On the next mission, O Pak sent half his men to the northeast and half to the southwest of the target bridge. Both teams heard a train approaching from the south, just before it entered a tunnel. Soon afterward, the northwest bridge squad encountered a five-man enemy patrol and ordered it to surrender. The North Koreans dived for cover instead, as SMG gunners opened up on them with BAR, machine-gun and 57mm recoilless rifle fire. Offshore, LCPR machine gunners added .30-caliber fire support while the demo teams placed their charges. All hands returned to the APD and were later informed by Atcheson that they had succeeded in completely destroying the bridge.

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Following a much-deserved break and a conference at Pusan, the SMG was back at it in May. Apparently, Rear Adm. George C. Dyer, commander, Task Force 95, had not been fully informed about the CIA-sponsored activities, and he requested more information. Atcheson briefed him fully on the forthcoming planned missions and later met with intelligence officers from CTF 95 and from the Seventh Fleet. He then met with the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Far East, Vice Adm. C. Turner Joy, who, after Atcheson's briefing, concurred with the proposed operations. They would be the last ones for the SMG.

By June 23, 1952, the SMG was preparing for Mission No. 3 of its final quartet. Number 2 had been canceled due to foul weather, and No. 1 had netted three prisoners. At 2200, Bass arrived off the target beach. Visibility was only 100 yards. After gunfire support ships pounded a nearby shore battery, the SMG guerrillas landed unopposed a little after midnight. O Pak deployed two roadblock teams, then accompanied the rest of his men for a search of the village that was their objective. By the time they returned to the beach two hours later, SMG guerrillas had taken 10 prisoners and captured numerous documents. As they departed, they disabled a large junk with BAR fire and grenades. When all boats were recovered, Bass contributed parting shots–31 rounds of 5-inch ordnance aimed at boat concentrations and radar-controlled shore batteries.

The following night, O Pak's guerrillas carried out a highly successful final raid. Besides finding and seizing a huge cache of food, ammo, clothing, records and maps, they captured several North Korean security personnel who were aboard a sampan, making a total of 13 prisoners who were taken back to Bass for interrogation. As the team withdrew, the SMG found another sampan and destroyed it.

More than 50 years later, George Atcheson and Joe Pagnella have nothing but praise for the bravery of the men of the Special Mission Group. In a relatively brief period of time, they accomplished all that was asked of them, sometimes dying in the process. They also provided a model, along with the other CIA-sponsored Korean operations, for Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) activities conducted by the U.S. military later, in Southeast Asia. Kramer, Atcheson and Pagnella continued their work on Yong Do and elsewhere through 1952, assisted by temporary duty Department of the Army civilians, personnel hurriedly trained by the CIA and sent to Korea. Some of the other work involved Atcheson and Pagnella's participating in behind-the-lines resupply airdrops conducted from K-9 Air Base, east of Pusan, by Special Air Missions Douglas C-47s and Curtiss C-46s. Kramer and Atcheson earned the Navy Cross and the Silver Star respectively for their CIA missions. Pagnella received the respect of his SMG mates and the knowledge of a professional NCO's job well done.

This article was written by John B. Dwyer and originally published in the December 2002 issue of Military History Magazine. For more great articles be sure to subscribe to Military History magazine today!

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