Albert Morrow
Bio
Albert Morrow was born in Belfast, Ireland. His father was a painter and decorator and had one older brother. His first jobs were as a bank courier and milkman delivery. He then enlisted in the military in January 1950 and was surprised to be deployed to Korea later that year. During the war, he drove an ambulance, transporting injured soldiers from the front lines to MASH units before they would be sent to Japan to recover. He especially remembers how polite one boy was that wanted to take a Polaroid picture that he still possessed. After his service in Korea, he went to Canada and served in their territorial army for sixteen years.
Video Clips
Shock on the First Day
Albert Morrow shares being deployed as an ambulance driver from Busan as he drove directly to the front lines. He notes the open ground in front of him with everything leveled. He remembers on his first day on the front, a soldier approached them and dropped his gun. As the gun hit the ground, it discharged and shot the man in the neck. Also, he shares his surprise of enemy soldiers that appeared from fresh fallen snow, camouflaged so well he did not see any of them.
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From Desolate to Utopia
Albert Morrow recounts Seoul peasants with no possessions except what they had on A-frames. He describes bridges over the Han River that had been blown up. After he returned in 2013 and 2018, he astounds he could not believe his eyes. He recalls Seoul had gone from "desolate" to "utopia." He appreciates how he was treated on the tour with charter busses and police escorts.
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Saving a Chinese Soldier
Albert Morrow discusses being in charge of taking walking wounded to MASH stations behind the front lines. He laments on one occasion, he found a Chinese soldier and escorted him to the MASH unit. He explains when he got there, the soldier helping him carry the Chinese soldier dropped the Chinese soldier when he recognized his nationality. He is amazed and cannot believe anyone would be so callous while he was trying to save lives.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjgLC72tMeM&start=2162&end=2319
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/albert-morrow#clip-3
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Daily Life as an Ambulance Driver
Albert Morrow explains his life in the Korean War was not that dangerous because he was an ambulance driver and was not allowed to go all the way to the front on most occasions. He shares he had to sleep in his own ambulance on most nights and ate American C-rations. He claims the food was not that bad. He appreciates he would get an occasional shower with special shower units would bring the shower to him, otherwise he would have to bath in the nearest river. He is saddened by the worse part of the war, witnessing all the injured soldiers.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjgLC72tMeM&start=2483&end=2658
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/albert-morrow#clip-4
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