[A portion of the following memoir was submitted to the KWE by Chris Christian in May of 2006.
His memoir was expanded after a series of online question/answer sessions with Lynnita Brown of the KWE.]
Memoir Contents:
Back to Memoir Contents
Korea 1950 -1951
(My Time in Hell)
Introduction
In some people's eyes, they see war as something glorious with a certain amount of adventure and glamour.
Believe me, these people are few and far between and have rarely, if ever, been in a combat situation where they
were faced with the split second decision of having to take another person's life or lose their own. There is a
certain amount of adventure involved, but there definitely is nothing glamorous or glorious about killing another
human being. In a war-time situation, that's exactly what it boils down to.
What you are about to read are some of the experiences I had while serving my country as a combat infantryman.
These incidents have absolutely nothing to do with glamour or glory. They are accounts that I recall as best
I can. There are some incidents that are best forgotten, but to do so would detract from the gist of what you are
about to read.
There was nothing that the United Nations forces did that was disgusting and it is too bad the same couldn't be
said for the North Korean and Chinese Communist soldiers. Some of the atrocities they committed were anything but
legal under the rules of war, and just merely remembering the gruesome details about them can bring about a
boatload of feelings of anger, depression, and sadness.
As an experienced combat veteran, I would be one of the first to tell you that war is an ugly business. It is
not very pleasant to be standing next to someone and all of a sudden see his head blown open from a sniper's
bullet or have to crawl through a rice paddy in freezing weather. Nor is it very pleasant trying to get some sleep
while the raindrops keep pounding down on your steel helmet or the snow is falling and your feet are aching from
frost bite.
As a father of two boys, I am extremely grateful and thank the Lord that neither of them had to experience the
agony of war. My heart goes out to those parents whose sons and daughters are in harm's way. I can
only imagine how my parents must have felt knowing that I could have been killed or severely injured at any given
time and I am sorry for having to cause them such fears, but they were also proud of the fact that their son was
doing something worthwhile for his country. War really is hell!
Back to Memoir Contents
Pre-Military
My name is Charles Vernon Christian, however, inasmuch as I abhor the name Charles, I prefer to be called
"Chris." I was born in Aurora, Illinois, on 21 June 1932, the son of Arthur Frederick and Viola Marie Stiles
Christian. My father was a machinist and Mom was a housewife who did work part-time at various jobs. I
had two sisters older than me--Bette Jean (now deceased) and Bessie Louise Evans, who is living in El Paso, Texas.
I went to grade school in Rock Island and Aurora, Illinois. I never went to high school, but while in the
Air Force (after my second hitch in the Army) I completed my GED high school equivalent. I didn't
participate in any after-school activities other than sports (track and field and football) at Central Junior High
School in Rock Island. I was in the Cub Scouts and the Boy Scouts. We participated in various parades
during national holidays.
I had some uncles who fought in World War II, but I don't recall who they were or what branch of service.
My father was too old and I was too young to be in World War II. My father had served in the Army during
World War I. My school used to conduct war bond and war stamp drives, and had assemblies for that purpose.
Individually we gathered newspapers and metal whenever there was a used paper drive and scrap metal drive. As a
family we also participated in blackouts and my father was an Air Raid Warden. I remember the white steel
helmet that he used to wear during the air raid drills. During World War II, with the thought that we in the
United States were not entirely invulnerable against air attacks, it became a practice to conduct air raid drills
and blackouts. During blackouts, street lights were turned off and a curfew was executed. The lights
of all residences had to be either turned off or window shades had to be pulled so there could be no visible light
for enemy aircraft to use as a target. It was the duty of the air raid wardens to check the respective areas
of responsibility to ensure all the residents were complying with these rules.
After finishing ninth grade (junior high school), I had no intentions of continuing my education. Much
against my parents' wishes, I never returned to school after the summer vacation. Later on in years I
regretted that decision, but I have since made up for it, going on to earn a college degree. When I was 16
years old, I lied about my age and joined the Illinois National Guard. It has been so long ago I don't
recall who my instructors were. I do remember our unit going to Camp Cook, Illinois, for rifle range
practice and two weeks of training. I was in the 44th Infantry Division of the Illinois National Guard for
about four or five months.
I then enlisted in the Army--mainly for the travel and adventure. I had visions of romantic isles and the
thought of possibly some military maneuvers or some other type of action. After all, what does a seventeen
year old kid know about life until he experiences some of it. The recruiters didn't have to lift a finger.
I went to them rather than them coming to me. Initially I attempted to join the Navy. However, having
failed three physical exams in Chicago because of lack of weighing enough (twice), and having a "charlie horse" on
my third try, I said to heck with it and joined the Army. No one else enlisted with me when I joined up on
15 September 1949. My parents were proud that I was in the service for my country. I was at the ripe
old age of seventeen at the time.
I went from Rock Island to Junction City via the Rock Island Lines railroad. At the recruiting station I
met another guy, James O. Johnson from Galesburg, Illinois, and we traveled together after having our last night
of freedom together in Rock Island. Jim and I were in the same platoon all during basic training in Company
H, 86tth Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division at Ft. Riley, Kansas. Actually we were at Camp Funston, a
subsidiary of Fort Riley that was located near Junction City and Manhattan, Kansas. It wasn't the first time
I had ever been gone from home, as I had been to a YMCA summer camp sponsored by the Rock Island Police Department
on two occasions.
Back to Memoir Contents
Basic & Advanced Training
Camp Funston was pretty barren of trees and appeared to be as flat as a pancake with very few hills around.
To be perfectly honest, so many years have passed, I cannot recall a whole lot about basic training or the
geographics. I remember the first day of basic when we were issued uniforms, were assigned to a Company and
barracks (platoons), and then were marched to the PX barbershop where we had our first GI haircut. I think
we were in the Third Platoon of H Company. In those days, basic training lasted for fourteen weeks.
Believe me, after those fourteen weeks we could hardly wait to get back home.
Our quarters were the regular World War II-type wooden barracks with two squads downstairs and two squads
upstairs. There were nine men per squad. The cadre rooms were at one end of the barracks with the
latrine and showers on the ground floor. It was not the Conrad Hilton, but it was adequate for our purposes.
At that time the Army was still segregated, so the black troops were in a different regiment in a separate area of
the post. Consequently, there was hardly any contact with them.
The first two weeks we were restricted to the company area with the exceptions of being marched to the PX and
barbershop for that first haircut. On Sundays we were marched in formation to the chapel that serviced our unit
for religious services. I guess in those days it didn't matter what our religious preference was. We all
ended up at the same chapel. Another exception was when we were marched to a football field where we were to root
for the football team that represented our regiment.
I don't really recall anything about our cadre personnel with the exception of our assistant platoon sergeant.
He was an overweight PFC who for some unknown reason kept on my back about the slightest little thing until one
night he called me into his room and asked me if I wanted to hit him. I replied in the affirmative. He
held out his arms to each side and told me to give it my best shot--so I did. I hit him with all of my might
in the solar plexus and sent him to his knees. He never gave me a bit of problem during the rest of my time
in basic training.
During the fourteen weeks of training, we learned map reading, marksmanship, hand grenade training,
hand-to-hand combat, bayonet training, transition courses, close order drill, first aid, and basic survival
skills. We were usually awakened by the Platoon Sergeant at about 0500 hours. We immediately had to
have our beds made and the barracks squared away. Prior to going to breakfast, we fell into formation in the
company street and were marched to the mess hall. I could not complain about the food we were served.
As I recall, it was the normal food everyone else eats--eggs, bacon, French toast, pancakes, SOS, milk, coffee,
and tea for breakfast, and various menus for lunch and dinners. We were well fed with nutritious meals.
After chow we then re-formed outside the mess hall and were marched back to the barracks. After a while it
became pretty routine.
I took my basic training seriously because after Pearl Harbor and seeing the destruction of European towns and
cities from the war in news reels and in the newspapers, I never felt completely at ease about the safety of our
country from some type of invasion. I wanted every bit of combat knowledge available in the event something
like an invasion did occur, I would have the know how to protect my family and neighbors. I always
remembered my Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.
I don't remember ever being awakened in the middle of the night. Our instructors were strict, but they
were fair. The only problem I had was with the PFC in our platoon that I mentioned earlier. We never
received any corporal punishment, nor was I ever disciplined for any wrongdoing or see anyone else be disciplined.
The only troublemaker we had in our platoon was dealt with by the members of the platoon in the form of a GI
shower that constituted of being scrubbed with GI brushes in the shower. It was quite effective and cured
the problem.
After three weeks we were granted permission to visit the PX and even venture to the main post (Fort Riley).
There were times when we had plenty of fun going to the PX and having a few cans of 3.2 percent beer or going to
the service club and shooting a few games of pool--or just lying around doing nothing. A week or so after
that, we were granted permission to go to town, and that's when a bunch of us decided to get tattoos. I was
one of those that got a tattoo. As a matter of fact, during the rest of the time I was in the Army, I got a
few more. No regrets. They were mementos of places I'd been and things that I had done.
I didn't mind basic training. As a matter of fact, I actually enjoyed it most of the time. Of course
there were some aspects of it that I could have done without such as K.P. and pulling sentry duty, but I overcame
those situations and became a better person for it--at least, I thought so. I don't think there ever came a
time when I regretted ever enlisting in the Army--even when I had to pull K.P. duty. I made the best of it
and took it with a grain of salt. I guess the hardest thing about basic training was the homesickness I felt
for the first couple of weeks, but that faded away after a while. I later came to appreciate when I learned
about first aid training when I got wounded in Korea. I think it helped me from going into shock.
We finished up with basic training in December of 1949. There was no ceremony, just as there was no
ceremony when we returned from Korea. When I finished basic, I felt that I could hold my own in a combat
situation. I felt that I had been trained sufficiently to meet the demands of combat. I was more
educated in certain areas and had more self esteem and pride in myself. I felt that I could handle almost
anything that came my way--good or bad.
Upon finishing basic training we were granted a two-week leave, which gave us the opportunity to spend the
Christmas holidays with our families and loved ones. Now that I think about it, that was the last Christmas I ever
did spend with my family. It was great being back home and making up for lost time with my girlfriend and my
buddies. We had some great times that Christmas. Inasmuch as my civilian clothes no longer fit, I was
compelled to wear my uniform most of the time while at home.
A police officer friend of mine came by the house to see me and told me how proud he was of me and commented on
my change of weight. When I was a kid I had always wanted to be a cop and I hung around our police
department like a flea on a dog. I had made friends with Officer Joe Engle and once provided him with some
information about a lot of bicycle thefts. He was able to arrest the perpetrators and close out a lot of
cases. Ever since then we had become good friends. He was the one who submitted my name for summer
camp at Camp Hauberg. I don't recall the name of the town it was near, but it was in Illinois. When
the word was received back home about my getting wounded, Officer Engle went to my house to ask my parents if
there was anything he could do to help.
Shortly after the New Year began, I headed back to Camp Funston to await orders to my new assignment. After
about three days of waiting, I finally got my orders to report to Camp Carson, Colorado, and was provided with the
necessary transportation. I traveled there by rail also. In those days there was no advanced training.
We were assigned to a regular unit within the Table of Organization and Equipment (T.O.& E.).
Back to Memoir Contents
War Breaks Out
Upon my arrival at Camp Carson (which now is Fort Carson), I was assigned to Headquarters Company, 14th
Regimental Combat Team. This was a terrific duty assignment. I learned many things in the short period of
time I was with the 14th RCT. I was selected for communications training, which consisted of both voice radio and
Morse code training. I learned the voice procedures easily enough, but I never could get up to the thirty word per
minute requirement for Morse code certification. I was then trained in communication maintenance, which
embraced the field laying of wires and establishing field switchboards and line communications. It was very good
training and came in handy later on in my career.
The 14th was a Ski Regiment, so I was also trained to ski at Camp Hale, Colorado, located near the town of
Leadville. I wasn't specifically selected for the ski troops--it was just a routine assignment and I enjoyed every
minute of it. A lot of people spend hundreds of dollars for a couple of weeks at a ski resort like Vail or
some other resort, and there I was getting my skiing in for free. Granted, we didn't have the plush accommodations
that one had at the resorts, but you can't have everything. (Where would you put it?) Rather, we were
billeted in ten-man squad tents with wood burning stoves at each end of the tent. Needless to say, no one wanted
to stay up during the night to stoke the fires in the stoves, so naturally when we woke up the next day we had to
dress ourselves inside our sleeping bag. This was one mountain sleeping bag tucked inside another one
because at night the temperature dropped down to about thirty or forty degrees below zero. During the day though,
we could walk around with just boots, socks, pants, and a tee shirt and be quite comfortable. Can you imagine
skiing with only a tee shirt on?
After our two weeks at Camp Hale we were considered to be qualified skiers, even though we didn't receive any
certificates of training. We returned to our home base where I was assigned to the Pioneer and Engineer
Platoon and was afforded more training of a different nature. This training was the art of making booby traps, how
to destroy an enemy position with various types of explosives, and how to kill someone with our bare hands. We
were also taught the art of camouflage and how to infiltrate and penetrate an enemy encampment. That was some real
worthwhile (and fun) training. It was pretty exciting being able to sneak into someone's command post and take
everyone prisoner without a sound.
At the outbreak of the Korean War on 25 June 1950, I had just turned 18 years old. When the news of
hostilities in Korea appeared in the media, I, along with thousands of other people wondered, "Where the hell is
Korea?” Well, in very short order I found the answer to that question. Before the end of the month, I
had received orders to go to Korea. In the meantime, I hardly ever followed the newspapers or kept up with
current affairs much. As I said, I was only 17 and still a kid--but I grew up fast after arriving in Korea,
and I learned a lot. I had no qualms about going to war. I figured that someone had to do it,
and there was no stampede to the Army Recruiter's office. I never really gave war much thought at all.
To me, if we had to go over there we had to go over there, and I figured it would be over in a matter of a few
months at the most. Wrong! I do think that, had it not been for the Chinese intervention, the war
would have ended at least a year earlier than when the truce was signed.
Back to Memoir Contents
Journey to the Far East
I was granted a 14-day leave prior to reporting to Pier 91 in San Francisco for debarkation to the Far East.
Naturally my parents and friends were concerned about my safety and welfare. I'm sure they worried about me
coming back home in one piece, but I didn't notice any tears being shed or anyone breaking down emotionally or
mentally. At 17 I didn't have very many possessions to deal with so I just packed my bags and headed out for
Pier 91 in San Francisco, California.
Upon arriving in San Francisco in mid-July, I had absolutely no idea where in the world Pier 91 was. I wasn't
alone though, because I met up with another GI who was in the same boat I was in--lost! We decided that the
best idea was to grab a cab and have the driver take us there and split the fee. We hailed down the first cab that
came along and told the driver where we wanted to go. The driver asked if we were headed to Korea and we answered
that we were. He told us that he was a World War II veteran and didn't envy us at all. Then he asked if we
had eaten yet as it was lunch time. We replied that we hadn't and he said he had just the right place for us to
eat. He took us to an Italian place where we could eat all the spaghetti and meatballs we wanted and drank as much
wine as we could hold--all for a very reasonable price. We must have been there for over an hour and ate our fill.
At that age I could really put the food away. As we were getting ready to leave, the cab driver grabbed the bill
and said that the least he could do was buy us lunch considering we were going into a combat zone. A short time
later, after getting a tour of what they call "snake hill”, we arrived at Pier 91. When we got ready to pay
the driver, he told us the ride was on him and wished us luck and a safe return home. We expressed our
appreciation of his generosity and wished him the best of luck. Then we parted company and reported to our
assigned location.
Pier 91 was a Navy installation. Not being familiar with the Navy ranks and designations, I wasn't quite
sure as to who I should and shouldn't salute, so just to be on the safe side, I thought it better to just salute
anybody that was wearing a hat with a visor. Later on I found out who had to be saluted, and as I wiped the egg
off my face I just went on about my business of continuing to be lost. We never did find out where we were to
report, and to this date I still don't have the foggiest idea as to how I ever got to Korea. I do remember
boarding a C-52 transport plane wearing my khakis and carrying my duffle bag. As warm as it was in San Francisco,
I didn't give it a second thought about wearing a coat. But about an hour after we were airborne, I started
getting cold as could be. An Army major saw how cold I was and offered me his field jacket. That was a life
saver. That being the first time I'd ever flown in a plane, I didn't realize it could get so cold.
After crossing the Pacific Ocean, we landed in Japan and I ended up at Camp Drake near Tokyo. There was a
huge smokestack with the patch of the 1st Cavalry Division painted on it. This was a sort of Replacement Company
(called a Repo Depot) where it was determined which unit we would be assigned to. I spent about two weeks at Camp
Drake and then found myself on a Japanese train en route to Sasebo, Japan. At Sasebo, we were loaded onto a
converted Japanese liner and sailed across the Sea of Japan, landing at Pusan, Korea. As far as I was concerned,
we couldn't get to dry land fast enough. I got seasick during our crossing and couldn't wait for my stomach
to stop acting up. I'm not certain as to the time of day we arrived at Pusan, but we did get off the ship as soon
as it docked. I don't recall any first impressions of Korea at that time. I could easily determine
that it was a war zone from all the munitions and materiel being offloaded from the ships and stored in the
shipyard.
Again, I was placed in another replacement company, where I was fortunate enough to be assigned to the 2nd
Squad, 3rd Platoon, Able Company, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division (Tropical
Lightning). I was transported to this unit via 2 1/2-ton truck. I saw several groups of Korean refugees
along the road. It has been so long ago I don't remember the exact date I arrived in Able Company, but it
was my new residence until I was sent back home.
Upon my arrival in Korea the weather was rather pleasant--much like it was at home. But it was hot in the
summer and freezing cold in the winter. Numerous troops ended up with frost-bitten or frozen feet due to the
bitter cold in the winter. Plus, sleeping outside with the snow falling all around us was no picnic.
Back to Memoir Contents
Protecting the Pusan Perimeter
I don't recall the exact location where the 35th was at the time I arrived, but I do know that we were assigned
to protect the Pusan perimeter. Able Company was located on a big hill nicknamed "Barbed Wire Hill” because
of all the barbed wire and concertina wire surrounding it. In addition to the wire, we also had empty C-ration
cans and ammo clips (used in the M1 Garand rifle) tied together and hung on the wire so when they were disturbed
they would jingle, alerting us that someone (or something) was trying to penetrate our perimeter. They worked real
well. The only thing that did penetrate us was the incoming mortar and artillery shells. As I recall,
there were some trees on the hill, but not enough for any protection from incoming artillery or mortar fire (which
we did get quite a bit of on a daily basis). We didn't move around inside the perimeter. Each unit was
assigned their own area/sector of responsibility, and at this point in time, Barbed Wire Hill was our
responsibility.
I was assigned to the 3rd Platoon and was lucky enough to be put in a foxhole with Bernard C. (Bernie) Neel.
The Company Commander was Lieutenant Sidney B. Berry (now retired Lt. General Berry). The Executive Officer
was Lt. Luke Weaver (now retired Colonel Weaver). My Platoon Leader was Lieutenant Charles Walz (now
deceased). All were outstanding officers who I would follow through hell and high water. My Squad
Leader was Sgt. Pete Benoit. Captain Berry was wounded once and was gone for a few days. The EO, Capt. Luke
Weaver, assumed command during the interim. Captain Weaver was an extremely capable leader on a level with
Captain Berry.
Bernie was from Chicago, Illinois and I was from Rock Island, Illinois, so we got along right good.
Bernie gave me a lot of very important information that helped me survive in Korea. I guess the most important bit
of knowledge he imparted on me was what to do with the canisters that hand grenades come in. Never under any
circumstances were they to be discarded. They are a dire necessity when nighttime fell and Mother Nature summoned
us. "If you enjoy living," he said, "do not get out of your foxhole at night." Hence the grenade canister.
Without being graphic, I'm certain any person with the average intelligence can figure out how these canisters are
used.
Bernie and I enjoyed each other's company and we kept making plans to improve our little abode, but for one
reason or another these improvements never did materialize. While we were occupying Barbed Wire Hill, we didn't
just sit around and look at each other. There was always some form of training going on--like learning how to
sight and fire a mortar, the proper use of a compass, map reading, and how to fire a rifle grenade. Another
thing that I learned "on the job" in Korea that I hadn't learned in basic training was how to be afraid!
The mess tent was located at the bottom and rear of the hill. The Mess Sergeant was Sergeant Law. For
cooking in the field, the cooks did an outstanding job. I can still taste the pancakes and syrup that they used to
make. They were the best ones I have ever eaten to this date. Another of my favorite menu items was what was
known as S.O.S. (creamed beef on toast). What with the location of the Mess Tent being where it was, going to chow
at times was a real pain in the you know where. Going down the hill wasn't too bad, but the climb back up sort of
took the enjoyment out of eating, particularly when it rained. We had to use a rope to climb back up to the
top, and all of us ended up slipping and sliding from side to side. Every once in a while we would get some
PX Rations of cigarettes, sodas, candies, and beer (Balantine Ale or Pabst Blue Ribbon). I sometimes traded my
candy bars for beer and vice versa. It all depended on what my taste buds were hungry for at the time.
After being on the hill for about two weeks, I was selected to go on a reconnaissance patrol. I was armed with
an M-1 Garand rifle, bayonet, several fragmentation grenades, and a couple of white phosphorous grenades. I
also had a personal weapon (.38 caliber snub-nosed revolver) that I kept concealed just for additional protection.
This was my first recon patrol, so I was naturally a little nervous, even though we had no idea when we started
out that we would be engaging the enemy. I recall that shortly after we left the hill, we came upon a small
village with only a few Koreans living there. It was suspected of being used by the North Koreans for
targeting our hill with mortar and artillery fire. The Patrol Leader determined that it would be best to destroy
the village. Those Koreans that were there were given time to get their belongings and evacuate the area,
then the dwellings were torched.
We continued on with our mission and eventually came under fire by the North Koreans. We returned the fire and
soon were caught in a crossfire. As I was going up the hill, I was about to drop down under a large bush for
concealment. However, just before I dropped down I looked into the bush and saw about fifteen or twenty big
spiders in there. I had one split second to make a decision of joining those spiders or continuing up the
hill. I opted for the hill, hoping that the North Koreans were lousy shots. Fortunately for me they must have
flunked their marksmanship classes, as I was able to get behind a big boulder for cover. I don't recall how long
this firefight went on, but we ended up being pinned down and called for artillery support, as we were out of
mortar range. As luck would have it, all the artillery units had other firing missions, so we got fire support
from Sergeant Hart and his crew of our Sherman tank that was sitting on our Barbed Wire Hill. They were able to
lay enough 76mm shells on the enemy to give us an opportunity to withdraw from the area and make it to an area
that was out of range of the enemy fire.
When I reached for my canteen for a drink of water, I realized that it was empty. I had forgotten
something else that Bernie had told me--conserve my water when on patrol. There was a rather large pond where we
were located, but it had a lot of green scummy stuff floating on top. I was so thirsty that I went to the pond,
knelt down, separated the green stuff, filled my canteen cup, and quenched my thirst. It's a wonder that I didn't
croak from some sort of disease or at least come down with some type of a weird ailment. I didn't even get a case
of the "GI's” from it.
After regrouping and taking care of the wounded and those that were killed, we returned to Barbed Wire Hill.
That was my first taste of combat and to be perfectly honest, it had a very bitter taste. I learned also that the
tank had fired so much and so fast that the breech of the 76mm tank gun had frozen up. The tank had to be
removed from the hill to go back to the rear for repairs. Without that big iron monster sitting where it was, the
hill seemed as naked as a jay bird. That tank on our hill gave me a strong sense of security and I missed it being
there. This incident was the first time I saw any dead enemy soldiers. It was also the first time I
saw a dead American GI. Sure, it bothered me seeing the dead GI, but I had to force it out of my mind and
help get him off the hill we were on. It bothered me then and it still bothers me now just thinking back to
those days.
The first couple of months or so that I was in Korea, we were defending the Pusan Perimeter and fighting like
hell to keep the North Koreans where they belonged. After that, in September 1950, we started our big push
north and kept extremely mobile from then on. I liked the job I was doing, although I will admit that at
times I wished I was a tank crew member. But there is a certain amount of pride that goes along with being
an infantryman. Not to take anything away from the other services such as artillery, engineers, ordnance,
etcetera, but infantrymen were the first ones who had to knuckle it out with the enemy.
As far as holding up emotionally, I think I was right there with the rest of my comrades. As far as fear
goes, if anyone tells you that he wasn't afraid while in a combat zone, he's either a liar or an idiot. In
combat one always had the fear of either getting wounded or killed or getting someone else wounded or killed due
to our negligence, like falling asleep while we were on watch. Casualties were almost an every day event.
When the action starts though, the adrenaline kicks in and overcomes the fear for a period of time. The
body, just like God, works in mysterious ways. I always had a concern about being taken prisoner,
considering what I'd heard about the way POWs were treated, so I always kept a single bullet in my pants pocket
just in case I might need to do the "Dutch Act." No one in my company was ever taken prisoner.
I thought we were very well armed, equipped and trained, in view of the various situations that came our way.
The only time we ran short of ammo was when we had unexpected, extended engagements with the enemy. We were
told that this was the last foothold we had in Korea, and as such we couldn't give it up. Everyone I knew
went hell bent for leather and gave 100% effort. We held our ground and overcame the enemy, sending them
back running. It's rather hard to say where we were in Korea as we were on the move so much. I do
recall that when we were in Yongdong-po we discovered a beer brewery where we filled up one of our water trailers
with Korean beer.
Back to Memoir Contents
DDT Burns
For a brief period of time I was assigned to a detail of guarding a bridge near our hill on the main supply
route (MSR). Four other guys and I got to stay in a little Korean house that wasn't too far from the river. This
was a pretty good detail and we did have quite a bit of free time on our hands, so there was a lot of 500 rummy
being played with a deck of cards that was old enough to vote.
Almost everybody who served in Korea got at one time or another a case of crabs. I was no exception.
The itching could almost drive a man insane. It was during this time on guard detail when I had my little bout
with them, and I itched like crazy. I came up with a real brainstorm and sprayed my private area with some DDT. I
had no idea what kind of effect it would have, but about three seconds after I sprayed myself, I felt that someone
had set a blow torch to me. I think I made it to the river in record time and, with clothes on and all, I plunked
my stupid butt in that water just waiting for the burning to quit. I don't recall how long I sat in that river,
but I could hear all the other guys laughing their heads off at me. Well, it wasn't a total loss. At least I
brought some laughter where it was really needed. Of course, it goes without saying that I never did do another
stupid thing like that the rest of the time I was there. As they say, we learn from our mistakes.
Another time, I had to take a message to the company command post (CP) on Barbed Wire Hill. For those not
familiar with the password system used in the military, the way it works is that a soldier is given a countersign
word to be used when challenged by a person guarding a particular area. In this case, the password was "plate” and
the countersign word was "saucer”. It was starting to get dark and I thought I'd have enough time to get to the
perimeter. But as I approached the barbed wire, I heard someone shout, "Halt, who is there? Friend or
foe?" I responded "friend” and the voice said "plate.” Then I realized that I had forgotten the countersign
word to the password. For the life of me (which it was), I couldn't think of the damned countersign word. I
started rattling off all sorts of kitchenware, and when I heard the sound of a round being chambered into the
breech of a rifle, I came right out and said I forgot the countersign word. I told the person that I had a
message for the CP and started rattling off my name, my serial number, my unit, and the name of my platoon leader.
Thank God that was good enough information and the challenger allowed me to enter. After that little incident, I
mentally forged in my mind every password and countersign word ever given to me.
Charlie Company was across the road and quite some distance from us on another hill. Every unit has some
colored panels that were to be displayed on the ground and very visible from the air. They told our Air Force
fighter pilots who the good guys were and who the bad guys were. The colors of the panels were changed every day
and the Air Force was advised as to the current color panel to be displayed. Well, I have no idea how it happened,
but someone in Charlie Company dropped the ball and didn't display the proper color panel, resulting in their hill
being strafed a couple of times before we were able to notify the Air Force of the mistake. Thank God no one was
hurt by this mistake, but since that situation, every day the color panel was confirmed between the companies of
the battalion to insure there were no recurring acts like that one.
Sometime in September 1950, we left Barbed Wire Hill and proceeded north toward the 38th parallel. We took back
a lot of real estate that had previously been taken by the North Koreans. That was a long way away, and
numerous hardships were met en route. Our primary mode of transportation was the soles of our boots, but once in a
while we lucked out and got to ride in trucks or even on tanks. There were also some lighter moments during
that trek, too. I can recall marching up the dirt roads and taking in the scenery (if one can call rice paddies
scenery) and envying the tank crews who could ride rather than walk. From what I could gather from the
scuttlebutt, this move was the beginning of what was called the "Big Push” north. After more than fifty years, the
memory isn't all that great, so I am not able to recall exact dates of incidents. I'm lucky if I can recall
the months that these incidents happened.
Beginning in late August and continuing through the month of September was the monsoon season in Korea, with
rain coming down constantly. Everywhere we looked there was mud (so much for the spit-shined boots). That
reminds me of the time prior to me being the radio operator when we engaged the enemy and I found myself in a
position where the North Koreans were on one side of a large ridge with a railroad track and I was alone on the
other side. Someone had apparently called in an air strike because, as I looked up, I saw a British Spitfire
diving straight for me as the pilot had released a bomb. I saw that bomb and knew right well it was going to hit
me smack on the head. As I was running, it seemed that with every step I took I picked up another five
pounds of mud on each foot. Finally I couldn't take another step, so I dropped down and waited for the explosion
to put me into the next kingdom. But it never happened. That pilot really knew what he was doing, as the
bomb cleared the train tracks and landed right in the middle of the enemy forces. We were blessed with great
air and artillery support, in addition to the superb help from our heavy weapons companies and platoons.
At some point in time I was given the position as BAR man. For those unfamiliar with military terms, BAR stands
for Browning Automatic Rifle. A BAR team consisted of a gunner and an ammo man. Fortunately, this assignment
didn't last very long because after a while that BAR seemed to weigh a ton. Besides, another guy in the
platoon wanted to be the BAR man. That suited me just fine because the life expectancy of a BAR man in
combat was about three minutes. Enemy forces hated BAR teams because of the firepower they could generate, so they
tried to eliminate them as quickly as possible, concentrating their efforts to that end.
The ages varied among the enemy, as they did in our unit. There were young guys and older guys combined.
The youngest Korean soldier that I came across didn't appear to be more than fourteen or fifteen years old.
In my opinion they fought pretty much as we did, with the exception of their "banzai" attacks every once in a
while. The enemy was armed with old M-1903 Springfield .30 caliber rifles, 9mm Russian "burp" guns, and
Russian-made tanks. They had hand grenades that were a little bit bigger than a flashlight battery with a
long string attached to the safety pin and a ring attached to the string so they could slip the ring on their
finger before throwing the grenade. They also had Russian-made concussion grenades. The reason they
were called "burp" guns is because when they were fired, they sounded just like someone letting out a big belch.
Back to Memoir Contents
Radioman
It was at this time that the Army made use of the radio training that I took at Camp Carson, Colorado.
Lieutenant Walz selected me to be his radio operator. Shortly after that, the third platoon made contact with the
enemy. As we were engaged in a heavy firefight, we were pinned down for quite some time. The main source of
enemy fire was from a sort of foxhole with a steel plate over the top that the guys inside raised slightly enough
to lay down harassing fire--then let it slam back down. They also used a hand-held periscope to monitor our
movements, so rushing that position was somewhat difficult. As a matter of fact, it was completely out of the
question. After a considerable amount of time, we were all getting frustrated by being held down just by a couple
of guys in a man-made pillbox. In junior high school I was rather good at track and field and always ran the 50
yard and 100 yard dash, in addition to the 440 relay. Without bragging, I was a pretty fast runner (especially if
I wasn't carrying around a lot of Korean mud on my boots). I suggested to Lieutenant Walz to let me have his
Colt .45 and a couple of hand grenades and let me rush the pillbox in a zigzag pattern. The Lieutenant wasn't all
that crazy about the idea, but with the situation being what it was, there really weren't a whole lot of other
options on the table.
After Lieutenant Walz tossed it around in his head, he reluctantly acquiesced and handed me his pistol. I
unloaded the SCR 300 radio I had on my back and maneuvered to a position where it would be the shortest distance
to the target. As the platoon laid down some cover fire for me, I made my zigzag sprint to the pillbox. I was
shaking from fear and the adrenalin was rushing through my body in anticipation of what could happen. I pulled out
the safety pin on the grenade I held in my hand and as the enemy troops inside the pill box raised the steel
plate, I tossed the grenade inside and jumped on top of the steel plate just long enough for the grenade to blow
and do its duty. I could feel the steel plate lift a little from the force of the explosion and I knew that some
North Korean soldiers wouldn't be standing in a chow line that night. I ran back to my position next to the
lieutenant, returned his pistol, and put the radio back on. Lieutenant Walz patted me on the back and told me what
a good job I had done. I told him it was no big deal but that it was something that had to be done so we could
continue with our mission. I'm not going to lie--I was scared as hell and afraid that I might not do it right and
get everyone else killed. Later that evening as the lieutenant was writing his report, he told me that he was
putting me in for the Bronze Star. I told him I really wasn't interested in any medals. I just wanted
to get the war over and go back home.
A few days later, we out-gunned the enemy and took possession of another hill. (Actually, it seemed more
like a small mountain to me rather than a hill). We dug in for the night and set up our perimeter.
Fortunately, nothing happened that night and after my turn at watch I got to sleep all night through--which was a
very rare occasion. We stayed on that hill for a couple of days and went out on a couple of recon patrols with a
few contacts and minor skirmishes with the enemy. We checked out and searched a lot of Korean refugees heading
south due to previous incidents of GI's being gunned down by North Koreans posing as refugees and concealing their
weapons under their white civilian clothes. This time the refugees were all legitimate people who just happened to
be victims of the war. I really felt sorry for them, too. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose one's
home--to either have it taken away or to be bombed out of it--after having spent so much time, money, and effort
into owning one. We could see the disappointment in their faces as they passed by us, and my heart just went
out to those poor souls.
In the morning, we finally left this hill and proceeded further north up the MSR (Main Supply Route). As
we marched along, we came upon some elderly Korean women standing alongside the road handing out baked sweet
potatoes. I never was much for sweet potatoes, but I took one anyway as I was hungry and I didn't know when we
would be getting a break to eat. After I took my first bite, I knew I had to go back and get another one or two if
I could. The ladies just smiled and handed me two more and I gave them a bow out of respect and appreciation. Man,
those were some good tasting potatoes. If it weren't so far, I'd have gone back to get a couple more. Okay,
as I said, I was hungry.
It was around this time that Bernie and I got separated. I can't recall how that came about. I think
Bernie had some medical problem with his feet that had to be taken care of or something like that. At any rate,
his camaraderie was sorely missed. This may sound cold, but I made it a point not to get too close to the
other guys in my company, with the exception of Bernie and Bill Bloomer, another foxhole buddy.
Later in the afternoon I was told to report to the Company Commander. I wondered what I had done wrong.
Captain Berry told me that the battalion was going to be entering an area where they would be separated by a
mountain range, and that they needed someone with radio experience to go on the ridge of the mountain to act as a
relay for transmissions from one side of the mountain to the other. Four other guys were assigned as my escort so
I wouldn't be up there all alone. We drew enough rations and ammo for four days and shoved off on our trek. It
took us almost two hours to make it to the top of the ridge, but there was still quite a bit of daylight left.
After making contact with Captain Berry and getting instructions, we continued the march. It was a pretty long
mountain range and as it got dusk we were ordered to halt where we were and dig in for the night. There were radio
messages almost all night long that had to be relayed, so I didn't get a whole lot of sleep, but as a young kid of
eighteen years, I really didn't need a lot of sleep. I have to say that other than the radio transmissions, it was
rather pleasant there just looking up at the stars and enjoying the quiet solitude. We couldn't have any fire as
it would give away our position and be an invitation for North Korean artillery or mortars.
Early the next morning we ate our cold C-Rations, I contacted the captain, and we continued along the ridge.
After two days on that ridge we were finally ordered to return to the main unit. I reported back to Lieutenant
Walz. It felt good to be back "home” again with my buddies. For the next three days we were placed in reserve
status, which provided us with time for some additional training in areas that we were a little rusty with. It
also gave us time to take a shower, do some letter writing, play cards, just loaf around, or read a book. We had
one book that five guys were reading at the same time. When the first person read about fifty pages, they were
ripped out and passed on to another guy who in turn passed them to another guy, and so on. Needless to say, there
weren't any libraries in our neighborhood and reading material was really scarce. Every once in a while we got
some issues of Stars and Stripes and we could read all about how the Wolfhounds (27th Infantry Regiment) were
winning the war. That regiment had one helluva public relations office because we read about how the Wolfhounds
did this and the Wolfhounds did that. You'd think they were the only unit in Korea fighting the war.
Back to Memoir Contents
Memories of Korea
I recall one of the periods we were in reserve and occupying a ridge that had some type of foliage growing that
looked like a tobacco field. Inasmuch as we were out of cigarettes again, another guy and I took a hike into that
field and gathered up a bunch of the dried out leaves. We didn't know what kind of plant it was. When we got
back to the bivouac area we got out some Red Cross writing paper and crumpled the leaves into a sheet of that
paper and rolled our own cigarettes. We ended up with a cigarette seven inches long and about half an inch in
diameter. When we lit them up they almost made our toenails curl up. Wow! Two puffs and that was it. From
then on we just bit the bullet and resorted to chewing tobacco or just suffered the withdrawal from tobacco.
I never really got too much mail, but what I did get was of a positive nature with good wishes and prayers for
a safe and speedy return home. Packages that were sent never did get to me. I think they got rifled
through by some rear echelon pencil pusher.
It was also during this time that a bunch of about twenty-five Koreans dressed in their native white clothing
and their "stove pipe” hats were brought under guard to the base of our hill. Just as I had finished eating lunch
and was heading back to my foxhole, some sergeant told me to assist guarding these Koreans while his guys grabbed
a bite to eat. I didn't know if these Koreans were civilian refugees or what because the North Korean soldiers
were famous for wearing civilian clothes under their uniforms. In the event they got overrun by our troops,
they were known to discard their uniforms and just stroll down the hills as though taking a walk through the park.
They all appeared to have been victims of a napalm attack as their faces were all scabbed over and they had their
faces protected from the flies buzzing around their heads by netting attached to their hats and tied around their
neck. They smelled to high heaven and it took everything in me just hold down my lunch from their stench. After
about a half hour, the other guys returned, stood the Koreans up off the ground, and proceeded on down the road
heading south. As soon as I was relieved from that duty I practically ran up that hill just so I could get a
breath of fresh air. The only time that I smelled anything as bad as those Koreans was when I happened upon a
corpse that had been a victim of a white phosphorous grenade. That smell hangs on forever and it's extremely
offensive to the nasal tract. As a matter of fact, it almost made us want to lose our breakfast when we smelled
it.
From this area we moved further up north. After a while, we got to a burned-out village where we were
given a break. The weather wasn't all that bad for a fall day. I sat down, leaned back against the wall of a
burned-out house, and enjoyed the warmth of the sun as I started to eat some C-ration crackers and jam. As I was
on my second cracker, a small Korean boy about six or seven years old came and sat right in front of me watching
me eat. I put some jam on a cracker and offered it to the boy. He ate it like he hadn't eaten in a century.
I gave him all the crackers and jam that I had and we just sat there enjoying each other's company. I
chatted to him as if he could understand what I was saying. He just kept looking at me smiling. He probably
thought that I was some kind of nut running off the mouth to someone who had no idea what the hell I was talking
about. About a half hour later we were told to pack up and head north again. I scrounged as much food as I could
from the other guys and gave it to the boy and was able to find a couple of elderly Korean women who agreed to
take care of him. I wasn't all that much into kids, but I will have to admit he was a cute little bugger. To
this day I still wonder whatever became of him. If he is still alive, I wonder if he ever thinks about the GI that
gave him some crackers when he was hungry. Who knows?
The next couple of weeks were difficult. We had some pretty rough engagements with the enemy and on one
occasion we had a real big fight where we lost a few men. One particular fatality stands out in my mind because he
did something that everybody knows you're not supposed to do. He knew it, too, but he did it anyway and it
cost him his life. When you overrun the enemy and take possession of the real estate they were occupying, the
first thing you do before looking into a foxhole is toss in a grenade. Well, for some unknown reason this guy--who
always played a harmonica--stuck his head over the edge of this particular foxhole and got a face full of bullets
from a Russian burp gun. At that time about five grenades went into that hole and the North Koreans that were in
there joined their ancestors. As long as I live I will never forget the sight of him lying on the ground with a
mass of blood and tissue where a face used to be.
We entered the town of Pyongyang and set up inside of an abandoned school house. We finally got to sleep inside
and out of the weather--which still was holding pretty well. In Pyongyang, a patrol ran upon a beer brewery. With
the captain's permission, a water trailer was emptied out, filled with beer, and brought back to the company area.
It wasn't Anheuser-Busch or Coors, but as the saying goes, "any port in the storm.” It really didn't taste all
that bad and it was a lot better than some of the sake that we had come across as we toured the Korean peninsula.
Down times were infrequent, short, and consumed with training. After a couple of days of rest and
relaxation, we were called back to action and headed toward the Han River. Upon reaching our destination, we set
up our perimeter with barbed wire and concertina wire. As an additional safeguard, about fifteen 55-gallon
drums were strategically placed about two-thirds of the way down the hill facing the river. These drums were
filled with napalm gas which could be ignited by firing a tracer bullet into it.
A Turkish unit was assigned to cover our right flank and my foxhole was the last one on our right. They were
fierce warriors and we didn't have a worry in the world about our right flank. As dusk was quickly falling,
a sergeant told me to go and make physical contact with the Turks. I looked at him like he had two heads and asked
him if he was joking, to which he replied that he wasn't. I then asked him if he was aware of the fact that the
Turks didn't ask "who's there." Instead, they just cut off your head first and then asked "Who are you?” the
next day. I told the sergeant that at the risk of a courts martial, I had to decline the invitation. I told
him that I would make voice contact instead. After some careful consideration, the sergeant agreed that would be
sufficient, so I called over to them "merhuba” (hello in Turkish). I got a response from them. As far as I
was concerned, contact had been made.
At about eight o'clock that night, there appeared to be some activity near the barbed wire. There was
quite a bit of jingling of tin cans and ammo clips. A flare was shot in the sky and illuminated the entire area to
see if enemy troops were trying to penetrate our position. The word was given to ignite the drums and the whole
area lit up like Broadway. Even at our distance from the drums, we could still feel the heat generated from the
napalm. As the napalm started flowing down the hill like a river of volcanic lava, we could see enemy troops
running like hell to get out of the way. Once napalm got on someone, it was like glue and we couldn't get it off.
Trying to brush it off only caused it to spread. The only thing we could do was smother it with mud just as we
would with white phosphorous. That put us in a "Catch-22” situation though, as there usually wasn't any way of
making mud unless we happened to be near a river or stream. Of course, we could use the water from our canteen if
we happened to have a canteen and if it had water in it. Like I said, it was a Catch-22.
A few days later we left that hill and continued north, ending up in a village that had been abandoned with the
exception of what appeared to be a Catholic orphanage. The captain had information that we were possibly going to
receive heavy mortar or artillery fire during the night, so the captain explained the situation to the nun in
charge and suggested that it would be to their advantage to evacuate the area. Due to the fact that it was getting
late in the day and darkness was setting quickly, the nun decided to wait until the next day to see about
relocating to a safer area. Just as predicted, we unfortunately did get shelled that night with few, if any,
injuries to American troops. However, the orphanage didn't do so well. I don't recall the total extent of
their damage and/or losses, but, needless to say there was much sadness being witnessed among the men in the
company. It was a very gruesome scene with dead little kids scattered about. It was another scene engraved in my
memory and that I can never forget. It made me hate the North Koreans all that more. We helped the Nun take
care of the wounded children and the dead ones and cleaned up the area as best we could.
From that position we pushed off again going north and the weather started to get a little nasty with the
temperature rapidly dropping many degrees. Later in the day it started to snow and the morale started to drop just
like the temperature. With this change in the weather we were issued new foot wear called "muck-lucks." They
came with two sets of liners. One set was placed inside the muck-luck and the other was to be kept inside our
clothing next to our chest to dry out and keep warm. The object was to alternate the liners every day to help
prevent frost bite or frozen feet. One of the new replacements mentioned that he didn't have any liners, so
instead of me telling him to see the supply sergeant, I, like a dummy, gave him one of my sets of liners. This was
probably one of the dumbest things I did all the time I was in Korea (with the exception of the DDT incident). As
it turned out, a few days later I ended up having to go to the Battalion Aid Station because the pain in my feet
was so bad I could hardly walk. I didn't know what was wrong with them. Needless to say, I was diagnosed
with frost-bitten feet and sent to the Regimental Clearing Hospital where I was hospitalized and treated for
almost two weeks.
When it got to the point where I could walk without too much pain, I was transferred to a convalescent area
where I remained for another week. While I was there I had an Australian roommate and we got along very well
together. One day we pooled our resources and went to the PX where we purchased a case of beer (Pabst Blue Ribbon)
and took it back to our room. Well, we didn't have any refrigerator to keep the beer cold so there was only one
other solution--drink it all. I'll never forget how that room spun around and how I got as sick as a dog. I also
remember how I felt the next day. Ugh! I think I had the granddaddy of all hangovers and never drank another
Pabst Blue Ribbon the rest of my life.
I was finally released to go back to active duty but for some reason I couldn't locate my unit. After
spending all day looking for my company, I ended up hooking up with an outfit of the British Army. These guys were
unreal! They treated me like I was visiting royalty and I treated them as though they lived in Buckingham Palace.
We had an extremely good relationship and I went with them on several patrols while their commander made efforts
to locate my company. On one patrol we were on, we discovered a large pile of dead United Nations soldiers at the
base of a cliff. They were all naked, although some of them did have ID tags (not American dog tags) around their
necks. Their hands were tied behind their backs with copper wire. All of them had multiple bullet wounds.
Apparently they had been lined up at the edge of the cliff and then fell to the bottom after being shot. The
British sergeant notified his command post of what we found, and shortly thereafter his commander and other staff
members were on the scene and took charge of the situation. It was hard to sleep that night and that is when I
vowed that I would never take another prisoner. If they got in my sights, they were dead meat.
There was another time when we went to a supply center to replenish their PX stock items. Upon arrival at the
site, the sergeant in charge told the soldier there what we needed, but we were directed to produce a requisition
for our needs. It should be noted that at this time much of the supplies were being burned or otherwise destroyed
to prevent its use by enemy forces who had made a breakthrough in our lines. The sergeant produced his Sten gun,
shot off a quick burst of fire, and told the soldier that this was his requisition. We loaded the "cracker box”
ambulance that we had come in and headed back to the base camp. Upon our arrival I was advised by the commander
that my company had been located and arrangements were made for me to rejoin it. The next day before I left I got
a lot of goodbyes, good luck wishes, and a back pack that was stuffed with cartons of Milky Way and Mars candy
bars, as well as cartons of Lucky Strike cigarettes. The British commander had prepared a letter stating that I
was with their unit to prevent me from being courts martialed for AWOL or desertion. I was naturally eager to get
back to my unit, but I did really enjoy being with those Brits. I'm sorry that I can't recall the name of the
outfit, but I do thank God for the opportunity to be with them as long as I was.
I have a positive opinion of the ROKs assigned to our company, too. They were quite good, especially
Bong, who was assigned to our foxhole. He was very eager to learn the English language and did everything he
could to please us. He was a very good man and I felt very bad when he got taken out by a sniper. I
had very little contact with the Koreans except for the vendors that came around selling taffy and such. We
didn't have many problems with the civilians, but they were all checked very closely at the refugee checkpoints
due to infiltrators ambushing UN troops. We were never flanked by the Marines.
Back to Memoir Contents
Able Company - Damn Good!
I finally caught up to my Able Company and settled back in with the Third Platoon. One day a guy named "Tex”
(every outfit had a guy named Tex) caught a stray pig and slaughtered it and cooked it up with some rice in a real
big cauldron. Everyone ate their fill, including me. It was right tasty and I think we had pig and rice for
three days straight. A few days after we left that area we were occupying the high ground with a rather steep
ridge to our front. We were in position there for a couple of days. One night the fog came in and blanketed
the entire area. We could just barely see our hand in front of our face, and nights like that were scary as hell.
The enemy could sneak up on us and before we knew it, we could be leaking blood from a slit throat or strangled by
a garrote. In my opinion, the age groups of the enemy varied. They were determined fighters, armed
with Russian 9mm "burp guns" and Russian-made tanks and Russian-made concussion grenades. I don't know
anything about their heavy weapons. Usually, most fighting took place during the daytime hours.
However, there were times when the enemy attempted to penetrate our perimeters at nighttime. In those
instances we could fight them with our grenades, as shooting at them would give away our positions by the muzzle
flashes.
At these times, when we could hear our heart beating and it sounded just like a bass drum, we would swear that
everyone else within fifty miles could hear it, too. We sat there and listened and listened and listened for the
slightest sound that might alert us and put us on guard. Fortunately that night nothing bad happened.
However, early in the morning there was the sound of a lot of commotion further down the mountain side. We could
hear the clunking of equipment and the rustle of the underbrush. Everyone was on the alert and ready for action,
when all of a sudden the fog started to lift and there below us coming up to our position was what seemed like the
entire Chinese Army. The Chinese liked to throw in some psychological warfare with their attacks by using
bugles, whistles, yelling, and blowing horns. (We never bothered with that type of warfare as it didn't have
much effect on us. I imagine it wouldn't have had much effect on them either, and it seemed like a waste of
effort.)
We were given the order to open fire, and it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Captain Berry ordered that
just automatic weapons fire, so the rest of us just sat back and watched the show. There was a lot of ammunition
spent that time. I figured there must have been at least two or three hundred dead Chinamen down there, but
when we went down on patrol for a body count and to see if there were any survivors, we couldn't find one dead
body. I couldn't believe it. I knew our men were damned good marksmen and no one could miss that badly, but where
did they go? Later on it was determined that those that were able carried out their dead so we couldn't get any
idea as to how seriously we hurt their strength. I will give them credit for that--not leaving their dead behind.
There was much talk about that episode for the next few days, but we never saw any of it in the Stars and Stripes.
Hey, that's okay. If you're good you know it and it doesn't have to be headlined. And believe me--Able
Company was good…damn good!
We moved out again heading north towards the 38th parallel. My feet were starting to ache real bad from
the cold, so I jumped up on the back of an M-4 Sherman tank going in our direction and found out that wasn't such
a good idea. When the tank was idling, the rear deck was nice and warm--pretty much like the subway grates with
the heat coming up. But when the tank started to move those mighty engines drew the air in for cooling, and
believe me it was cold. I managed to get a position along the fender above the track and was able to ride for
about two or three miles until we reached the point where we were going to bivouac. The snow was still
pretty deep in places, so digging in wasn't all that difficult. I learned back in ski training to use the snow to
our advantage and that's what we did. We dug down into the snow and then used our shelter half for a makeshift
roof. We stayed fairly warm (not toasty, just fairly warm).
Our uniform of the day was fatigues--all year long. We had been issued long johns, sweaters, and liners
for our field jackets, along with muck-luck boots with liners, but my feet still got frostbitten and frozen,
landing me in the field hospitals a couple of times. The Korean winters were extremely cold, particularly
when we were sleeping in the outdoors. The weather even affected our heavy duty (water-cooled) machineguns.
They required anti-freeze during the winter months. I'm not sure what the Koreans wore in the winter, but
the Chinese wore padded uniforms and hats with ear flaps.
Two days later was Thanksgiving and Captain Berry made sure that his troops were fed well. We had turkey with
dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, salad, deviled eggs, hot rolls, coffee, tea, and dessert. I
would have given a month's pay for a nice, cold glass of milk. It was a very delicious meal and everybody ate
their fill. Some even went back for seconds, and the best thing about it all--there was no fighting that
day. We had time to reflect back, count our blessings, and thank the Lord that we were all alive and still
in one piece.
That evening, we got the word to expect a heavy attack during the night or early in the morning. With this news
we all reinforced our positions and made sure that we had plenty of ammunition and grenades. Then came the wait.
There was nothing worse than just sitting and waiting for bad things to happen, but that was all part of war. It
must have been about one or two in the morning when we heard the bugles and the whistles. All the clamor and noise
sounded like it was Chinese New Year. Everybody's eyes were aiming down the barrel of their rifles with their
trigger finger ready to squeeze off the first round. The waiting continued and soon there was nobody to shoot at.
The Chinese went right past our positions without even firing a shot. I have no idea where, or even if, they
ever engaged any of our forces. Maybe they didn't know that we were there. Only God will ever know that answer.
A day or so after the Chinese patrol passed us, we were ordered to make a "strategic withdrawal.” I also recall
an officer telling us that if he saw any of us running he would put a bullet in our back. That was nice to know.
The word we got was that Chinese and North Koreans had made a big break through in our lines and we were to fall
back to regroup and reorganize. Captain Berry told us that we were to take delaying action and hold back the enemy
advance to the last man. We were successful with that assignment without losing a man, and later joined up with
the rest of our parent unit. This was a very demoralizing period of time. One day we were going north kicking
North Korean and Chinese asses, then the next day we were making strategic withdrawals. Then back again
heading north, and then back again going south. I was beginning to feel like a ping-pong ball. It was during
this period that my feet became frostbitten again, resulting in another brief stay in the field hospital.
However, upon my release from the hospital this time, I was able to go directly back to my beloved Able Company.
There was one point in time when we were advancing north and had to cross a rather long bridge that spanned
what I think was the Imjin River. As we approached this bridge we came under heavy small arms resistance, but we
were able to make it to the near end of the bridge. We secured both sides of the road leading to the bridge and
set up a barrage of automatic weapons fire in return for their firing at us. This exchange of fire lasted for
about two hours and then suddenly there was a silence that almost made chills run up our back. It was like the
enemy figured they were fighting a losing battle and decided to pull out, leaving the bridge to us. After a short
time, a patrol was sent out to reconnoiter the area and check on any wounded or dead. I found a dead Korean boy
who couldn't have been more than fourteen or fifteen years old with one foot blown off and a hole in his other
ankle. It looked as though he had gotten hit with a .50 caliber round. He was dressed in a North Korean Army
uniform, was still holding a burp gun in his arms, and had a grenade in his hand as though he was about to throw
it before he got hit. Even though he was the enemy, I sort of felt sorry for the kid to have his life snuffed out
so early. At any rate, we took the bridge and secured it and then continued our march north.
That evening after we had just gotten into our new positions and started digging in, mortar rounds started
falling all around us. We couldn't see any flashes in front of us to determine where the rounds were coming
from. As it turned out, we were being fired upon by our own mortar company, which had its coordinates all screwed
up. Fortunately there were no injuries, but the next morning there was hell to pay and the commander of that
mortar company was relieved of his command. He was lucky that he didn't get a court martial out of it.
After three or four days of real fierce fighting with the Chinese, we were able to force them back several
times--only to be forced back ourselves from their counterattacks. When I say fierce fighting, that is exactly
what it was with hand-to-hand combat and bayonet fighting. Those Chinese troops were darn good fighters, but not
as good as we were. It was just a matter of time and attrition before we were able to get the upper hand and
defeat them for good. There were dead Chinese laying all over the place and the hill--or mountain if you will--was
ours. This scenario was duplicated on more than one occasion until there was no more enemy to fight.
Back to Memoir Contents
Potato Masher Grenades
On 30 March 1951 near a town named Sonju, we engaged the Chinese on a mountain side. After another fierce
firefight that lasted almost an hour and a half, we were able to force them to retreat and we occupied the
positions they were holding. Once taking possession, we started to look for enemy stragglers or anyone left behind
as snipers. Another guy and I discovered a large bunker at the top of the hill we were on. It had a tunnel
running downhill to another smaller bunker. This tunnel had a side entrance about halfway down the hill. We had
sprayed the upper bunker with automatic carbine fire in case there was anyone still inside, and then we proceeded
to the tunnel entrance and started to spray inside it, too. But we both ran out of ammunition, and neither
one of us had any grenades. I recalled seeing a crate of "potato masher” grenades on the floor outside the
entrance of the upper bunker, so the other guy held my legs while I reached down and very gently lifted one
(hoping that it wasn't booby trapped). Seeing that it was safe, I lifted it out of the crate very gently and we
went back to the tunnel entrance. I was not familiar with this type of grenade and saw some writing on the side.
I assumed it was directions, but the writing was in Russian so I figured I'd just wing it. There was a small ring
attached to a rather long cord which in turn was tied to a safety pin that was securing the triggering mechanism.
The ends of this safety pin were not spread apart as the ends were on our grenades.
I later found out that it was the type of grenade used as an anti-personnel mine. That was why it had the
shape it had--so it could be placed on the ground without tipping over. The string was stretched to its length and
then tied to a secure object. It activated when an unsuspecting person caught the string by his ankle, pulling the
safety pin from the firing mechanism. The grenade then exploded, taking out whoever might be in the
vicinity. I held down the safety handle, pulled the pin, and threw the grenade into the side entrance of the
tunnel. Unfortunately, the grenade only traveled about three feet before it exploded. I caught the main
force of the explosion, which lifted me off the ground and threw me back about ten feet, where I landed on my
back. All I could remember was the boom and the flash. I called for the medics, and for some reason I had the
sense of mind to take off my backpack, place it on the ground, then take off my helmet and place it on top of the
pack. I lay down with my head downhill and my feet upon the helmet to keep from going into shock.
All this time I was writhing in pain, as it felt that half of Korea was in both eyes. I remember hearing the
other guy scream, too, but had no idea as to the extent of his injuries as he was about five feet behind me when
the explosion occurred. I don't recall how long I laid there before the medics got to me. (At the time, it
seemed like an eternity.) I never knew the names of the medics in our company. As a matter of fact, I
don't recall the names of hardly anyone in our company. I know they did what they could for me when they had
to carry me off the mountain when I got wounded. They gave me something for the pain and then placed me on a
stretcher and carried me off the hill to an ambulance. I was transported to the battalion aid station, where
they made an attempt to irrigate my eyes to remove some of the debris. From there I was taken to the Regimental
Clearing Station where additional irrigation was attempted. I was then transported to another unknown
location where the people spoke with an English accent. I recall overhearing someone say, "That poor bloke will
never see again.” Then I heard that person getting chewed out for saying what he did. Even though I couldn't cry
real tears, I was bawling inside and gritting my teeth at the same time. The pain was almost intolerable, and
everyone did what they could to make me as comfortable as possible. They apparently gave me something real
strong for the pain, because the next thing I knew I was in Japan in a hospital room at the Tokyo Army Hospital.
While in that hospital I had an incident where I was taken to an examining room by another patient named Riley,
whom I had befriended. A female doctor told me to place my chin in the cup of this special machine for examining
eyes. After I did that, she turned on a switch and a very bright light was shined in my eyes, causing
extreme pain. I removed my head from that machine to stop the pain and was scolded for doing that by the doctor. I
was directed to put my chin back in the cup, so I did. Then that doctor told me to open my eyes. I told her
that I couldn't open my eyes. She made some comment about my mentality, which I ignored. I opened my eyes
with my fingers and then she shined that light in them again and the pain came back. It felt like there were
a thousand needles being put in my eyeball, and then it felt like someone was pushing their thumb into my eye as
hard as they could. I couldn't keep my eyes open without holding them open with my fingers. That's when the doctor
told me that I must crazy if I couldn't keep my eyes open by themselves. At that point I called for Riley, who
came into the room. I told him to take me back to my room. The doctor said, "You stay right here. I'm not
finished with you yet!” That is when I lost it and told her, "Yes you are, and if you were a man and I could see,
I'd kick your ass all over this hospital!”
When we got back to the ward, I told the head nurse what had happened. She called my primary care doctor.
Within minutes that female doctor was in my room with me, my doctor, and the head nurse. My doctor went up one
side of her and down the other and ended up telling her, "After what this man has been through, you should get
down in your knees and kiss his feet!” The female doctor did apologize, and I could hear her leaving the room in
tears. I heard the head nurse mention to the doctor that after this session she would never want him angry with
her.
I'm not sure how long I was in that hospital--perhaps it was a month or so--but I recall one day as I was lying
in bed with my eyes and head all in bandages. I was told there were some people to see me. I couldn't
imagine who it could be, but an Army officer introduced himself and began reading a citation. Then someone
pinned a Purple Heart medal on my pajama top. That was the first medal I'd ever gotten while I was in the Army.
Eventually I was evacuated back to the United States. Midway and Hawaii were refueling stops, and we were
on the ground for a couple of hours for a crew change also. From there we flew into Honolulu. When we
arrived, I was taken from the plane to a bus. After boarding the bus, some Hawaiian girls boarded too and
placed leis around our necks, kissed us on the cheek, and told us Aloha! We ended up staying in Hawaii at the
Tripler Army Hospital for about three days because the airplane had engine problems; however, due to both of my
eyes being bandaged, I couldn't really see or appreciate the beauty of Hawaii.
From Hawaii we landed in San Francisco, California, where I was placed in Letterman Army Hospital. I underwent
treatment there for a month or two, and was then transferred to Brooke Army Hospital at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
I was at Fort Sam for an extremely long time, but after much treatment and eye exercises, I was able to regain
part of my vision back in my right eye. The eye treatments consisted mostly of some type of solution being
put in the eyes to dilate the pupils and additional X-rays being taken on a recurring basis to determine if there
was anymore foreign matter in the eyes. The exercises were moving the eyeballs in various directions several
times a day to determine the reaction time for refocusing from one object to another.
The left eye was still not responding too well to my treatments and exercise. Finally after a couple more
months, my left eye started to get better and I was able to see some light through it. About a month or so
after that, my vision returned to that eye too. In time (thanks to a miracle granted by God and accomplished
by the terrific army doctors), my full eyesight was restored. I still have a scar across the cornea of my left eye
and there is still some foreign matter behind the eyeballs which causes me to see spots in front of me in a
distinct pattern. These spots do not affect my vision though. Upon my discharge from the hospital, I was
given a 30-day convalescent leave.
Back to Memoir Contents
Life After Korea
After this leave I received orders to report to Fort Lewis, Washington where I was placed in a replacement
company (Repo-Depot). During this tenure we were just extra bodies, so we were always sent out on various details
such as guard duty, prisoner chaser, kitchen police, etc. There was one detail where there must have been about
twenty of us that had to be taken to our detail by truck. Well, the sergeant in charge must have been new to the
job because he never bothered to take our names. Every time that truck stopped for a stop sign, about two or
three guys jumped out of the back of the truck. I was one of them, too. I have no idea how many men he had
when they got to their destination. Finally, after about a month of this nonsense I got my orders for my new
assignment.
I reported for duty at Fort Worden, Washington, which was the headquarters of the 369th Engineer Amphibious
Support Regiment (EASR). I was the first Korean War veteran assigned there and I was asked by the Director of the
Service Club to give a presentation of my experiences in Korea and what it was like over there. I was not a public
speaker, but I managed to stumble through it somehow. I was provided with several opportunities to attend
various schools of engineering such as heavy equipment operators school. I was holding out hopes of being
transferred back to an Infantry unit, so very foolishly I declined the offers. As it turned out, I never got the
transfer and I blew my chances of learning how to operate heavy equipment. I think part of my decision was based
on the fact that within the last several months I had been relocated five times and I was just tired of packing up
and moving again. I wanted to settle down to garrison duty and live a halfway normal life again.
I was assigned to Easy Company of the Shore Battalion which was located on Flagler Island and consequently
named Fort Flagler. During World War II, Fort Flagler had been a coastal artillery base and the old ammo
revetments were now being used as storage facilities. There was one thing about this assignment that always
mystified me. We were the Shore Battalion (stationed on an island) and the Boat Battalion (stationed on the
mainland). It seemed to me that it should have been the other way around with the Boat Battalion on Flagler and
Shore Battalion on the mainland.
The host city was Port Townsend. It had a paper mill, and on days when the wind was blowing in the wrong
direction, we got the full benefit of the smell produced by that paper mill. Man, it could gag a maggot off a gut
wagon.
This assignment did prove to be very interesting. Fort Flagler was located on Puget Sound, and even if we had a
car or motorcycle, the only means of transportation to the main land was via the “M-Boats” (short for LCM, Landing
Craft Mechanized). There were no bridges at that time to connect Flagler to the mainland. Consequently, I didn’t
go to Port Townsend that often, except maybe on pay day when a few of us got together and went in for a few beers
and to check out the town, which really wasn’t all that much. There were some restaurants, bars, a couple
theatres, and a VFW and American Legion club. In a way though, it was sometimes an adventure just going to town in
the M-Boat. One time when we were returning to Fort Flagler the fog had set in and we could barely see our hand in
front of our face. I don’t recall exactly how far it was from the mainland to the island, but when we were out
there in the water with a fog horn blowing constantly, hoping we didn’t ram into a freighter or a tanker, it
seemed that we were an ocean apart. Luckily we had a good Bo'sn Mate and navigator that got us home okay--a few
hours late, but we got there all in one piece, safe and sound.
When we had a regimental parade, we all had to be boated to Fort Worden. Unfortunately, the boats never
could get close enough to the shore where we could disembark onto dry ground. We always had to wade to shore
through knee deep water. They could always tell the Shore Battalion troops from the other troops in the regiment
as we were the only ones with soggy boots and wet trousers up to the knee. Another way, too, was the fact that we
had to have a red horizontal patch sewn on the outside of the legs on our fatigue pants at knee level.
Back to Memoir Contents
Atomic Bomb Experience
In 1951 we received orders for the whole battalion to participate in atomic bomb tests being conducted in the
desert of Nevada at Frenchman’s Flat and Yucca Flats. We were transported there via troop train--a two-day trip.
That was a very educational trip as I learned how to play chess--not very well, but I could hold my own.
When we finally arrived in Las Vegas it was rather pleasant weather-wise. We were taken to Camp Desert Rock by
truck convoy, and we set about putting up squad tents and laying out routes of travel. (I hesitate to call
them streets or avenues--just routes of travel.) In two days we were all set up and ready to go about our
special duties. During this time I was assigned to various jobs, one of which was to climb the telephone poles
that were installed along the road to connect us with the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). My job was to secure the
cross beams that would be holding the conductors for the wires.
Everything was going fine and I had completed about ten of the poles. As I was climbing up the next pole, I was
about three quarters of the way up when one of the gaffs didn’t dig in far enough into the pole and I lost my
footing and balance. In training we were taught that if this happened we were to just lean back and depend on the
safety belt to save us. Well, that’s all fine and good in theory, but when you panic you forget a lot of
what you’re told you should do. Consequently, I wrapped my arms around that pole like I was in love with it
and slid all the way to the bottom. I have no idea as to how many splinters I had in me, but it seemed to take an
eternity to get them all out. During this “splinter removal” period, which lasted about two weeks, I was placed on
light duty and every day I had to go to the Medical Aid Station for splinter removal. The old-timers never did let
me live that incident down, but they were sympathetic to me too.
After I got all the splinters out of me, I was assigned to drive various types of trucks. One such truck was an
old “deuce and a half” with a stake body and a huge open rubberized container inside the back. This was used to
transport water to Camp Desert Rock from Indian Springs Air Force Base. One day I was dispatched to go to the air
base and get water for the camp. Upon arrival at Indian Springs, the Air Policeman at the gate directed me to the
location to get the water. It took about two hours to fill the rubber container and then I was back on my way to
Desert Rock. When I approached the gate to Camp Desert Rock, the Military Policemen posted there normally just
flagged me through, so I usually maintained my speed and went right through. However, for some reason, an MP
came out of the security booth and signaled for me to stop. I immediately pushed on the brake pedal as I got
to the gate and a cavalcade of water came rushing from the container, over the front of the truck and soaked that
MP all the way to the bone. This was not done on purpose but that MP was ready to draw his .45 pistol and put some
lead in me. I got out and explained to him that I’m never stopped coming in the gate driving a GI truck.
After a while he did settle down, but he had to go to his tent to get a change of clothing. See, there were some
humorous things that happened out there on the desert.
After we were there for about a month, we got our first chance to witness an A-Bomb test. We were transported
to the test site via convoy and upon reaching our destination we dismounted and fell into Company formation. We
were given a briefing as to what to expect and what safety procedures we were to follow. After the briefing we
marched to the hundred foot perimeter from ground zero and observed various types of equipment and live sheep both
above the ground and in fox holes. Some of the equipment consisted of an M-4 Sherman tank, a couple of Jeeps, a
weapons carrier, some mannequins dressed in both civilian clothing and military uniforms (both fatigues and class
A uniforms), a small two-bedroom house with furniture, dressed mannequins inside at various locations in the
house, an airplane, machineguns, and other types of weapons. From there we were taken to the next perimeter which
was five hundred feet away from ground zero with the same type of equipment and animals. We were also taken to the
one thousand foot perimeter and observed that equipment as well.
After viewing all these different perimeters we were given a lunch break. After we ate we were instructed
to get in a real long and deep trench and wait for further instructions. At this time they allowed us to stand up
in the trench so we could observe the detonation of one thousands pounds of high explosives so that we would be
able to make a comparison between that explosion and the one we were about to witness. About thirty minutes later
we were instructed to put on our gloves and gas masks, make sure our pant legs were bloused inside our boots, and
insure that our field jacket sleeves were buttoned tightly and all the way up to the neck. We were told that at
the end of the countdown to make sure to cover our closed eyes with our hands and stay all the way down in the
trench. Then it began: ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, zero! The noise was
deafening and after about thirty seconds we could feel the wind from the blast blowing over the trench. Then
after another thirty seconds we were told that we could rise up and see the mushroom cloud (if we so desired). It
looked magnificent. We were then told to get back in the trench.
After about an hour we were told that it was safe to get out of the trench and get in formation. Once we were
assembled we were taken again to the various perimeters to see what they looked like and what condition they were
in. Amazing! The Sherman tank that was at the one hundred foot perimeter was no longer there. It was
at the five hundred foot perimeter. The tank that was at the five hundred perimeters was nowhere to be found
(even though we knew it had to be somewhere). The houses were completely destroyed, along with the mannequins
inside them. The sheep that were above ground were gone and the sheep that were in the fox holes had their fur
either badly singed or burnt off. They were later put to sleep after being checked for the amount of radiation to
which they had been exposed. The weapons that were still at their locations were melted down or twisted and
deformed so as to make them inoperable. At all of the different perimeters there was total devastation. After
viewing the various perimeters we were then marched to a checkpoint where the radiation badges that we had been
issued were checked for the amount of radiation (or roentgens) absorbed in our bodies.
We were told that it wasn’t enough to be dangerous and we didn’t have to worry about not making babies,
lighting up at night, or glowing in the dark. This was a daylight shot. As impressive as it was, the
pre-dawn shot was even more spectacular. We went through the same drill as before, with the exception of visiting
the various marked off perimeters. With this pre-dawn shot, after we were given the countdown we were then advised
as to when we could raise up out of the trench momentarily to view the fireball. Upon seeing this massive ball of
fire, I was so awe struck by it that I forgot my counting. If it hadn’t been for my trench mate yanking me
back down into the trench, I would have been blown away with the power of the blast. That was one magnificent
sight to behold. It was amazing how something as beautiful as that could be so destructive. The beauty of
the fireball filling up the darkness was indescribable. You would have to have been there to really appreciate it.
All in all I think I participated in four or five of these tests (and I still don’t glow in the night).
To be honest, I found them to be very interesting and informative. This was an experience that not very many
people have had. I guess a lot of them wouldn’t want it anyway. I could write a book about those six months,
and maybe one day I will. Besides being involved with three or four of the tests while helping to build Camp
Desert Rock, Nevada, in an engineer outfit, one learned to be a jack-of-all-trades. Besides being a lineman, I was
also a driver of dump trucks, six by sixes, and a Jeep once in a while. I operated a jack hammer and various other
construction tools. I once lost a watch while using a jack hammer. The vibration of the jack hammer caused
my watchband to break and fall off my wrist, unbeknownst to me. I didn't discover it missing until we went
on a break, and by then it was too late to even try to find it. It wasn't a Rolex or Elgin--it was just a
cheap PX watch. Like I said, it was an interesting assignment. After we returned to Fort Flagler it was
routine duty. Then on 2 October 1952, I was honorably discharged.
Back to Memoir Contents
Re-enlistment
I purchased a 1942 Indian Chief from one of the civilian employees working at Flagler. I paid $125.00 for it
(right now it would be worth at least $20,000 or more). Once I had those discharge papers in my hand, I got
on my motorcycle and headed east. My first stop was in Seattle, Washington, where I got a hotel room and dropped
my bike off to have a few things repaired on it. Several months later, unfortunately, I had an accident with
a 1951 Ford and totaled the Indian Chief. This all happened while I was working at Boeing Aircraft Company.
In those days, that was a terrific company to work for as they covered all my medical expenses and they had
benefits that were out of this world. I got a call from my sister telling me that my dad had been involved in an
accident, so I had to leave Seattle and return home to Rock Island, Illinois. After arriving back home I was
able to get a job at International Harvester, where they made farming equipment. This lasted for almost nine
months until they decided to go on strike. I said "to hell with it” and re-enlisted in the Army. I guess I
just wasn't cut out for civilian life, because the next 22 years was spent in the military.
Upon my re-enlistment I was sent to Fort Sheridan, Illinois, where I was supplied with the various uniforms I
would need and assigned to one of the barracks. Fort Sheridan was the receiving station of new recruits also, and
when our Platoon Sergeant told us to make up our cots he began to show us how. But before he had half the
words out of his mouth, I had my cot already made. When he saw this he asked if I had prior service experience and
I proceeded to tell him my qualifications. No one else in the platoon at that time knew that I was a "retread”
either, so when I appeared with my CIB and service ribbons on my uniform, they all seemed quite impressed. It was
not my intention to impress anyone, but I was damned proud of my CIB above all the other "fruit salad.” The CIB
says it all.
After about three weeks at Fort Sheridan, I received my walking papers and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne
Division. Inasmuch as I was promised an armored unit, I ended up in Headquarters Company of the 44th Tank
Battalion. Don't get me wrong, I loved the Infantry. But there is a lot to be said about riding somewhere
rather than having to walk. After about a year and a half at Fort Bragg, I decided to go to jump school. It
was torture for the first two weeks. That's the period where we learned all about PLFs (parachute landing falls),
"suspended agony” where we were placed in a parachute harness that was suspended from a beam and we were taught
how to guide our parachute by slipping to the left, right, front, rear, and diagonally. The reason it got the name
of "suspended agony” was if we don't get the harness on exactly right, when we started to be suspended our "family
jewels” could get caught under the leg strap and…well, you know what I mean. We also had to learn the proper way
to exit a plane. They had a thirty-four foot tower for that. We put on a harness with the risers attached to
a pulley that was attached to a very long steel cable. When we jumped out of the door of the tower, it was like
jumping out of an airplane. If we were not in the proper jump position, we were likely to receive some riser
burns as we fell towards the ground and stopped abruptly. This was to simulate the opening shock of the parachute
when we made our actual jump. And then, of course, there was the running. Everywhere we went was on the
double. Every morning after roll call, the entire class went on a mile run. The first few days guys dropped
out left and right. I had even given dropping out some serious thought myself, what with all the smoking I
did then. But I persevered and made it through those tortuous two weeks.
The time came for us to make our five qualifying jumps. This was the week we had all been looking forward to
and the drill instructors were even a little more lenient. Before if we screwed up somehow, we heard, "Drop and
give me ten.” "Drop and give me twenty.” I lost count of how many times I had pushed North Carolina away from me.
This was also a disastrous week for me as this was the time that my legs got tangled up in the suspension lines on
the drop zone as I was attempting to collapse the chute. I tripped, landing on my left shoulder and causing
a dislocation--and automatic disqualification from jump school. I was heartbroken. All that hard work and
training and not getting my jump wings. I've had nothing but trouble with that shoulder ever since those days.
Back to Memoir Contents
Operation Sagebrush
While I was with the 82nd we participated in "Operation Sagebrush." It was a three month maneuver which took
place in Louisiana in the fall of 1955. I was the Tank Commander of an M-48 Patton tank with three other
crew members (driver, gunner, and loader) in the 44th Tank Battalion. As I recall, it was in September or
October that we departed Ft. Bragg by truck convoy headed to Camp Polk, Louisiana. The weapons rack inside
the M48 tank where the 90mm ammunition was stored was slightly larger in diameter than a fifth size bottle of
vodka or whiskey. Prior to loading our tank on the train, we (the crew) went to the Class Six liquor store
and purchased various bottles of liquor and took them back to the tank. After wrapping them in towels, they
could be inserted in the ready rack tubes and pushed way down where they wouldn't be detected (unless someone
shined a flashlight down into the tube). After securing our stashes, we then placed a heavy duty padlock on
the turret hatch and hoped that our tank would arrive in Louisiana without being entered. That evening the
train pulled out and the next day we departed for Louisiana in truck convoy. There were two tank crews
assigned to our truck, and we had a blast all the way down to Louisiana.
The first night we stopped at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and bivouacked out on some parade ground. We had
unloaded our gear from the truck and then proceeded on into the main base where we went to the NCO club and
started partying. All in all we had a terrific time and the night couldn't have ended any better than it
did. The next morning we were up at 0500 hours and by 0600 hours we were back on the road. At around
1800 hours we pulled into a state park in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and set up bivouac. After putting up our
tent, Sgt. Jake Thompson and I decided to check out the area. We ended up about three miles out of the park
in some sort of a cocktail lounge. We decided to have a couple of drinks at the bar and then head back to
the campsite.
That's when I had my first taste of brandy. Jake kept telling me how good it was and kept insisting that
I should at least give it a try. Well, I eventually gave in and Jake bought me a snifter of Courvoisier (or
something like that). I drank it down...UGH! That was the first and last time I ever had any brandy in
my mouth. I guess it's a lot like scotch, where one has to develop a taste for it. After a while we
headed back to the park and our little old pup tent. I slept good that night.
The next day we finally reached the small town where our tanks were unloaded from the train. I can't
remember the name of the town, but I do recall that they always served their coffee with chicory in it (unless we
requested that they omit it). I tried the coffee their way a couple of times but honestly, I preferred it
with just sugar. What is chicory anyway?
We found our tank and naturally the first thing in our thoughts was, "Did anyone get into our tank and find or
steal our stash?" In a minute I was on top of the turret with my key in my hand. After I unlocked the
hatch and entered the tank, I found it just as we had left it. Everything was intact--just as it should have
been.
After our tank was unloaded we took command of it and drove to the marshalling area where the rest of the
battalion was gathered. Charlie Company was short a few tanks and we were temporarily assigned to that
company. The platoon leader we had was a second lieutenant with very little training in armor warfare and
experience, so I more or less took him under my wing (which sometimes I regretted), even though he had his own
platoon sergeant who totally ignored the young whippersnapper.
During these maneuvers we were all over the state of Louisiana and had a lot of interesting experiences.
One of these was the time when we were in a bivouac area and we had introduced ourselves to the other tankers and
played a few hands of poker. Prior to this I had staked out my sleeping area and spread out my shelter half
and sleeping bag and had it all ready for when I decided to go to bed for the night. Well, unbeknownst to
me, Louisiana was loaded with tarantula spiders. That night I had just gotten into my sleeping bag and
zipped it up when I felt something down around my feet. I shined my flashlight down there and there were
about three or four tarantulas playing with my feet. I have a great fear of spiders and before you could
blink an eye, I was out of that sleeping bag and on the rear deck of our tank. From that time on I always
slept either in the luggage rack we had on our tank or on the rear deck.
Another time we were in a convoy going through the town of Deridder during rush hour traffic. When
traveling, the tank gun was supposed to be located over the rear deck and secured in the travel lock. Well,
the commander of one of the preceding tanks failed to have their gun in the travel lock and it was sticking out in
front of the tank in combat position. It was unfortunate, but a city bus had somehow worked its way into the
convoy and it stopped suddenly right in front of this tank. The gun went right through the rear window and
halfway down the aisle. It was a wonder that nobody was injured, but there was a lot of damage done to the
bus. The tank gun had to undergo some4 second echelon maintenance. Needless to say, the tank commander
was relieved of his duties and re-assigned to a non-tank position. He was lucky that he hadn't gotten busted
down a stripe.
There was another time when we were traveling at night in our tanks on a very narrow single-lane road. We
must have gone about five miles when the company commander discovered that we were going in the wrong direction.
Terrific! It took almost an hour just to get our tank turned around, and that required a lot of jockeying
back and forth and up and down a steep embankment. Working in close quarters like that caused us great
concern about throwing a track. Ever since that night that C.O. was known as "Captain Where Am I?"
After we were all turned around, we proceeded to our destination and linked up with the adjoining unit.
There was a person called the Quartering Officer whose job it was to precede the organization and make
arrangements with civilians to quarter various units of the division. I'll never forget the time that we
pulled into this big field one night after a heavy rainstorm the day before. The Quartering Officer had
gotten permission from the farmer for the troops to bivouac in his field. The only thing was that the
Quartering Officer neglected to tell the farmer that it was a company of tanks. When the farmer woke up the
next day and looked out the window and saw all those big olive drab monsters in what had been his fields, he saw
red. He came storming from his house with a twelve-gauge shotgun in his hand, demanding to know "who was in
charge of this bunch." Man, that guy was furious. I think he would have shot somebody until he saw he
was outnumbered and out-armed. When tanks are positioned in certain locations, the ground does get churned
up and big ruts are made in the fields. The farmer was advised that after the tanks had pulled out, the Army
would send in engineers and road graders to level his land again and put it back in its original condition, in
addition to some sort of monetary settlement. This pleased him and he even waved goodbye to us as we left
his property.
At about 0800 hours we had hardly pulled our tank onto the highway when a team of umpires signaled us to pull
over to the shoulder of the road. We complied and then the chief referee came over to us and told us that
our tank had just been hit by artillery fire and there was extensive damage to it that would require at least
eight hours to repair. So they put a "damage tag" on it. I radioed the platoon leader and advised him
of the situation. He told us to catch up to them when we were able to proceed. He said he would keep
in radio contact to let us know their location. So we just sat there and watched all the civilians driving
by on their way to work or some other place. Needless to say, everybody that drove by kept gawking at us and
our tank. I guess a lot of them had never seen a real tank up close. Some of them even stopped and
asked if they could look inside the tank, so we let them (if we had charged an admission fee, we could have
cleaned up). It just so happened that there was a bar and grill about 200 yards up the road, so at lunch
time I let two crew members go there for lunch. Then when they came back my driver Leo Dembrowski and I went
for lunch. We just sat there with nothing to do so I decided that two of the crew could go the bar and grill
for an hour and then when they came back Leo and I went up for an hour. This went on until the eight hours
were up and it was time to move out and catch up with the rest of the unit. The only problem was...it was
rush hour and a tank was not the easiest thing to maneuver in city traffic. I radioed the platoon leader and
requested a Military Police escort. There were no MP's available and as luck would have it, a state police
officer arrived at our location. I explained to him our situation and he said to follow him. He gave
us an escort all the way to where our unit was. That was great going through the red lights and driving
"hell bent for election." We thanked the officer and invited him to eat with us, but he declined due to
other pressing matters. After we finished eating, the platoon sergeant came over to our tank and told me he
wanted me to sneak our tank into a certain position and camouflage it. I started laughing and the more I
thought about what he said t he more I laughed. When I finished laughing the sergeant asked me, "What was so
damn funny?" I asked him, "How in the hell do you sneak a tank?" Tanks do make quite a bit of noise
when they move, so you can't sneak a tank anywhere.
For some unknown reason, one afternoon my tank was selected to perform inspections of various sites for
crossing a rather wide creek. The creek was only about two feet deep and about twelve feet wide. It
ran between two embankments about ten feet high. I first inspected the bridge spanning the creek and
determined that it wasn't strong enough to hold the weight of our tank, let alone a company of them. Our
young lieutenant suggested that we cross the creek by going down the embankment and up the other side. I
reconnoitered that area and determined that it would be too dangerous as it would be a perfect tank trap and the
possibility was great of throwing a track. The lieutenant disagreed and Sergeant Dembrowski sided with him.
I told them that I was not going to be held responsible for what might happen and disconnected my radio chest set,
got my binoculars, and turned command of the tank over to the lieutenant. Leo got the tank down the
embankment just to the right of the bridge and just as sure as the sun will come up tomorrow, he got the tank
trapped and couldn't get it up the opposite embankment. Both he and the lieutenant turned red with
embarrassment and the lieutenant even apologized for not listening to my decision. They even asked me what
they should do next. I told them we had no alternative but to call for a tank retriever. It took about
an hour for the retriever to arrive at our location and when it did, it was determined that it would take two
retrievers to get our tank out. As they were pulling our tank up the embankment, the right track was thrown
and all operations had to stop until the track could be put back on the rollers and bogey wheels. This was a
time-consuming ordeal and we hadn't eaten in about seven hours, but they finally got our tank back on the road.
I performed a walk-around inspection and checked that the track was in good shape. I then gathered everybody
together, including the lieut |
