep, spinning wheels and throwing mud for 30 minutes or so. They did finally get the Jeep up the hill.  The trip back down was a lot easier.

At the top of the hill in the foreground you can look along the ridgeline and see the relative positions of the Chinese and US troops. The U.S. have the hill at the right, (Op Dick) the Chinese own all of the higher hills beyond.  The lines were less than 100 yards apart at this closest point.   Click here for closer view of OP Dick and the Chinese held Old Charlie from a slightly different angle.

Setting off four five-gallon cans of napalm ordinance. The cans had a stick of magnesium impregnated dynamite in the bottom and were hooked together with primer cord. The idea was to put them on a hill then set them off when attacked. Another version used 55 gallon drums of napalm. This picture of the test was taken in front of the Battalion CP looking West across the Chorwon Valley.

Happy Valley.  The hill in the foreground is behind (north) of the 3rd Battalion CP.  The hill at the end of Happy Valley is the MLR, the mountains beyond are Chinese -- hence the name Happy Valley.  It was totally under Chinese observation at all times and subject to mortar, artillery, and sniper fire. The road was the main (also the only) road from the rear to the MLR for supplies.

The Headquarter Company Commanding Officer, Lt. Tillman, using a compass to sight in a field of fire for our 50 caliber machine gun. You could cover Happy Valley nicely from this position. He rotated home shortly after I got there and I took over the Headquarter Company for a while in addition to being platoon leader for the P&A (Pioneer and Ammunition) platoon.

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All photos ©Copyright Freeman Bradford.  All rights reserved