Hungnam Evacuation – A Christmas Miracle
In December 1950, dramatic events unfolding in the rugged mountains of North Korea captivated the world’s attention. The Battle of Chosin, one of the fiercest engagements in U.S. history, was taking place in sub-zero temperatures and knee-deep snow. After days of horrific fighting, U.N. troops, surrounded by overwhelming Chinese forces and suffering heavy casualties, began an epic breakout to the sea. Tens of thousands of North Korean civilians followed.
With bags, sacks, and in some cases, babies, strapped to their backs, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and everyday citizens from villages and towns throughout the region hugged their relatives goodbye and promised they would return in a few days.
Cold, hungry, and exhausted, the refugees had heard rumors that the retreating Americans might allow them to board US ships at Hungnam, a port on the East Sea.
As they trekked their way 70 miles to what they hoped would be safe passage to the South, they worried about their families. They knew what would happen to anyone accused of helping or cooperating with ROK or US forces. "Sympathizers" would be imprisoned, tortured, or possibly executed.
The Evacuation Begins
On Dec. 10, UN troops entered Hungnam, where U.S. Navy and Merchant Marine ships were waiting to evacuate them. General MacArthur had ordered X Corps, which included 1st Marine Division, 31st Regimental Combat team, 41 Royal Commando, and ROK Army Units, to redeploy to South Korea.
Marine Colonel Edward H. Forney, the evacuation control officer for the operation, was on a strict timetable. He had less than two weeks to get men and their equipment, supplies, and vehicles out of Hungnam. For 100,000 North Korean refugees now trapped at the port, the Americans were their only chance of escape.
A Serious Dilemma
US military leaders now faced a serious dilemma. Navy ships, already loaded to capacity with troops, supplies, and vehicles, had no room for civilians. But even if they did, critics argued, it was too risky to take them. Americans had already caught enemy soldiers disguised as refugees trying to get into the port and onto the ships. A single saboteur with a few explosives could spell disaster for a packed Navy troop carrier.
MacArthur and his generals discussed their options – and waited. In a glimmer of hope for those shivering and hungry at the water’s edge, a relatively small number of civilians were embarked during the second week of December. If the Chinese didn’t attack and shipping became available, an additional 25,000 refugees would be evacuated.
As military personnel withdrew throughout December, the refugees began to lose hope. With the December 24 operational deadline quickly approaching, their chances of survival didn’t look good. The Chinese were getting closer by the day.
Saving the Refugees
Finally, after much prodding and perseverance by key members of the military, specifically Dr. Hyun Bong-hak, a highly-respected Korean civil affairs officer and interpreter, and his trusted advocate, Col. Forney, the decision was made to evacuate "as many civilians as possible." With few ships available and time running out, no one was sure how many refugees that would include.
Refugees waiting to evacuate at Hungnam. (Public domain)
By Christmas Eve, 100,000 refugees had left Hungnam. Two days earlier, SS Meredith Victory, a Merchant Marine cargo ship captained by Leonard LaRue and designed to carry less than 60 people, sailed out of the harbor with 14,000 refugees, a Guinness World Record. Often referred to as the greatest rescue operation ever by a single ship, the voyage of the Meredith Victory became the stuff of legend.
Bob Lunney, a 23-year-old crewman aboard the Meredith Victory, said years later when asked about the ship’s historic voyage, “War is also about preserving the integrity of a nation and the dignity of its people – we felt we had done that.”
A Christmas Miracle
On Christmas Eve, the last day of the Chosin-Hungnam saga, the lead story in The New York Times read:
“Evacuation of Hungnam Completed . . . UN Fleet Brings Out 105,000 Soldiers and 100,000 Refugees”
The United Nations’ first humanitarian rescue operation and the largest sea-borne, military evacuation of civilians, under combat conditions, in American history was over.
President Harry Truman was ecstatic. “I thank God for the success of the Hungnam operation. It is the best Christmas present I’ve ever had,” he proclaimed after receiving a 1 a.m. Christmas call from Omar Bradley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Truman, America, and much of the world breathed a sigh of relief. A likely UN withdrawal from the Korean peninsula and a possible larger conflict with China and the Soviet Union had been avoided.
It is estimated that nearly a million descendants of those rescued at Hungnam live in freedom today in South Korea, the United States and other countries around the world.
Top photo credit: Department of the Navy - Navy Historical Center, Washington, D.C
Hello
Besides the Meredith Victory, does anyone know the names of the other ships that took on the Hungnam refugees?
There were many different ships that took on refugees, and some of them aren’t even listed.
I don’t know that they are listed on a specific site. Is there a particular ship you’re wondering about?
Thanks for commenting, Daniel, and many apologies for the delay in responding.
Hello Ned
Thank you for the reply. I’m from the Philadelphia area and am interested in the proposed Catholic cannonization of Captain LaRue since he came from Philadelphia. No one here seems to have heard his story and I hope to change that in some small way. I see several other ships also evacuated large numbers of refugees and wonder what their story was. On another tack, over 140 Merchant Mariners lost their lives in the Korean conflict and seem to have been forgotten.
It’s great to hear that you’re trying to keep alive the legacy of Capt. LaRue, Dan.
Bob Lunney, one of Capt. LaRue’s officers aboard Meredith Victory, spent his adult life honoring the captain and sharing the Hungnam story. Bob recently passed away, but I know he’d be proud that others are taking up the mantle to remember Capt. LaRue and this important history.
The other two Victory ships that are mentioned by Colonel Forney in one of his records are the Lane Victory and the Virginia City Victory. There is also an article from MSTS Magazine, the May 1951 issue, that lists 16 merchant marine ships that were involved in the Wonsan and Hungnam evacuations. Those ships are the Exmouth, California, Choctaw, Madaket, Southwind, Robin Gray, Robin Kirk, Helen Lykes, Mormacmoon, Hunter Victory, Rider Victory, Morgantown Victory, Carleton Victory besides the 3 already mentioned, the Meredith Victory, Lane Victory and Virginia City Victory.
Only the Meredith Victory has received any major publicity due to an article that started appearing in newspapers early in 1951. This same article has spread across the US, appearing and reappearing in newspapers on the anniversary of Hungnam. The Lane Victory has received some later publicity, but her total was 7,000 refugees, half of what the Meredith Victory and the Virginia City Victory each carried.
Thanks for sharing this information. It was definitely a team effort, and the Merchant Marine ships played a key role in the operation.
We owe so much to everyone who participated – on the ground and at sea.
I was on a destroyer DD 778 we got their about two days (23rd/24th of Dec)we did not have any cigs on board some military that was all we were on of the last to leave befor the Chinese came.We watched the big expsion,then left.
Thanks for sharing your experiences at Hungnam, Richard, and thank you for your service as a Tin can sailor.
From what I’ve read, that was a huge explosion. It’s remarkable you were there!
Appreciate your commenting and apologies for the late reply.
But nothing explained why thousands of refugees were gathered at the time. It was because of the Atomic Bombing by US mainly. Of course, there were a number of people who wanted to go South away from Communism. Most refugees told they didn’t have a plan to settle down in the South permanently. They originally intended to return their home in the North a few weeks later because of the expected bombing. That’s their plan during the evacuation period.
Thanks for reading the blog and sharing this information.
You’re right – many of the refugees had planned to return to their homes. Such a tragedy that their separation continues 70 years later.
I shared this story in my Grade 8 Literature class during this last semester when we studied Korean stories. My students were enthralled at the story of Capt Le Rieu, also know as Brother Marius after the war when he became a monk. The bravery of those people, the living and the dead, remain in our hearts as we pray that the Korean people will one day be united once again.
As a career educator, I really appreciate your sharing this story with your students.
Brother Marinus was a remarkable captain, leader, and man of faith. As you know, it’s so important that young people learn about men like him and the sacrifices they made for our country and our allies.
I went to St. Paul’s Abbey where he lived and is buried and enjoyed spending time with the monks there who knew him.
Thanks so much for sharing this with us and helping to keep the memory alive of this inspirational man.
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My Father was a radioman aboard an LST that left Hungnam Harbour with the last Marines from Chosin Resrvoir. On December 24 he wrote home about the frozen, wearied soldiers and was given a new pair of boots by one of those men. He recalled hearing the captain of the LST talking about what a shame it was to blow up such a good port as the first booms sounded. Their job was to ferry supplies for the troops and occasionally Chinese prisoners to a prison camp. After serving on the USS Enterprise and getting hit by a Japanese suicide bomber he was called up to serve in Korea for as long as the conflict lasted. It was the loneliest and most miserable years he ever served for the U.S. Navy. The lack of regard for humanity of the Chinese toward. the people of Korea was very depressing.
He did not tell me about this war until he was in his 80s and we had visited a memorial to the marines defending Chosin Reservoir.
we went through the letters he had written my then deceased mother on dec 24, 1950. It was with pride and sorrow he remembered what his ship had done and the events of the evacuation.
Wow- what an incredible story. Thanks so much for sharing this with us, Barbara. Really interesting to hear a firsthand account of someone who was on an LST at Hungnam.
I salute your father for his service in both WWII and Korea. I’d like to learn more about him and perhaps write a story; I’ll follow up with a pm.
We appreciate your reading the blog and taking the time to comment.
My father participated in the evacuation as an American soldier. He recalls that in the final days of the evacuation, the Chinese slaughtered so many civilians that the Songchon river became clogged with bodies. UN forces were concerned that if the river stopped flowing, it might freeze, allowing the Chinese to cross the river by simply walking over the frozen bodies (the bridge had already been destroyed). Some tried to keep the river flowing by poking at the floating bodies with bamboo poles, but this proved ineffective. So UN forces dynamited the river to keep it flowing.
Does anyone else have any memory of this horrific event? Also, my dad has always wondered what happened to the civilians left behind at Hamhung. I wonder if anyone could shed light on that.
I’ve never heard this story, William. It’s shocking but totally believable. I’ve heard from former refugees that there were mass killings after the UN forces left. I need to do some more research on this.
I salute your dad for his service, and if he has other stories or pictures he’d like to share please feel free to email them to me at ned@nedforney.com.
Thanks for reading the post and commenting.
I was a soldier and survivor of The Chosin Reservoir campaign. My neighbor’s father was 5 years old living in Seoul. At 90 I feel blessed having survived the war.
TKS for the memories.
Thanks for your service and sacrifices during the Korean War, Joe. It’s an honor to pay tribute to men like you who fought at Chosin.
I really appreciate your reading the blog and commenting. Thanks again.