Why Withdraw?

Red Chinese soldiers attacking a ridge line near Waewon last week were shocked to come face to face with swarthy, fiercely mustachioed Turks howling down upon them with bayonets fixed. In this and other Turkish bayonet charges some 200 Chinese were killed, and soon stories of the Turks were spreading like a tonic along the U.N. line.

The Turkish brigade (5,000 men) is led by Brigadier General Tahsin Yazici, who likes to twit British war correspondents with such remarks as, "Yes, I remember your General Townshend well. We took him prisoner at Kut-el-Amara [in 1916]." Last week Yazici's smart, tightly disciplined Turks were thrown in to hold the line the R.O.K.s abandoned east of Kaechon. Estimated Turkish casualties at week's end: 500. A U.S. doctor said it seemed that a Turk waited until he had at least three wounds before he reported to the medics.

After 48 hours of concentrated action on the shoulder of the Red Chinese wedge the Turks were short of food and ammunition, fighting with knives and fists, hurling stones at endless waves of Chinese attackers. Yet U.S. tanks that went forward to rescue trapped Turkish units found the Turks preparing to attack. Ordered to pull back from positions where they were surrounded by the swarming Chinese, the Turkish commander replied in amazement, "Withdraw? Why withdraw? We are killing lots of them."

When, at last, the tired, bedraggled brigade did fight its way clear, the Turks marched 50 miles down the road to Pyongyang, carrying their wounded on their backs, pointing in disgust at the direction they were headed, and repeating over & over again: "The general's orders . . . the general's orders . . ."

The U.S. had spent over $200 million in military aid to Turkey on the assumption that the Turk was a good soldier, who would defend his country if neighbor Russia attacked it. The Turks in Korea proved the assumption well justified.