Constituted as the 3d Maintenance Squadron (Light Bombardment) on 10 August 1948 at Yokota AB, Japan, during the Berlin crisis, the squadron maintained A-26 Invader aircraft within the 3d Bombardment Wing. The squadron subsequently deployed to Johnson AB and Iwakuni AB, Japan and to Kunsan AB, K-8, Republic of Korea, where it supported extensive combat operations in five air campaigns from the start to finish of the Korean War.

Basically the Bomb Squadrons were comprised of Armament (munitions loaders); Engineering (crew chiefs and engine specialists); and Communications-Electronics (aircraft radio/radar specialists who were basically black-box changers). These specialties were equivalent to the Aircraft Generation Squadrons/Aircraft Maintenance Units of later years.

However, there were other specialists who were essential to keeping the aircraft in the air. Somebody had to be able to patch the shrapnel holes. Someone had to be able to keep the guns, turrets and pylons operational. Someone had to fix those fuel leaks. Someone had to be able to troubleshoot the electrical wiring and components on the aircraft. These were the specialties found in the 3rd Maintenance Squadron.

The 3rd Maintenance Squadron was the forerunner of the 3rd Field Maintenance Squadron -- and later the 3rd Equipment Maintenance Squadron. It had the "back shops" located next to the flightline near the 3rd Bomb Group operations. These shops, however, were not like a modern shop. They were the specialists that performed maintenance to keep the aircraft flying. All major maintenance was done in REMCO at Miho.

Paul T. Ono of Gardena, California, remembers, "I was reassigned to the 3rd Maintenance Sqdn between the period of April through July 1952, and started working as a Turret System Mechanic." (This would be equivalent to the Armament Systems Shop of later years who handled gun systems and pylon maintenance.)

He wrote, "In regards to your question regarding the size of the 3rd Maintenance Squadron, it was separated into two groups. I don't have any idea as to the total number of the 3rd Maint Sqdn personnel or which group was the larger. One group was at K-8 and the remainder of the group was at Miho Air Base in Japan. Miho AB was the Depot Inspection and Repair (DIR) Station for both the 3rd Bomb Wing and the 17th Bomb Wing from Pusan AB, K-9, Korea. We worked as a team on both of the Wings' aircraft, without regard to the 3rd Bomb or 17 Bomb Wing unit. We were also quartered together in the old Japanese two-story building behind the Admin Bldg. One didn't really know who was from the 3rd or the 17th unless one asked. Administratively they also shared the orderly room etc. So as far as what the total number of persons assigned to the 3rd Maintenance Squadron, that would have to be checked either by Section Leader level or higher since the workers pretty much were formed into specialty crews or teams rather than by flights or elements. Probably the most accurate number as to the size of the 3rd Maintenance Sqdn would come from the MTO&E in effect during the period. Another factor regarding the labor pool at Miho was that there were the indigenous personnel (Japanese personnel) in the armament shop there who also worked side by side with the airman. However, all final inspections were performed by the airmen. The 3rd Maintenance Sqdn was pretty much broken down by job specialties, for example, Aircraft and Engine Mechanics, Hydraulics Mechanics, Turret Specialist, Prop Specialist, Radio Repairman (as you stated blackbox-changers), etc."

Paul talked about the tasking to support Miho AB, Japan with personnel on a rotating basis, "I went sent TDY to Miho AB on a rotating basis and performed Depot Inspection Repair on B-26's from both the 3rd and the 17th Bomb Wings. I worked under a civilian Air Force Technician named Ralph Hoefling, who was from the state of Utah."

Miho AB, Japan was where the B-26s from the 3rd Bomb Wing (Kunsan) and 17th Bomb Wing (Pusan) would send their aircraft for major inspections. For those who accompanied the aircraft to Miho, it was a welcome break from the grueling routine of Kunsan.

In November 1951, the 3rd BW sent maintenance personnel to Miho Air Base, Japan to form a rear echelon maintenance combined operations (REMCO) team. According to "U.S. Air Force Operations in the Korean Conflict" (p103), Futrell, the unit joined maintenance personnel from the 452nd Bombardment Wing and the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (TRW) who flew the RB-26 photoreconnaissance aircraft. Previously, the 3rd Bombardment Wing had elected to take its aircraft maintenance repair capability to Kunsan AB, while the 452d set up its rear echelon maintenance at Miho. The 452nd Bombardment Wing's in commission rate increased from 57 percent in July to 82 percent in November, while the 3rd Bombardment Wing's rate dropped from 78 to 65 percent during the same period.

Staff visits revealed that the wing's B-26s were in a bad state of repair while those of those of the 452nd Bombardment Wing were being maintained in excellent condition. The revelation prompted the switch in maintenance location. This action considerably increased sortie effectiveness, flying hours and maintenance effectiveness of the 3rd BW aircraft. In April/June 1952, the agreement was changed so that all personnel worked for one maintenance unit under the 452d BW. The personnel remained assigned to their respective units for administrative purposes. The three wings flying the B-26 and RB-26 supplied 28 officers and 820 airmen based on their estimated workload and number of assigned aircraft.

Paul continued, "Incidentally, I was told that Miho Air Base prior to and during World War II was the Japanese Naval Aviation Cadet Training Center, similar to what Pensacola used to be for the US Navy." Later he wrote, "I recall an incident at Miho AB where a B-26 from the 17th BW was in the hanger. It was supposed to have been disarmed by the crew prior and checked prior to being towed into the hangar. The B-26 had an Inspection Tag checked checked off saying that the weapons were cleared and ammo removed. During the initial operational slewing test of the upper and lower turrets, the turrets felt sluggish and wouldn't slew as fast in azimuth as they should, when compared to empty. Also, when the slewing was stopped, the turret stopped abruptly as though there was ammo was still in the ammo magazine. After removing the turret dome to check for ammo, I found that two 50 cal machines guns in the upper and lower turrets had live rounds in the feed chute mechanism and the four magazines were full of ammo. The Gun Charger Pneumatic System Operational Check would have been the next test to be performed. This test would have resulted in rounds being chambered by the pneumatic gun charger on the first charging of the weapon with and fired on the second charging. I reported the incident to Ralph immediately. The safety policy was revised to require an inspection of all gun chambers and magazines insuring that they were empty prior to bringing the aircraft into the hangar"

Though Paul worked with the Depot end at DIR, Miho was also home of "Rear Echelon Maintenance Combined Operations" (REMCO). According to Hans Peterman, the 3rd Bomb Wing shared the facilities with the 452d Bomb Wing. (1) One wing became the parent organization and was responsible for all basic functions at the REMCO location. The tactical group of this wing was deployed to a forward base, minus the maintenance personnel required to do periodic aircraft inspections. These maintenance personnel were attached to the maintenance squadron of the maintenance and supply group to form an addition section called the periodic or specialized maintenance section. This section was augmented, in proportion to the number of aircraft to be supported, by temporary duty personnel from the other forward wings making joint use of the facility. Normally the supply squadron was augmented in a similar fashion. (2) The REMCO functioned as a tenant on a base with base support, including supply, furnished by another command.

There were growing pains associated with the REMCO process early on in the Korean War. Some units opted perform their maintenance in the forward areas and their in-commission rates dropped and their aircraft were noted as "shabby" by staff visits. After these units switched to the REMCO system, their in-commission rates jumped by 57 percent and their aircraft appearance improved significantly. The key though for REMCO was that REMCO-repaired aircraft had to be returned to the forward unit on a guaranteed time schedule, the only exceptions being aircraft which had major combat damage. Everything was tightly scheduled and tracked to ensure the aircraft flowed out on time. A lot of the success was due to advance planning which requisitioned routine time-change parts sufficiently in advance to have them on-hand when the aircraft arrived on-station.

The advantages of the REMCO system was that (1) Mobility of the forward "staging bases" were increased; (2) The mechanical condition of combat aircraft was improved; (3) Increased maintenance output due to more efficient working conditions and supporting facilities meant a greater potential number of flying hours per aircraft; (4) Logistic support requirements in the forward areas was reduced; (5) Maintenance work was done more quickly, more thoroughly and more consistently because logistics support channels in the rear are not disrupted by frequent moves and better transportation facilities are available; (6) Consolidation of units supporting the same type aircraft allowed closer supervision of the supply of critical parts; (7) Mechanically qualified Japanese were used in the rear areas; (8) Security for the heavy facilities and the aircraft undergoing work increased by distance from the active area.

On a personal note about Kunsan's conditions, Paul wrote, "I also remember that few of the troops, including myself, got trench mouth and I had to go to the dentist. I had a hard time finding the dentist, but finally found his tent on a small rise. Outside the tent there was a bicycle rigged up with the rear tire removed and connected by a belt to drive the dentist's drill. The dentist said that the trench mouth was due to the rinse water not being hot enough. Following the visit to the dentist, the GI cans used to rinse our mess kits were fired up to keep the water boiling during the mess hours."

After the Korean War armistice, the Air Force redesignated the squadron the 3d Field Maintenance Squadron on 8 November 1954. It maintained B-57 Night Intruder aircraft. Following the fortunes of the 3d Wing, the squadron transitioned from bomber aircraft on 8 January 1964 as the 3d Bombardment Wing discontinued operations in favor of its activation as a tactical fighter wing (TFW) supporting F-100 Super Sabre aircraft and other attack platforms at England AFB, LA. The move was the first time the 3rd Wing or its predecessor group had been removed from the Pacific Theater in 22-years. However, the time spent in Louisiana would be relatively short-lived. On 8 November 1965, the 3d Field Maintenance Squadron took up station on Bien Hoa, AB South Vietnam and subsequently supported 12 Vietnam air campaigns. The 3 FMS moved with the wing to Kunsan AB in 1971 where it supported F-4D Phantom fighter bombers. The squadron next moved to more permanent facilities at Clark AB, Republic of the Philippines in 1974 where it continued to support F-4 type aircraft but also an array of other types such as T-33s, C-9s, and AT-38 aggressors. On 1 June 1977, the squadron was redesignated the 3d Equipment Maintenance Squadron, incorporating the previously separate squadrons of the 3rd Operational Maintenance Squadron, 3rd Munitions Maintenance Squadron and the 3rd Avionics Maintenance Squadron into the 3 FMS. It remained in place at Clark as the 3 EMS until the 12 June 1991 Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption caused many of the squadron's membership to evacuate the island and played havoc with the squadron's equipment and responsibilities. On 19 December 1991, when the 3 WG stood up at Elmendorf AFB AK, the squadron was redesignated the 3d Maintenance Squadron and continued to operate as a super squadron (the 21st Wing had previously incorporated the separate component repair and equipment maintenance squadrons). Due to the cumbersome size of the maintenance squadron, which approached 1,000+ members, on 4 October 1993, the Pacific Air Forces decided to pare down the 3 MS to a more functional size. The 3d Maintenance Squadron was redesignated 3d Equipment Maintenance Squadron. It reorganized and activated to resume its mission as its close kin the 3rd Component Repair Squadron again resumed operations.

Acknowledgement: Grateful thanks to David C. Smith of Wabasha, MN for his narratives and a priceless video tape of his home movies of K-8. Home movies were new in the 1950s and his footage of the aircraft landing, personnel, and buildings are priceless. The video tape has been shared with other 3rd Bomb Wing veterans and much appreciated by all who have viewed it. Unfortunately, we do NOT have the capability to transfer the video tape images to computer stills. Because of this we are deeply saddened that we cannot share Dave's photos with you.

The people responsible for the care of the personnel at Kunsan was the 3rd Medical Group. These dedicated professionals oversaw the medical care of the troops at Kunsan.

(From the 1954 Welcome Brochure)

In the initial days of K-8 in 1951, the medical facilities were primitive to say the least. For example, Paul T. Ono of Gardena, California remembers the primitive dental services. He was assigned to the 3rd Maintenance Squadron and he wrote, "I also remember that few of the troops, including myself, got trench mouth and I had to go to the dentist. I had a hard time finding the dentist, but finally found his tent on a small rise. Outside the tent there was a bicycle rigged up with the rear tire removed and connected by a belt to drive the dentist's drill. The dentist said that the trench mouth was due to the rinse water not being hot enough. Following the visit to the dentist, the GI cans used to rinse our mess kits were fired up to keep the water boiling during the mess hours."

However, in 1952, new facilities were built for the hospital amongst the scrub pines at the base of what is now Gunsmoke Hill. Avenue "C" ran north into the BOQ area. The base chapel was constructed on the corner of Avenue "C". The next building up was the Wing Commander's billet. Between the chapel and the Commander's billet was a small road -- that still exists today. Turning left into the road, there was an small open area and the medical facilities were facing the road. (NOTE: Refer to the aerial photo in the 3rd Comm Squadron section above. The part of the present 8th Fighter Wing Clinic still is in this area. The location of the old base chapel would be approximately where the present day parking lot/triage area is located.)

3rd Hospital Map (Courtesy David Smith)
Click on photo to enlarge

The buildings were the typical plywood construction as in the Airmen billets. The pre-fabricated plywood construction had slats on the exterior and corrugated iron roofing that had to be weighted down to prevent them from blowing off. There were "duck walks" between the buildings though much of the ground appeared to be denuded of grass.

The facility included a dental clinic, dispensary, surgical ward, operating room, x-ray room, a medical ward, and mess hall. The first three buildings to the west (dental, dispensary and surgical ward) ran in a north-south direction. The surgical ward was connected to two buildings running east-west (Surgery and Xray). The last two buildings (Medical ward and Mess Hall) ran north-south. (NOTE: Refer to the aerial photo in the 3rd Comm Squadron section above. From the aerial photo, the old 3rd BW hospital appears to have occupied a greater area than the present day 8th FW medical facility.)

The dispensary was staffed by two doctors and had a pharmacy. There was a storage building behind the messhall. Dave added a note that "There was a small house too, but I can't recall which side of the lot it was on. Behind the chapel, I think." One of the old hospital structures remained in use until 2000 as a storage facility until it was demolished.

Hospital through pines (looking north) (From video courtesy of David Smith)
Photo taken from TV - Click on photo to enlarge

Though not impressive by modern standards, it was a very modern military medical facility given the wartime conditions. The reason that the medical facilities were above average for Korea was not simply because of the flying commitment at the base. The reason appears to be that the FEAF was afraid that the forward positions of Seoul could be overrun again by the Chinese in 1952. Thus the base had a first-rate medical facility as a contingency base. Though there was a surgical ward, the seriously injured were stabilized and then immediately medivac'd to Japan.

Hospital Rooftop view (1998): This is on the site of the old base chapel looking north towards the Gunsmoke hill.

Hospital Rooftop view (1998): This is on the site of the old base chapel looking east towards the old 3rd Medical Group area.

Hospital Renovation (2000) -- Top: Looking north. Site of old base chapel. Middle: Looking east. Bottom: Site of the old 3rd Medical Group. Note the scrub pines and street that used to separate the old chapel and Commander's billet.

The officers/doctors billeted in the BOQ area. The nurses were assigned quarters on the northern-most row of the Commanders billets. The enlisted personnel were billeted in the area near the Service Club -- behind the present day Base Chapel -- just below the hospital area. As one looked north facing the Service Center, the billets were behind and to the left. In the video that Dave provided, he has many shots of the enlisted personnel kicking and passing a football around in front of the Service Club. This area would be now near the present location of the Son Light Inn.

Nurse mugging for camera (From video courtesy of David Smith)
Photo taken from TV - Click on photo to enlarge

In addition to medical duties, the hospital also provided an ambulance and crews during take-offs and landings -- which were round the clock with F-84s during the day and B-26s during the night. The ambulance was positioned at the Crash Crew facilities adjacent to the flightline -- near the present day tank farm in the Whiskey Arch area. The on-duty Crash Crew personnel were quartered in a building in front of the garage housing the crash trucks. Though there have been reports that the crash crew was supplemented by Koreans under contract, there were no Koreans when he was part of the crash crew.

To the east of the crash crew area was the Marine VMF(N)-513 "Flying Nightmares" flying their F-4U-N Corsairs and F-7Fs in 1952. This is also the area of the Base Operations building and many aircraft would transit through this area. The rescue helicopters would land to the left (facing the flightline) from the crash crew area.

Rescue Helicopters -- (From video courtesy of David Smith)
Photo taken from TV - Click on photo to enlarge

David C. Smith of Wabasha, MN was a x-ray technician who was at K-8 between January-December 1952. When he first arrived, there were 11 x-ray technicians assigned but the lab only required two. Thus he was rotated through other medical facilities to assist as a medical technician. He had nothing but compliments for the medical staff which he deemed the finest bunch of professionals around.

Dave Smith at K-8 (From video courtesy of David Smith)
Photo taken from TV - Click on photo to enlarge

Because he couldn't work in his specialty, he worked in the medical wards and dispensary and also manned the ambulance as part of the Crash Crew. He mentioned that he took a lot of pictures, but the only time one was taken away was when he took pictures of the prisoners marching back to the stockade near the Crash Crew area. The Air Police confiscated his film on that occasion -- but that was the only time. It appears they didn't want the faces of the prisoners shown.

Ambulance at Hospital -- (From video courtesy of David Smith)
Photo taken from TV - Click on photo to enlarge

Ambulance at Crash Crew building -- (From video courtesy of David Smith)
Photo taken from TV - Click on photo to enlarge

As part of the ambulance crew, he also visited many locations off-base that others could not as they were restricted to base. He was able to see the Kunsan countryside that most never saw. He got a chance to visit the orphanage that he said the Chaplains collected clothes and donations for. He captured on film the Korean children walking to school in the midst of the war -- with school books under their arms.

Sometimes, the duties were not so pleasant. He related an incident where they were to deliver a Korean corpse (left in front of the hospital) to an off-base location. The corpse was placed in a body bag and sent to authorities downtown. However, the Koreans refused to accept the body and he was sent to a house in the countryside which in turn refused to accept the body. Finally in frustration, they left the corpse beside the building at the last location. Though it seems rather cold-hearted, one must remember that Kunsan was poverty-stricken and death was all around. He remembered another Korean corpse laying in front of the hospital with 6 bullet holes from crotch to chest. He didn't know about its disposition. Though Korean casualties were not unheard of at Kunsan, the hospital was rarely involved. (NOTE: The RoK Army guards were under orders to execute any "infiltrator" of the base on the spot.)

As part of the crash crew team, he worked 24 hours on and 24 hours off. The crew was always on duty when aircraft took off or landed -- which meant that being on hand for the F-84s during the day and B-26s at night. He remembered one incident when an F-84's engine blew up while awaiting take off. Though the pilot had escaped into the rice field, the crash crew were not aware of this and ran towards the aircraft. The aircraft was fully loaded with bombs and a 100 pounder exploded. Dave wasn't on crash crew duty, but he was at the hospital when the fireman was brought in. He was badly burned and his arm was just about severed, but he was sitting erect on the stretcher. He mentioned that the call went out for blood that night and the parking lot was filled with people volunteering to give blood -- Air Force, Army, and Marines. He mentioned that he'd never "felt so sad and proud at the same time" looking at that parking lot packed with blood donor volunteers.

In his off-time, he recalled entering a dog contest sponsored by the USO where his dog won a prize for the strangest name -- "Monster, the Mighty Mite." The USO "girls," who served coffee and donuts at the service club, presented the awards. As a side note, the dog contest was won by Larry Casseria of the 8th Bomb Squadron with his entry "Malfunction"...a dog that has a story all its own. (Go to 8th Bomb Squadron.) Understandably, most personnel at K-8 stuck together with those from their own units and there was very little interaction between the units. Strangely, Dave didn't know that there was the Invader Theater just a few blocks away from his billets. As a result, Dave wrote 4-5 letters a day to pass the time.

By 1952, all the initial problems with sanitation at K-8 seemed to have been resolved. There was never any problems with water that Dave Smith could remember -- and there was always hot water. In fact, he remembered how steamy it was in January in the latrines in his billet area. He also didn't remember any of the primitive latrine conditions that existed in 1951 with barrels cut in half and the "night soil" hauled off by Korean potty wagons.

But one thing he remembered was the cold. He related an incident when there was an air raid drill and he couldn't find his jacket. He had to sit in the slit trenches without protection. According to him, it must have been "30 below outside" and he swore, "I'd never be that cold again."

After the war, things wound down very rapidly. Just before the 3rd BW departed for Japan in 1954, only the dental clinic and the dispensary buildings were left.

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3rd Motor Vehicle Squadron

Another overlooked unit was the 3rd Motor Vehicle Squadron. The USAF constituted the 3rd Motor Vehicle Squadron on 10 August 1948 at Yokota AB, Japan. The squadron activated 18 August 1948 along with most of the 3rd Wing's newly constituted units. It was a tumultuous time as the Berlin airlift and the Cold War stepped into high gear. The 3rd Motor Vehicle Squadron followed the wing into the Korean War in June 1950--a conflict in which the 3rd Wing was involved from first to last and earned numerous commendations. The squadron followed the wing successively to Iwakuni AB, Japan, and Kunsan AB, South Korea.

William Batoff drove fuel trucks to refuel the aircraft. K8 was a busy place with round-the-clock refueling operations during the Korean War with permanently assigned, as well as transient aircraft. He wrote, "I recall some F-86 Sabre jets, F-80 Shooting Stars (T-33 Trainers), Royal Australian Star Fighters, and the F-84 Thunder jets." He also recalled with pride that he flew a few missions with the 8th and 90th Bomb Squadrons.

After the Korean War, the unit followed the 3rd Bomb Wing to Johnson AB, Japan. The Air Force redesignated it 3rd Transportation Squadron (3 TRNS) on 8 October 1956. The 3 TRNS was temporarily inactivated 25 Oct 1957 when the wing moved back to Yokota and did not serve as host unit. Activated again as the 3rd Transportation Squadron on 8 November 1965, at Bien Hoa AB, South Vietnam, the squadron once more supported the 3rd Wing in time of war, winning several citations. The squadron followed the wing through its transitions and transfers, including an especially taxing 17 years at Clark AB, Republic of the Philippines. The squadron officially moved to Elmendorf on 19 Dec 91, after the Mt Pinatubo eruption hastened the closure of Clark AB after 12 June 1991.

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3rd Supply Squadron

Another important but overlooked unit was the 3rd Supply Squadron. The USAF constituted the 3rd Supply Squadron on 10 August 1948 at Yokota AB, Japan. The squadron activated 18 August 1948 along with most of the 3rd Wing's newly constituted units. It was a tumultuous time as the Berlin airlift and the Cold War stepped into high gear. The 3rd Supply Squadron followed the wing into the Korean War in June 1950. The squadron followed the wing successively to Iwakuni AB, Japan, and Kunsan AB, South Korea.

Famous Supply Sign (1952)
(Courtesy Charles Deboodt)

There was a central Base Supply function (receiving and storage) near the flightline. Each flying squadron operated their own forward supply point. Pilferage appears to have been a widespread problem -- especially those goods tradeable on the "black market".

A function of the 3d Supply that was later split away was Ammo Section of the munitions storage area. It was later placed under 3d Munitions Maintenance Squadron as the handling and storage of these dangerous commodities required specially trained personnel.

George F. Jr. Ward of the Ammo Section wrote in the Korean War Project , "Served on K-8 Kunsan 9/51--- 7/52 Loaded and delivered bombs, rockets, napalm to the 90th, 8th, 13th Sqdns flight lines. Froze my butt out in that dump and then almost burned it off in the grade 3 fire. I left right after that so I'd like to hear what happened afterwards. ANYBODY that knows anything about it give me a call. I guess FIGMO got to me just in time." According to George, the Bomb Dump Fire took place on July 3, 1952. Gene Newman of the 3rd Communications Squadron recollected, "I stood atop the bunker one summer day to watch the bomb dump blow up. The Commies claimed it was their sabotage."

The bomb dump was in the same approximate location as the old Japanese Ammo dump on the south side of the base. This site was the location of another explosion a few years before in 1945. The Japanese "Kunsan Aerodrome" was originally named "Camp Iri" by the United States Army. It was redesignated as "Camp Kunsan" in 1947 and was also known as "Camp Hillenmeyer" starting in 1947. Camp Hillenmeyer was named for an American Army Captain killed in an explosion at the Kunsan ammo dump. On November 30, 1945 two American officers, 3 enlisted men and 12 civilians were killed in an explosion while attempting to defuse abandoned Japanese munitions. After the explosion, one officer and the three enlisted men were missing. Two villages were destroyed and 3,000 people left homeless. (Ref: G-2 Periodic Report of the XXIV Corps USAFIK, Report # 82 dated 1 DEC 1945.) The Ammo Dump was in the same general location of this explosion -- and is still located in this area.

Munitions were delivered to the base via the single track to the main gate area that was switched to a supply area on the north end and POL dump or to the munitions and Supply area in the south end of camp.

POL was also a function of the Supply Squadron during the Korean War. The POL area is in the same location as it was back then. The fuel was off-loaded from ships at Kunsan Harbor and stored in tanks near the inner port area. When fuel was required it was pumped via a pipe-line to the above ground POL tank on the north end of base. This tank is still is located near Gunsmoke hill. Until the 1960s, the pipeline was above ground but now is buried except for one area. The pipeline was transferred to the Republic of Korea in the 1990s.

After the Korean War, the unit followed the 3rd Bomb Wing to Johnson AB, Japan. The 3rd Supply Squadron was temporarily inactivated 25 Oct 1957 when the wing moved back to Yokota and did not serve as host unit. Activated again as the 3rd Supply Squadron on 8 November 1965, at Bien Hoa AB, South Vietnam, the squadron once more supported the 3rd Wing in time of war. The squadron followed the wing through its transitions and transfers, including an especially taxing 17 years at Clark AB, Republic of the Philippines. The squadron officially moved to Elmendorf on 19 Dec 91, after the Mt Pinatubo eruption hastened the closure of Clark AB after 12 June 1991.

At Elmendorf, the 21st Supply was inactivated (along with the 21st Wing) when the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing was moved to Elmendorf from Clark AB, the Philippines. The unit took over the 21st Supply functions as the 3rd Supply and underwent a change in organization structure, changing Branch to Flight and Section to Element.

In Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, the 3rd Supply furnishes supplies, equipment, and fuel support to the 3rd Wing, Headquarters Alaskan Command, Headquarters Eleventh Air Force, 611th Air Operations Group, 611th Air Support Group, 67 Units, 30 federal agencies and 16 contractor facilities throughout Alaska. Provides computer support to five satellite base. Issues 40 million dollars worth of fuel and over 200,000 supply requests annually.

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5th Motor Transport Squadron

Of course, the 5th Motor Transport Squadron (5th Mule Train) should not be left out because these are the troops who had the important, but thankless task of shuttling the bombs and supplies to support the base mission starting in February 1951. There were 22 men in the first detachment, but as the war progressed the unit grew in strength.

At first the 5th Mule was collocated with the 3rd Motor Transport Squadron, but then moved into an area of their own when they grew in size. Basically the 3rd Motor Transport Squadron handled all the transport duties within the base, while the 5th Mule handled getting the supplies from the railhead in Kunsan Harbor to the base. It also handled bombs from the railspur to the bomb dump as well as POL from the rail spur to the POL yard. Anything off-base was handled by the 5th Mule.

Administratively the Fifth "Mule" fell under the 5th Air Force. It carried bombs from the delivery area to the bomb dump, and also transported fuel to the storage point. Air freight, supplies and BX commodities were also hauled by this outfit.

It was commended for its work on 14 June through 17 June 1953 -- in the final push of the war -- when, with a limited amount of men available, the unit worked around the clock in getting the bombs to the bomb dump. In appreciation of this laudable effort, a special commendation was delivered to the Fifth "Mule" by Colonel Le Bailly, 3rd Bomb Wing Commander.

The unit emblem was a mule with his hind feet in the air. After the war, the unit's mission was reduced to almost nothing as there was no massive flying and bombing effort. It was placed under the control of the Base Transportation Officer and departed shortly thereafter in 1954.

Bob "Andy" Andrews sent the following history of the unit.

History of B flight
5th Motor transport squadron
K-8 airbase
Kunsan, korea

In February, 1951, an order was receive from 5th Air Force (Adv) at Headquarters, 5th Motor Transport Squadron (Avn), Yong Dong Po, Korea, to detach a flight to provide transport support to the 3rd Bombardment Wing (L) at Kunsan, Korea. Sometime later that month, the advance party of twenty two personnel was ordered to that location. The commander of the small party was Captain William F. Woolsey. At that time, the detachment was quartered with the 3rd Motor Vehicle Squadron.

By July, 1951, Detachment (B Flight) had proven itself capable, and a definite mission was effected by the commander of 5th Motor Transport Squadron. The mission statement read, "To provide transport support above and beyond the capabilities of the 3rd Bombardment Wing (L)." With the assurance that Detachment #1 was at a location where it could be fully utilized, Headquarters, 5th Motor Transport Squadron, sent the remainder of Flight B to join the detachment. At that time, the detachment had grown to a motor pool of thirty cargo trucks and nearly fifty personnel, and the mission of the small detachment was being faithfully carried out.

Jobs began piling up for the little organization. It was hauling bombs from a rail spur to the base bomb dump, POL (petroleum, oil and lubricants) from the spur to a storage area, and air freight supplies and PX commodities from rail spur to base warehouses. Nearly all heavy hauling off base for the 3rd Bomb Wing was being done by the little detachment. Split shifts were effected, and personnel were driving day and night. Replacements and returnees were flowing to and from Headquarters in Yong Dong Po in an endless line. There was a regular turn-over in vehicles because of accidents. The old World War II trucks were on their last legs.

Captain Woolsey was replaced by 2nd Lt. Frank J. Favor in March, 1952. Personnel felt they should have an area of their own, so, sometime in mid-1952, the first tents were constructed at what is the present (1953) location of the detachment. A total of five tents, a motor park and a few maintenance shops made up the detachment area. At the front lines, new offenses began, and workloads stepped up. The flying squadrons were using up the armament at the bomb dump as fast as the "Mules" were hauling it in.

Various improvements to the compound were made with supplies properly requisitioned and with material that the drivers conveniently found lying in the road. The orderly room tent was walled with plywood inside, with the CO's office set apart.

Lt. Favor was replaced by 2nd Lt. Eric R. Ericson late in 1952. In February, 1953, 1st Lt. William J. Miller replace Lt. Ericson, and in April, 1953, WOJG Glenn W. Heflin, known as "Van" by his peers, replaced Lt. Miller.

During the maximum effort from 14 June through 17 June, 1953, with a limited amount of manpower, the detachment again worked around the clock to haul vitally needed bombs to the dump without a break in operations. During this time, new transport records were set in all fields of operations for the Mule Train detachment. A record haul of 66,000 drums were hauled in less than a month's time; a tonnage record for the amount of vehicles dispatched, was set at 17,812 tons in April. The normal monthly tonnage grew from 6,000 to over 11,000 tons. In appreciation for the gigantic effort of the organization, Colonel Ralph G. Lockwood, Maintenance and Supply Group Commander, with an endorsement by Colonel E. B. LeBailly, Base Commancer, wrote a commendation in July.

Shortly after that major effort, all World War II vehicles were replaced with an updated model. Automatic transmission replaced the old manual floor mounted gear-shifts. There was a certain fondness, or at least an appreciation for the long service and dependable service of the WW II type vehicles. Some even felt later that they preferred the older six-bys. The new M-series vehicles required a little getting used to. Maintenance was a learning experience. The new trucks proved to be a valuable asset in all types of operations. They were capable of carrying bigger loads and caused a decided change in the monthly tonnage figures.

At the time of the long awaited armistice, the Detachment's operations were going farther and farther. Hauls were longer and more frequent. Convoys of the white bumpered vehicles, marked on the door panels with the unique "FAF Fifth Mule Train" with the familiar kicking mule, could be seen in many parts of Korea. Operation JOC (Joint Operation Control) took effect, and training operations were being undertaken all over Korea. The 5th Mule was hauling organizations from Inchon to Taegu, from Seoul to Sojong-ni, and from Suwon to Yong Dong Po. The drivers were on the battered highways of South Korea for periods of up to 22 hours.

The time came for the 49th Fighter Bomber Wing to leave Korea. The detachment was called upon again. The transport of equipment and personnel was a long, tedious task, and personnel were on the road for 19 to 20 hours periods, catching a few moments rest aboard the LST being loaded with the 49th's gear. As a result, the 49th Fighter Bomber Wing was moved in a very minimum amount of time. The success of this undertaking was due, in part, to the efficient utilization of vehicles by Chief Dispatcher, A1C O'Neil K. Berg, and the splendid cooperation of personnel of the 14th Port Transportation Battalion. Another result of this move was another commendation from Col. Edwin A. Doss, Commander of the 49th Fighter Bomber Wing as well as from Brigadier General Stuart P. Wright, Deputy Commander of the Fifth Air Force (Rear).

At this writing (December, 1953) the detachment is being utilized by the Base Transportation Officer and by the Post Exchange. Its stay at Kunsan Airbase has been a fruitful one. It accomplishments are many in providing vital support to the allied cause. Whatever may become of the 5th Mule Train, its veterans will always look back with pride and fondness.

This history of Flight B, Detachment 1, 5th Motor Transport Squadron was provided in December, 1953, by A1C Maurice E. Chessa, Detachment Clerk, and edited in January, 2003, by Robert E. Andrews, Chessa's predecessor.

Kunsan (1952-1953): Jimmie Fox was at K-8 in 1953. He wrote, "I was stationed at K-8 during the war, I came there December 1952 and left December 1953. We traveled all over to different parts of South Korea hauling materials, it could be Bombs of all types, fragmentation, all the way to the 1000 pound block busters. We hauled fuel of all types, jet fuel, gasoline, oil, and containers of napalm canned. That sure made a good fire in the winter to keep warm by."

Later he wrote, "Do you remember the monkey that appeared from nowhere? Some of the guys would sneak food from the mess hall to feed it, ha. ... Remember the Hot Showers we would get at times from the Hot Water heaters, which consisted of two wing fuel tanks from a fighter aircraft, the sun during the day would heat up the water, and one would use it sparingly, and you would be lucky of you got there first for a shower, ha."

He continued, "Major Murphy was Headquarters Commander in Yong Do Po when I arrived, and he came to Kunsan once to inspect the men and equipment, he never chewed anyone out that I knew of, he would talk to his people, and explain things in a way that they could understand what needed this or that. It has been years since I heard from him after he came back to the states, it was after he retired, I am sure he has passed on by now, if not, he would be older than the hills. I remember when it was time for me to leave and head for Yong Do Po, for rotation back to the States. I was being assigned to a new SAC Base at Lincoln AFB, Nebraska. I worked there as Motor Transport Dispatcher, Instructor at the Air Force Leadership School after attending the school myself, teaching Military Discipline, Military Courts of Law, and Drill and Command. In October 1956, I volunteered to go to a remote Radar Site at Takotna, Alaska, then I returned to Portland AFB, Portland, Oregon in November 1957 and discharged January 22, 1961. Then I seeked civilian employment. It was good for me while I was in the service, and it was good for me when I returned to civilian life. ..."

The following is a roster of "B" Flight in 1953 provided by Jimmie Fox:

Roster of B Flight, 5th Motor Transport Squadron K-8, Kunsan, Korea July, 1953 *2nd. Lt. Ericson Squadron Commander (1953) *TSgt Cook, James K. *SSgt Anderson, Harry *SSgt Andrews, Robert E. *SSgt Lladonsky, Edward J. *A1C Nolan, Glover J. *A1C Bennett, Lawrence H. *A1C Brandon, Maurice W. *A1C Britt, Joe H. *A1C Duarte, Manual *A1C Fox, Jimmie G. *A1C Lewis, Charles O. *A1C Peek, Willard O. A1C Redman, Clarence E., Jr. *A1C Morris, Lemuel, Jr. *A1C Brunner, Henry J. A1C Aguilar, Juan *A1C Wahl, Edward W. *A1C Grady, Luther E. *A1C Thurman, Ernest E.

*A2C Berg, O'Neil K. A2C King, Clarence E. *A2C Schamp, Paul G. *A2C Simpson, Mack N. A2C Valko, Karol *A2C Wooten, Clarence K. *A3C Boone, Turner H. *A3C Brewer, Jacob F. *A3C Brown, Melvin F. *A3C Bunting, Blufford O. *A3C Combs, James A., Jr. A3C Davis, Charles L. *A3C Duboc, Gerard R. *A3C Fourte, William W. A3C Hayes, Henry E. A3C Lloyd, Dwain V. *A3C Pressley, James E. A3C Riedstra, Albert L. *A3C Sanders, Robert *A3C Shirley, Robert L. *A3C Shupe, James C. *A3C Turner, John C. *A3C Yost, Clifford L. *A3C Hamilton, Gerald *A3C Fortier, Ronald R

Floyd Hegwood wrote about a picture, "The kid staying by the jeep was our mechanic,him and i pulled 3 pilots out of the sea when thier b26 came down while we were watching an outdoor movie one night..."

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(Photos Courtesy Floyd Hegwood)
Click on Photo to Enlarge

Left: 5th Motor Transport Squadron 5th AF Det 1 Flt B Center: "Man's best friend...Shep, the dog on right saved the 82d Airborne when he alerted the troops to North Korean guerillas who sneaked into camp."

Left: Kunsan, Korea Center: Learning to fire 50 cal.

Left: This place will drive you to drink




Left: In this picture someone shot at me between K-8 and Kunsan Right: 76th Anti-aircraft All black outfit

Left: No Plumbing Here/This Butt belongs to Stewart/Choson Reservoir

Korean people poor but friendly

War is Hell: 38th Parallel

Floyd Hegwood

The following are some excerpts from letters sent home by Bob "Andy" Andrews. He wrote, "I ran across my letters from my Air Force days that my mother had saved. They are in chronological order, so I pulled those from 1953 when I was at K-8. Generally they were obligatory letters to keep the folks from worrying, and mostly they contained nothing of any consequence. But I did cull some comments that you might find interesting, and some might ring a bell."

Excerpts from letters home
From K-8

March to July, 1953
A/1C-S/Sgt Andy Andrews

March 12: I've…changed a dollar into Hwan (Korean money). We have to use for laundry…Here is some Korean money. The 1,000 Won (sic) is the old type. It takes (or took) 30,000 to make a dollar. The small one is the new Hwan (100 to $1.00)

March 15: We had a B-26 come in on its belly this afternoon. He circled the field a number of times trying to get his wheels down, but no luck. I don't think anyone was hurt. I saw them hauling it away on a truck. It was too far away to tell much about it.

You'll have to excuse the pencil as I loaned my pen to a guy down here from headquarters and forgot to get it back when he left…I sure do miss it. Pens are hard to get here. In fact, all luxury items such as pens, radios, portable typewriters, clocks, watches, etc, are hard to get. They have a raffle every month to see who gets what. Some people want radios and end up winning the right to buy a camera. You can't win.

(SITE NOTE: This PX building 101 is still in existence but today is the Food Court on the base. It has been extensively modified. As a side note, the lottery system existed from the first time the PX opened at Kunsan in 1951. One person complained in 1951 that all the "essential stuff" was in short supply, but irrationally they had copious amounts of Kotex in stock.)

March 18: They have movies at the Marine mess hall every night but the film is always breaking.

March 23: Right now I'm listening to the Yale Glee Club…The station comes in clear as a bell as it is right here on the base. The relays from Japan are sort of weak, but the recorded programs come in good.

April 11: (Upon notice of my promotion) I borrowed some money and bought me some stripes yesterday as that was the last day the clothing train was here. It comes around once a month so a person has to buy clothes then or he doesn't get any more for a month.

April 14: Talking about coffee, the squadron CO, Major Murphy, sent to Japan and got us a brand new coffee urn. It is an electric, 5 gallon, job…We've been hauling bread and water for the Marine mess hall but they don't want to cooperate in giving us coffee according to the agreement. As soon as we get the new urn, they will have to find another means of transportation.

(SITE NOTE: The Marine unit he is speaking of is the MACS-1 who had moved off-base to a hill a 1/4 mile north of the North Gate...not the Marine VMF-513 on base. (See Marine Ground Control Intercept Squadron No. 1/Marine Air Control Squadron No. 1 for more info on this unit.) The relocation was mandated by the building of the new north-south runway which is still in use today -- with a lot of work and upgrades of course.)

[The following refers to A/1C Lemuel Morris whose six-by, loaded with bombs, exploded in the bomb dump.]

May 2: I was up to see the guy who was in the explosion. He sure surprised me. He was walking around and the color is back in his face. He says that they took 43 stitches in him altogether…His left hand is still paralyzed though. I think they are going to send him back to the states.

[Morris was returned to duty driving. I was assigned to Maxwell AFB in Montgomery on return to the states. Morris pulled into a service station where I was having my car serviced. Look pretty good. Said he would still spit up some shrapnel now and then. He was on his way then to Lincoln, NE, where he was assigned along with Jimmie Fox.]

[In this letter I tell my parents that I have to buy some new blues because of some regulation that said you couldn't rotate unless you had a full complement of uniform.]

May 8: We had to change tents day before yesterday. The old one leaked something awful. The Operations Officer from headquarters was here not long ago, and he came into the tent to shoot the breeze until the plane took off to go back. While he was here it started raining, and the tent started leaking. I think that was the reason we got 3 new tents a few days later. We just got this one on [the 2x4 frame) in time. It rained all that night yesterday, last night and most of today. It didn't leak a drop.

May 11: Had a bad accident here yesterday. One of the drivers [A/1C Manuel Duarte] caught his wedding ring on his truck body as he was jumping off. It ripped the whole top of his finger off including the finger nail…His hand is dead from the wrist down.

May 31: They had an air alert the other night and for awhile it look like the real thing. [It was about this time that the North Koreans sent some bi-wing planes over Inchon and dropped – maybe by hand – some small bombs. As I recall the story, a Marine pilot in a prop plane shot them down. The jets were too fast to do the job. Can't swear to the truth of that]. The 76th Anti-Aircraft Battalion across the street moved out all their equipment [can't explain what that meant].

(SITE NOTE: The plane Andy is talking of is most likely an F-4U5N flown by a Navy pilot. Only one Navy pilot would achieve ace status during the Korean War -- Guy Bordelon flying a night fighting deicing equipped and prop-driven F4U-5NL Corsair. Sent ashore to protect USAF strips from the slow "Bed Check Charlies" at night, Bordelon downed five of these prop-driven Red aircraft in a brief period of time. There are some within the Marine aviation community who feel this Navy pilot's claim to downing five "Bed Check Charlies" in quick succession is highly suspicious...especially since they'd been hunting the Po2 biplanes for years with only limited success. These Marine aviators claim that at that time, the pilot simply "claimed" the aircraft was shot down and everyone said, "O.K." without confirmation or spotting the wreckage.
Incidentally, the first Po-2 "heckler" biplane -- which dropped hand-held bombs out of the open cockpit -- was destroyed by Dick Heyman of the 8th Bomb Squadron (L-NI), 3rd Bomb Wing. He shot down the first Po-2 at night on June 23, 1951 in a B-26 Invader. The Marine VMF-513 of Kunsan also shot down three in 1951 and another in 1952.
The 76th AAA that Andy mentions was an all-black unit stationed at Kunsan. It was desegregated in 1952 by bringing in white NCOs. The A battery was stationed near the 5th Mule area. Go to 76th Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Battalion (AW)(SP) 30th AAA Battalion for more info on this unit.)

June 8: I went into Kunsan yesterday with the old man. It's just like a lot of other Gook towns except that there are a lot of American seamen there. They are off the ships that come with supplies. Seemed funny to see those flashy civies.

(SITE NOTE: See 21st Transportation Port com B/14th Transportation Port com/Det 1 507th Signal Company for glimpses of the port facility at Kunsan Harbor.)

June 19: We got a new jeep and weapons carrier in the other day. There certainly is a big change in them. They are bigger and ride a lot better. Just like an automobile. They even have doors and windows like a pickup truck. Mr. Heflin is already driving his jeep around. It sure looks nice with white bumpers that are the trademark of the 5th Mule Train, and there is a circular 5th Mule Train patch on the side. The spare tire on the back is covered by steel disc painted white with a mule painted on it. No many people know who the 5th Motor Transport Squadron is but say “Mule Train” and they know.

July 4: I stopped right here to explain to Ko Sand Yong, our Korean carpenter, about my home. He's full of questions about the states. He came to work this morning and said that his house is about a foot deep in water because of the rain. These Koreans build their houses between rice paddies on a sort of runway that is left for that purpose.

I'm taking a trip to Taejon tomorrow. That's about 80 miles. Mr. Heflin is coming back from Headquarters by train and we are going to meet him there.

July 6: Ed Ladonsky and I went to Taejon in the new weapons carrier to pick up Mr. Heflin who came that far from headquarters by train. The roads were washed out in places and we had to keep doubling back to find another way. It is normally a 60 mile trip, but we went 102 miles there and 80 miles coming back. On the way up we crossed some bridges and when we came back that way, the bridges were gone. If that weapons carrier hadn't been water proofed (?) we would have never made it. The rice paddies had overflowed in places and the water was 2 feet over the road. You don't really appreciate good roads in the states until you have ridden over some of these Korean “highways”. All they are are rice paddies packed down with gravel sprinkled over it.

July 12: Here is a clipping I cut out of the paper yesterday. Those are the men I wrote you about from our outfit… These men were at one of our detachment. It think it is “C” Flight, my old outfit. That fellow in the small block [newspaper insert], A/1C Maurice Chessa is supposed to be my replacement.

Newspaper Item

Pyongtaek, July 2 (UP) – Two Air Force enlisted men apparently drowned Sunday in swirling flood waters which lapped at two American air bases 60 miles south of Seoul. Early reports said only one man was lost. “Two of our men attempted to wade across a flooded road and were swept away by the water,” said A/1C Maurice Chessa, Albany, NY.

July 18: I took another trip to Kunsan today. I don't care too much about going though. Just a hot dusty road. We had to go down to get some ice for Mr. Heflin. I get sick to my stomach every time I go down there. It smells of dead fish and human manure. You can imagine what that is like. I don't think I have seen a child there whose nose isn't running or he has big sores or he is filthy, or a combination of all those…I've passed the stage where I want to help them all. There are so many it would be impossible.

(SITE NOTE: See Charles Bustion's Faces of Kunsan for pictures of the children of Kunsan. For some pics of Kunsan during the Korean War, go to Photos of Kunsan. For photos of Kunsan as it is today, go to Kunsan City Now.)

July 27: I was notified to pack up and get the midnight courier out tonight. They said they fouled up the dates, and I'm supposed to report to Fuchu, Japan, on August 2nd instead of the 6th.

Well, they've finally put their John Henrys on the truce. It is effective tonight at 10:00. Right now the planes are hauling them out by the tons. Mostly fragmentation bombs. I guess things will get awful quiet at 10:00 tonight.

[On this date, an F-84, returning from its last mission, pealed off to land, and, as it passed over the base, dropped a wing tank. He lost control and nosed into the ground in a grove of trees within 150 feet of my tent. God bless him.]

(SITE NOTE: The F-84 aircraft belonged to the 49th Fighter Bomber Group. (The 474th FBG left two squadrons at K-8 and went through a name change to the 49th FBG.) It was returning from a mission with the 58th Wing. Just prior to the armistice, there was a max effort to drop as many bombs as possible to ensure that the Chinese would not try to take advantage of any lull to gain more ground. The cease fire was signed on July 27, 1953 at 1001 -- between the U.S. (as the UN commander), China and North Korea...with South Korea refusing to sign the document. The armistice would become effective twelve hours after it was signed or at 2201 on 27 July. As soon as the truce was signed, the 58th Wing's commander led 23 Thunderjets of the 474th Group (Taegu) to posthole Chunggagjin Airfield on the banks of the Yalu. At the same time 24 Thunderjets of the 58th Group attacked the runway at Kanggye. Later that afternoon 24 Thunderjets of the 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing (Kunsan), augmented by 12 Thunderjets of the 58th and 474th Groups (Taegu), bombed Sunan Airfield..) Incidentally, the last mission of the war was flown by an aircraft from the 3rd Bomb Wing, 8th Bomber Squadron (L-NI) of Kunsan (K-8).