Branch Accounts of the Korean War
519th Military Police Battalion

 
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519th Military Police Battalion Facts

 
  • The 519th was the first military police battalion to land in Korea on July 23, 1950 from their base in Yokohama, Japan.
     
  • Company C 519th processed over 7,000 prisoners of war in two weeks of October 1950.
     
  • The 519th MP Battalion received a letter of commendation from the commander of the 2nd Infantry Division for the operation called "Task Force Indianhead."
     
  • During the withdrawal from Pyongyang, North Korea, the 519th MP Battalion was instrumental in effecting an orderly vehicular evacuation of the city and with guiding approximately one million refugees to South Korea.  The battalion also helped in fighting the rear guard action during the withdrawal.
     
  • The 519th Military Police Battalion engaged communist forces at roadblocks, outposts, rail lines, cities and villages along the Main Supply Routes.
     
  • In 1951 the battalion participated in Operation "Rat Killer", along with two ROK divisions, the ROK Military Police, and the Korean National Police.  At the end of the operation there were 19,000 guerrillas killed, wounded or captured.  This operation was necessary because of the large number of communist troops left behind after the Inchon Invasion.
     
  • The 519th MP Battalion was one of the oldest Army units in continuous service during the Korean War.
     
  • Company B was selected to participate in Operation Big Switch.  This was the exchange of communist prisoners of war for United Nations prisoners of war.  The first exchange was known as Operation Little Switch, where prisoners in most need of medical attention were exchanged.  There were over 80,000 communist prisoners and about 13,500 United Nations prisoners involved in this operation.
     
  • The 519th Military Police Battalion was awarded ten battle stars and five unit citations for their service during the Korean War.

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