Military Police contains information about military police functions in maneuver and mobility support, area security, law and order, internment/resettlement, and police intelligence operations.
Issue link: https://militarypolice.epubxp.com/i/115206
By Master Sergeant Patrick V. Garland (Retired) W hen the Japanese capitulated, ending World War II in 1945, the U.S. ArmyÕs 24th Corps was dispatched from Okinawa, Japan, to the Korean Peninsula to accept the surrender of the Japanese forces that had occupied that country. Russian forces also entered Korea from its northern border with Mongolia. In a mutual agreement between U.S. President Harry Truman and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, Korea was divided at the 38th Parallel, with the Russians occupying the northern half and the United States holding the southern half of the country. According to General Order No. 1, ÒThe senior Japanese commanders and all ground, sea, air, and auxiliary forces within Manchuria, Korea, north of 38¼ north latitude and Karafuto (Sakhalin) shall surrender to the commander in chief of Soviet forces in the Far East. The Imperial General Headquarters; its senior commandersÑand all ground, sea, air, and auxiliary forces in the main islands of Japan; minor islands adjacent thereto; Korea south of 38¼ north latitude; and the Philippines shall surrender to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Army Forces in the Paci¿c."1 Lieutenant General John Hodge, commander of the 24th Corps, was appointed the U.S. occupation commander governing southern Korea. The organization that he headed was known as U.S. Forces in Korea, and it consisted of Headquarters, 10th U.S. Army; two infantry divisions; and support elements. Coincident with their surrender, the Japanese resumed passenger ferryboat transportation between Japan and Korea. This was promptly augmented with short-range Japanese vessels assisting in the repatriation of the Japanese from Korea. By the end of September 1945, an average of 4,000 people were being evacuated from South Korea each day. Additional shipping spaces were gained by shuttling the Japanese from Korea in landing ships, tanks (LSTs), which were under the control of the Commander in Chief, Paci¿c Command, and were engaged in moving 24th Corps personnel from Okinawa to Korea. Twenty LSTs were employed, and about 20,000 Japanese were returned to Japan 12Ð16 October 1945. In addition, LSTs were used to evacuate about 50,000 Japanese from Saishu, a large island off the southern tip of Korea.2 The United States established a military government in Korea, and provost courts were organized to handle cases 34 involving Korean or Japanese subjects. The military government retained many Japanese of¿cials for positions that the United States was unable or ill-equipped to ¿ll. The 36th Military Police Criminal Investigation Detachment (CID)Ñwhich was established at Camp Custer, Michigan, on 29 August 1944Ñwas assigned to Headquarters, 10th U.S. Army, in July 1945 and was sent to Korea the following month. On 1 August 1945, the unit (with an authorized strength of one of¿cer and 10 enlisted men) arrived in Seoul, where it was attached to 24th Corps. A subsection of the 36th was assigned to the port at Inchon. On 1 August 1946, the 36th was redesignated as the 25th Military Police CID and two new detachmentsÑthe 1st Military Police CID in Inchon and the 24th Military Police CID in PusanÑsoon became operational. Due to an acute shortage of military police within 24th Corps, Lieutenant General Hodge designated one ¿eld artillery battalion as military police. The unit was known as the 31st Field Artillery Battalion Military Police, 7th Infantry Division.3 In addition, a military police school was established in Seoul. A former member of another 24th Corps unitÑthe 207th Military Police Company, based in SeoulÑrelates his experiences: I was assigned to the 207th MP [Military Police] [Company] in Seoul; and when the troops left Korea, I stayed with the KMAG [Korean Military Advisory Group]. We had 12 MPs and a provost marshal's of¿ce. While in the 207th, we were under the 24th Corps and worked for the 24th Corps Provost Marshal, a Colonel Baird, providing patrols in Seoul [and] security at several generals' homes and the 24th Corps Headquarters; we had some static post[s] at places like the movie theater, the Chosen Hotel, and the Bondo Hotel. The 25th CID was located in the same building with the 24th Corps Provost Marshal. I stood a good many days outside of Lieutenant General John R. Hodge's door at the 24th Corps Headquarters, either at attention or parade rest.4 The country of Korea was in turmoil during the evacuation of the Japanese military and the return of repatriated Koreans from Japan. Adding to the unrest, many Koreans who were in desperate need of food, housing, and jobs Àed the North MILITARY POLICE . 19-13-1