The medical aid station at the Osan position on 5 July was located just behind and between Companies B and C in a saddle between two hills.  There was a shallow ditch running south  where patients were placed for protection.  The first wounded men arrived at the aid station around 0900 hours. Captain Edwin Lowell Overholt (physician, University of Iowa 1948); SGT Ezra P. (Phil) Burke; and four aidmen were on duty in the aid station.  SGT Burke had worked in a Korean aid station on 3 and 4 July from his Ansong position.  SGT Sutherland was in charge of the litter bearers on duty with the rifle companies.

     The first seriously wounded man had a sucking chest wound.

He was losing a lot of blood.  Attempts were made to seal the wound and plasma was indicated.  It was discovered that none of the aidmen knew how to mix and administer plasma.  CPL Earnest Fortuna, a surgical technician, had inadvertunately been sent out as a company aidman.  It took about five hours to retreive him.

     By 1400 hours, about fifteen (eight litter cases) wounded men had arrived at the aid station.  There were no dead men at the aid station.  SGT Patterson, a rifleman with Company C, had been wounded in the neck.  He refused to go to the aid station.  He was bandaged and remained on the line.

     Around 1430 hours, a Lieutenant arrived at the aid station

and gave SGT Burke a hand grenade and said "good luck" and stated that all the troops had pulled back.  By that time some of the company aidmen had arrived at the aid station. Captain Overholt, PFC Howard, and the Chaplain took the walking wounded out.  SGT Burke and the other aidmen prepared to take the litter cases out.

As they started out, along with the almost empty medicine chest,someone yelled and told them to drop the medicine chest and get out. So with ALL of the litter cases, LEAVING NONE BEHIND, they pulled down near the rice paddy and regrouped. All of that time they were receiving fire from burp guns and machine guns.  One of the U.S. machine gunners had pulled back near a levee at the foot of the hill and kept firing over their heads toward the enemy positions. This unknown machine gunner held the enemy off until the aidmen were able to get off the hill.

     After regrouping, and continuing to render indicated medical treatment, the medical group began to receive a lot of incoming mortar fire.  An incoming shell landed behind the group and two infantrymen were wounded.  SGT Burke told the aidmen who were carrying the litters to proceed on and he would render

medical care to the newly wounded men.  SGT Burke soon discovered that both men were dead.  Soon another shell came in and blew SGT Burke up in the air causing a concussion.  A small piece of the shell was imbedded into SGT Burke's forehead.  The fragment is still in his head in 1999.

     SGT Burke was carrying one patient and he attempted to catch up with the others without success.  All of the medical personnel, except SGT Burke, and their litter patients were captured or killed.  Burke escaped with his patient through rice paddies while under machine gun fire. Upon arriving in a secure area, Burke was exhausted.  He put the patient down and attempted to get him to walk since he only had an arm wound. The man just sat there.  Burke dragged him by his good arm up and over the next hill.  After a rest break, Burke carried the man again for a short distance.  Then they encountered LT Carl F. Bernard and a couple of his men.  They soon found a two-wheeled cart, placed the wounded man in it, and pulled it for about two miles.  After another rest break, Burke informed the wounded man that he was too exhausted to carry or pull him.  The man was told that if he did not walk, they would leave him.  LT Bernard gave the wounded man a watch to use as barter material.  He was left in a farm shed.  Burke was unable to understand why the man would not walk since he was only wounded in the arm.  Burke was later informed that the Company D machinegunner, was assisted by a South Korean and eventually rejoined his unit.

(Letter, Ezra P. Burke to William E. Wyrick, 21 April 1997)