MAJ Tom Dye, Commanding Officer Leopard Base
Major Tom Dye, 1LT Arnold Keller and LT Marken, Leopard Base Paengnyong-do 1952. Courtesy of Les Hughes
Major Tom Dye & CPT Donald Seibert in front of Leopard Base CP Paengnyong-do 1952. Courtesy of CPT Donald Seibert collection, USAHEC.
Leopard Base guerrilla advisors - CPT Don Seibert, 1LT Jim Mapp and 1LT Ben Malcom.
Parachute training jump made on Paengnyong-do (Task Force Leopard), August 1952. This picture was taken by Colonel Ben Malcom who told me that when a C-47 would bring supplies to the island they would arrange to put 6 to 8 paratroopers on the plane as they took off & jump back on Paengnyong-do.
CPT Donald Seibert Leopard Base S-3 Officer. Notice his desk nameplate with CIB, Senior Parachutist Badge and UNPIK Airborne Infantry Badge. Courtesy of CPT Donald Seibert collection, USAHEC.
Closeup of CPT Donald Seibert's desk nameplate with CIB, Senior Parachutist Badge and UNPIK Airborne Infantry Badge. Courtesy of CPT Donald Seibert collection, USAHEC.
CPT Seibert and Leaders of West Coast Guerrilla Forces Leopard Base 7 February 1953. From left to right - Wild, Dye, Seibert, Betelli and Watson.
From left to right, unknown, LT Malcom and Pak Choll. LT Malcom worked closely with Pak who was the leader of Donkey 4 which comprised about six hundred guerrillas and operated from the Yalu River to the Ongjin Peninsula. Courtesy of COL Ben Malcom
Christmas Greetings from the Chinese People's Volunteers 1951. This Chinese PVA Christmas card/leaflet was brought back by UNPIK veteran Ben Malcom.
1LT Robert McBride Leopard Base - Awarded the SSM & BSM The Silver Star was awarded for gallantry in action, displayed when McBride led his men in a surprise assault against the Communists and captured 82 of them. While withdrawing, he stemmed an enemy assault and saved one of his men who could not swim to the rescue boats. The Bronze Star Medal was presented when he and his men went through a hail of enemy fire to capture a strategically valuable island off the mainland of Korea.
Insignia group attributed to 1LT Robert McBride who was assigned to Leopard Base. McBride was USMA Class of 1950 and would receive the Silver Star and Bronze Star medals during his tour with UNPIK.
Original FEC Intelligence School Certificate awarded to 2nd LT Warren Hale assigned to Leopard Base Paengnyong-do. A theater level intelligence school was established in 1951 to provide training in general intelligence subjects, interrogation, aerial photograph interpretation, order of battle and languages peculiar to the theater. With the shortage of trained personnel in covert and clandestine activities, an advanced course started to train specialists for to FEC/LD-K on 21 July 1952.
United Nations Partisan Forces Korea shoulder sleeve insignia attributed to 2nd LT Warren Hale who was assigned to Leopard Base located on Paengnyong-do.
Original cover to a $5.00 beer chit book attributed to MSG Harold Retzlaff who was assigned to the 1st PIR (formally LEOPARD South) located on the island of Paengnyong-do.
ROK Army 1st Lieutenant Cho Byung Chan, Leopard Base's interpreter and the heart of its intelligence operations. This photo was taken on Paengnyong- do in 1952 by 1st LT Ben Malcom
A pile of legitimate North Korean (NK) money that Leopard Base guerrillas brought out of North Korea. Per Ben Malcom: Leopard guerrillas robbed the NK banks & pay officers & we sent the money to the 8240th in Seoul. The 8240th then sent some of that money back into NK with Guerrilla Paratroopers to give to their family's & friends still living in NK. The money would then be spent at the NK markets & flow back to the banks & the guerrillas would rob the banks again.
In 1952 LTC Vanderpool counterfeited North Korean money to be distribute through agents all over North Korea. The top 100 Won note is real ( 775519 ). The bottom 2 are counterfeit ( 719642 & 719643 ) Courtesy of COL Ben Malcom
Counterfeit North Korean Currency brought back by SFC Frank Forbes.