Persons Missing Korea List: SGT Wilbert I. Dingman, Serial Number: ER16180638. Unit: Charlie Company, 38^th Infantry Regiment, 2^nd Infantry Division. Prisoner of War, Body not Recovered. Date of Incident: May 18, 1951. Date of Death: September 30, 1951. DOB: 1928. HOR: Emmet, MI. Not cited on the "Johnnie Johnson List" but cited on the "Missing in Action-Captivity List" of reports by several returning POWs.

FSC: #481F.

General Military Situation: During the first two weeks of May 1951, the Chinese prepared for what appeared to be a massive three-prong attack south- one down the Uijongbu Corridor toward Seoul, another down the Pukhan River Valley, and the third through Chunchon to Wonju. This third attack route would come against a line of defense formed by the U.S. 1^st Marine Division (near Hongchon) and 2^nd Infantry Division (near Hangye), and the Republic of Korea (ROK) 5^th and 7^th Divisions deployed diagonally northeast of the 2^nd Division toward Inje.

This line of defense, called the No Name Line, lay south of the twisting Soyang River and parallel to the Kansong-Hongchon road. The units occupied fortified positions in the hills, which averaged 2,000 feet in height. Within the 2^nd Division area of operations, the 9^th Infantry Regiment held the west sector (abutting the Marines), the 38^th Infantry Regiment (plus the Dutch Battalion) held the central sector, and an armor-infantry task force (Task Force Zebra) held the east sector along the Kansong-Hongchon road, where the division joined the ROK 5^th Division. The 23^rd Infantry Regiment was in X Corps reserve. The 2^nd Division's infantry units were supported by a massive array of artillery - four organic divisional artillery battalions plus self-propelled howitzers from X Corps artillery.

The 38^th Infantry was disposed along a four-mile front with the 3^rd Battalion in the left (west) sector, the 1^st Battalion occupied the key high terrain (Hill 1051) in the right (east) sector, backed up by the Dutch Battalion, and the 2^nd Battalion held outpost positions northwest of 1^st Battalion. Unknown at the time, five Chinese Armies (15 divisions) and elements of five North Korean divisions were amassing to annihilate X Corps.

On the morning of May 16, a crushing attack on the ROK 5^th and 7^th Divisions resulted in panic and chaos. Most, but not all, of the ROKs fled to the south, leaving 2^nd Division's right flank open to attack and envelopment. At the same time, six Chinese divisions hit 2^nd Division positions head-on. But this attack triggered an awesome artillery response from 2^nd Division and X Corps artillery, killing thousands of Chinese along attack approaches and in assembly areas. The tenacity of the division's front line troops coupled with the ceaseless barrage of artillery completely blunted and disorganized the attack. Throughout the day, units stubbornly held ground. Since the greatest frontal attack came in the 38^th Regiment's sector, Division Commander MG Nick Ruffner ordered the 9^th Regiment to reinforce the 38^th. Elements of the 1^st Marine Division moved northeast to occupy 9^th Regiment's former positions.During the night of May 16-17, the Chinese attacked again in mass, the brunt of which hit the positions of the 1^st and 2^nd Battalions, 38^th Infantry. The rifle companies of 1^st Battalion (including SGT Dingman's Charlie Company) were split and isolated on Hill 1051. In the 2^nd Battalion, Easy Company was overrun and shattered. By daylight on May 17, 1^st Battalion was surrounded and cut off. The Dutch Battalion mounted an attack to extricate the besieged 1^st Battalion, but it progressed slowly. By May 18, it was clear that 2^nd Division could not hold the No Name Line, and elements were ordered to withdraw to Hangye. For the 1^st Battalion on Hill 1051, compliance resulted in a fighting withdrawal from its positions and many casualties. During this withdrawal, SGT Dingman was captured.

After capture at Hill 1051, SGT Dingman was marched with others northward to the Suan Mining Camp in North Korea. According to survivors, he died of malnutrition and dysentery in September 1951 and was buried "at the back of the camp." It is not known why his remains were not repatriated after the cessation of hostilities in 1953.

Comments: In an effort to achieve the fullest possible accounting for Korean War missing, DPMO has negotiated with North Korea for access to battlefields, crash sites, cemeteries and burial sites, and POW camp sites from the war. Thus far, we have obtained access to battlefields in Northwest North Korea, which has resulted in the recovery of 107 sets of remains since 1996. In 1998, 1999, and 2000, combined U.S. and North Korean teams conducted thirteen Joint Recovery Operations in Unsan and Kujang Counties, areas through which the 1^st Cavalry and 2^nd and 25^th Infantry Divisions fought in November and early December 1950. DPMO analysts, on three separate occasions, have conducted archival research at North Korea's Fatherland Liberation War Museum and the national library, the Peoples' Grand Study House, in an effort to uncover further information on Korean War unaccounted for soldiers. No additional information was found with regard to SGT Dingman's loss.

[November 27, 2000]