A little Korean War history

[solo1]

I took this photo in Korea in 1953.  I passed this location many times on my way to Seoul.

This half track with quad fifties mounted was standing watch next to a bridge across the Imje river.  One day I stopped my deuce and a half to talk to the crew.  I asked them if they could hit a MIG if it attacked the bridge. For all intent and purposes they said "Spray and Pray"  Although four M 2's were nothing to sneeze at, not being radar controlled, it would've be hard to hit sonic Migs.

Of course, in 1953, the UN controlled the skies in Korea (with one exception)..................  We could see the glow from the POL dumps on fire in Incheon when the North sent Yak biplanes to bomb them.  Our F86's could not shoot them down as the biplanes flew low and slow.  A short time later the bombing stopped.  The Navy sent in relics from WWII,  Corsairs. Scratch the Yaks!  LOL.

This has nothing to do with riding but I thought it interesting.

[Hook#3287]

I wouldn't want to face that truck with it's quad 50's.

Cool post

[Wizzard]

Thanks for posting. Especially interesting to me since I visited Seoul and Inchon 10 years ago. Lot of history there.

[da prez]

   I fired a 50 when I was in , I could only imagine what that thing would do.

                                           da prez

[The emperor has no clothes]

Thanks for posting that Wayne. My FIL was there in '54. I wish I could get him to talk about it more. My wife tells me even 12 years later he would sometimes wake up startled and ready to fight. He said they called she'll shocked then. Probably PTSD nowadays. From your perspective what do you think he would be the most willing to talk about. I want to hear it all, but I know he could never do that without breaking down. And I don't want to do that to him. He had a buddy that he went in and out with but we've never been able to find him.

[Serk]

Thanks for the post Wayne, I love history, especially first hand.

I've got a silly question I'm kind of curious about. Did they use ANY hearing protection back then when firing all that big hardware?

[Fazer]

Thanks for your service in our "Forgotten War."  The construction company I worked for built a Korean War memorial in Dayton, OH in the late 90's.  We worked with a Korean architect. The local Korean war vet who was our main contact served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam.  He retired as a Command Sergeant Major, the highest enlisted rank.  What a guy!

Anyone interested, if in Dayton visiting the Air Force Museum for instance, the memorial is along the Great Miami River.

See it here.  http://daytonoriginals.org/2012/05/14/korean-war-veterans-memorial/

[solo1]

Serk, to my knowledge I don't think so. In my case, I had no ear protection except cotton dabs when I qualified on the M1 Garand.  My loss of hearing has been denied by the VA four times, my records were destroyed in 1973 and the VA claims I wasn't exposed to loud noise.

On another amusing note, We had an outfit down the road from us that had half tracks with quad fifties.  Their duty was to fire the Ma Deuce'es into the hills to harass the North Koreans.  The outfit called itself, ready for this?............."Home of the Half Inch Howitzers"   !!

Although the Truce was signed in July 1953, GI's have been killed with regularity by the North Korean arseholes since then.  Meathead, I'm sure that your FIL has memories of that.  Don't push him.

[Jess from VA]

Thanks for posting that Wayne. My FIL was there in '54. I wish I could get him to talk about it more. My wife tells me even 12 years later he would sometimes wake up startled and ready to fight. He said they called she'll shocked then. Probably PTSD nowadays. From your perspective what do you think he would be the most willing to talk about. I want to hear it all, but I know he could never do that without breaking down. And I don't want to do that to him. He had a buddy that he went in and out with but we've never been able to find him.  

The best approach would be to work up slowly in conversation.  Ask about his induction and basic training, about the trip overseas in crappy ships, about his first Korean encampment, the food, the weather, the gear, what unit, where did you go, what was your job?  Get him talking on easy stuff.  Have a map of Korea handy, and do a little back end prep.  Don't ask hard questions about death and destruction at all.  If you can get him going on the easy stuff for awhile, he may volunteer the harder stuff in due course.  A little alcohol (but not too much) is often helpful.

Investigators, cops, and lawyers use the same technique.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I must have the year wrong. I know the war was in full stride when he was there. He has told me a story of him and buddy digging a hole in the ground and being shelled thru the night. About the only good story I've heard was the locals helping in the camps. He does have a pic of a Hawaiian lady sitting on his lap on leave coming back.   he is too much a gentleman for details on that.  

[The emperor has no clothes]

Thanks for posting that Wayne. My FIL was there in '54. I wish I could get him to talk about it more. My wife tells me even 12 years later he would sometimes wake up startled and ready to fight. He said they called she'll shocked then. Probably PTSD nowadays. From your perspective what do you think he would be the most willing to talk about. I want to hear it all, but I know he could never do that without breaking down. And I don't want to do that to him. He had a buddy that he went in and out with but we've never been able to find him.  

The best approach would be to work up slowly in conversation.  Ask about his induction and basic training, about the trip overseas in crappy ships, about his first Korean encampment, the food, the weather, the gear, what unit, where did you go, what was your job?  Get him talking on easy stuff.  Have a map of Korea handy, and do a little back end prep.  Don't ask hard questions about death and destruction at all.  If you can get him going on the easy stuff for awhile, he may volunteer the harder stuff in due course.  A little alcohol (but not too much) is often helpful.

Investigators, cops, and lawyers use the same technique.

thanks Jess  yeah, I've pretty much got all the easy stuff. I'm just curious of the psychology of it. I never push it. He has been close to tears just thinking about some of it. I'm just curious how a young man handles that much stress. Probably only those who have been thru it will ever understand it.

[solo1]

It's been my experience in talking to Korean vets who have seen action that there are very few that will talk about it.  Vets like me, in support groups, can talk about it as we didn't have the memories of combat.
I did talk to one vet who told me about his experiences.   He mentioned that, in the cold winter of 1951-52 he watched refugees heading south to get away from the North Koreans. He watched one woman give birth at the side of the road and then throw the newborn into the ditch.  He also watched refugees clinging on to south heading trains and then falling off as they froze to death.  He was in combat but didn't mention anything about that.

In general, I think that those who are in impersonal combat like artillery and air combat, don't see the results and so they talk about it.  I could be wrong.

[old2soon]

It's been my experience in talking to Korean vets who have seen action that there are very few that will talk about it.  Vets like me, in support groups, can talk about it as we didn't have the memories of combat.
I did talk to one vet who told me about his experiences.   He mentioned that, in the cold winter of 1951-52 he watched refugees heading south to get away from the North Koreans. He watched one woman give birth at the side of the road and then throw the newborn into the ditch.  He also watched refugees clinging on to south heading trains and then falling off as they froze to death.  He was in combat but didn't mention anything about that.

In general, I think that those who are in impersonal combat like artillery and air combat, don't see the results and so they talk about it.  I could be wrong.

                     That friend of mine that drove Ambulance over in Korea and taught me to drive truck would ONLY talk to me after I came back from my first tour of Nam. Even as an Ambulance driver he saw "stuff". His reasoning and I have to agree was that I might not have believed him til I had some of my own experiences under my own belt. And he was CORRECT. I ride with a lot of Nam Vets that Proudly wear The Combat Infantry Badge. Some of the Marines I ride with were in The crap also. Some Refuse to this day to discuss it at all. Some just gloss it over If they talk about it at all. IF someone Want's to tell you all well and good. If they do NOT want to talk about it respect their wishes. And if they do talk to you even glossed over-prepare for the Shock and in some cases the revulsion. Most if not All of the people I know that have been in Combat and have taken a life or lives are Not proud of what they did. BUT they are happy to be alive but would Love to dump the memories. And I will NOT share their memories with anyone-the things they related were related to me in CONFIDENCE. I've got a couple memories I'd like to dump. RIDE SAFE.

[Serk]

My maternal grandfather was a submariner in the Pacific during WWII.

Unlike most in his situation, he would talk endlessly about what he saw, what he did, where he went.

I didn't want to hear it, boring old grandpa telling his war stories.

We lost him when I was 12. I had no idea what I was missing. I would give a large sum of money for the chance to sit down with him and a video camera for just a few hours now.

[Art708]

  My step-dad was an Army helicopter pilot in the Korean War.

[RP#62]

My old man was in the Navy in the Philippines during WWII and he still won't talk about it.  Every now and then he'll let a little slip but you still have to be careful when you wake him up.  Its best not to be within arm's length.  My sister told me the other day that he was also on Tinian but he cut it off before she could find out much more.

-RP

[cookiedough]

It's been my experience in talking to Korean vets who have seen action that there are very few that will talk about it.  Vets like me, in support groups, can talk about it as we didn't have the memories of combat.
I did talk to one vet who told me about his experiences.   He mentioned that, in the cold winter of 1951-52 he watched refugees heading south to get away from the North Koreans. He watched one woman give birth at the side of the road and then throw the newborn into the ditch.  He also watched refugees clinging on to south heading trains and then falling off as they froze to death.  He was in combat but didn't mention anything about that.

In general, I think that those who are in impersonal combat like artillery and air combat, don't see the results and so they talk about it.  I could be wrong.

Agree,  my dad was in combat front lines and pretty much never talked about the Korean war.   I found out after he died by going thru the safe he was shot and wounded out for over 1 month with injuries, never said a word.  About the only thing he said was extreme cold frozen conditions. 

[Alpha Dog]

Looks like the rat patrol got a major upgrade in Korea.

Fazer talked about the Korean Memorial at WPAFB.  Being close we took my FIL there when they had a Korean War Display on a weekend some years ago - may have been 15 years by now.  He was there in 51 - 53.  He does talk about it some ( with 155's howitzer battalion ) and teared up pretty good that weekend.  It is amazing we still have troops there as that NK regime will not cave.

[Ramie]

When I was stationed in Korea in the early 70's the Korean army still had those vehicles manned and stationed around the runway at Osan AFB.

[rocketray]

GOOGLE "OUTPOST HARRY"--AMONG THE MOST WORST OF THE WAR..I HAD A PATIENT THAT WAS THERE..LINES OVER RUN REPEATEDLY

[shortleg]

   my Dad served with the 1st Marines in the Chosin Res.
before he passed he spoke of being  corpsman with them
and watching his fellow Marines making sure not to leave anybody
behind.  He spoke of how cold it was.
   What bothered him the most was the site of Marines dragging their
brothers like some many sleads  through thr snow t make sure they got home.