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TracGunny
09-03-04, 11:39 AM
Thursday, September 2, 2004 Last modified at 4:20 p.m. on Wednesday, September 1, 2004

Sailor visits North Korea to bring MIAs home
By JO2(SW) Michael Wiss
Periscope Staff

A local medical officer recently returned from a five-week Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command mission to retrieve remains of Americans killed during the Korean War.

Lt. Cmdr. Rod Hagerman, an Undersea Medical Officer for Submarine Group 10, provided medical support for the 12-member JPAC team, which consisted of an anthropologist and members of the joint military force who crossed the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea to retrieve remains of fallen Americans. According to Hagerman the job they did proved they would never forget those who protected our freedom.

''This work raised my level of patriotism,'' he said. ''These men gave the ultimate sacrifice. Although the Korean War ended 50 years ago, we still remember those that have died protecting our country.''

The JPAC team was only the third American group to cross the DMZ since the end of the Korean War in 1952. According to Hagerman it is an experience he will never forget.

''It was very intense going through all the checkpoints to get into North Korea,'' he said. ''We made history, but we're real happy to get back into South Korea after the mission.''

The team was able to recovery two bodies, which were transported to a Hawaii forensic lab for DNA testing. During the five-week mission, JPAC members built their own campsite, complete with a clean water supply. Hagerman said his crew enjoyed better living conditions than many of the villagers who lived in the area. Even though they were only there to recover remains, the communist rule kept a watchful eye on them.

''We were treated like prisoners of war while we were there,'' Hagerman said. ''We were escorted by armed guards to the dig site and back to camp, and were not allowed out except for that.''

During his travels into North Korea, Hagerman gained first-hand experience of the anti-American atmosphere, which is part of daily life in the communist nation.

''Just traveling through North Korea, there is definite hatred toward Americans,'' he said. ''There were billboards showing American soldiers being killed and they had chants over loudspeakers stating their beliefs, which were against anything America stands for.''

Hagerman's main job was to provide medical support for his team members. However, treatment was a lot different than his normal duties at Group 10.

''I treated a lot of bites from ticks and other rodents, dysentery and stomach viruses.''

Aside from treating the members of his team, he also set up a medical sick call for communist soldiers and civilians.

''They were hesitant to being treated by Americans at first,'' he said. ''We gained a lot of respect, because our medical knowledge and technology is a lot better than the treatment they are receiving.''

The JPAC crew were able to recover two remains for further DNA testing, but there are more than 8,000 Americans listed as Missing in Action who have not been accounted for from the Korean War. Those found during the team's stay took part in the battle of Chosin Reservoir, which started around Nov. 26, 1950, and lasted until Dec. 11, 1950. It has been termed by historians as the most savage battle in modern warfare, and was cited by President Reagan in his first inaugural address as one of the epics of military history. Approximately 20,000 U.N. troops (about 17,000 of them men of the 1st Marine Division) together with elements of the 7th Infantry Division and the 41 Independent Commando from the U.K. were attacked by 120,000 members of the Chinese Communist Forces, whose orders were to annihilate the allies ''to the last man.'' This fierce, bloody battle, unparalleled in modern history, resulted in 15,000 allied casualties: 2,500 were killed in action, 5,000 were wounded in action, and 7,500 suffered severe frostbite and cold injuries. The enemy forces also endured crippling losses: 40,000 were dead, and thousands more were down with wounds and frostbite.

According to Hagerman what the JPAC team is accomplishing is to give the families of those lost a little hope in finding out what happened to their loved ones.

''We try to give the families a peace of mind,'' Hagerman said. ''What we did is important for those who sacrificed so much for us.''

To learn more about the role and mission of Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command, visit www.jpac.pacom.mil. For more information on the battle at Chosin Reservoir, visit www.chosinreservoir.com.

http://www.kingsbayperiscope.com/stories/090204/kin_nkorea001.shtml