The following account 0f story of friendship and leadership likely occurred on 21 April 1951, several kilometers southwest of Hwacheon. The narrator of the story is PFC Arthur Reid, who had recently returned to Baker Company after recovering from an injury sustained in late March. He had suffered a leg injury due to shrapnel and still nursed a limp at the time.
The 5th Marines, as well as the 1st Marines, had been in reserve the whole time I was recovering so I did not miss out on any of the "fun." Baker Company jumped off, as we called it, as soon as I rejoined. We had new replacements – new faces - some we hardly got to know before they became casualties themselves.
Baker Company found itself pinned down trying to take a hill that was well fortified. Third Platoon brought up the rear. As we neared the ridge line where Baker Company was deployed, I saw a Chinese soldier appear about 30 yards to my right. I started to shoot at him when a Marine also appeared. The Chinese soldier was a prisoner of war being shepherded by a Marine.
As our squad deployed along the ridge, I discovered my fire team was directly in front of the machine gun that was sweeping the ridge line. I noticed heavy 30s (machine guns) had been in use. As we lay there trying to flatten ourselves out on the open ground just behind the crest of the ridgeline, our Lieutenant called for my fire team leader, Dan Ballem. Ballem went over to the Lieutenant and crawled back beside me and said, "Reid, I hate to tell you this, but the Lieutenant wants you to charge the gun."
Needless to say, I was not favorably impressed with the news that I was to be the sacrificial goat to charge a machine gun position that had a company tied down. I perceived this to be the end of old Art Reid. I had a choice – charge the gun and be killed by the enemy or refuse and be shot by our own people for disobeying a direct order while engaged in combat against the enemy. I started getting my pack off and noticed Dan was doing the same thing. I asked what he was doing that for, and he replied, "I'm going with you." I had to do it, but I do not think Dan Ballem, my good friend from Lynn, Massachusetts, was ordered to go with me; but he gave me the courage – if that’s the right word – to do what I had been ordered to do.
There was a lull in the firing as the word went out to cease fire so we would not be shot by our own guys. The plan was to flank the gun while it was occupied chewing me to pieces. Dan and I both rose and ran toward the gun, firing from the hip so to speak. We ran all the way and jumped on top of the bunker. We looked at each other for a split second - both surprised that we were still alive.
I fired into one of the firing ports and Dan shoved a grenade through another. After the grenade went off, we jumped into the trench leading to it from the side of the hill and to our surprise there was no one in it! The enemy soldiers had pulled out during the lull in the firing from our side when we were making ready to rush in. There could have been no more than a couple of minutes in the no fire interval, but it gave them time to get out.
How many people have a friend who will put their life on the line for him? Dan did this so his Texan buddy would not have to die alone.
