G.I. Combat #13 (1954)

As Communist representatives veto proposal after proposal over the peace table at Panmunjon, U.N. Officials have started to become skeptical of the enemy's motives. They begin to believe that the Communists are delaying for time to bolster their armies. However, the U.N. military is ready for this, and the following morning at 0600 hours, elements of the U.S. Fifth Fleet appear at Wonson to shell the vital enemy supply line. Inland, jets from the 9th Fighter Group rain destruction upon an important rail communication. Any supplies to make it through that have to get through the U.N. Heavy Artillery. But in spite of this gallant effort by land, sea and air to cut off the Communist life line, intelligence reports that supplies are still getting through to the enemy lines. General Dodds at U.N. Headquarters issues orders to cut off the supply line's origin, China, by destroying the bridge at Yalu, and the neighboring mountain train tunnel at Hanhow. Both objectives have been classified “off limits”, leery of air strikes too close to the Chinese border. General Dodds instead decides to send in a small number of specially trained troops to accomplish the mission, and creates a commando force of top soldiers from many different countries who have distinguished themselves in the field of battle. The very first U.N. commando pool in history is begun, and eight are chosen to complete the mission - Arkuim Tofiak, a knife fighter from Turkey; Kim Sung, and escape artist from South Korea; Taka Harsha, a World War II vet from Ethiopia; Franz Henried, a decorated member of the French Foreign Legion; John Harte, from Canada who held the enemy at bay for 14 hours himself; Emanuel Perez, from Columbia who twice saved his unit from annihilation; and Americans William Jensen and Frederick Burns, Bronze Star decorated veterans for their heroic actions in Pusan. For three weeks, these men are put through an extensive training program outside of Seoul. The language barrier was broken, and briefing periods were intensified as the training reached its end. On the dawn of October 10th, the U.N. Commando Force slipped quietly aboard waiting submarines at the Seoul Naval base to depart on their secret mission. In command is Major Charles Kirk, who kept his men physically fit and trained during the trip. Then, at midnight on October 16th, the men are loaded aboard life rafts and set towards shore. Upon landfall, they bury their rafts and hike three and a half miles along the banks of the Yalu River. Finally they reach their first destination, the Yalu bridge. The squad splits in two – one group heads up the embankment to keep the Chinese soldiers busy, while the other slip under the bridge and plant the TNT charges. However, the squad has underestimated the size of the enemy's guard, and the team under the bridge is spotted and fired upon. All hell breaks loose around the bridge. The major orders a forward assault to protect those under the bridge from oncoming reinforcements. For even long minutes the slaughter continues before the major orders everyone to retreat back into the safety of the woods, now that the explosives team has completed their job. The bridge explodes, but the Force has no time to celebrate before the rest of the Chinese army arrives. Regrouping, the Commandos withdraw swiftly with the enemy in hot pursuit. They head towards a nearby stream, hoping to throw their pursuers off their tracks. They take cover on a ridge above the stream, and wait for the enemy soldiers to arrive. The Chinese soldiers believe the Commandos crossed the stream and head in the wrong direction away from the team. Now free from pursuit, it's off to the second part of their mission, the mountain train tunnel. It takes the Commando Force two days and nights to trek the eight miles towards the mountain, skirting Communist patrols along the way. The tunnel lies just ahead, unguarded, and the men think it'll be a breeze to take it out. But when Major Kirk and his men advance closer, they can see the tunnel is full of enemy soldiers just waiting for them. Private Jensen spots with his binoculars an incoming ammo train heading towards the mountain tunnel. Private Kim Sung has an idea, and takes a bag of hand grenades and runs towards the entrance of the tunnel, against Major Kirk's orders. As his startled buddies above watch, Private Sung carefully edges up to the entrance just as the train reaches the tunnel. He tosses the grenades onto the top of the train and runs away. The train enters and then explodes, the ammo igniting and destroying the entire tunnel and the enemy within. The remaining Chinese soldiers chase after Sung, and the Commandos once again regroup and retreat. For three hours, the game of cat and mouse continues, until finally the Commandos lose their enemy. With the enemy angered by the assaults on their shipping lines, search parties were out everywhere making the Commandos return back to the sea extremely difficult. As the valiant Force detoured across the Pammanjo River fourteen hours later, Private Harte notices something rather odd about the logs floating down the river. The others take no notice, as they are in lumber country, but Harte takes a closer look. Harte tries to signal the others, but just then Chinese soldiers appear out of the woods and begin to fire upon him. Harte tells the men to ignore the enemy and fire onto the logs themselves. With each shot that hits, the logs explode in brilliant fire, revealing hollowed out logs containing hidden supplies within! Harte has cracked the mystery of how the Communists have been getting their supplies through the lines. Nineteen hours later, the little bank of Commandos reach the rendezvous location at the sea, weary but happy. The men are excited for the furloughs they will get for a mission well done, but Major Kirk is proud of his men, soldiers from many different countries and walks of life, pulling together for the common cause of freedom.