I’ve always been a fan of naval history, but I have to admit I’d never heard of this story:
The Naval Academy has agreed to temporarily return a Korean flag captured by Marines in an obscure 1871 battle, in response to requests from a South Korean cultural delegation that visited Annapolis this year…
Five American ships went to (Korea) with the U.S. minister to China and began exploring the country’s coasts after a brief meeting with a low-level delegation. When American ships reached Kanghwa Island west of Seoul, they were fired upon from several forts and returned fire. Commanders waited for an apology and, receiving none, launched an amphibious assault and sacked a Korean citadel.
Despite being overpowered by Marines, the Koreans – whose country Americans called “The Hermit Kingdom” – fought fiercely, finally resorting to throwing rocks and dirt when they were unable to reload their muskets. They lost 350 men, compared with three Americans, although the incident did prompt U.S. forces to leave the country a short time later.
For Korea, the hard-fought battle has come to symbolize a great victory, an example of a small group of warriors who died repelling a foreign power.
In the United States, it has long been registered as an early example of military might just six years after the Civil War, a time when the United States was seeking mainly to protect its citizens abroad, many of them in the whaling industry. Fifteen U.S. service members who fought were awarded the Medal of Honor.
Turns out the flag will be returned on a “loan” basis, since US President James K. Polk signed an executive order mandating that enemy “colors” seized on the battlefield by naval personnel should be maintained and displayed at USNA.
Good luck getting that one back.
In the meantime, what about our spy ship?
Didn’t we give back the Japanese Bell in the 90′s? I don’t see this as nearly a big deal.
Oh, and FIFTEEN MoHs?????? With only three deaths? Was Jean Francois Kerry there?
I think that, at the time, the MOH & Purple Heart were about the only awards around….
Oh, and as for the Pueblo, I suspect we had our chances to sink it, but with it being made a museum in Pyongyang, they are probably gone now.
But if war ever breaks out with the N. Koreans, it ought to be on the first night’s target list, just because.
During and after the Civil War, the MoH was handed out like cheap candy.
For example, 120 were awarded after Vickburg, 96 for one day’s actions.
On June 30, 1863, 864 soldiers of the 27th Maine were awarded Medals of Honor for standing guard on Washington DC for four days after their enlistments were up.
Eventually, the criteria for awarding one was considerably tightened, and 911 were revoked in 1917.
As has been observed, the Medal of Honor was the only American decoration for valor between 1861 and 1918, when the US began adding others, beginning with the Army’s Distinguished Service Cross and Distinguished Service Medal, followed in 1919 by the Navy Cross and the Navy DSM (with awards retroactive to 6 April 1917, the date of US entry into WWI.)
Also of note is that until 1915, the Medal of Honor could only be awarded to enlisted personnel.
The Purple Heart as we know it only came into existence in 1932.
I believe Robert Heinlein mentioned seeing that very flag, when a midshipman. At least the one lettered with “Dont give up the ship” ain’t going anywhere.
Yup, Theodore, it used to be considered that we didn’t need no steenking medals, that being kind of a French and German thing (Buonaparte: “I can make men die for little pieces of ribbon.”).
The saying used to be, that the courage of a lion is the birthright of every Englishman. That goes doubly for Americans. The courage of the celtic person is, of course, of a different and even higher kind. One of the reasons The War was so horribly bloody was that there were lots of Scots, and Irish, on each side.
I hope they checked federal law. After the 1990s mess over the Philippines church bell captured after the battles and multiple massacres of Balangiga in 1901, and said bell(s?) currently on an Air Force Base, Congress made it mandatory to get their approval before giving war prizes like that back.
Probably why this is a “loan” arrangement.
Oh, yeah-one more thing. The 1871 landing is a Big Deal in Korea, with TV shows and websites and so forth. It’s a lightning rod for anti-American opinion.
As for us, ehh. Navy.mil has a few photos, and diplomatic and Navy histories have something, but that’s about it.
What’s next?
Are they gonna try and make the John Paul Jones (DDG-53) give back her Serapis flag?
(which they tend to triumphantly fly from the truck whenever they steam back into port)
spoils of war, with the operative word being “spoiled”.
items of great sentiment, and sometimes with some magnificent mojo attached, but useful in our hands to look at and to be inspired by. their chief worth is in the value placed upon them by the side they were taken from. if useful as a bargaining chip, i say use it all up for whatever concessions can be got.
Theodore, if MoH was restricted to enlisted only prior to 1915, then this roster i’m staring at of USMA graduate MoH recipients showing 55 officers just from Civil War thru Indian Campaigns, China Relief, Cuba, Phillipine Insurrection, and the Moro Expedition must be a tad bit off.
names such as Schofield and Bliss.
MajMike,
My mistake. Should have said that naval officers only became eligible in 1915 (upon which there were many awards made for actions at Vera Cruz the previous year.)
Upon further research, I found something saying that Army officers only became eligible in 1891. Looking at the dates of issue, it appears that the Civil War officer recipients all received theirs after this date. Schofield’s award is dated 2 July 1892 for an action on 10 August 1861, Bliss’ 30 December 1898 for an action on 13 December 1862.
Theodore: thx for the clarification. i did not know that about the Naval officer restriction. i’m guessing i’ve got some more reading up to do my own self now.
Thanks!
(oh yeah, and i had purposely left out of my count the Vera Cruz MoH for Marine Captain Fryer (ex-cadet of USMA class of 1901), plus the two who had been awarded for prior enlisted actions, and four who hadn’t graduated. no sense scoring an “own goal” on my line of reasoning)
and with no more appropriate way to wrap this up possible, i shall propose a toast to LT Michael Murphy, USN! Here’s to him!
MajMike,
I’ll drink to that.
Regarding Army officers, some received their medals (and “brevet” promotions) only many years after their heroic deeds. On the other hand, Thomas W. Custer can be seen in photographs wearing both the Medal of Honors he was awarded during the Civil War. (He was the only double Medal recipient who received both awards for Civil War action.) In one photo, a female acquaintance of his can be seen wearing them!