NHP vet recalls the forgotten war

Michael Scro

Bob Christman recalled the hardest part of his time in Korea was the feeling of loneliness and not knowing anyone as a replacement soldier in his unit.

“I was a young kid, and inexperienced. The older soldiers weren’t interested in buddying up with someone my age,” Christman said.

Christman served in the Korean War from late June 1953 to July 1954 in the 31st Infantry Regiment, of the U.S. Army 7th Division “Polar Bears,” where he was stationed in Chorwon Valley. The significance regiment’s nickname was derived from its service in Siberia from 1918 to 1920 as part of the short-lived Allied exeditionary force during the Russian Revolution.

Recently attending the New Hyde Park Veterans Day memorial service, as a member of G. & E. Linder VFW Post No. 8031, Christman spoke about  his combat experience. 

Now in his early 80s, Christman is former VFW commander and a New Hyde Park resident of for 46 years.  

Christma was drafted at the age of 20 in 1952, putting on hold his pursing a bachelors degree in accounting and taxes at what was then Pace College.

Shipped to Korea the following year, he was immediately immersed in a very different sort of education – a survival experience.

“Once I got to Korea, we were put on an MLR [main line of resistance]…I saw action there,” Christman said.  “We were fired at and sniped at.”  

Christman fought at Suicide Hill, where the army rotated soldiers and his units job was to repair the trench line during the day.  

“When I arrived I was immediately put on a counterattack alert which was later canceled.  I was under constant artillery, mortar and sniper fire until a truce was signed July 27,1953,” Christman said.

It was a truce that never produced a treaty in a conflict that never formally ended.

“The communists attacked U.S. lines many times to gain a negotiation territorial advantage in the truce talks. The truce became effective at 10 p.m., July 27,1953 and both sides fired artillery into the last seconds leading to that time,” Christman said. “We all thought the truce would not occur.”  

Reflecting on the many struggles he experienced, Christman said the bloodiest engagements took place in the months leading up to the truce.

Later on, Christman said, he learned the artillery units only fired off shells so they would not have to pack them up and move them to the rear. 

“The next morning the enemy exposed themselves in the valley below us waving beer bottles trying to coax us  to join them but we were ordered not to do so,” Christman said.

As agreed in the truce, both armies moved their MLR 1.5 miles, which created a three-mile DMZ (demilitarized zone).  

“This required us to establish a new main line of resistance on hills which previously was the scene of an earlier battle,” Christman said.  “Our newly established position was a former enemy position which was very dangerous since it contained mines and other explosives which we had to clear.”

It was here that Christman said he saw “horrible sights,” including skeletons and decaying bodies left out on the battle terrain.

After working for months to establish their new defensive line, Christman was promoted to company clerk and later transferred to service company as a regimental ordinance supply specialist.

Arriving home back in the U.S. in August 1954, Christman returned to Pace College immediately and earned a  bachelors degree in accountant practice in 1959 and an MBA degree in taxation in 1961.  

Christman became a CPA in 1984, married in 1958, and began a family of three sons in New Hyde Park.

Christman worked for The Sperry and Hutchinson Co. as a tax director for 36 years until the company was acquired by Baldwin United Corp. in 1982, when he became a controller of a Baldwin life insurance company. Christman did tax work for several Great Neck CPA firms and retired in 1993.

In 1995, Christman revisited Korea as a guest of the Korean Veterans Association in an experience that left him with a good feeling.

“Over four days, I visited points of interest from the war and toured the modern city of Seoul. I was thanked by Korean citizens as I walked the streets or rode in buses,” Christman said.

He was also awarded the Ambassador Peace medal and was introduced to the then president of South Korea at a banquet. Christman is considering another visit to Korea shortly.

In addition to his membership in the VFW, Christman also is a member of the Korean War Veterans Association and Nassau County and 31st Infantry Regiment Association. He served as quartermaster for VFW Post 8031, commander for four years and then returned to quartermaster post, which he currently holds.

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