Boomerang Related Photos
Wartime Views from 2nd Infantry Division Book
September 2001 Photos of the Boomerang Area
Modern Photos of Boomerang Veterans and Families
June 2002 Hamilton, Ohio Reunion - From top right: 1st Sgt. Reed Patchen, Stan Cahill of counterfire, Willard Hamill of Co. F, Bud Sarisohn, a Co. F supply sgt and member of counterattack force. Bottom row: Co. F Commander 1st Lt. Ricardo Cardenas, Platoon Leader Lt. Lewis Hotelling.
Willard Hamill and Ernie Clifford - Aug. 2001 at Washington Union Station.
Jeanette and Willard Hamill and Ernie and Bernie Clifford - Aug. 2001 at Washington Union Station.
Left to Right - Willard Hamill, Rose Patchen, Kendall Everett, Reed Patchen, and the Sarisohns
The Thursday evening dinner panorama. Left to right - Kendall Everett's sister in law, Kendall Everett, Rose and Reed Patchen, the Sarisohns, and Willard Hamill.
At the Korean War Memorial. Left to right - John and Willard Hamill, Kendall Everett, and seated is Reed Patchen.
Wartime Photos and News Articles of Willard Hamill - Dealing with the June 14-15 attack and before.
Chinese casualties the next day. The center chest cavity is of a Chinese soldier blown apart by his own grenades in front of Willard Hamill's and Bill Brown's fighting bunker.
Chiggies removing the bodies.
A zoom of the previous photo. Behind is a jeep that was crushed by the withdrawing tank.
Chiggies dragging a Chinese body up the hill with commo wire.
 Emmanuel "Natureboy" Dalton and the area to the rear of the tank. Willard Hamill spent his first night on the frontlines with Natureboy in the rightmost fighting position of the 3rd Inf. Division. The 9th ROK Division held the area to the east. Dalton was sent to the rear to be a chaplain's assistant, but he insisted on returning to the platoon and became a platoon runner. As the battle began on June 13th, he told Lt. Hotelling that he believed he would be killed. Hotelling sent him to the safety of a new well built bunker. Hotelling had just left when the bunker took a direct hit, killing everyone inside. |
 In trench on phone Natureboy Dalton. |
News Article A good article from Rock of the Marne with interviews, however the statement that Willard Hamill and Bill Brown evacuated their bunker is incorrect.
Lt. Cardenas Article - Being given an award for assisting the ROK 9th Division defense prior to the June 14-15 attack. Cardenas was commander of Fox Company, 7th Regiment. Drafted into the army in World War II, he served as a scout in the Pacific. He served two tours in Korea plus service in Vietnam and retired as a Lt. Colonel. He now lives in California.
Lt. Hotelling Article Lt. Hotelling was platoon leader, 2nd Platoon Fox Company. Pvt. Hamill was a member of Lt. Hotelling first patrol toward enemy lines. Hotelling was wounded on Boomerang and awarded the Silver Star. He remained in the Army and retired as a major. He now lives in Hamilton, Ohio.
Pvt. Kendall Everett Article. The squad sniper. He turned 18 years of age on the front lines. After the war he was assistant squad leader for Willard Hamill. Photo. Zoom., 2 With Willard Hamill
Pvt. Ernie Clifford Article. A baseball player. Severely wounded in the knee June 15, 1953 on Boomerang and sent back to Walter Reed hospital where he and Lt. Hotelling were treated. Photo.
Frank Williams and William Willis awarded Silver Stars.
Rear of Ridge near tank looking west Frank Williams on left. Possibly the 2nd Platoon CP bunker.
Chow Line Extending down Boomerang with men spaced 10 yards apart.
Pvt. Hamill Photo 1,(with 57mm recoilless rifle ammo) 2 behind tank 3 (With Tex Jones. At the bottom is a roll of concertina wire.), 4 (with Belgian(?) weapon and Chinese burpgun (submachinegun) after battle of Boomerang during reconstitution of Fox Company because of heavy casualties)
Tex Jones and Bobby Wellman with submachinegun and attached flashlight that Willard Hamill removed from a dead Chinese soldier.
Papasan and Hill 399 399 was an enemy outpost which had been shelled regularly and resembled a pile of dirt.
Terrain to left of Papasan No man's land.
Terrain to right of Papasan clear view.
Terrain to right of Papasan With white phosphorus shells exploding.
A Mountain is this Papasan from another angle or another mountain entirely?
Deep Communications Trench Leslie Martin, later wounded and returned to the company.
In a trench Left: unknown Right: probably Elbert Davidson.
Along ridgeline Looking west with the enemy toward the right. Tank was positioned in saddle. Some of the troops near here could see fighting at Outpost Harry before the Boomerang battles.
Rear area near showers The truck had a pump which pumped water from a stream into the water heater then into the shower tent.
Terrain in front of Boomerang No mans land with patrol activity.
Terrain and overhead camoflauge Papasan may be in the background.
Bunker Unknown.
Bunker in rear In foreground is "urination" tube, to be tactful. Do you know any of these men?
With a mattock in deep trench Al Melvin of Long Island, NY. Killed in action on Boomerang.
bunker and terrain Platoon CP? To the right is Kumhwa valley.
in trench Unknown.
Sign says 3rd Plat. End 3rd Squad, Squad Leader Cpl. Jones sign Cpl. Norman "Jonesy" Jones (later wounded and shipped stateside), Nick Medori, and Jay Janezic holding a propaganda leaflet. From Boomerang. Background is one of the Jane Russell hills.(?)
Squad and danger backblast area sign Foreground: Bobby Wellman and ROK 8, Middle: Tex Jones, Roland Stacey of NC killed by a short round on June 14, 1953, Willard Hamill then Bill Brown his BAR man, Jay Janezic Back: Nick Medori.
Janezic, Hamill, and Medori with Kumhwa valley behind
Group Photo ROK 8, Bobby Wellman, ROK 20, Ernie Clifford, Al Melvin, and Bill Brown.
In trench Unknown
In trench Unknown.
In trench Unknown
ROK 8, Hamill, Ernie Clifford, Al Melvin with tools
Looking back down the hill Chow line?
Decorations Article in Rock of the Marne.
Cleaning Weapons Second from left is William Willis who is mentioned in an article about Boomerang. Center is Janezic. Others unknown.
Sorting out gear after Boomerang fight Foreground: Bill Brown. Far right: Tex Jones. Area was within sight of Boomerang.
Hamill sorting gear after fight
Pile of weapons In rear area after major battle on Boomerang.
Bill Brown and Willard Hamill in area behind Boomerang Boomerang in background?
Willard Hamill eating C rations
Jay Janezic with Kuhwha valley
ROK 20 and Kendall Everett by River Near the war's end.
Bronze Star Recommendation Part 2
Bronze Star Article in Roanoke Times and World News.
Combat Infantryman's Badge List
Group and Terrain Janezic, Medori, Hamill, and Brown. Kumhwa valley behind.
M47/48 tank(?) just behind its fighting position (it looks like an M26 Pershing)
Willard Hamill at entrance to Fighting Position (AR 952 was bunker number)
Douglas Ford, later killed, cutting Willard Hamill's hair (with view of terrain in background)
Willard Hamill and Bill Brown, the BAR man
ROKs and US Made on the way back to corps HQ. Kendall Everett and three ROKs.
Post War
Willard Hamill with carbine and Kendall Everett during a deer hunt after the war.
group Willard Hamill, Rich Gregori, Robert 'Beatle Bailey' Martin, Lawson, unknown
Korean Flag displayed by William Heady, Charles(?) Brown
group 'RA' Kendall Everett, Dezel Ball, Kenneth Bright
Doc Willard Hamill, Frank 'Doc' Williams
Large Group Top Row: Willard Hamill, Rich Gregori, Kenney, Raphael Dicicco, Kenneth Bright, Dunn ; Middle Row: ROK, Billy Jo Reams, Bobby Wellman, ROK, Kendall Everett ; Bottom Row: Lawson, George Barnett, "Beatle Bailey" Martin, Sam Alston, ROK
Large Group 2 Top Row second from left: Larry McSherry
Group of Four Front: Jimmy Johnson, Willard Hamill, Left: Barnett, Right: Dicicco
Group of Three Willard Hamill, George Barnett, Bobby Wellman
Medic Frank Williams. Clowns are Raphael Dicicco and George Barnett
Charlie Brown, Willard Hamill, Peterson, two unknowns, Kenneth Bright behind
Ziarkowski (squad leader of 2nd squad of 2nd platoon), right unknown
Harold Fink, Harold Hollingsworth, and Willard Hamill
Unknown Who are these?
Unknown Who are these?
Hamill and Sgt. Russell Mertens
Chapel Article in the Rock of the Marne. Post War.
Chapel and terrain 2nd Bn. HQ area several miles south of Kumhwa.
Outside Chapel and the chaplain.
Hamill with "Has Done" Sign and terrain The 15th was the Can Do Regiment.
ROKs The two older are chiggies, civilians who worked on the front lines.
Group Photo Post War. 3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon, Fox Company. Squad leader Hamill is back left.
Hamill and Lausier twist drying under aerial camoflauge
Group Photo 3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon, Fox Co.
Color Photos
Sfc. Mertens with a peak of what Boomerang veterans call Jane Russell in background. Zoom.
Lt. Maguire on left and Belgians. Zoom. Lt. Maguire replaced Lt. Hotelling as platoon leader after Hotelling's wounding. On the back of the picture it has two dates, June 23rd and July 3rd, 1953. On Jane Russell.
Boomerang Veterans Please Contact Us! Please help us identify the men in these pictures. We would be happy to put your photos, remembrances, or important documents on this webpage, or just talk. I am forming a basic understanding of this battle, but there is still much I don't know. The battles at Boomerang should not be forgotten but will be unless your memories are recorded. A retired journalist, Alan Eysen, is writing a book which will include accounts of the events of June 14-15. He is interviewing veterans but has only found a small number so far. Both he and I would be happy to hear from you.
