Herbert B. Drees
Korean War
Herb Drees was born on May 25, 1928, to Henry and Marie (Sextro) Drees on a farm between Templeton and Manning. He attended Sacred Heart School and graduated from Carroll High School with the class of 1945.
Herb enlisted in the US Army in November, 1948, and was assigned serial number 17 250 571. The location of his basic training is unknown. After a year of service, he was discharged to the reserves in December, 1949. He spent the bulk of that year at Fort Riley, KS. Herb returned home to help with the family farm operation.
The Korean War started with the invasion of South Korea by North Korea on June 25, 1950. On September 15, 1950, Herb was recalled to the US Army as a corporal. He re-entered the service at Fort Sheridan, IL but also returned to Fort Riley. By December, 1950, he was on his way to Korea.
Once in South Korea, Herb was assigned to Company M, 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division as a heavy weapons infantryman. By this time, UN troops had pushed the North Koreans back to the north. The Chinese army had then entered the war pushing UN troops back south near Seoul. As the UN forces were retreating, the decision was made to make a stand against the Chinese Communists at Chipyong-ni.
Chipyong-ni was a crossroads town 35 miles east of Seoul and on the rail line to Wonju. Heavy fighting took place there starting on February 13, 1951. The UN troops resisted the initial attack. US airpower kept the Chinese at bay during daylight but attacks would resume after dusk. Fighting continued for two days until the Chinese determined they could not push the UN troops into the sea. This became a signature event in the war leading to the start of peace negotiations a few months later.
The UN troops then launched two new offensives forcing the Chinese back to the north. On February 22, 1951, Herb was wounded near Chipyong-ni and Wonju. The casualty report indicates he was “seriously wounded in action by a missile.” By February 28, Herb was in a hospital in Tokyo. Later reports indicate he was able to fully recover from his injury.
By May 1, 1951, Herb was discharged from the hospital and sent back to his unit. He returned to the United States arriving in San Francisco, CA on June 29, 1951. He was discharged from the US Army as a corporal on July 21, 1951, at Fort Carson, CO. He again returned to the family farm.
On May 28, 1955, Herb married Carol Drake at Annunciation Church in Coon Rapids, IA. The couple lived on the farm initially but later lived in a variety of locations in Iowa and Wisconsin. Herb died on May 22, 2019 at age 90. He was buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Templeton.