Serious Incidents on the DMZ
1967-2001

Page Index:

• General Overview Table
• Deadly 1968

General Overview Table

The following material was found on www.globalsecurity.org.

Deadly 1968

January 17, 1968

In an incident known as the Blue House Raid, a 31-man detachment from the Korean People's Army secretly crossed the DMZ on a mission to kill South Korean President Park Chung-hee, nearly succeeding.  [See January 19 and 21.]

January 19, 1968

Four South Korean brothers out cutting wood stumbled across the unit. Instead of killing the brothers, the North Korean commander sought to indoctrinate them into the communist cause. He then released the four, warning them not to betray the unit’s presence. Unbowed, the brothers immediately notified South Korean authorities, and by the next morning the national police and South Korean military were on full alert. The unit eluded all searchers.

January 21, 1968

Thirty-one armed North Korean agents intruded into Seoul in an attempt to assassinate President Park Chung-Lee.  The raiders came within approximately 800 meters of the presidential residence before they were discovered.  After entering Seoul disguised as South Korean soldiers, the North Koreans attempt to enter the Blue House (the official residence of the President of South Korea). The North Koreans were confronted by South Korean police and a firefight ensued. The North Koreans fled Seoul and individually attempted to cross the DMZ back to North Korea. Of the original group of 31 North Koreans, 28 were killed, one was captured, and two are unaccounted for. Additionally, 26 South Koreans were killed and 66 were wounded, the majority of whom were soldiers and police officers. Three American soldiers were also killed and three were wounded.

January 22, 1968

North Korean infiltrators attacked a U.S. guard post and wounded three U.S. soldiers.

January 23, 1968

The U.S. Navy intelligence ship USS Pueblo was attacked by the Korean People's Navy employing Soviet-built patrol boats and was subsequently boarded and captured, along with its crew, in the Sea of Japan. The entire crew of 83 was captured, with the exception of one sailor, SN Duane D. Hodges, killed in the initial attack on the vessel, and the vessel was taken to a North Korean port. Tortured during their imprisonment, all the captives were released on December 23 of the same year via the Bridge of No Return at the DMZ. The USS Pueblo is still in North Korean possession and docked in Pyongyang on display as a museum ship.

January 24, 1968

Two U.S. soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry were killed by North Korean agents while in a blocking position to trap remnants of a group of North Korean infiltrators who had attempted to assassinate President Park.  Killed were Sgt. Paul W. Martin of Virginia and William L. Bryant of Utah.

January 25, 1968

KPA soldiers mounted raids in the DMZ in an area defended by the U. S. Second Division, killing one U. S. and two South Korean servicemen.

January 26, 1968

A U. S. soldier with the 2nd Battalion, 72nd Armor, was killed by North Korean agents south of the DMZ who were fleeing north following the Blue House Raid and the attempted assassination of ROK President Park.  The American, Salvador T. Mojica, was from California.

February 6, 1968

A U.S. 2nd Infantry Division guard post was attacked. Three North Koreans were killed by U.S. forces.

March 27, 1968

U.S. 2nd Infantry Division and ROK 25th Infantry Division soldiers ambushed North Korean infiltrators. Three North Koreans were killed.

April 12, 1968

Fifteen KPA guards armed with clubs hit UNC Joint Duty Office personnel who were inspecting the perimeter on the northern edge of the MDL in the JSA.

April 14, 1968

A U.S. Army Support Group truck was ambushed south of the Joint Security Area in daylight.  North Korean soldiers stopped the truck and machine-gunned the occupants, killing four and wounding two.  The two Americans killed were Sgt. James Anderson and Larry Wood.  Two KATUSAs were also killed and Leroy Jacks and John Sharpeta were injured.  The North Koreans robbed the bodies of two pistols.  Following is the personal account of 2ID veteran Bruce Abbott, found on the 2ID Association website:

"Later that day I had an opportunity to visit Operations, where the blood-soaked clothing, MP brassards, and other articles of the guys who had been shot were now laid out. We learned that Sgt. Anderson, Larry Wood, and two KATUSAs had been killed, but that Leroy Jacks and John Sharpeta had survived.

Later we were able to talk with Leroy at the hospital. He said that the first sign of trouble was from flashes of light coming from both sides of the road ahead. Shots began striking the truck and Larry Wood, who was sitting up front on the passenger side, was immediately struck in the neck. Sgt. Anderson stopped the truck and got out, his hands raised above his head, but was immediately hit by AK-47 fire and fell back into the seat. Leroy, who was sitting in the middle, was struck in the leg but the engine block prevented other rounds from reaching him. The North Koreans reached the truck and one of them fired a few rounds over the tailgate. John Sharpeta, who had been sitting in the back with the KATUSAS, apparently had already been struck in the neck, had passed out, and was now lying at the base of the tailgate, so those additional shots missed him. However, the two KATUSA were killed.

Leroy said that at this point one of the North Koreans reached into the front seat area and relieved him of his still-holstered Colt 45 pistol, while he tried to play dead. The intruders then withdrew, but not before throwing a hand grenade at the side of the truck as a parting shot. Shortly after, Leroy heard the Jeep speed by."

April 20, 1968

An armed North Korean enemy attacked one of five patrols on this date.  Gary C. Gable provided the following information about this incident.  Following his description of the incident is the citation of his Army Commendation.

"Sergeant Bowman was the patrol leader. They had set up an ambush about a 100 meters from the MDL. The other four patrols were all within a few hundred meters of each other for support when necessary. It was our second night out in the DMZ. Nothing happened till morning. Just after daybreak Sergeant Bowman's patrol was attacked. He had moved away from his ambush position to go to the bathroom, just a few meters away. He took a rifleman with him. As they moved away from the ambush position they surprised a group of North Koreans crawling through the grass. He estimated up to 25 North Koreans. Bowman was armed with a 12 gauge shotgun with buckshot. He managed to get one shot off, killing a North Korean. Sergeant Bowman was wounded while the rifleman and rest of patrol returned fire. They managed to make it back to the patrol's position.

The patrol I was with was approximately 400 meters west of Bowman. We double-timed towards his position as they were under intense fire. We had to cross an open area and while doing so came under fire from a machine gun north of the MDL, probably 300 hundred meters away. We made it to the tree line before the machine gun had us in range. Sergeant Bowman's ambush position was a good defensive position consisting of overgrown rice paddy dikes and the berm from a railroad that ran, they say "Pusan to Paris." The Korean War-bombed locomotive was about 200 hundred meters to our rear. Shortly after arriving at Bowman's position the North Korean rushed us, by then I had all five patrols in position. I don't think they expected an entire platoon to be in position. They quickly pulled back.

Meanwhile GP Gladys came under fire. Gladys was about 1/2 mile to our west. We were still under sporadic fire and probing attacks. We were running low on Ammo. The Quick Reaction Force [QRF] was reacting to what now appears to have been a diversion in B Company's sector. Our CO, Captain Beers was back at the compound rounding up anyone who could carry a rifle. The units on the DMZ were spread thin. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Flukas, the officer in charge of the GP, was making his way to our position with a couple of men and extra ammo. He left the GP before it came under fire.

My recollection is that the fighting lasted till about noon, some say longer, others shorter.  Regardless, it was one hell of a morning. We were extremely fortunate with one wounded. I credit the low number of casualties to Sergeant Bowman's selection of a good defensive position. Also the men in the platoon for putting down such intense fire. Enemy casualties unknown, but they had to suffer a few. We were ordered to withdraw when Captain Beers showed up. We did recover one ppsh-41 submachine gun. Being so close to the MDL, we could not go out to the front of our position. To this day I believe the North Koreans were attempting to overrun Sergeant Bowman's position and drag survivors back across the MDL. At that time of the attack the North Koreans were holding the crew of the USS Pueblo. Sergeant Bowman was awarded an ACM for valor and the Purple Heart.

Some key issues:

• We were armed with M-14's not M-16's.
• We could not carry the M-60 machine gun into the DMZ as per the 1953 Armistice.
• We could not call for mortar or artillery support.  You could request it, but it would be refused.
• No copters allowed in DMZ to remove wounded.
• Each patrol consisted of 6-7 men
  
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Department of the Army, HQ, 2D Infantry Division
General Orders No. 107, 2 May 1968

Citation: Army Commendation Medal with "V" device

Second Lieutenant Gage distinguished himself by superb leadership and courageous action on 20 April 1968, while serving with Company C, 2d Battalion, 23d Infantry, 2d Infantry Division.  On this date he was the officer in charge of five patrols in the Korean Demilitarized Zone.  A radio message from one of his patrol leaders informed him that an armed enemy had attacked a patrol, the patrol leader was wounded, and the patrol was trapped in a poor position.  Lieutenant Gage immediately informed his parent unit and directed his remaining patrols to positions of support for the patrol under attack.  He deployed his patrols on line and controlled their fire in a manner that enabled them to inflict casualties and gain fire superiority in a short period of time.  By his skillful deployment of his patrols, he forced the hostile force to retreat and enabled the trapped patrols to regain a secure position.  Lieutenant Gage's heroic action in the face of enemy provocation is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 2d Infantry Division, and the United States Army.

April 21, 1968

Five North Koreans were killed and 15 North Koreans were wounded by U.S. forces when they clashed in the southern portion of the DMZ.  Also killed was South Dakota veteran Robert R. Bisbee.

May 2, 1968

One KPA security guard knocked down an unarmed UNC guard near a MAC conference room.

July 3, 1968

A U.S. 2nd Infantry Division patrol was ambushed in the DMZ.

July 20, 1968

North Korean infiltrators ambushed a U.S. 2nd Infantry Division patrol in the DMZ, killing 2Lt. James Leland Weeks, son of Col. Eugene Leland Weeks and Mrs. Mildred Polk Weeks.  He had only been in the Army for six months and was leading his first patrol in Korea when he was killed only nine days after arriving for duty in Korea.  Also killed was American serviceman Jan S. Holmdahl.

July 30, 1968

U.S. 2nd Infantry Division patrol was ambushed in the DMZ by North Korean infiltrators.  One U.S. serviceman, Michael Rymarczuk, was killed.

August 5, 1968

U.S. 2nd Infantry Division patrol was ambushed one mile south of Panmunjom near the DMZ in daylight. One North Korean was killed by U.S. forces.  Also killed was Terrance A. Peterson, a member of 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry.

August 18, 1968

Two U.S. servicemen, Jerry L. Hopkins of Texas and SSgt. Joseph A. Bass, were killed when their patrol clashed with North Korean infiltrators south of the DMZ.

August 20, 1968

A North Korean agent boat was intercepted off Cheju Island.  There were 12 North Koreans killed and two North Koreans captured.

August 26, 1968

KPA guards dragged a UNC Security Officer off a UNC jeep and attacked him near KPA Guard Post No. 5 in the JSA.

September 2, 1968

Some 15-20 North Korean workers assaulted U.S. officers in the JSA after they attempted to return a dropped hat to a North Korean guard.

September 19, 1968

Four North Koreans were killed by U.S. forces.

September 27, 1968

A U.S. 2nd Infantry Division jeep was ambushed in the DMZ and two Americans were killed.  They were SP4 Joseph E. Cayer Jr. and Pfc. Michael B. Raymond.

October 3, 1968

One North Korean was killed by U.S. forces.

October 5, 1968

A U.S. 2nd Infantry Division patrol was ambushed in the DMZ.  SP4 Stephen A. Nassani was killed and two others were wounded when their patrol was ambushed by North Koreans in the DMZ.

October 11, 1968

A U.S. 2nd Infantry Division patrol ambushed North Korean Army infiltrators in the DMZ. 2 North Koreans were killed by U.S. forces.

October 18, 1968

A U. S. vehicle was attacked and four were killed.

October 23, 1968

A U.S. 2nd Infantry Division patrol engaged KPA infiltrators in the DMZ.  One North Korean was killed by U.S. forces.  Pfc. David L. Turner was killed and five others of the 2nd Battalion, 38th Infantry were wounded in a DMZ firefight with North Koreans.

October 30, 1968

Ulchin-Samcheok (Gangwon-do) landings by 120 men of North Korean Army Unit 124 took place.  There were 110 killed; seven were captured; and three escaped. Forty South Korean soldiers and police officers and 23 South Korean civilians were killed.  This was an unsuccessful attempt of the North Koreans to establish guerilla camps in the Taebaek Mountains.

November 2, 1968

From October 30 to November 2, 1968, 120 to 130 North Korean Unit 124 commandos landed on the northeast shore of South Korea, allegedly to establish a base in order to wage a guerrilla war against the South Korean government. A total of 110 to 113 were killed, seven were captured, and 13 escaped. Around 20 South Korean civilians, law enforcement officers, and soldiers were killed.

November 30, 1968

The North Koreans landed approximately 120 North Korean commandos near Samchok, Republic of Korea.  Two of the commandos were captured and 107 of them were killed.

December 1, 1968

One UNC officer and one enlisted member were attacked and beaten by at least 15 KPA security guards in the JSA.