Vol. 16, No. 1, Feb. 2010, Page 4
March to the Sea – The Day We Blew Up Hungnam (cont.)
Hungnam Korea – Underwater Demolition Team THREE – Bravo Detachment	This is a photo of the men who blew up the Port of Hungnam on December 24, 1950 after the evacuation of United Forces. Front row – Bayer, LT Mack Boynton, CPO Baxter, CPO Ertl, John Kelly Back Row – Lucio Delacazada, Maxwell, unidentified signed November 2009 by Mack M. Boynton
	Photo K-11771 Hungnam is blown up as USS Begor stands by 24 December 1950
It was November, 1950 at North Korea’s Chosin Reservoir, temperatures of 30 degrees below zero were common and the cold nights seemed to last forever. United Nations forces had reached the Yalu River that marked the border with China. Responding to that threat, Beijing sent more than 180,000 People’s Army troops to stop them. General MacArthur told the United Nations on November 28th, “We face an entirely new war.” He then ordered all forces remaining in the area, including the First Marine Division, to begin their march to the sea to be evacuated by the Navy at Hungnam. Gunfire from the Navy would maintain the cover needed to adequately protect the operation. UDT-3 Detachment “Bravo”, consisting of seven men, and myself had been “raiding” in the area between Wonsan and Hungnam when we received the word to proceed to Hungnam and report to Rear Admiral Doyle on the Flag Ship. Our orders were to send the Port of Hungnam up in one big blast as the last ship left the port. Adm. Doyle emphasized that we would have only one chance for success and would probably be under enemy gunfire when the defense perimeter was withdrawn. He stressed the importance of turning the Port of Hungnam into a “wasteland” to deprive the enemy of its use. (continue)
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