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Axe Murder Incident

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Image:DMZ incident tree.jpg The Axe Murder Incident was the killing of two United States Army officers by North Korean soldiers on August 18, 1976 in the Joint Security Area (JSA) located in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which forms the de facto border between North and South Korea. The killings and the response (Operation Paul Bunyan) heightened tensions between North Korea and the United States of America / South Korea.

The incident is also known as the Hatchet Incident and the Poplar Tree Incident.

Contents

[edit] Background

In the JSA, near the Bridge of No Return, a 100 ft (30 m) poplar tree blocked the line of sight between two United Nations Command (UNC) checkpoints (numbered as CP's #2, #3, #4 and Observation Post (OP) #5). The northernmost checkpoint, CP#3, (situated next to the Bridge of No Return) was only visible from the only other UNC site, OP#5. Running across the middle of the bridge was the Military Demarcation Line between North Korean and South Korean territories. The Korean People's Army (KPA) had made numerous attempts to grab the UNC personnel from CP#3 and drag them across the bridge into North Korean territory. Because of this proximity to North Korean territory and repeated attempts to kidnap the UNC personnel working there, CP#3 was often referred to as "The Loneliest Outpost in the World".

[edit] Axe Murder Incident

On August 18, 1976, a group of five Korean Service Corps (KSC) personnel escorted by a UNC team consisting of the Joint Security Force (JSF) Company Commander (Captain Arthur Bonifas), his South Korean ROK Army counterpart, Captain Kim, the platoon leader of the current platoon in the area (1st Lt. Mark Barrett), and 11 enlisted personnel, both American and South Korean. The two Captains did not wear sidearms, as the Joint Security Area was limited to only two armed officers and 30 armed enlisted personnel at a time, however there were mattocks in the back of the 2 1/2 ton truck. The KSC workers had the axes they brought to prune the tree branches.

After trimming began, 15 to 16 KPA soldiers appeared commanded by Senior Lt. Pak Chul, whom the UNC soldiers had nicknamed "Lt. Bulldog" for his history of confrontations.<ref>Operation Paul Bunyan (from Imjinscout.com, based on a story in the Korea Times, Friday 17 August, 2001)</ref> Pak and his subordinates appeared to observe the trimming without concern for approximately 15 minutes, until Pak abruptly told the UNC to cease their activity. Capt. Bonifas, ordered the detail to continue their work, and turned his back to "Lt. Bulldog". The tree had been scheduled to be trimmed 7 days earlier, but rain had forced the work to be rescheduled. According to some sources, Senior Lt. Pak had at some point stated that the tree had been planted by Kim Il Sung himself[citation needed].

After being ignored by Capt. Bonifas, Pak Chul sent a runner across the Bridge of No Return. Within minutes a North Korean guard truck crossed the bridge and appriximately 20 more North Korean guards disembarked carrying crowbars and clubs. Pak Chul again demanded that the tree trimming stop, and when Capt. Bonifas turned his back to him, Pak Chul removed his watch, carefully wrapped it in a hankerchief, placed in it his pocket, and then shouted "Kill Them!" as he swung a karate chop to the back of Capt. Bonifas' neck, killing him instantly. Using the axes dropped by the tree-trimmers, the KPA killed the two U.S. soldiers, Capt. Bonifas and Lt. Barrett, and wounded all of the UNC guards except one.

While Capt. Bonifas had died instantly, Lt. Barrett had jumped a low wall (presumably to go help another UNC guard who had been chased there by KPA guards) which lead into a 15 ft., tree filled depression. From the road level, there was no visibility into the depression, only the tree tops were visible. The entire fight had lasted only about 20 - 30 seconds before the UNC Force had managed to disperse the KPA guards enough to get loaded into their truck with Capt. Bonifas' body. However, there was no sign of Lt. Barrett and the two UNC guards at OP#5 could not spot him. They did however observe the KPA guards grab (by the heels) approximately 5 members of their force and drag them back across the bridge. They also observed the KPA guards at KPA#8 (along the UNC emergency egress road) exhibiting strange behaviour, in that one guard would take an axe and go down into the depression area for a couple of minutes, and then come back up and hand the axe to another guard who then repeat the process. This went on for approximately 90 minutes until the UNC guards at OP#5 were informed that Lt. Barrett was missing, at which time they informed their superiors about the KPA activity in the depression. A search and rescue squad was quickly dispatched to the area, where they found the remains of Lt. Barrett.

A helicopter on a training mission was quickly dispatched to the location (its crew issued yellow armbands and .45 automatics) and used for a medevac, but neither American survived.

A Corporal saw the attack from his observation tower and recorded the murders with a movie camera.

Shortly after the incident, North Korean media began airing reports of the fight. The DPRK version stated:

"Around 10:45 a.m. today, the American imperialist aggressors sent in 14 hoodlums with axes into the Joint Security Area to cut the trees on their own accord, although such a work should be mutually consented beforehand. Four persons from our side went to the spot to warn them not to continue the work without our consent. Against our persuasion, they attacked our guards en masse and committed a serious provocative act of beating our men, weilding murderous weapons and depending on the fact that they outnumbered us. Our guards could not but resort to self-defense measures under the circumstances of this reckless provocation."
First two pictures of the fight sequence. UNC personnel are wearing white helmets.
Second two pictures of the fight sequence. UNC personnel are wearing white helmets.
Third two pictures of the fight sequence. UNC personnel are wearing white helmets.
Overview picture of the fight. UNC personnel are wearing white helmets.
Explanatory diagram of previous overview picture.
Portrait photo of Capt. Arthur Bonifas.
Portrait photo of Lt. Mark Barrett.
Portrait Photo of Lt. Pak Chul (Lt. 'Bulldog').

[edit] Operation Paul Bunyan

In response to the Axe Murder Incident, the UN Command determined to cut down the tree using an overwhelming force. The operation was conceived as a US/South Korean show of force, but was also carefully managed to prevent further escalation.

Operation Paul Bunyan was carried out on August 21 at 7 AM, just three days after the killings. A convoy of 23 American and South Korean vehicles ('Task Force Vierra') drove into the JSA without any warning to the North Koreans, who only had one observation post manned at the early hour. In the vehicles was a 16 man U.S. Army engineer platoon from the 2nd Engineer Battalion, equipped with axes and chainsaws who immediately started cutting down the tree, while one of the trucks was positioned to block the Bridge of No Return. The engineer platoon was accompanied by a 30 man security platoon armed with pistols and axe handles. In addition, a 64 man ROK special forces company accompanied them, armed with clubs and trained in Tae Kwon Do.

A U.S. infantry company in 20 utility helicopters and 7 Cobra attack helicopters circled behind them. Behind these helicopters B-52 bombers, escorted by U.S. F-4 fighters and R.O.K F-5 fighters were visible flying across the sky at high altitude. At Osan Air Base, F-111 fighters had been armed and fueled, ready to take off at short notice. The Midway aircraft carrier task force had also been moved to be stationed just off-shore. In addition, near the edges of the DMZ, many more heavily armed U.S. and ROK infantry, artillery, and armor were waiting to back up the special operations team. The bases near the DMZ were prepared for demolition in the case of a military response.

North Korea mobilized about 150 troops armed with assault rifles who watched in silence as the tree was felled in 42 minutes, and a violent confrontation was avoided. Also removed were two road barriers illegally installed by the North Koreans, while the South Korean troops also overzealously vandalized two North Korean watch posts. The stump of the tree was left as a deliberate reminder.

[edit] Aftermath

Although the operation was carried out peacefully, there was concern that it could spark a wider conflict. The incident led to increased tensions along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, but did not develop into full-scale war. Some shots were fired at a US helicopter circling Panmunjon later that day, but nobody was injured.

The United Nations Command had demanded that the North Koreans "punish those involved and make adequate reparations to the families of those killed and injured". Later on the day of Operation Paul Bunyan, they received a message from Kim Il-sung expressing regret at the incident without accepting responsibility. While not going far enough to satisfy a previously discussed 'acceptable' Northern response, the US administration decided to emphasize this as a step in the right direction, clearly not intent on further escalation.

The forward operating base closest to Panmunjom was later renamed Camp Bonifas in honor of the slain officer. <ref>Camp Bonifas (from globalsecurity.org)</ref> The site of the tree, whose stump was cut down in 1987, became the location of a stone monument with a brass plate inscribed in the memory of both men. The UN command has held commemorative ceremonies at the monument on anniversaries. <ref>Military marks date of DMZ incident in which two Army officers were slain - from Stars & Stripes, Pacific edition, Saturday, 18 August, 2001</ref> <ref>Memorial roll call for soldiers killed in infamous DMZ incident - from Stars & Stripes, Pacific edition, Sunday, 20 August, 2006</ref>

[edit] Gallery

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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[edit] External links

ja:ポプラ事件 ko:판문점 도끼 살인 사건

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