North Dakota
PFC 5 Cav (Inf)
1 Cav Div (Inf)
World War II
Korea
Pfc. Martin Glasser served in WWII and the Korean War. Pfc. Glasser initially entered service for WWII at Fort Lewis, Washington on 12-28-1941. He served in the European, African, Middle Eastern Theaters. He left service on 10-03-1945 at Kearns, Utah.
Pfc. Glasser again entered service for the Korean War at Portland, Oregon on 03-20-1950. He was eventually assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division where his military occupation or specialty was Food Service Apprentice. He served in Korea. Pfc. Glasser served in the Battle of Pusan.
The Battle of Pusan Perimeter was a large-scale battle between United Nations and North Korean forces lasting from 08-04-1950 to 09-18-1950. The "Pusan Perimeter", was a 140-mile defensive line around the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula. It was one of the first major engagements of the Korean War.
During the summer of 1950, the 1st Cavalry Division was rushed to Korea to help shore up the Pusan Perimeter. On 07-14-1950, the 61st Field Artillery left Japan for Korea aboard the LST's Cavalier and Oglethorpe. The 61st Artillery made an unopposed amphibious landing at Pohang-dong, South Korea on 07-18-1950 and was committed to combat on 07-22-1950 with the 4th Howitzer Section of Battery B firing the first round for the 61st Artillery during the Korean War. On 07-24-1950, the 61st Field Artillery came under heavy fire from North Korean tanks, mortars, and small arms fire suffering its first casualties of the Korean War.
On 08-01-1950, the 1st Cavalry Division withdrew to Waegwan, Korea. US forces demolished all bridges over the Naktong River in the retreat. At one bridge in the 1st Cavalry Division sector, the Division attempted several times to clear Korean refugees from the bridge but they continued to cross it despite warnings and several attempts to clear the bridge. It was also believed that the refugees were North Korean soldiers in disguise. Eventually, the 1st Cavalry Division was forced to demolish the bridge, taking several hundred refugees with it.
The 61st Field Artillery spent the next several weeks in the Pusan Perimeter near the town of Waegwan, Korea on the Naktong River. Shortly before the Pusan Perimeter battles began, Taegu, Korea was established as the 8th Army's headquarters. Right at the center of the Pusan Perimeter, Taegu stood at the entrance to the Naktong River valley, an area where the North Korean People's Army could advance in large numbers in close support. The natural barriers provided by the Naktong River to the south and the mountainous terrain to the north converged around Taegu, which was also the major transportation hub and last major South Korean city aside from Pusan itself to remain in UN hands. From south to north, the city was defended by the 1st Cavalry Division.
The 1st Cavalry Division was spread out along a long line along the Naktong River to the south holding a line 15-miles along the river. The Division's artillery forces, including the 61st Field Artillery were in reserve ready to reinforce anywhere a North Korean crossing could be attempted.
Five North Korean People's Army divisions amassed to oppose the UN at Taegu; from south to north their Divisions occupied a line from Tuksong-dong and around Waegwan to Kunwi. The KPA planned to use the natural corridor of the Naktong valley from Sangju to Taegu as their main axis of attack for the next push south.
South of Waegwan, two more North Korean Army divisions stood ready to cross the Naktong River in a coordinated attack with their Divisions to the north. The experienced North Korean Army Division was concentrated in the vicinity of Songju, while the untested North Korean Division was concentrated in the Koryong area. These two divisions crossed into the 1st Cavalry Division's line.
The North Koreans started crossing the Naktong River on 08-09-1950. Despite being spotted and taking fire, the North Koreans reached the east bank safely and moved inland into the hills. At dawn on 08-09-1950, the 1st Cavalry Division learned of the North Korean crossing. North Korean Army infantry had gathered on Hill 268, also known as Triangulation Hill, which was 3 miles southeast of Waegwan and 10 miles northwest of Taegu. Triangulation Hill was important for its proximity to lines of communication, as the main Korean north-south highway and the main double-track Seoul-Pusan railroad skirted its base. The 1st Cavalry Division along with the 61st Field Artillery counterattacked the North Koreans gathering to force them back across the river, but their initial assault was repelled. On 08-10-1950, air strikes and artillery barrages rocked Triangulation Hill, devastating the North Korean Army, who withdrew back behind the river.
The Soviet Union (Russia) gave intelligence to the North Koreans making them aware that the UN forces were building up along the Pusan Perimeter. The Russians warned the North Koreans that they had to conduct an offensive soon or else forfeit the Pusan Battle. In planning its new offensive, the North Koreans decided that any attempt to flank the UN force was impossible due to the support of UN naval forces. Instead, they opted to use frontal attacks to breach the Pusan Perimeter and collapse it. A secondary objective was to surround Taegu and destroy the UN units in that city. As part of this mission, the North Koreans would first cut the supply lines to Taegu.
North Korean planners enlarged their force in anticipation of a new offensive. The new troops were brought in from reserve forces based in North Korea. This new North Korean KPA Army force numbered approximately 97,850 men, although a third of it comprised raw recruits or forced conscripts from South Korea. This new force lacked weapons and equipment. By 08-31-1950 they would be facing an UN force of 120,000 combat troops plus 60,000 support troops.
On 08-20-1950, the North Korean People's Army distributed operations orders to their subordinate units. These orders called for a simultaneous five-prong attack against the UN lines. This would overwhelm the UN defenders and allow the North Koreans to break through the lines in at least one place to push the UN forces back.
On 08-22-1950, North Korean Premier Kim II Sung ordered the war to be over by 09-01-1950, but the scale of the North Korean offensive did not allow for this.
On 08-26-1950, the UN troops believed they had destroyed the last serious threats to the Pusan Perimeter, and anticipated the war ending by late November. South Korean ROK Army units suffered from low morale due to their failures to defend effectively thus far in the conflict. UN troops were looking ahead to Operation Chromite, their amphibious assault far behind North Korean lines at the Port of Inchon on 09-15-1950 and did not anticipate the North Korean KPA Army would mount a serious offensive before then.
On 08-27-1950, retreating North Korean forces who had gained control of the area shot more than forty American Prisoners of War on Hill 303. Of these, five survived.
On 08-31-1950 at 11:30pm, the North Korean attack was to begin. The second part of the attack would begin on 09-02-1950 at 6pm. The attacks were to closely connect in order to overwhelm UN troops at each point simultaneously, forcing breakthroughs in multiple places that the UN would be unable to reinforce. The North Korean KPA Army also relied primarily on night attacks to counter the UN's major advantages in air superiority and naval firepower. The North Koreans thought such night attacks would prevent UN forces from firing effectively and result in large numbers of UN friendly fire casualties. The North Korean attacks caught UN planners and troops by surprise.
The Great Naktong Offensive during the Battle of Puson was one of the most brutal fights of the Korean War. The five-prong North Korean offensive led to heavy fighting around Haman, Kyongju, Naktong Bulge, Nam River, Yongsan, Tabu-Dong, and Ka-san. The North Korean KPA Army attacks made appreciable gains and forced the UN troops along the Pusan Perimeter to form a thin line of defense, relying on mobile reserves for the strength to push back the North Korean attackers. From 09-01-1950 through 09-08-1950, this fighting was intense and the battle was a very costly deadlock for the two overextended armies. The North Korean KPA Army were initially successful in breaking through UN lines in multiple places and made substantial gains in surrounding and pushing back UN units. On 09-04-1950 through 09-05-1950, the situation was so dire for the UN troops that the 8th Army and the South Korean ROK Army moved their headquarters elements from Taegu to Pusan to prevent them from being overrun. They also prepared their logistics systems for a retreat to a smaller defensive perimeter called the Davidson Line. On 09-06-1950, it was decided another retreat would not be necessary.
The fighting around the Pusan Perimeter and the Battle of Pusan would continue until 09-18-1950 when the remnants of the North Korean KPA Army retreated due to the American Invasion at Inchon. The North Korean retreat was a rout. Much of the North Korean equipment was abandoned in the rout.
An army of 140,000 United Nation troops, having been pushed to the brink of defeat, were rallied to make a final stand against the invading North Korean army of 98,000 men. At the end of the Battle of Pusan, each side had over 60,000 casualties of those killed, wounded, or captured, including Pfc. Glasser.
Pfc. Martin Glasser experienced a traumatic event while serving in the Battle of Pusan which ultimately resulted in loss of life. Recorded circumstances attributed to: Hostile- "KIA"- Killed in Action.
PFC 5 Cav (Inf)
1 Cav Div (Inf)
World War II
Korea
Pfc. Martin Glasser served in WWII and the Korean War. Pfc. Glasser initially entered service for WWII at Fort Lewis, Washington on 12-28-1941. He served in the European, African, Middle Eastern Theaters. He left service on 10-03-1945 at Kearns, Utah.
Pfc. Glasser again entered service for the Korean War at Portland, Oregon on 03-20-1950. He was eventually assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division where his military occupation or specialty was Food Service Apprentice. He served in Korea. Pfc. Glasser served in the Battle of Pusan.
The Battle of Pusan Perimeter was a large-scale battle between United Nations and North Korean forces lasting from 08-04-1950 to 09-18-1950. The "Pusan Perimeter", was a 140-mile defensive line around the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula. It was one of the first major engagements of the Korean War.
During the summer of 1950, the 1st Cavalry Division was rushed to Korea to help shore up the Pusan Perimeter. On 07-14-1950, the 61st Field Artillery left Japan for Korea aboard the LST's Cavalier and Oglethorpe. The 61st Artillery made an unopposed amphibious landing at Pohang-dong, South Korea on 07-18-1950 and was committed to combat on 07-22-1950 with the 4th Howitzer Section of Battery B firing the first round for the 61st Artillery during the Korean War. On 07-24-1950, the 61st Field Artillery came under heavy fire from North Korean tanks, mortars, and small arms fire suffering its first casualties of the Korean War.
On 08-01-1950, the 1st Cavalry Division withdrew to Waegwan, Korea. US forces demolished all bridges over the Naktong River in the retreat. At one bridge in the 1st Cavalry Division sector, the Division attempted several times to clear Korean refugees from the bridge but they continued to cross it despite warnings and several attempts to clear the bridge. It was also believed that the refugees were North Korean soldiers in disguise. Eventually, the 1st Cavalry Division was forced to demolish the bridge, taking several hundred refugees with it.
The 61st Field Artillery spent the next several weeks in the Pusan Perimeter near the town of Waegwan, Korea on the Naktong River. Shortly before the Pusan Perimeter battles began, Taegu, Korea was established as the 8th Army's headquarters. Right at the center of the Pusan Perimeter, Taegu stood at the entrance to the Naktong River valley, an area where the North Korean People's Army could advance in large numbers in close support. The natural barriers provided by the Naktong River to the south and the mountainous terrain to the north converged around Taegu, which was also the major transportation hub and last major South Korean city aside from Pusan itself to remain in UN hands. From south to north, the city was defended by the 1st Cavalry Division.
The 1st Cavalry Division was spread out along a long line along the Naktong River to the south holding a line 15-miles along the river. The Division's artillery forces, including the 61st Field Artillery were in reserve ready to reinforce anywhere a North Korean crossing could be attempted.
Five North Korean People's Army divisions amassed to oppose the UN at Taegu; from south to north their Divisions occupied a line from Tuksong-dong and around Waegwan to Kunwi. The KPA planned to use the natural corridor of the Naktong valley from Sangju to Taegu as their main axis of attack for the next push south.
South of Waegwan, two more North Korean Army divisions stood ready to cross the Naktong River in a coordinated attack with their Divisions to the north. The experienced North Korean Army Division was concentrated in the vicinity of Songju, while the untested North Korean Division was concentrated in the Koryong area. These two divisions crossed into the 1st Cavalry Division's line.
The North Koreans started crossing the Naktong River on 08-09-1950. Despite being spotted and taking fire, the North Koreans reached the east bank safely and moved inland into the hills. At dawn on 08-09-1950, the 1st Cavalry Division learned of the North Korean crossing. North Korean Army infantry had gathered on Hill 268, also known as Triangulation Hill, which was 3 miles southeast of Waegwan and 10 miles northwest of Taegu. Triangulation Hill was important for its proximity to lines of communication, as the main Korean north-south highway and the main double-track Seoul-Pusan railroad skirted its base. The 1st Cavalry Division along with the 61st Field Artillery counterattacked the North Koreans gathering to force them back across the river, but their initial assault was repelled. On 08-10-1950, air strikes and artillery barrages rocked Triangulation Hill, devastating the North Korean Army, who withdrew back behind the river.
The Soviet Union (Russia) gave intelligence to the North Koreans making them aware that the UN forces were building up along the Pusan Perimeter. The Russians warned the North Koreans that they had to conduct an offensive soon or else forfeit the Pusan Battle. In planning its new offensive, the North Koreans decided that any attempt to flank the UN force was impossible due to the support of UN naval forces. Instead, they opted to use frontal attacks to breach the Pusan Perimeter and collapse it. A secondary objective was to surround Taegu and destroy the UN units in that city. As part of this mission, the North Koreans would first cut the supply lines to Taegu.
North Korean planners enlarged their force in anticipation of a new offensive. The new troops were brought in from reserve forces based in North Korea. This new North Korean KPA Army force numbered approximately 97,850 men, although a third of it comprised raw recruits or forced conscripts from South Korea. This new force lacked weapons and equipment. By 08-31-1950 they would be facing an UN force of 120,000 combat troops plus 60,000 support troops.
On 08-20-1950, the North Korean People's Army distributed operations orders to their subordinate units. These orders called for a simultaneous five-prong attack against the UN lines. This would overwhelm the UN defenders and allow the North Koreans to break through the lines in at least one place to push the UN forces back.
On 08-22-1950, North Korean Premier Kim II Sung ordered the war to be over by 09-01-1950, but the scale of the North Korean offensive did not allow for this.
On 08-26-1950, the UN troops believed they had destroyed the last serious threats to the Pusan Perimeter, and anticipated the war ending by late November. South Korean ROK Army units suffered from low morale due to their failures to defend effectively thus far in the conflict. UN troops were looking ahead to Operation Chromite, their amphibious assault far behind North Korean lines at the Port of Inchon on 09-15-1950 and did not anticipate the North Korean KPA Army would mount a serious offensive before then.
On 08-27-1950, retreating North Korean forces who had gained control of the area shot more than forty American Prisoners of War on Hill 303. Of these, five survived.
On 08-31-1950 at 11:30pm, the North Korean attack was to begin. The second part of the attack would begin on 09-02-1950 at 6pm. The attacks were to closely connect in order to overwhelm UN troops at each point simultaneously, forcing breakthroughs in multiple places that the UN would be unable to reinforce. The North Korean KPA Army also relied primarily on night attacks to counter the UN's major advantages in air superiority and naval firepower. The North Koreans thought such night attacks would prevent UN forces from firing effectively and result in large numbers of UN friendly fire casualties. The North Korean attacks caught UN planners and troops by surprise.
The Great Naktong Offensive during the Battle of Puson was one of the most brutal fights of the Korean War. The five-prong North Korean offensive led to heavy fighting around Haman, Kyongju, Naktong Bulge, Nam River, Yongsan, Tabu-Dong, and Ka-san. The North Korean KPA Army attacks made appreciable gains and forced the UN troops along the Pusan Perimeter to form a thin line of defense, relying on mobile reserves for the strength to push back the North Korean attackers. From 09-01-1950 through 09-08-1950, this fighting was intense and the battle was a very costly deadlock for the two overextended armies. The North Korean KPA Army were initially successful in breaking through UN lines in multiple places and made substantial gains in surrounding and pushing back UN units. On 09-04-1950 through 09-05-1950, the situation was so dire for the UN troops that the 8th Army and the South Korean ROK Army moved their headquarters elements from Taegu to Pusan to prevent them from being overrun. They also prepared their logistics systems for a retreat to a smaller defensive perimeter called the Davidson Line. On 09-06-1950, it was decided another retreat would not be necessary.
The fighting around the Pusan Perimeter and the Battle of Pusan would continue until 09-18-1950 when the remnants of the North Korean KPA Army retreated due to the American Invasion at Inchon. The North Korean retreat was a rout. Much of the North Korean equipment was abandoned in the rout.
An army of 140,000 United Nation troops, having been pushed to the brink of defeat, were rallied to make a final stand against the invading North Korean army of 98,000 men. At the end of the Battle of Pusan, each side had over 60,000 casualties of those killed, wounded, or captured, including Pfc. Glasser.
Pfc. Martin Glasser experienced a traumatic event while serving in the Battle of Pusan which ultimately resulted in loss of life. Recorded circumstances attributed to: Hostile- "KIA"- Killed in Action.
North Dakota
PFC 5 Cav (Inf)
1 Cav Div (Inf)
World War II
Korea
Pfc. Martin Glasser served in WWII and the Korean War. Pfc. Glasser initially entered service for WWII at Fort Lewis, Washington on 12-28-1941. He served in the European, African, Middle Eastern Theaters. He left service on 10-03-1945 at Kearns, Utah.
Pfc. Glasser again entered service for the Korean War at Portland, Oregon on 03-20-1950. He was eventually assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division where his military occupation or specialty was Food Service Apprentice. He served in Korea. Pfc. Glasser served in the Battle of Pusan.
The Battle of Pusan Perimeter was a large-scale battle between United Nations and North Korean forces lasting from 08-04-1950 to 09-18-1950. The "Pusan Perimeter", was a 140-mile defensive line around the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula. It was one of the first major engagements of the Korean War.
During the summer of 1950, the 1st Cavalry Division was rushed to Korea to help shore up the Pusan Perimeter. On 07-14-1950, the 61st Field Artillery left Japan for Korea aboard the LST's Cavalier and Oglethorpe. The 61st Artillery made an unopposed amphibious landing at Pohang-dong, South Korea on 07-18-1950 and was committed to combat on 07-22-1950 with the 4th Howitzer Section of Battery B firing the first round for the 61st Artillery during the Korean War. On 07-24-1950, the 61st Field Artillery came under heavy fire from North Korean tanks, mortars, and small arms fire suffering its first casualties of the Korean War.
On 08-01-1950, the 1st Cavalry Division withdrew to Waegwan, Korea. US forces demolished all bridges over the Naktong River in the retreat. At one bridge in the 1st Cavalry Division sector, the Division attempted several times to clear Korean refugees from the bridge but they continued to cross it despite warnings and several attempts to clear the bridge. It was also believed that the refugees were North Korean soldiers in disguise. Eventually, the 1st Cavalry Division was forced to demolish the bridge, taking several hundred refugees with it.
The 61st Field Artillery spent the next several weeks in the Pusan Perimeter near the town of Waegwan, Korea on the Naktong River. Shortly before the Pusan Perimeter battles began, Taegu, Korea was established as the 8th Army's headquarters. Right at the center of the Pusan Perimeter, Taegu stood at the entrance to the Naktong River valley, an area where the North Korean People's Army could advance in large numbers in close support. The natural barriers provided by the Naktong River to the south and the mountainous terrain to the north converged around Taegu, which was also the major transportation hub and last major South Korean city aside from Pusan itself to remain in UN hands. From south to north, the city was defended by the 1st Cavalry Division.
The 1st Cavalry Division was spread out along a long line along the Naktong River to the south holding a line 15-miles along the river. The Division's artillery forces, including the 61st Field Artillery were in reserve ready to reinforce anywhere a North Korean crossing could be attempted.
Five North Korean People's Army divisions amassed to oppose the UN at Taegu; from south to north their Divisions occupied a line from Tuksong-dong and around Waegwan to Kunwi. The KPA planned to use the natural corridor of the Naktong valley from Sangju to Taegu as their main axis of attack for the next push south.
South of Waegwan, two more North Korean Army divisions stood ready to cross the Naktong River in a coordinated attack with their Divisions to the north. The experienced North Korean Army Division was concentrated in the vicinity of Songju, while the untested North Korean Division was concentrated in the Koryong area. These two divisions crossed into the 1st Cavalry Division's line.
The North Koreans started crossing the Naktong River on 08-09-1950. Despite being spotted and taking fire, the North Koreans reached the east bank safely and moved inland into the hills. At dawn on 08-09-1950, the 1st Cavalry Division learned of the North Korean crossing. North Korean Army infantry had gathered on Hill 268, also known as Triangulation Hill, which was 3 miles southeast of Waegwan and 10 miles northwest of Taegu. Triangulation Hill was important for its proximity to lines of communication, as the main Korean north-south highway and the main double-track Seoul-Pusan railroad skirted its base. The 1st Cavalry Division along with the 61st Field Artillery counterattacked the North Koreans gathering to force them back across the river, but their initial assault was repelled. On 08-10-1950, air strikes and artillery barrages rocked Triangulation Hill, devastating the North Korean Army, who withdrew back behind the river.
The Soviet Union (Russia) gave intelligence to the North Koreans making them aware that the UN forces were building up along the Pusan Perimeter. The Russians warned the North Koreans that they had to conduct an offensive soon or else forfeit the Pusan Battle. In planning its new offensive, the North Koreans decided that any attempt to flank the UN force was impossible due to the support of UN naval forces. Instead, they opted to use frontal attacks to breach the Pusan Perimeter and collapse it. A secondary objective was to surround Taegu and destroy the UN units in that city. As part of this mission, the North Koreans would first cut the supply lines to Taegu.
North Korean planners enlarged their force in anticipation of a new offensive. The new troops were brought in from reserve forces based in North Korea. This new North Korean KPA Army force numbered approximately 97,850 men, although a third of it comprised raw recruits or forced conscripts from South Korea. This new force lacked weapons and equipment. By 08-31-1950 they would be facing an UN force of 120,000 combat troops plus 60,000 support troops.
On 08-20-1950, the North Korean People's Army distributed operations orders to their subordinate units. These orders called for a simultaneous five-prong attack against the UN lines. This would overwhelm the UN defenders and allow the North Koreans to break through the lines in at least one place to push the UN forces back.
On 08-22-1950, North Korean Premier Kim II Sung ordered the war to be over by 09-01-1950, but the scale of the North Korean offensive did not allow for this.
On 08-26-1950, the UN troops believed they had destroyed the last serious threats to the Pusan Perimeter, and anticipated the war ending by late November. South Korean ROK Army units suffered from low morale due to their failures to defend effectively thus far in the conflict. UN troops were looking ahead to Operation Chromite, their amphibious assault far behind North Korean lines at the Port of Inchon on 09-15-1950 and did not anticipate the North Korean KPA Army would mount a serious offensive before then.
On 08-27-1950, retreating North Korean forces who had gained control of the area shot more than forty American Prisoners of War on Hill 303. Of these, five survived.
On 08-31-1950 at 11:30pm, the North Korean attack was to begin. The second part of the attack would begin on 09-02-1950 at 6pm. The attacks were to closely connect in order to overwhelm UN troops at each point simultaneously, forcing breakthroughs in multiple places that the UN would be unable to reinforce. The North Korean KPA Army also relied primarily on night attacks to counter the UN's major advantages in air superiority and naval firepower. The North Koreans thought such night attacks would prevent UN forces from firing effectively and result in large numbers of UN friendly fire casualties. The North Korean attacks caught UN planners and troops by surprise.
The Great Naktong Offensive during the Battle of Puson was one of the most brutal fights of the Korean War. The five-prong North Korean offensive led to heavy fighting around Haman, Kyongju, Naktong Bulge, Nam River, Yongsan, Tabu-Dong, and Ka-san. The North Korean KPA Army attacks made appreciable gains and forced the UN troops along the Pusan Perimeter to form a thin line of defense, relying on mobile reserves for the strength to push back the North Korean attackers. From 09-01-1950 through 09-08-1950, this fighting was intense and the battle was a very costly deadlock for the two overextended armies. The North Korean KPA Army were initially successful in breaking through UN lines in multiple places and made substantial gains in surrounding and pushing back UN units. On 09-04-1950 through 09-05-1950, the situation was so dire for the UN troops that the 8th Army and the South Korean ROK Army moved their headquarters elements from Taegu to Pusan to prevent them from being overrun. They also prepared their logistics systems for a retreat to a smaller defensive perimeter called the Davidson Line. On 09-06-1950, it was decided another retreat would not be necessary.
The fighting around the Pusan Perimeter and the Battle of Pusan would continue until 09-18-1950 when the remnants of the North Korean KPA Army retreated due to the American Invasion at Inchon. The North Korean retreat was a rout. Much of the North Korean equipment was abandoned in the rout.
An army of 140,000 United Nation troops, having been pushed to the brink of defeat, were rallied to make a final stand against the invading North Korean army of 98,000 men. At the end of the Battle of Pusan, each side had over 60,000 casualties of those killed, wounded, or captured, including Pfc. Glasser.
Pfc. Martin Glasser experienced a traumatic event while serving in the Battle of Pusan which ultimately resulted in loss of life. Recorded circumstances attributed to: Hostile- "KIA"- Killed in Action.
PFC 5 Cav (Inf)
1 Cav Div (Inf)
World War II
Korea
Pfc. Martin Glasser served in WWII and the Korean War. Pfc. Glasser initially entered service for WWII at Fort Lewis, Washington on 12-28-1941. He served in the European, African, Middle Eastern Theaters. He left service on 10-03-1945 at Kearns, Utah.
Pfc. Glasser again entered service for the Korean War at Portland, Oregon on 03-20-1950. He was eventually assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division where his military occupation or specialty was Food Service Apprentice. He served in Korea. Pfc. Glasser served in the Battle of Pusan.
The Battle of Pusan Perimeter was a large-scale battle between United Nations and North Korean forces lasting from 08-04-1950 to 09-18-1950. The "Pusan Perimeter", was a 140-mile defensive line around the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula. It was one of the first major engagements of the Korean War.
During the summer of 1950, the 1st Cavalry Division was rushed to Korea to help shore up the Pusan Perimeter. On 07-14-1950, the 61st Field Artillery left Japan for Korea aboard the LST's Cavalier and Oglethorpe. The 61st Artillery made an unopposed amphibious landing at Pohang-dong, South Korea on 07-18-1950 and was committed to combat on 07-22-1950 with the 4th Howitzer Section of Battery B firing the first round for the 61st Artillery during the Korean War. On 07-24-1950, the 61st Field Artillery came under heavy fire from North Korean tanks, mortars, and small arms fire suffering its first casualties of the Korean War.
On 08-01-1950, the 1st Cavalry Division withdrew to Waegwan, Korea. US forces demolished all bridges over the Naktong River in the retreat. At one bridge in the 1st Cavalry Division sector, the Division attempted several times to clear Korean refugees from the bridge but they continued to cross it despite warnings and several attempts to clear the bridge. It was also believed that the refugees were North Korean soldiers in disguise. Eventually, the 1st Cavalry Division was forced to demolish the bridge, taking several hundred refugees with it.
The 61st Field Artillery spent the next several weeks in the Pusan Perimeter near the town of Waegwan, Korea on the Naktong River. Shortly before the Pusan Perimeter battles began, Taegu, Korea was established as the 8th Army's headquarters. Right at the center of the Pusan Perimeter, Taegu stood at the entrance to the Naktong River valley, an area where the North Korean People's Army could advance in large numbers in close support. The natural barriers provided by the Naktong River to the south and the mountainous terrain to the north converged around Taegu, which was also the major transportation hub and last major South Korean city aside from Pusan itself to remain in UN hands. From south to north, the city was defended by the 1st Cavalry Division.
The 1st Cavalry Division was spread out along a long line along the Naktong River to the south holding a line 15-miles along the river. The Division's artillery forces, including the 61st Field Artillery were in reserve ready to reinforce anywhere a North Korean crossing could be attempted.
Five North Korean People's Army divisions amassed to oppose the UN at Taegu; from south to north their Divisions occupied a line from Tuksong-dong and around Waegwan to Kunwi. The KPA planned to use the natural corridor of the Naktong valley from Sangju to Taegu as their main axis of attack for the next push south.
South of Waegwan, two more North Korean Army divisions stood ready to cross the Naktong River in a coordinated attack with their Divisions to the north. The experienced North Korean Army Division was concentrated in the vicinity of Songju, while the untested North Korean Division was concentrated in the Koryong area. These two divisions crossed into the 1st Cavalry Division's line.
The North Koreans started crossing the Naktong River on 08-09-1950. Despite being spotted and taking fire, the North Koreans reached the east bank safely and moved inland into the hills. At dawn on 08-09-1950, the 1st Cavalry Division learned of the North Korean crossing. North Korean Army infantry had gathered on Hill 268, also known as Triangulation Hill, which was 3 miles southeast of Waegwan and 10 miles northwest of Taegu. Triangulation Hill was important for its proximity to lines of communication, as the main Korean north-south highway and the main double-track Seoul-Pusan railroad skirted its base. The 1st Cavalry Division along with the 61st Field Artillery counterattacked the North Koreans gathering to force them back across the river, but their initial assault was repelled. On 08-10-1950, air strikes and artillery barrages rocked Triangulation Hill, devastating the North Korean Army, who withdrew back behind the river.
The Soviet Union (Russia) gave intelligence to the North Koreans making them aware that the UN forces were building up along the Pusan Perimeter. The Russians warned the North Koreans that they had to conduct an offensive soon or else forfeit the Pusan Battle. In planning its new offensive, the North Koreans decided that any attempt to flank the UN force was impossible due to the support of UN naval forces. Instead, they opted to use frontal attacks to breach the Pusan Perimeter and collapse it. A secondary objective was to surround Taegu and destroy the UN units in that city. As part of this mission, the North Koreans would first cut the supply lines to Taegu.
North Korean planners enlarged their force in anticipation of a new offensive. The new troops were brought in from reserve forces based in North Korea. This new North Korean KPA Army force numbered approximately 97,850 men, although a third of it comprised raw recruits or forced conscripts from South Korea. This new force lacked weapons and equipment. By 08-31-1950 they would be facing an UN force of 120,000 combat troops plus 60,000 support troops.
On 08-20-1950, the North Korean People's Army distributed operations orders to their subordinate units. These orders called for a simultaneous five-prong attack against the UN lines. This would overwhelm the UN defenders and allow the North Koreans to break through the lines in at least one place to push the UN forces back.
On 08-22-1950, North Korean Premier Kim II Sung ordered the war to be over by 09-01-1950, but the scale of the North Korean offensive did not allow for this.
On 08-26-1950, the UN troops believed they had destroyed the last serious threats to the Pusan Perimeter, and anticipated the war ending by late November. South Korean ROK Army units suffered from low morale due to their failures to defend effectively thus far in the conflict. UN troops were looking ahead to Operation Chromite, their amphibious assault far behind North Korean lines at the Port of Inchon on 09-15-1950 and did not anticipate the North Korean KPA Army would mount a serious offensive before then.
On 08-27-1950, retreating North Korean forces who had gained control of the area shot more than forty American Prisoners of War on Hill 303. Of these, five survived.
On 08-31-1950 at 11:30pm, the North Korean attack was to begin. The second part of the attack would begin on 09-02-1950 at 6pm. The attacks were to closely connect in order to overwhelm UN troops at each point simultaneously, forcing breakthroughs in multiple places that the UN would be unable to reinforce. The North Korean KPA Army also relied primarily on night attacks to counter the UN's major advantages in air superiority and naval firepower. The North Koreans thought such night attacks would prevent UN forces from firing effectively and result in large numbers of UN friendly fire casualties. The North Korean attacks caught UN planners and troops by surprise.
The Great Naktong Offensive during the Battle of Puson was one of the most brutal fights of the Korean War. The five-prong North Korean offensive led to heavy fighting around Haman, Kyongju, Naktong Bulge, Nam River, Yongsan, Tabu-Dong, and Ka-san. The North Korean KPA Army attacks made appreciable gains and forced the UN troops along the Pusan Perimeter to form a thin line of defense, relying on mobile reserves for the strength to push back the North Korean attackers. From 09-01-1950 through 09-08-1950, this fighting was intense and the battle was a very costly deadlock for the two overextended armies. The North Korean KPA Army were initially successful in breaking through UN lines in multiple places and made substantial gains in surrounding and pushing back UN units. On 09-04-1950 through 09-05-1950, the situation was so dire for the UN troops that the 8th Army and the South Korean ROK Army moved their headquarters elements from Taegu to Pusan to prevent them from being overrun. They also prepared their logistics systems for a retreat to a smaller defensive perimeter called the Davidson Line. On 09-06-1950, it was decided another retreat would not be necessary.
The fighting around the Pusan Perimeter and the Battle of Pusan would continue until 09-18-1950 when the remnants of the North Korean KPA Army retreated due to the American Invasion at Inchon. The North Korean retreat was a rout. Much of the North Korean equipment was abandoned in the rout.
An army of 140,000 United Nation troops, having been pushed to the brink of defeat, were rallied to make a final stand against the invading North Korean army of 98,000 men. At the end of the Battle of Pusan, each side had over 60,000 casualties of those killed, wounded, or captured, including Pfc. Glasser.
Pfc. Martin Glasser experienced a traumatic event while serving in the Battle of Pusan which ultimately resulted in loss of life. Recorded circumstances attributed to: Hostile- "KIA"- Killed in Action.
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