In response to the invasion of the Republic of Korea on 25 June 1950, elements of the 24th Infantry Division and 1st Cavalry Division deployed to Korea as part of the United Nations "police action." The 1st Cavalry Division began landing, albeit piecemeal, on Pohang on 18 July 1950. The 7th Cavalry arrived last, having been delayed enroute by a typhoon. In less than a week, the regiment was in combat on the Taegu-Taejon road. Under COL Cecil W. Nist, the regiment was directed to support other elements of the division already in contact. 1st Battalion (1/7) served as the division reserve in a "clean-up" role.

 

During this period, the commander of 1/7 Cav was Greek-born LTC Peter Clainos. Clainos was a featherweight boxing champ at West Point and a combat veteran of World War II. During that war he had trained a Greek battalion which fought in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations with the British Commandos. He also commanded an infantry battalion in the Pacific Theater where he won a Silver Star. During its first month of duty in Korea 1/7, as the division reserve, received augmentations, to include artillery and tanks, to bring it to almost double of its authorized strength. This "fat" (for being over-strength) unit was labeled "Clainos' Clouters" for its role in plugging holes in the division line. In one instance the battalion killed, wounded, or captured over 700 men of an opposing thousand-man force. In another instance when 2/7 Cav and its direct support artillery, the 77th Field Artillery Battalion, came under attack, 1/7 Cav came up to support. Between the three units they inflicted more than 2500 casualties and rendered the 10th Division of the North Korean People's Army totally combat ineffective.

 

During early fall 1950, in the Pusan Perimeter breakout, part of the regiment was formed into Task Force 777, consisting of 3/7 Cav, C Battery, 77th FA Battalion, and seven tanks of the 70th Tank Battalion. The task force's name came from the sevens involved.   Also, during this time, LTC William A. Harris, the former commander of the 77th FA Battalion, became the regimental commander. The regiment under Harris conducted the longest advance through enemy terrain during the war with TF 777 as the division's vanguard, advancing 116 miles.

 

The 7th Cavalry led the division through the "Bowling Alley", through the 13th Division of the North Korean People's Army, and toward Seoul. The unit charged forward, racing across Korea in support of the amphibious assault at Inchon. The regiment, ordered to continue the attack into North Korea, led the way towards the capital city of Pyongyang. During this drive north, 1/7 Cav contacted a strong North Korean "cavalry" force of some 2500, 37 of which were mounted. Clainos sent an interpreter forward to tell them 1/7 Cav was a Soviet unit come to help defend Pyongyang. The deceived North Koreans marched forward, where they were captured and disarmed by 1/7 Cav. One of the captured saddles made its way to the hood of COL Harris' jeep as a reminder of the regiment's mounted past.  After leading the division, the regiment passed the division forward into Pyongyang. After Pyongyang's capture, the Seventh seized the key port of Chimnampo.

 

On 19 December 1950, the United Nations command attached the Greek Expeditionary Force under LTC D. Arbouzis to the 7th Cavalry Regiment as the 4th Battalion (GEF), 7th Cavalry Regiment.  Later that month, the regiment fought off the Chinese counterattack as the division rear guard. The 7th Cavalry was the last regiment out of Seoul. On 30 January 1951 at about midnight, the 334th Regiment of the Chinese Communist Forces attacked 4/7 (GEF) on Hill 381. In the space of approximately four hours, 4/7 (GEF) killed some 800 of the 3000 Chinese, much of it in hand-to-hand combat as the Greeks ran out of ammunition.  For the regiment's service with the Greek Expeditionary Force during the war, the Greek government awarded the regiment the Chryssoun Aristion Andrias, its Bravery Gold Medal.

In January 1951, the 7th Cavalry re-crossed the Han River at Seoul to push north. In an extended reconnaissance in Force called 'Thunderbolt' the Garry Owen was relieved to take the fight to the Chinese Army which had pushed the entire 8th Army all the way back - 200 miles - from the Yalu River during the long cold retreat of 1950. The first major action in 1951 involved all four battalions on February 13-14th in the seizure of heavily defended Hill 578. In two days of fighting in which all the combined arms - 7th Cavalry Infantry, Division artillery, 70th Armor tanks, were engaged, the 7th Cavalry won - forcing the Chinese to fall back and regroup further north. The Regiment received commendations from the Division Commander for its brilliant operation to seize the hill blocking the advance of the entire 1st Cav Division.

From February through July, the 7th Cavalry was engaged in a series of operations, including Operation Ripper, and long range patrolling, in which the enemy was pushed back north of the original 38th Parallel across which they first invaded in June, 1950.  The Chinese Army had dug in west of Yonchon and made battalion sized attacks on Cav units along and in front of Line Wyoming in August and September. Hills 339 and 487 changed hands several times before Operation Commando was launched to push the enemy all the way back to the Imjin River before the Truce Line could be drawn.

All four Battalions of the 7th Cavalry assaulted through October, taking heavy casualties before Hills 347 "Bloody Baldy", 313, 418, 334, and 346 were seized and the Chinese forced back. The Regiment suffered 175 killed, 1,110 wounded and 70 missing while killing over 2,501, capturing 210, and wounding 8,787 enemy with much hand to hand fighting before the Chinese were defeated. The 7th Cavalry then occupied Line Jamestown overlooking the Imjin River - which remained the main line of resistance through the smaller scale fighting by other units for 2 more years until the 1953 cease fire. The line the 7th Cavalry fought for is now in the DMZ separating free South Korea from the North Korean dictatorship.

 

A lot of KWV troopers went through that phase which was as bloody as on the Pusan Perimeter. Company K had to fight two Chinese battalions over 15 days and lost all its officers and all but 15 men while capturing 192 Prisoners. Other companies suffered as much during this time.  The 7th Cavalry did its last hard fighting in Korea the late summer and fall of 1951 before being replaced by units of the 45th Division and pulled back to Hokkaido, Japan in December.  The entire 1^st Cavalry Division moved to Honshu in 1954.  On 29 June 1957, the last Organizational Day of the Regiment, the active strength of the 7th Cavalry Regiment was reduced to Zero as all personnel were transferred to other units. Thus ended the Garry Owen Chapter of its role in the Korean War.