[KWE Note: The following information was provided by LTC Natalie J. Stewart-Smith,
Associate Professor of English, New Mexico Military Institute, Roswell, New Mexico. It came from the LTC
Stewart-Smith served as Supply Chief (S-4) of the 69th Trnas Bn (Trk) thirty years ago, not during the
Korean War, of course. She wrote: "The following is from my 69th Trns Bn (TRK) 1974-75 yearbook, 'With
Vehicles We Support.' The units in the battalion were 60th (US), 43rd (US), and 881st (KATUSA), all at
Camp Eiler with HQ the 28th (US at Waegwon) 702nd (KATUSA) and 46th in Pusan. KATUSA = Korean Augmentation
to US Army - ROK soldiers who worked alongside the GI's.]
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| The history of the 69th Transportation Battalion can be traced from the establishment of the 46th
Quartermaster Regiment (Truck) on 1 May 1936. The pure lineage of the 69th dates to 1 April 1942 when the
2nd Battalion of the 46th Regiment was activated at Fort Ord, California. The designation, 69th Battalion,
came to the Active Army rolls in December 1943 with the activation of the 69th Quartermaster Battalion
(Mobile). The 69th served overseas in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany. The Battalion earned six
major campaign streamers for service in the European theater of operations during World War II. On 1 August
1946 it was converted and re-designated as the 69th Transportation Battalion (presumably in a reserve
status).
The Battalion saw action early in the Korean conflict, as it had been reactivated in Japan in June, 1949.
It landed in Pusan in August 1950 and was the first such unit to operate north of that city. After the
Inchon invasion and subsequent break-through, the Battalion moved forward with the combat elements of the
Eighth United States Army. During the Korean conflict, the 69th Transportation Battalion participated in all
ten of the major campaigns of that conflict. So, ten more campaign streamers, plus three meritorious unit
commendations and one Republic of Korea presidential unit citation were added to the 69th's colors.
UN Defensive
UN Offensive
CCF Intervention
First UN Counter-offensive
CCF Spring Offensive
UN Summer-Fall Offensive
Second Korean Winter
Korea Summer-Fall 1952
Third Korean Winter
Korea Summer-Fall 1953
After the cessation of hostilities, the Battalion participated in the repatriation of United Nationals
personal who were prisoners of the conflict.
In October 1958 Battalion Headquarters moved from Uijongbu (just south of the US Division area) to Ascom
City. On 23 March 1970, following a major reorganization of support activities within Korea, the 69th
Transportation Battalion became an integral part of the 2nd Transportation Group. In March 1973 the
Battalion moved again, to its present location, Camp Eiler, assuming the mission of the 70th Transportation
Battalion, which was inactivated. The Battalion was reorganized into its present status in Korea during the
latter part of 1960. The Battalion's records indicate that four Republic of Korea Truck Companies were
attached to the Battalion by General Orders published by the office of the Korea Ministry of Defense in
October and November 1960.
[Those were the KATUA units.]
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