Benito Martinez and Outpost Agnes
Corporal Benito Martinez brushed the dust from his face and out of his eyes while privately thanking those who had built the outpost well enough to withstand the Russian made 120mm mortar rounds that exploded all around his position. Agnes, as it had become called was an outpost built on the front edge of the Main Line of Resistance (MLR) along a finger ridge hat led directly to the North Korean line.
Corporal Martinez's unit, 2nd Platoon, Able Company of the Twenty Seventh Infantry "Wolfhounds," had inherited the position along with the positions on the MLR known as Sandbag Castle from Charlie Company, who had inherited it from the Turkish Brigade. The Turks, known for their aggressiveness didn't sit around idly when the orders came down that they could not advance their section of the MLR by capturing new positions.
Under the cover of darkness they dug sections of trench out along the finger to the front of Sandbag Castle, reinforcing the roof with sandbags on top of metal fence pickets. When they had tunneled close to the enemy's line they stopped and built a small bunker with two tunnels leading out the flanks ending in more bunkers. With the flank protection dug in they advanced the main tunnel forward. Commanders in the read heard of this and ordered the digging to be stopped. The Turks stopped advancing but the digging wasn't near over.
More flank protection was added and the construction of a super bunker began. It was reinforced not only by the sandbags and fence pickets, but also with the remains of a tree that served as the rear wall. The position rose up from the sloping ground around it with sandbags piled at the base of the thick trunk of the forked tree. It resembled a twisting tower rising out of the broken terrain overlooking the front of the castle of sandbags. It was large enough to hold four soldiers performing forward listening post duties. On the night of September 5, 1952 Corporal was in Outpost Agnes performing these duties.
The shelling started shortly after midnight, covering the entire Sandbag Castle in a blanket of hot shrapnel. When there was a lull in the shelling the Wolfhounds in the castle could look out and see North Korean soldiers crawling across the finger trying to cut off the forward bunkers and Outpost Anges. From the castle, Lieutenant Thomas McLean saw that the lonely outpost would not hold out long against the assault and mustered the men in his platoon for a counter attack. This attempt, and three others were pushed back by North Korean small arms and mortar fire. Lieutenant McLean, wounded during the first counter attack stayed with his platoon, refusing to be taken away for medical treatment.
Back in Outpost Agnes, Corporal Martinez could hear the North Koreans moving around outside of his position. Glad that the outpost had survived the shelling, he began to assess the situation and developed a plan. When the shelling stopped, the Wolfhounds in the castle would start firing at the North Koreans. The North Koreans would take cover in shell holes and call for mortar fire again. This was a dangerous tactic but the North Korean's faith in their mortar crews skill was paying off and they were closing in on Agnes. Martinez realized this and ordered the three other Wolfhounds with him to fall back to their units. He would stay behind and cover their withdrawal with machine-gun fire. Two of the three soldiers made it back to their platoon alive.
Martinez's lieutenant called him on the sound power telephone and ordered him to get out. Martinez, knowing the situation better than anyone, replied that he would have to stay on and delay the North Koreans as long as possible. He requested that no one try to attempt a rescue since the enemy was all around him.
The North Koreans then began their assault on Agnes with satchel charges. Martinez left his machine gun to take up the lighter, more maneuverable Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). He made his way through the trench to one of the flanking bunkers which had been partially destroyed in the shelling. From here he could see the North Korean soldiers in the dim light of the early morning. He took up a good firing position and opened up with a deadly hail of fire on enemy. The North Koreans were surprised at first by this unexpected volley of fire but soon recovered and began to maneuver on the partially destroyed bunker.
Shortly before dawn a call came in over the sound powered telephone in the Second Platoon command post. It was Martinez reporting that the enemy was converging on his position. Those words were the last spoken to any American from the lone survivor in Outpost Agnes. Later the North Korean attack tapered off as reinforcements from Love Company arrived. Lieutenant McLean was awarded the Silver Star for his valiant actions in leading the counter attacks and Corporal Benito Martinez was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic stand at Outpost Agnes. The number of lives saved by his actions is difficult to estimate.
In a letter written by George W. Langdale, Corporal Martinez's Platoon Sergeant, other accounts of Martinez's bravery are told along with the following quote about Martinez's actions in Outpost Agnes.
"I remember a rude awakening in the 2nd Platoon Command Post by the sound power telephone and small arms firs followed by a ferocious mortar and artillery attack, Corporal Martinez knew he was isolated from the rest of Company A and the entire battalion. He had to know that a fatal stand was necessary to save "Sandbag Castle" and his friends."
Inspired by the actions of Corporal Martinez and other Wolfhounds, Private First Class Joseph H. Young (BAR man, Company C, 27th Infantry), wrote the following poem:
When the Wolfhounds Perform in Sandbag Castle
Verse 1
Gung-ho, gung-ho
When the Wolfhounds perform,
When we go into action,
We're busier than bees that swarmGung-ho, gung-ho
When the Wolfhounds perform,
Then very soon the fighting,
Will really be getting warm.At 0-300 the action will start!
By the "L.P." on "Sandbag Castle"
When the word is given "Over the Top!"
We will charge "In front"
In "Torrid Beaten Ground!"
"Never Fear on Earth" is our "Martyrdom"
Rockets will blast, Shrapnel will fly,
But the Devil "Hell's Angels can't stop us"We will leap out of the trenches,
With grenades in our hands,
We will fight along braver-ally,
Out into "No Man's Land"Gung-ho, gung-ho,
When the Wolfhounds perform
We'll rally up one hellible storm;
A Gutting, Shooting, Burning, Shrapnel Storm.
Benito Martinez Medal of Honor
