HAINES, Woodrow W.│GEIGER, Philip E.│COLLINS, Robert K.│ZAZYCKI, Stephen Z.│PAOLINO, Joseph T.
ATIS INTERROGATION NO. 3605 27 February 1951
The following information was obtained from recovered American military personnel, who were interrogated upon arrival in JAPAN from KOREA by Central Interrogation Center, TIS. The interrogation was conducted at Tokyo Army Hospital by Capt SHAPPELL.
Consolidated report of:
| HAINES, Woodrow W. | M/Sgt | RA 33008149 | Co L, 17th RCT, 7th Div |
| GEIGER, Philip E. | Pvt | RA 23815297 | Co L, 17th RCT, 7th Div |
| COLLINS, Robert K. | Pvt | RA 17278235 | Co L, 17th RCT, 7th Div |
| ZAZYCKI, Stephen Z. | Pfc | ER 12112558 | Co L, 17th RCT, 7th Div |
| PAOLINO, Joseph T. | Pfc | RA 13285126 | Co L, 17th RCT, 7th Div |
On 21 Jan 1951, a 31 man patrol from the 17th RCT engaged in a fire fight with a superior force of N■ Koreans in the vicinity of SUN■CHAN. The patrol fought from a creek bed until 1900 when 20 men were left, three of whom were wounded, and most of the ammunition expended.
Being entirely surrounded, the patrol surrendered, were searched, and weapons and valuables taken. The group was then marched into the mountains and here pile jackets and shoe pacs were removed. A forced march was made all night until the Division CP was reached in a village. The group now numbered fourteen men, some having dropped out during the march. Their fate is unknown. Of the fourteen, Haines, Geiger, Collins and Paolino were now suffering from frostbite due to their immersion in water the previous day and lack of adequate footgear.
From 23 Jan to 1 Feb 51, the fourteen prisoners marched nights and rested days with approximately 300 N. Korean troops. The group felt that Div and Corps Hq were being moved. On 1 Feb 51, Corps Hq was reached and the fourteen PsW were held in a house in an unknown village until the night of 5 Feb 51.
M/Sgt Haines was the only prisoner summoned for interrogation, being interrogated four times at Division and twice at Corps Hq. The unit designations of this Division and Corps were not known to the Sergeant.
Two of the interrogations at Division level seemd well organized. Source was asked name, rank, serial number, organization, date of arrival in Korea, how brought to Korea, number of men accompanying source to Korea, how many tanks in a Regiment, names and ranks of Bn, Regt, and Div commanders, location of Regt and Div CP, Divisions movements since coming to Korea, coordination between ground and air, and finally the North Koreans wanted to know if all the divisions in Korea were under the 24th Corps. Other questions asked at Div level were why his patrol carried no maps, why did he not surrender sooner, why fight Koreans when Koreans don’t go to the United States and kill Americans, what did the Americans think of the weapons and discipline of the N. Korean Army, and finally, did the Sgt know Gen Courtney Hodges?
Interrogation at Corps level could better be called an indoctrination period according to the Sgt. Here he was lecture rather then interrogated, yet none of the others were subjected to this treatment. The following statements were recalled:
1. N Korea fights for the common people of Korea while the US fights for the rich.
2. This war will eliminate the barons of Wall Street.
3. Pres. TRUMAN and Gen MacARTRUR are no good.
4. UN Forces should be withdrawn leaving N and S KOREA to fight.
5. Chinese troops have never been committed as groups, only as volunteers.
6. Gen DEAN was captured after wandering in the hills for 8 days. He is now in a PW camp at PYONGYANG. This statement was made on two occasions.
The night of 5 Feb 51, the 14 Americans were split into 2 groups of nine and five men each. They were told that both groups would be released but in different areas. The groups of five men giving this consolidated report was joined by a Korean who had been observed ever since they were captured. This man identified himself as a S. Korean major who as also to be released. His story was doubted since he was always observed with the N. Korean officers and was not treated in any way as a prisoner. However the two groups set out in different directions with no guides. The second group of nine men was not seen again.
Since four men had badly frozen feet and walked with difficulty, it was decided that they would stay in a house near the road while Pfc Zazycki and the man identified as a South Korean major went on in an attempt to contact friendly forces. These two men walked all that night and the day of 6 Feb 51 when an artillery barrage was encountered. The Korean ran away and Pfc Zazycki continued on until he contacted South Korean soldiers who took him to elements of the 31st Inf, 7th Div on 7 Feb 51. The 31st Inf immediately dispatched a patrol for the four men left behind and found them without any incident.
For the CO, TIS:
WEELDREYER
