Imjin Scout (Part 1) The Korean DMZ 

Brothers to the end.

❤ Thanks..I was stationed 87-88 &90-91. I love Korean food!

@@맛과자-l9j I served 2 tours in Korea in 2nd ID and would gladly do it again. Beautiful country and Great experience. To this day I regularly enjoy Korean food.

Thx for the vids. It's interesting that we served 10 years apart there on the DMZ. When counted, there are only a hand full of people from each year there on the DMZ that actually went out on patrols. Understanding how a DMZ works is unique within what we could call conflict areas. Fighting around and prodding a stalemate. Michael Cain's interview had helped me as well.

Interesting. By the mid-1980s the method was a bit different. We'd move the entire 32-man platoon into a patrol base hidden in the DMZ, then dispatched 9-man squads during daylight reconnaissance. We'd generally return to the patrol base before nightfall to share intel and finalize the ambush plan. We'd pull "stand to" as the sun went down. And after darkness, we'd move into all-night ambushes. But one squad would always be divided to plus-up the strength of the other two squads. Both ambushes would number 13 or 14 Warriors. The command team would remain in the patrol base all night to keep it secured. And a couple miles south Warrior Base would keep one full platoon on standby in jeeps as the Quick Reaction Force (called the MACE Team) if the ambush came under fire - which happened twice in my 90-days of patrolling in the DMZ in 1986.

@@christopherlarsen7788 We had allot of firepower overhead in the 1976 patrols, everything being heightened by the tree. The cold on some of those patrols was a killer. 51-53 degrees below zero. Melting the facemask off my face while watching piss bounce across the ground was truly amazing. We lost 2 to the cold, frozen lungs seemed common and frostbite during that awful month (Jan-Feb as I recal).

@@christopherlarsen7788 I don't know how you feel about the stories of the tree, but here is my own for contrast. Trees in Korea 1976 were very VERY important to the Korean people. They threw rocks into them hoping for a male child and old family spirits lived in them. In 1976 there were extremely few of any size, most having been chopped down in the war and there after for the cold. So, one of the most beautiful trees in Korea, was not hiding a battalion of North Koreans (how absurd that notion), but cutting it down would allow "a" guardpost to see 2% more clearly... where nothing ever went on... until a brash officer looking to strut his stuff decided to cut it down. The North Koreans came unglued about it. They cut down family spirits, beauty in a place where trees were only 10-15 years old at that time.

When were you up on the Z? It can be deceptively quiet for long periods of time. But a quick Google search for "DMZ Incidents" will illustrate that, even today, it's far from peaceful.

When were you up on the Z? It can be deceptively quiet for long periods of time. But even a cursory Google search for "DMZ Incidents" will illustrate that, even today, it's far from peaceful. Of course, the US military no longer patrols inside the DMZ. We haven't since October 1991.

@@christopherlarsen7788 2017, was at warrior base, mostly training, some libo in Seoul, and a field trip to the tunnels, only posts I stood was ammo and firewatch. I'm sure it would be a shock to you how relaxed it is compared to then. Although I know when my seniors were there the previous deployment NK was dropping arty on one of the villages and it got pretty intense they said but never did any patrolling like this. But only crazy story I got was when we were in one of the training AO's my squad leader sat on a landmine, luckily it was inoperable. Also many large bear traps that were out there too.. But yeah never stepped past the barbed wire past the dmz it was very interesting how little I knew about the whole situation being there. Also at nights, even in the middle of no where in the woods we could hear singing and music in a distance, any information on that?

@@christopherlarsen7788 Apologies if my original comment was misleading, we were along the DMZ not inside it just to clarify.

@@michaele5041 aren’t you like 14 years old?

That's back when they still issued the CIB? We were told the Army stopped that in 1975, but I wasn't so sure. My cousin, SGT Jerry Bless served in 1982 with the 1/9 Manchu in the DMZ. Jerry was involved in an incident on Freedom Bridge when a North Korean infiltrator came our of a storage compartment on a bus with a handgun. They grappled with each other hand-to-hand and both fell off the bridge in middle of the winter night. Jerry hit the bridge infrastructure and shattered his kneecap. He went into the icy water and managed to float to a sandbar. He couldn't swim to the river side because it was mined. Jerry was rescued by helicopter with a nearly fatal case of hypothermia. The Army tried to put his knee back together, but they couldn't. It was the end of Jerry's career. He was heartbroken - his late father (my uncle) had been a Green Beret with three tours of Vietnam. I think Jerry was always trying to live up to his father's reputation.

@@christopherlarsen7788many Vietnam era special forces served on the Z, both my company commanders (one rotated out) and my team leader and squad leader was with the 5th special forces group. My team leader fought in Nam and died in a mine field in Korea. It’s sad how Korea was and is not considered a hostile territory when we served where skirmishes injuries and loss of life occurred regularly. It’s sad how those who fought in Nam would die in Korea, made it through Nam then die in Korea DMZ, an unknown war among many. Even the VA doesn’t fully acknowledge us to a greater degree. Thank you for your service brother, thank you for the vids.

Was on the z 87-88 as a MACE DM. Getting a CIB was unheard of, let alone combat pay. How did that work? Where was your contact?

My dad served from 70-71 over there… he unfortunately passed away. would love to hear more about it

I was up there in 88 and I remember the Erie feeling that the place had. We were constructing FO bunker and it was silent except for grasshoppers. You could feel the tension!

Champ, Greaves.

@@bretmosley9363 - Well done, brother. I was awarded the Imjin Scout four years earlier, in 1986 at Camp Casey.

Well done brother I got mine in 89 with 5/20 Inf out of camp Casey.

@@christopherlarsen7788 Keep the faith!

@@matthewsindoni2889 Keep the faith!

I believe you do qualify for the Korean Defense Medal. Seriously. The Imjin Scout insignia was awarded by the South Korean military, but through US Forces, Korea, I believe. I'm not sure if its even still manufactured.

Brother, you and I were on that same convoy to Warrior Base. Wild days to be certain. Hey, did you ETS before the Soldier was killed by the soda machine? That was so strange. I think it was a week or so after we arrived that two Soldiers from the 1-9 Manchus were killed by a land mine. Then maybe a couple weeks after that, the 1/17 BN experienced our fist fatality - oddly back at Camp Casey. We were told a young Soldier waiting at Casey to PCS back stateside was rocking the brand new gigantic soda machine because a can got jammed. He though rocking it might jar it loose, like the older smaller ones. The CQ runner found him dead a couple hours later. The machine fell forward catching the kid in the neck and pinning him against the wall, upright still on his feet. His throat was crushed. We had a full military service for him at Warrior Base. Boots, rifle, helmet and a full battalion muster. I still think of that kid, though I didn't know him personally. To complete a full year plus a DMZ tour, and then to be killed by a soda machine dispenser while waiting to go home. Tragic.

@@christopherlarsen7788 I left before that happen, the only death we had in the Unit before that was at, Warrior base the prior year. I believe one of the line Company's were doing training maneuvers with the Tracks crossing the river, and one of the track vehicles went under, and one of the soldiers got trapped inside, he was bought back to the Bn Aid station at Warrior base, but sadly, they couldn't revive him. The Bn did have a memorial service for him, it hit home a little because I think we arrived in country just about the same time, as a Medic who had the luck to be assigned to a Army Hospital emergency room, before being transferred to 2nd ID, you kinda get use to dealing with death, but when it's somebody from your Unit, it did linger a bit longer.

E co motor pool same time​@@christopherlarsen7788

E co motor pool same time

Thanks, Brent. I'm not really sure who to share these stories with, exactly. My dad used to tell me funny stories from his service. I wish I captured them on video. Guess I'm just being nostalgic.

That places your uncle in South Korea about the same time my father, plus two uncles served in South Korea. All three of them recalled that, although North Korea was not at that time quite as ferociously crossing the DMZ, there was at all times a constant threat of another full-scale invasion by the North Koreans. US forces were constantly re-called to the DMZ in battle formations, ready to fight. What they also recalled was the humanitarian crisis in South Korea at that time. My wife's family (South Koreans) called this era "the starving time." It was terrible because 50 years of harsh Japanese rule was followed by a civil war that in turn became a conflict of many nations. There was no time to rebuild their agriculture. Many starved to death. Yet, this crisis was overshadowed by magnitude of the starvation in China from Mao's dystopia during those exact same years. The older generations of South Korea are remarkably appreciative of US and UN service. But South Korea suffered greatly throughout the 1950s.

Balls! I heard it was a bitch. Only a couple guys from 1/503 at Hovey got to go… Would be cool if you could post a pic of that badge on your uniform.

I went through that course in 1977 and though I passed, I never thought I was doing anything there up to the standards set. It was never enough, each day and in every way, each second of the day was painful. I just didn't quit and I think that's why I passed. There were not too many of us left from my group, started with 20, ended with 5. that turned me into a crazed fanatic in the Army for a long time afterward.

@@SmellySumtom we had a guy injure his leg and he didn't want to quit so we dragged him through the remainder of the course and he finished it. We later found out that his leg was broken.. tough dude. That course was physically demanding and as long as you didn't quit you were good.

@@guyring8912 That (new) "Combat Action Badge" looks allot like the original tin medal badge for ROKA Rangers. I've asked myself many times, I felt very empowered from having been through it, but it stands unique in my service as a thing I'd have rather avoided, but I was a fanatic Army guy at the time. If I had not been 18-19 years old, I'd never have made it. In the years 1976-77, most soldiers were non-disapplied, unmotivated and the only soldiers left over from the draft that didn't want to get out because they were alcoholic or drug nuts or just nuts. One battalion had 2 officers killed in 75 ,not the DMZ deaths, but from a full race riot within their unit. The Army went through "huge" changes ($) starting in the early 80s, but until then, alcoholic or drug addict were our main middle NCO ranks.

"As real as it gets." That is a big part of the reason I volunteered to serve in Korea. And yes, you most certainly qualify for the KDSM.

Good question. The memory of that night stays with me, and I've often wondered how it might have played out differently. I mean, our two ambush patrols took no casualties, so I certainly wouldn't want to change that outcome. And perhaps it is better that two enemy warriors got the chance to see their families again. My patrol leader, SSG Julian Rubio (2nd from the left at 16:07 and I am far right), didn't want me to launch the 40mm round because the NK infiltrators were moving in between us and the farming village of Taesongdong. It was too risky. A firefight there would almost certainly have produced civilian casualties. So, we let them pass by.

Thank you for your service, brother. We walked the same stomping ground - just one year apart. The 503 is an excellent regiment with a storied history. I just checked the regiment website, and regrettably, they don't even mention Korea or the DMZ in their overseas campaigns. That's a shame. Recognition for your service is slow in the coming, and still meets so much resistance. Admittedly, most of it is simply ignorance. But, still.

I was at CP Giant Munsan- Sonju-ri in 87-88. B 2nd Engineer bn 2ID. Was cool experience. We supported the units at Greaves and Liberty Bell. 2nd to None! Peace

@@guyring8912 Wow! Never heard of Giant Munsan. We may have seen each other somewhere in the Big Cartoon! Land of the morning oddness! Love the engineers I worked with while 8 years infantry. Always balls to the wall… ready to fight AND build or destroy shit.

@@samseven5260 CP Giant was west of CP Pelham and RC4. Little compound closer to Munsan than Sonju-Ri. We(B-2-E) supported the units at Greaves and Liberty Bell. We probably partied together in the Ville! Peace Brother..

Wow. Your experiences mirror my own with remarkable precision. I served a year earlier and was "the summer help" on the DMZ. But yes, earned (another) crappy Army Achievement Award...or Medal, I cannot remember which. It was worthless. No CIB, in spite of the objections of a couple of the NCOs in our platoon who'd earned CIB with the 82nd Airborne and 175th Rangers in Granada just a couple years earlier, but insisted their combat patrols inside the DMZ were far more hazardous. You know the deal. The U.S. Army wasn't about to admit it was still conducting combat patrols in Korea! The Imjin Scout badge was as close as we'd get ... but now, it feels more special. It's something unique that sets DMZ veterans apart. I'm at peace with that. Yes, returning Stateside to the 101st felt like a cake walk! Even earning the EIB felt a bit too easy, and there were only 21 of us who earned it out of more than 1,600 who attempted!

@@christopherlarsen7788 I'm really interested in this SEMEX Imjin Scout series you mentioned, is that something I can find online? As far as the Army Achievement Medal goes many years ago I almost threw it in the trash, that's kind of what I think about it. But the certificate I received means much more to me since it mentions my combat patrols on the DMZ. Yes I'm also really proud of my Imjin Scout badge it's kind of a rare military award, I got the certificate, but never an actual badge. Maybe I'll by a reproduction online someday. I think you're one of the few sources talking about the DMZ online, glad I found you. I kind of put that part of my life out of my mind for many years. It's good someone is talking about this even if only 1 or 2 videos. I told my older sister about the DMZ recently, we've just reconnected after many years, and I showed her your channel, I think you explained it better than I could have. Also thanks for helping out over the summer over there. We at Camp Greaves always appreciated the "summer help". Man I haven't heard that term used in many years.

@@davidjurasas9339 - So, you know...in 2002 the Department of Defense formally recognized the service of US military personnel who served in the defense of South Korea from 1953 on. The Korean Defense Service Medal (KDSM) is awarded to all US military personnel who served at least 60 consecutive days on the Korean peninsula. Mind you, this is a veteran campaign medal. However, it is not a CIB. Neither is it recognition of combat patrols conducted in the DMZ. The Imjin Scout badge is still the sole recognition of that service and rite of passage. Wear it proudly.

I went from 2ID 1/5 to 101st 1/502...Definitely a different Army stateside. And yes ROK winter is coldest I've ever experienced. 2 tours 87-88 &90-91.

Yep. Combat patrols, no combat pay… and if you were shot at, no CIB. That shit was the most real patrolling most soldiers will ever do. Locked and loaded, full ammo pouches, put out claymores, OP’s… smuggling (unauthorized) 60’s at 0100 to set in for counter infil ambush and don’t exfil until 0500 to debrief with a hot cup of instant soup. Cold as hell….

Correct. I'm not sure what year the US Army stopped awarding the CIB for combat tours of the DMZ. We were told that the Army stopped in 1975 because that's the year Vietnam was lost to the communists, and the Army wanted to hide the combat tours in Korea from the American public. Believable. However, I was told by Soldiers that they had received CIB for DMZ duty as late as 1978 - which is an important reference because these same Soldiers enlisted in the US Army AFTER the Vietnam War. Moreover, a veteran recently told me the story of a 1980s era Soldier who petitioned for and received a CIB for his DMZ duty. There were extenuating circumstances, of course. But nonetheless, recognition. You are aware that the Korean Service Defense Medal (KSDM) is a recognized as a campaign deployment ribbon now. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) petitioned Congress for recognition and the KSDM was awarded in 2005 for all service men and women for any 30-days of duty on the Korean peninsula since August 1953 on. Not exactly what I wanted, but I'll take it. The CIB was supposed to denote six months of combat duty for an Infantryman. The DMZ was only a three-month tour...but the invasions of Grenada, Panama, and elsewhere all received CIB for just several weeks of combat duty. (Not to diminish their service or experience, mind you.) So, this was a bitter pill to swallow. I was awarded the Imjin Scout badge. I'm fiercely proud of that insignia because it is in effect my CIB.

​@@christopherlarsen7788CIB is now authorized up to 1994.

​@@christopherlarsen7788Also. Love your youtube content brother. Hooah.

Your godfather went through a trying ordeal. Very dangerous. And yes, the Korean DMZ remains one of the most violently contested borders in the world ... albeit the Korean peninsula also goes through long periods of "cool down" in which no fighting occurs. This is a very short list overviewing the most notable violent attacks over the past 25 years. You can find much larger lists of incidents across the DMZ online with greater detail. But for just a brief overview... 1996 SEP - A NK infiltration sized submarine picked up a NK SOF team from a river, but got stuck on low tide near Jeongdongin, ROK, resulting in a 49-day manhunt with gunbattles that killed 21 NK Sailors and 4 of the 5 NK SOF (1 NK SOF escaped). Another 17 ROK soldiers were KIA, reportedly along with 1 US SOF KIA. 1998 JUN - A NK infiltration sized submarine became caught in a fishing net and was discovered by ROK navy. Upon entering the NK submarine, the ROK sailors found all 9 NK sailors dead by gunshot wounds. 1998 JUL - A NK infiltrator in a scuba wetsuit was found on a beach all the way at the southern tip of the peninsula. 1999 JUN - The First Battle of Yeonpyeong was fought in a series of gun battles between NK and ROK navel patrol boats in the Yellow Sea near the Northern Limit Line. 2000 JUN - The Second Battle of Yeonpyeong was fought among larger patrol boats that were all severely damaged, resulting in 6 ROK KIA and multiple WIA. NK casualties have not been reported from this battle. 2010 JAN - NK fired artillery barrages at ROK island of Baengnyeong. ROK naval vessels returned fire. The artillery duel carried on over a three-day period with no apparent casualties. 2010 MAR - NK submarine fires a torpedo at ROKS Cheonan near the island of Baengnyeong, sinking the ship and resulting in 46 ROK sailor KIA. The remaining 58 ROK sailors were rescued at sea. An international investigation concluded that the sinking was in fact due to a NK torpedo attack.

@@christopherlarsen7788 That’s crazy and something that’s just not really talked about much in the media. To go with your video today, I just finished Joe Rogan’s podcast with Yeonmi Park who defected from North Korea and it’s an absolutely incredible story if you get the chance to listen it.

Schumacher, Frederic Carl (Bronze Star with V) The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Frederic Carl Schumacher, United States Navy, for meritorious service as a crew member of the U.S.S. PUEBLO (AGER-2) during his period of captivity in North Korea from 24 January to 23 December 1968. Although subjected to extreme forms of physical and mental cruelties, which were in violation of all international agreements, he steadfastly demonstrated defiance and total resistance towards his captors. He never wavered in his devotion to duty and loyalty to the United States, even though the guards and interrogators, frustrated by his behavior, increased the tempo and severity of their ruthless treatment. His courageous stand served to inspire his fellow prisoners and strengthened their will to resist. By his exemplary performance of duty, he reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. (Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Schumacher is authorized to wear the Combat "V".)

Schumacher, Frederic Carl (POW) The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Frederic Carl Schumacher, Lieutenant [then Lieutenant Junior Grade], U.S. Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action on 23 January 1968 which serving on board U.S.S. Pueblo (AGER-2) during the unwarranted attack upon and illegal seizure of that vessel in international waters in the Sea of Japan by North Korean naval and air force consisting of two patrol boats, four torpedo boats, and two aircraft. When the U.S.S. Pueblo came under heavy fire from these North Korean units, Lieutenant Schumacher, as Operations Officer, repeatedly exposed himself to the intense fire while organizing and providing the necessary supervision to ensure the destruction of all classified materials under his purview. Through his inspiring leadership, courage, and dedication in the face of hostile fire, he reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

우리는 모두 다리 아래에서 왔습니다! 기! 기! 기!

I had a couple Army buddies who patrolled the Czech-German border in the late 1980s. They said it was mostly quiet duty. But once in a while things got heated. Shootings, kidnappings, and land mine incidents. The Sinai Peninsula peacekeeping mission was similar duty; so was the Honduras border with Nicaragua. For the Canadians it was the island of Cyprus. And then in the 1990s it was Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo for just about all of NATO and even some of the old Warsaw Pact. It seemed every corner of the Earth was fighting. I guess it still is.

@@christopherlarsen7788 Yes it was mostly quiet,nothing crazy I Agree .German border was quiet .I was in Kosovo and other places I'm familiar with UN missions also .I could send you copy of those maps thru linkedin you can use them for training or whatever I can explanin any details on those maps if you want .

Likewise, brother. Thank you for your service! We definitely walked the same stomping ground.

@@christopherlarsen7788 as a medic I was rotated (whored out ) through all the Coy’s. I stopped counting Recon/Ambush missions after 40.

@@SeanRCope - Whoa. Honestly, I never bothered to count...but all said and done, I had maybe 18 combat patrols in the DMZ. More than 40?!! Damn. That's a lot.

Ha! No. No. Certainly not. Instead, I received the Imjin Scout Badge. And I admit that I am fiercely proud of it. You know, to put that into perspective... we had two veterans of the Grenada Invasion serving in our rifle company in the DMZ. One was with the 82nd Airborne Division, and he wore a combat patch plus the CIB. The other was with the 2nd Ranger Battalion, and in addition to a combat patch and CIB, he also wore a gold star on his jump wings because he had parachuted into the battle. The 82nd Paratrooper stated, briefly but emphatically, that his combat tour in the DMZ was vastly more stressful than his experience in Grenada, and he earnestly wondered why every Infantryman in the battalion didn't received a CIB for their efforts. The Ranger, who later became my squad leader, sincerely implored everyone in our platoon - private through NCO - to immediately apply to Ranger School. After the three month DMZ rotation, plus the month prep in the lead up, he swore that each of us would pass through Ranger School with flying colors. He was absolutely serious that for us, Ranger School would be nothing more than being a little bit hungrier than usual. To that last point, as soon as the 1-17th INF Buffalos returned from the DMZ, we were met with the EIB testing qualifications. I hadn't even been in the US Army for a year yet, but coming off the DMZ and with only 1 week to prepare, I took the 2-week EIB test and passed with ease. It was a cake walk. The EIB test didn't even compare to the intensity of the 6-hours of PCI before each and every combat patrol in the DMZ.

Hey - Chad. You were with 5-20th Regulars? Well, brother, we walked some of the same ground. Not only in the DMZ, but I was with 1-17th Buffalos as they retired the colors (and moved to 7th INF DIV at Ft. Ord, CA) and then stood up 5-20th INF in Korea. Very cool. Excellent regiment!

100% I'm Airborne, AIR Assault, Jungle School qualified and I am most proud of my 2 Imjin Scout awards. With that being said, you should apply for a retroactive CIB. It's about time that we get recognized. I have a story about that. We should talk offline. I have plenty of pics from GPO that you might like.

@@christopherlarsen7788 funny story: Gen Miller, the last commanding general in Afghanistan was my company commander at D co 5/20.

@@chadblacksteele2465 - Is that even a "thing"? I've heard of retroactive awards, but I've never heard of a retroactive CIB. Interesting thought, I have to admit. It's like you said...it's not about the CIB. I haven't been in the Army for decades now, but it would be nice to be recognized for the commitment made. I don't need it. Neither my work in Korea nor in Iraq defines who I am as a person. But there remains with me a sense of injustice, a wrong that needs to be righted, when it comes to the heroic Warriors with whom I served. I think the world of these men. It bothers me profoundly that their service and sacrifices in the Korean DMZ were never recognized by the US Army.