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JACK J. KRON

Lieutenant Colonel | Field Artillery

 

Field artillery units in the first year of the Korean War were fraught with difficulties not often faced by cannoneers since the turn of the century.  Often overrun, constantly attacking and retreating, understrength, undersupplied, and completely overwhelmed, after two weeks in combat the three 105mm battalions had been combined into just one provisional battalion for the defense of Taejon.  Major Kron, the 13th Field executive officer, saw that the situation was grim.

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It was perhaps the toughest period of his career that spanned a decade and several theaters of war.  He commanded a battery of 155mm cannons with the 36th Field Artillery from the Tunisian desert through Sicily and into Italy.  The regiment is credited with firing the first artillery round into continental Europe, an achievement his battalion in Korea could later claim as well.  He left the European theater in 1944 to return to the States before serving in China during the final year of the war.  Five years later, he was in the Far East once again.

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He pressed on through 1950 and tried to maintain morale within his unit.  In mid-May, Kron took over command of the 52d Field Artillery from Marshall Armor, a welcome change for his new unit.  Armor had not earned much respect among his men who did little to see him off after the change of command ceremony.  During his tenure as commander of the 52d, Armor had recommended only one man for an award of the Bronze or Silver Star and it was himself.  Kron cared much more for his subordinates and was genially welcomed into the new battalion.  At this time the artillery war in Korea became much more predictable and stable once a stagnant front was established.  Only outposts frequently changed and a hill or ridge might be contested over by the infantry, but the cannoneers could rest a bit easier knowing that they would no longer need to defend their guns in hand to hand fights.

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kron070 Jack Benny copy
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kron173 155mm self propelled gun just fi
kron132 This child was crying so momma h
kron192 155mm Gun Self Propelled
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kron219 Chicago airplane 2 Aug 1947
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kron001 Firing
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kron005 Col Hoollack at party I threw fo
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kron006 not much coulda saved this 75c
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kron017 Lt Humphrey
kron013 Good ol Korean roads
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kron014 Mess
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kron018 Capts Route Johnson and Schlitz.
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kron024 We drank a lot of beer here This
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kron041 men to return to japan for those
kron042 boys decorating Christmas Tree C
kron043 searchlights
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kron049 Gook monument by grave sight cen
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kron058 Artillery fire
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kron067 relax keed
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kron065 The S Korean capitol bldg in Seo
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kron066 persimmoned eh
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kron048 my driver and jeep
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kron071 this is a view of our artillery
kron075 Sorry hand onhip again
kron068 Benny at 7th Division demonstrat
kron082 4_2in mortar squad
kron079 Bn FDC foreground is Capt Stakel
kron076 Benny Kron back hand raised Fran
kron084 Sitting in jeep front right seat
kron074 L19 liaison plane landing
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kron069. Benny again at 57th FA Bnjpg
kron070 Jack Benny
kron078 Taken New Years Korean soldier i
kron085 Just to show you how the Chinks
kron083 Pont bridge
kron089 Two faithful Japanese boys-order
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kron087 Paik a Korean soldier damn good
kron090 Taken Christmas as you see_Two J
kron095 This is what awaits Chink _Russi
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kron095 This is what awaits Chink _Russi
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kron109 High angle
kron124 Another shot_Armor with red scar
kron122 Shot of Ascom City
kron103 As it reads
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kron114 infantry 4_2in mortar
kron096 Front lines took Benny Party her
kron093 Rine in plane Tried to get a sho
kron101 Boys where are your clothes
kron091 Our Div Arty Cmdr Gen Meyer and
kron092 Front view of halftrack w machin
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kron126 Now is this taking over and yapp
kron099 A firing battery moving into pos
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kron097 Artillery fire
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kron113 From R to L Gen Mayer unk Maj Mo
kron123 Another shot of assmbled group
kron098 Not much this
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kron111 Our battery commanders_someone e
kron127 A few of the officer of bn staff
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kron107 Kim Little S Korean boy who was
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kron108 HQs Btry Guidon 52d FA Bn Capt R
kron094 The normal Korean mansion-a real
kron125 Better than fording
kron104 Mattes Escue Sgt Shaver
kron110 Another shot of tommy and his gu
kron115 firing battery position
kron137 Special Services passing out dou
kron129 Some of my men that were decorat
kron133 That's my boy
kron130 105mm howitzer in recoil firing
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kron136 Hall Cockerham Shuhey
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kron145 Capt Steele Major Hall Capt Roge
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kron143 Hwachon Reservoir Power Plant
kron140 Part of Bn staff officers
kron148 just as shot
kron142 Hwachon reservoir Power plant
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kron151 Artillery fire in distance note
kron141 Special Services Show
kron156 Air shot of capitol in Seoul_Fro
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kron158 Kimpo airfield just out of Seoul
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kron160 Some officers of the 52d
kron161 on board
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kron167 mortar and howitzer rds
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kron166 4_2in mortar and 105mm howitzer
kron168 4_2 mortar and 105mm howitzer ro
kron177 A cup of coffee fore moving on
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kron170 Kron Panter Waldrop
kron178 Mary Chick
kron174 Part of the Bn _ photog missed o
kron175 Ask Kenny who that is -back to c
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kron217 My jeep driver he is now gone on
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kron193 Maj Hall Capt Cockerham Maj Hyde
kron216 My jeep as we were fording the H
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kron211 Chinese
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kron218 McPherson my ex-driver now rotat
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kron215 One of the officers took this of
kron201 Haw jee haw_Thats what I said to
kron206 Another shot of bridge destructi
kron204 Better this way than one of our
kron205 Chinese Communist Volunteers Pri
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kron198 Beer is so good_Capt. Ludaszak
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kron203 Gruesome_I know but he will neve
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kron209 Thas right Hank I got ya
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kron183 105mm Howitzer just fired - in f
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kron181 Mary Chick
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kron182 155mm gun self propelled
kron195 Whos this big shot__Hes not so h
kron202 Some Chinks we captured_mules to
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kron226 Cockerham Sheckey Hutslinger
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kron243 Kron at Hwachon Reservoir
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kron222 Tommy wash bashful on this one
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kron241 4_2in Mortar and 105mm Howitzer
kron227 Capt Cockerham and Hallihan
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kron261 Capt Huckaby
kron279 ROK ammo bearers - wear blue uni
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kron242 CG looking at GFT at my FDC SEE
kron237 Captured Chink Anti Aircraft Gun
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kron250 Kron Benny Perez Barnett L to R.
kron284 Talk Over, Mike leaving
kron240 My Jeep and driver
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kron286 Armors Jeep
kron281 Once pon a time - a bridge_Note
kron278 After, we make our own roads_Tha
kron280 Bn Ex, S-3, and Btry Cmdrs of th
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kron271 Capitol Bldg Seoul left rear vie
kron270 Flying in an L-19 artillery liai
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kron265 Approaching bridge crossing Han
kron263 Artillery Fire
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kron251 Kron Benny Col Perez Barnett
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kron246 Hwachon Reservoir Dam
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kron239 Mortar and Howitzer rounds
kron238 Delta Six
kron236 Soldiers swimming in the Pukhan
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kron233 Enough said
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kron229 same party
kron228 LT Hardy
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