BoarSpear

Ah, so were gonna play it just like it happened huh? Well this is how it played out.....

Elsewhere in the 2nd Infantry Division area, tensions were very high. All personnel were preparing for combat, even the biggest duds turned into soldiers. The troops were especially interested in what was happening at Panmunjom while we prepared for war, the mood turned from shock after receiving the news of the murders to "Lets go cut that damn tree down." If the North Koreans really wanted to make an issue over it - we would be only to happy to oblige them.

Operation Paul Bunyan
Joint Security Area Force 2nd Infantry Division


On Saturday 21 August 1976, everything was ready. All units who were to participate in "Operation Paul Bunyan" were in postion and personnel briefed." Coordination between ROK military and US military units was well exercised.

At 0645 hours, the UN JSA Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Victor Vierra gave a message to the "Joint Duty Officer" (JDO) to be handed to his KPA (North Korean) counterpart. The message stated that at 0700 hours this day a UNC work force would be entering the "security area" of the JSA and commence to pruning the tree in vicinity of CP3. In addition, the message stated that should there be no interference, the work force would depart the JSA compound."

At 0700 hours, Task Force Vierra entered the JSA security compound and moved directly to the Poplar tree next to CP3. Along with the work force was approximately 60 ROK Special Forces soldiers forming a ring around the 16 engineer soldiers from the 2nd Engineer Battalion, 2ID, cutting the tree. In addition, Compay A, 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry (Manchu), 2ID moved into position as a quick reaction force to support the Task Force Vierra. Behind the 2/9th was a forward observer from the 1st Battalion, 38th Field Artillery (Steel Behind the Rock), 2ID waiting for orders to fire a massed artillery strike. Behind him were AH-1 "Cobra" gunships orbiting just out of site beyond the ridges, then F-111 Fighter Bombers, and behind and way above them were B-52 Stratofortresses.

As the engineers began cutting the tree, there was little or no reaction from the North Koreans. They were totally taken by surprise, and had no clue about what they should do because of the show of force made by the ROKUS forces was so unexpected.

When the engineers had completed there mission of cutting the tree down, Task Force Vierra, the JSA Security Force and all vehicles departed the JSA compound.

Yep, that was pretty much the end of it

http://members.terracom.net/~vfwpost/opn-PB.html

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