Pacific Stars & Stripes, Dec. 5, 1953
PUSAN, Korea, Dec. 5- U.S. and ROK Army units worked
rapidly today to clear a section of Pusan's charred area while members
of the 24th Div. erected tents to house homeless Korean victims of
the massive fire.
Engineer units from the 24th, Korean Base Section
and ROK Army brought in heavy equipment and are working together to
clear the rubbled area. Twenty-three acres of land had been cleared
as of yesterday. Army officials reported, and some 2,000 cubic yards
or debris has been hauled away to make room for construction of a
tent city.
Brig. Gen Richard S. Whitcomb, commanding general
of KBS, said plans for the first tent city called for completion by
Dec. 9. He said plans for another tent refuge are tentatively set
for Dec. 10.
Plans for the demolition and clearing of the burned-out
Korean National Railroad Hotel, formerly the headquarters of KBS,
were awaiting approval by the city real estate office, Whitcomb said.
"Under the armed forces assistance to Korea
program," the KBS commander said, "we are giving 23,100
rations daily to supplement the KCAC grains."
More than 40,000 pounds of food daily, plus blankets,
heaters, canvas and tents are among the issues from the 55th Base
Depot for relief use, the Army announced. Daily issue includes 30,000
pounds of grains, half of which is rice and the other consisting of
legumes.
While engineers are clearing the disaster area,
U.S. soldiers are busily building tent frames over which tents will
be erected for housing more than 11,000 of Pusan's 40,000 homeless
fire victims. The tent frames are being rushed in one-piece units
to the area where tents are to be set up.
Reconstruction of the Kyung Nam Orphanage took
high priority in the relief assistance and Army authorities reported
yesterday that frames for two buildings of the six-unit orphan village
have been completed.
Whitcomb declared that "there is no reason
that a single victim of the fire is without food, shelter and medical
attention."
"United Nations troops and agency shave joined
with the city and provincial government to get all fire refugees under
shelter," Whitcomb said.
PSS-320
