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462. Baldwin's February Loss 2-28-1951 Korea

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Updated: Mar 21, 2022

US Army PFC Brooks "Bow" Eugene Conway was born in Baldwin County, Alabama on May 10, 1932, the son of Iva Barfield Conway (1914-1987). His mother would marry Baldwin County native Lee Nephi Gideons (1908-1992) in 1936. Lee would serve in the US Army during WWII from 1943-1945. As a young boy, Brooks grew up in the small community of Pine Grove just outside of Bay Minnette, Alabama. There, he lived for a time with his grandparents Arthur Myles "Tuncum" (1875-1946) and Martha "Mattie" Joanne Watts (1886-1972) whose own grandfather was a veteran of the Confederate cavalry. Arthur worked in Baldwin County as a farmer, an ox driver, and a turpentine collector during his lifetime.


Brooks graduated from Baldwin County High School in Bay Minnette around 1950 and would marry Martha M. sometime close to that date. He enlisted in the US Army shortly after graduation and subsequent marriage and was assigned to Company "A" of the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment that was attached to the 2nd Infantry Division. Since his mother was living in Pensacola at the time, his address has been listed as Pensacola on occasion thus this article.


Following the disaster of the battle of the Chosin Reservoir, the fighting for Chipyong-ni began on February 5, 1951, with a huge Chinese counteroffensive that struck a week later. Brooks and his regiment set up their defenses at Chipyong-ni, which was a small crossroads situated on a single-track railroad. All around the village was eight prominent hills about 850 feet high surrounded by rice paddies. The soldiers positioned their machine guns, calibrated their mortars, buried antipersonnel mines, and ran daily patrols along the high ground. While the 23rd regiment held their position, the general offensive began slowly on February 11th. At that time, the Chinese launched their counter offensive aimed at the towns of Hoengseong and Wonju. The fighting grew intense, but the Chinese were kept at bay by artillery and incoming air strikes. The Chinese were determined to destroy the 23rd but were forced back outside of the defensive positions.


The enemy's failure to eliminate the regiment at Chipyong-ni effectively ended the Chinese effort to drive the American forces into the sea. Afterward, began Operation Killer, which was designed to drive the Chinese north. It was during this phase of the attack where Brooks was killed in action on February 28, 1951. His body was brought to an aid station, but he was dead on arrival. He was buried in a military hospital and brought home after the war where he was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Baldwin County, Alabama next to his grandparents.







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