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Carl Jensen, better known as “Cliff,” was born in 1911 to a
Danish immigrant who ran a creamery in Kimball, SD. After graduating from
South Dakota State College in Brookings, Cliff worked for the ND Agriculture
Department, living in Carrington, Devils Lake and Fargo.
Barbara Vanek, Jensen’s daughter, describes him as “brilliant,
handsome and a born leader.” She doesn’t know the circumstances
of Jensen joining the Army but believes he must have gone through ROTC,
because when WWII flared up, he entered the military as an officer. Jensen
was first deployed to Greenland to work on a secret project later documented
in the book “War Below Zero”; he also served a 10-month tour
of duty in Italy in 1944.
Jensen was stationed in Japan when the Korean War broke out June 25th,
1950. As a member of the 21st Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, the 39-year
old Lieutenant Colonel was among the very first ground troops to come
to the defense of South Korea the following week.
The U.S. was pitifully unprepared for war. Soldiers were not combat-ready,
armored tanks were nearly non-existent, and weapons and ammunition –
left over from WWII – were poor to useless. Making matters worse,
rain kept planes grounded, so front line infantrymen had little support.
The results were disastrous. In the first week of ground fighting, seven
hundred and forty-four Americans – including high ranking officers
– were either captured, missing in action or killed.
Colonel Jensen replaced the commander of the regiment’s under-strength
3rd battalion on July 10th. In desperate conditions, Jensen’s men
recaptured a strategic ridge in Chonui, rescued 10 trapped soldiers and
recovered most of the equipment lost earlier in battle. They also discovered
the first known mass atrocity committed by North Koreans against captured
American soldiers. Six men were found with their hands tied behind their
backs and shot through the back of the head. The discovery enraged Jensen’s
men, giving them the will to continue fighting.
The following morning, Jensen’s men could hear tanks approaching,
but couldn’t see them because of heavy fog. The enemy had infiltrated
their positions, allowing the North Koreans to execute one of the most
perfectly coordinated assaults they ever launched against American troops.
At 6:30 a.m. four enemy tanks loomed into the battalion area, just as
enemy mortar fire struck the battalion command post, the ammunition supply
point, and the communications center.
U.S. forward observers were unable to direct return fire, because their
radios didn’t work.
Some 1,000 North Koreans soon had them surrounded. Jensen’s men fought
for several hours, but enemy roadblocks prevented retreat, evacuation
of the wounded, or efforts to get more ammunition. Less than half escaped
with their lives. Sadly, Jensen was not among them. He was reported as
missing in action on the 11th, and on this day in 1950, he was reported
killed in action.
Lt. Col. Jensen received a posthumous Distinguished Service Cross, the
Nation’s 2nd highest military award, for remaining behind to cover
his men during their desperate attempt to withdraw.
by Merry Helm
Sources:
Appleman, Roy E. South To The Naktong, North To The Yalu. Washington,
DC: Center of Military History, 1961.
Blair, Clay. The Forgotten War: America in Korea 1950-1953. New York:
Random House, 1988.
Correspondence between author and Barbara Vanek, 2007.
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