The History of Motorcycles in the Korean War

Even though the motorcycle is a taken for granted motor vehicle on the road these
times, its function as a motor vehicle in war is typically forgotten. In
this posting, the function of the motorbike is explored in the context of
the Korean War and the important role which it played for the duration of this
conflict.

Motorbike companies have a extended historical past of stepping up to the
plate and providing when their nation is in need. For the duration of WWI and
WWII, producers these types of as Indian, Harley Davidson and Triumph
supplied machines to the army which ended up geared up to the precise requirements of the Pentagon. In
point, Harley Davidson created above 90,000 machines for the U.S.
armed service all through WWII by itself!

Early in the Korean War (August 1950), at minimum 45 bikes had been
ruined in the course of an abortive try to retreat. No, these
were not Harleys that had been captured – they ended up
North Korean
motorcycles captured by the U.S. 25th Division, 3rd Battalion, 5th
Marines. In reality, the freshly formed North Korean Military (aided and experienced
by the Soviets and Chinese) had among its 90,000 men an whole
motorcycle reconnaissance regiment. On this certain working day, even so,
the bikes met their match in the Corsairs that swooped down on
them with their 20mm guns and rocket attacks.

On the North Korean aspect, the North Korean Military (NKA) applied bikes
equipped with saddlebags [http://motorcyclepartsandapparel.com/motorcycle-saddle-bags.html]
extensively. When the NKA took in excess of Seoul in July of 1950, the 12th
Bike Regiment secured important crossroads at Ch’ungju that
aided safe the central area and make it possible for the NKA to seize the city.
On the allied facet, the 17th Motorcycle regiment assisted in routing
the NKA out of Seoul a short time afterwards.

The principal shift that took position all through the Korean War was the
alternative of the motorbike by the Jeep in the U.S. Army. The
motorcycle experienced evidently been changed as the chosen motor vehicle for
challenging terrain. The introduction of the Jeep was component of a
comprehensive program the U.S. Released to swap growing old vehicles
from WWI (between which ended up the bike and sidecars). While more recent
motorcycles were being definitely utilised during the Korean War (as famous higher than),
the Jeep changed it in many locations exactly where it had previously regarded
prominence.

Possibly the genuine history of the Korean War and the bike is just one
that will not be discovered by searching via the history books or searching
up dry figures this sort of as how lots of motorcycles have been employed in this or that
raid for this or that function. The actual historical past – the human
historical past, might be summed up in the tale of Mark Nozzolillo and his Honda
Shadow. This is a photo of Mark’s father, Vince.

Vince is a veteran of the Korean War who lost a pal on the
battlefield in August of 1950. So shocked to see his buddy’s
entire body
staying carried out, the young guy (then 20 yrs old) turned to his
initial sergeant and clung to him in an pretty much fetal situation, sobbing
uncontrollably. Nozzolillo himself reported he “just went
nuts”
when he observed the sight. His son took the previous photograph (first released
in 1955) and had it airbrushed to the fuel tank of his Honda.

The story listed here is just one of the tragedies of war that we have to all
don’t forget, and the tribute a father compensated to his son. That this tribute
was paid on airbrushed motorcycle is something all bike
lovers can be proud of. It is really a memory that Mark will
have
each and every time he rides his bike.