H.J. Burley Smith, U.S. Merchant Marine, Korea, USS Meredith Victory Evacuation

H.J. Burley Smith was 12 years old when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entered World War II. He followed the far closely, especially as his father served in the U.S. Merchant Marine.

Smith graduated from high school in 1946 and eventually decided to enter the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy on Long Island. By the time his years as a cadet and in training were complete, the Korean War was breaking out on the other side of the world. He was assigned to the USS Meredith Victory, which would soon be on its way to war.

In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Smith explains how much responsibility brand new junior third mates like him were given in navigating ships. He also shares the harrowing story of being the last ship in a convoy headed for the Inchon Landing during a fierce typhoon that nearly knocked him into the sea.

However, the USS Meredith Victory is best known for conducting the largest single-ship humanitarian evacuation in history – at Hungnam in North Korea in December 1950 after Chinese forces flooded across the border and temporarily forced the U.S. to retreat.

Smith, who is the last surviving crew member of the Meredith Victory, describes how the evacuation took place with the Chinese just a mile or two way, the very difficult conditions on board, and how more than 14,000 Koreans were eventually brought to safety and freedom.

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Veterans Chronicles