GI Flashbacks: The Deadly 1981 Team Spirit River Crossing Accident
Background
In March of 1951 United States Forces Korea (USFK) was executing their annual Team Spirit exercise. Team Spirit was the major joint exercise held annually with the Republic of Korea (ROK) military from 1976 to 1993. Team Spirit ended in 1993 as part of the efforts to end the nuclear crisis with North Korea that began that year. Team Spirit exercised the logistics of supporting US warfighting units on the peninsula and joint operations between the US and ROK militaries.
In 1981 USFK held its largest ever Team Spirit exercise up to that point that featured 27,000 US military personnel stationed in Korea and 33,000 US military personnel from outside the peninsula. In addition to the US military personnel, over 100,000 ROK military servicemembers participated in the exercise as well. The April 8, 1981 Stars and Stripes called that year’s Team Spirit “the largest ground field maneuver exercise in the Free World”. This was the first Team Spirit exercise held during the Ronald Reagan administration where US and ROK ties had noticeable improved after much deterioration during the prior Carter administration.
The 1981 Team Spirit exercise featured a scenario where North Korea attacked southwest across the Han River which caused US and ROK forces to fight a delaying action southeast of the river. After completing the delaying action, US and ROK forces would then launch a counterattack to push the North Koreans north of the Han River again.
The Deadly Accident
On March 15, 1981 soldiers from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 31st Mechanized Infantry (C/1-31IN) from the 2nd Infantry Division stationed in South Korea found themselves participating in the counterattack portion of the exercise. Their unit was participating in a river crossing exercise where their armored personnel carriers would cross a pontoon bridge constructed on the Namhan River outside of the city of Yeoju, 35 miles southeast of Seoul.
City of Yeoju located on the far bottom right and Seoul on the upper left. The Namhan River can be seen flowing north from Yeouju and connecting with the Han River that flows through Seoul.
Due to the many large rivers in South Korea, river crossing exercises are an extremely important skill to master. To this day river crossing exercises are conducted on major rivers in South Korea to include the Namhan River:
However, for the soldiers of C/1-31IN, the river crossing exercise executed during the 1981 Team Spirit exercise quickly turned deadly. 12 soldiers found themselves fighting for their lives when two armored personnel carriers fell into the frigid water when the pontoon bridge broke apart. Eight of the soldiers were rescued, but the accident ultimately cost the lives of four USFK soldiers. Sergeant Harry Pickins, age 26 of West Memphis, Arkansas was the first body recovered on the same day of the accident. He was assigned to the 17th Field Artillery battalion:
Stars & Stripes newspaper, March 21, 1981
The Stars & Stripes newspaper reported five days later that the body of 18-year old, Private First Class Philip Pidgeon from Carbondale, Pennsylvania had been recovered about one mile downstream from the accident site:
Stars & Stripes newspaper, March 26, 1981
Two weeks later the Stars & Stripes then reported that the body of 21-year old Sergeant Vernon Cude was recovered from the river:
Stars & Stripes newspaper, April 12, 1981
Sergeant Cude reportedly helped others to find their life vests before the cold water and fast current washed him away. The only other body that had not been recovered was of 22-year old Sergeant Gary Schlecht. Much like Sergeant Cude, he attempted to help save soldiers without life vests before the swift current washed him away. I could not find any additional articles in the Stars & Stripes archive reporting on whether Sergeant Schlecht’s body was eventually recovered. However, the Find A Grave website does have a memorial marker for Sergeant Schlecht in Dayton, Ohio.
Stars & Stripes newspaper, April 8, 1981
River Crossing Accidents in Korea
Unfortunately this accident would not be the last deadly river crossing accident in South Korea. The May 10th, 1985 Stars & Stripes newspaper reported that a US soldier lost his life when an armored personnel carrier fell off a pontoon bridge on the Imjim River. In 1998 four US soldiers and a Korean Augmentee to the US Army (KATUSA) lost their lives when once again an armored personnel carrier fell off a pontoon bridge on the Imjim River. It was this accident I remember being briefed to my unit when we conducted my first river crossing exercise on the Imjim River back in 2000. Safety was of the up most concern during every river crossing exercise I have ever done in Korea since then and fortunately there has been no other deadly accidents since 1998.
Remembering the tragic deaths during the 1981 Team Spirit exercise serves as a reminder of the importance of safety during potentially dangerous training and making sure all efforts are made to mitigate risk. I don’t know if everything was done to mitigate risk before this tragic accident in 1981, but leaders today owe it to the memories of those killed in tragic accidents like this to take all measures to prevent future accidents.
So many people misunderstand the dangers of peacetime service. Since “you fight like you train”, the training needs to be realistic. That often involves risks not seen in safe spaces on college campuses or in corporate headquarters.
In a semi-related statistic, between 1955 when B52s became operational and 1992 when they removed the enlisted gunners, 49 gunners died as a result of flying activities (weather, equipment problems, enemy action, and friendly fire). Only 6 of those were lost on combat missions.
Some people choose to put their personal lives on hold to keep the rest of us safe. May God grant us enough of them.
Sgt Schlect’s body was recovered about a month after the drowning. I was a pfc at the time. C-47 was my assigned vehicle. It was a m220 TOW middle carrier. Cude and Schlect were my squad leader and section leader. Pigeon was only there from an infantry squad to operate the missile carrier that day, his normal assigned vehicle successfully completed the crossing. It was 2 weeks before my 18th birthday. Cude called me Hayseed. Pigeon had some young children. They were all great guys.
private pigeon was in my platoon, what I remember of him was he only drank coca cola and smoked. He was a very melo and kind individual. He only spoke good things about the children he longed to go home to. My APC was the one who transported the company of soldiers across the river.On that faithful day I traversed that river several times approximately 6 times.I’ll never forget private pigeons face when he went under. And Sgt.Cudes efforts aswell. Thank God there’s a post to remind us of their loss so we dont forget their efforts to serve their country proudly and willfully. ps survivors guilt absolutely. May God rest their souls.
Hey Charlie I was there 80 to 81 maybe email me see if we knew each other contact me at kingtowandtransport@yahoo.com thanks and remember our motto Raise Up PS I don’t have Twitter, Facebook or anything like that thanks
I don’t remember the details but a KATUSA lost his life during a river crossing in 1989. On payday they asked us to contribute to a fund for his family. The implication was the USFK paid for his funeral and burial but provides no financial benefit to the family, like our SGLI. He wasn’t even from our brigade but he was a 2ID soldier. We later heard a rumor that he had zipped himself up completely in his sleeping bag. One of our NCOs said it was an unwritten rule in most units that during crossings everyone was awake and alert, in case something bad happened.
Boat operator
I was there team sprit 81
We tried but the apcs were upside down and suction was to much
The apc s were swimming across the water was moving too fast too fast
I was the safety boat on-site / recovery
I was at the imjim river crossing that Sunday morning March15,1981. I was the assigned apc driver of C-47. Vernon wanted to switch our apc. He liked mine, cuz it was faster. Sergeant cude was my squad leader,he was the driver of C-46.. Gary was in my platoon, but a different squad. I don’t think I knew pigeon, but then again to think about it, I probably did. I always practice taekwondo with Vernon. He studied Bruce Lee, he kick my butt lol,, in a good way!
I helped to wrench my C-47 out of the river. And towed my apc back to camp howze driving Vernon C-46 apc.. Vernon came to me, on that cold Sunday morning, while towing my track C-47.. My track C-47 started up 3 times while towing it.. the reason why I said that Vernon came to me, I had the transferred gear case disconnected, so making sure the motor could not start,while in tow.. I had to stop each time, get out of Vernon’s driver’s seat, climb down from the APC, go back and climbed in my driver’s seat of C-47.. I had to make sure that the transfer gear case was disconnected, which all three times it was.. and I had managed, to stop the engine from running, but it always started back up when I was towing the vehicle.. I will never forget that night, for as long as I live.. Gary was a good man,he loved his beer. That could Have been me that died, Vernon was such a good man, and so was Gary, and pigeon. I will miss them forever! May God bless them, and may all 3 rest in peace!
jimmyjames5722@gmail.com.
Thank you for this article,
Thank God I’m still alive to read it