Secretary of State William S. Cohen announced Monday that he has asked Ernest R. May, Warren professor of American history, to join a group that will investigate American conduct in the tiny village of Nokuen-Ri during the Korean War.

The group, composed of seven experts from outside the Department of Defense, will investigate allegations by South Korean villagers and American veterans that U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of innocent Korean civilians in Nokuen-Ri in the early 1950's.

The panel also includes retired Marine Lt. Gen. Bernard E. Timor, an associate at the Center for Science and International Affairs at the Kennedy School of Government.

May said he will gladly accept the position.

"It's a duty that was irresistible," he said. "It is important to get at the facts."

May, a history professor at Harvard since 1963, is an expert in the history of international relations and foreign policy. He has taught courses such as Historical Study A-80, "The Cold War."

As the only academic on the panel, May said his research abilities will be his biggest contribution.

"I've done lots of research on the period [and I] know the archives well," he said.