Korean War Legacy Project

Bernard Hoganson

Bio

Bernard Hoganson was a student at Brooklyn College when the Korean War broke out. He decided not to enlist and to continue his education, but he was drafted in December of 1950. He spent one year at Camp Cook in California, training with a tank and tractor unit with the goal of an invasion in Korea. The plan was scrapped, however, and he was sent to Korea in December 1951. While there, he was in charge of ammunition and locating targets for attack by Howitzer and, later, airplane fire. He received the Bronze Star for service aiding the Marines in battle.

Video Clips

Telling Stories and the Bronze Star

Bernard Hoganson discusses his grandchildren. He shares why he does not really tell his grandchildren stories from his service in Korea. He describes how he received the Bronze Star.

Tags: Imjingang (River),Fear,Front lines,Pride

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Emotions on the Battlefield

Bernard Hoganson discusses the emotions he felt after helping point out targets to be attacked. He describes the targets being dropped with napalm and bombs. He recalls feeling sorry for the destruction caused by the napalm and bombs because they landed on enemy trenches.

Tags: Panmunjeom,Front lines

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Fire Direction Center and Night Attack

Bernard Hoganson describes what his job entailed during most of his time in Korea. He details what the Fire Direction Center does and its role in the war. He recalls his actions in helping thwart an enemy attack on a military base.

Tags: Front lines,Pride,Weapons

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Video Transcript

Bernard Hoganson

B: My name is Bernard Hoganson. I was born August 6, 1929. I lived in Brooklyn and went to Saint Francis Prep High School, and then I went to Brooklyn College. Then at the time the Korean War started, I was in Brooklyn College and it was June. So I figured being that I was draft able and at the age I went into it and I didn’t take my September term, You know? So I stayed out of college. I was drafted in 1950

 

R: When was it?

 

B: December

 

R: December?

 

B: December 1950. I went up to the army where it was in Massachusetts. Camp Devin’s Massachusetts and there was a group of people from New York and from Maine and they decided to keep us all together. They shipped us out to California and we were at Camp Cook California. At that time they gave us basic training and advance training

 

R: you were in the army?

 

B: I was in the army… yes. They put us in, what they call 747 Infebus Tanks and track Italian

 

R: oh 747?

 

B: They gave us navel vessels and LUVT 5 and it was more or less with navy and after we got through with the training they put us on LSTs and they made us go up and down and make a tax on the western coast of California. We went to San Diego with the marines. Now the thing was that this Infebuins track Italians it was more of a secret they were preparing us for an invasion in Korea. Now we didn’t know where but they figured it was only a small invasion and they were training us for that. They put us on LSTs and I spent a year with them training.

 

R: In California?

 

B: in California

 

R: Wow

 

B: Up and down the west coast, up and down the Pacific Ocean and simulating attacks with the tanks and everything. Now we had two companies of tanks with about 17 tanks in each company and we had tractors. Two company tractors and each one was supposed to have 20 marines on board. We went down to San Diego with the marines on and we made simulate attacks there. Everything was going pretty good. We lined up the tanks a lot on the first wave and the tractors were second wave and everything adds up. Actually getting to myself, the tanks when they hit the beaches they stayed back because these were Infebus tanks and they were subject to being blow off and they were very visible. So they wanted to use these tanks and the guns on the tanks 75-meter handles and they wanted to use the tanks to neutralize different functions/targets that would be involved in Korea. You know? So what they needed was charts. They needed charts and ugh and charts the people can read and raid the area and designate to these tank gunners the targets of opportunities to pick out. Because these guns weren’t really guns on tanks these handles they fly different ways. So my job was a fire directioner. So I was involved with the charts and the maps and everything else all this time.

 

R: So you finally went to Korea or? I mean because….

 

B: every year…

 

R: The training was very long right? And it was desiring to invade some part of Korea right?

 

B: Right

 

R: When did you leave for Korea?

 

B: During that time we became a number 1 unit on the west coast. We were untouchable as far as the band power was concerned. we kept it together. Then in December 1951 they said the operation was canceled and that I had a hot MOS. You know? So a MOS made me a inventory because I was better at the maps. So I went to Korea.

 

R: When was that?

 

B: December 1951

 

R: what did you do when you arrived?

 

B: I arrived in japan first. I cleaned my guns and stuff to get ready to go and then I arrived in Korea on the 27th/ 28th of December. You know? And I went into HR. we loaded done the ropes on LSMs or what have yeah…. And went into Korea. They put us in rebca and I was waiting there until I was assigned and then I wait for about 5/6 hours until I was put on a truck and was bought up to the front lines. We went to the 115th field. The field was a unit

 

R: Was it Westside unit?

 

B: Westside yes. So anyhow I went to that unit and everyone one ran up to me and said here’s my replacement I’m going home and then the unit commander was there and he welcomed me and showed me where everything was. He introduced me to the other people who were working there and we assumed everything was ok. They took away my M1 and said we don’t use M1s. The fire directioners tell the gunners where to shot and they work with them. They tell them how far it is, what charge to use to get to the target. So I was involved in all of this. So it worked out pretty well. There was no electricity but it worked out ok like that anyways. I was there for 4 to 5 months. Then there was this one night called the perimeter defense and we had about 30 people involved in these and at night when it gets dark these tropes go out on the front for perimeter because the enemies where looks to neutralize there guns and we are supposed to adhere and fight to save the guns. So anyhow it started out ok. Everything was going pretty goo. There was an officer for the day and an officer for the night. They would get these people out and I guess around 2 in the morning outside the perimeter there was barbwire and the barbwire had cans on it. Well the cans started to rattle so we thought it was an attack and I was officer at the time so it was my responsibility to keep everyone in formed and what’s going on and what happened was that we heard the rattle and we flagged the attack. I coordinated the thing and we opened fire with machine guns and rifles and everything else. One of the officers made a dig at me and told the commander about the attack and he told me I did a good job and said he would recommend me for a higher rank. He said we need officer and we need good officers. So I said I would think about it. He gave me a few hours to think about it and so I got a hold of him later and I said I was thinking about it and I would like to be an officer. I never expected to become a high ranked officer. He said he would summit my name to the army and see what they say. About two weeks later he came to me and said I want you to go in front of them and it’s a interview. So I went to this meeting that they had. There were about 6 officers and they questioned me about what I would do in different situations and because of my knowledge of things made them consider me. So that was the end of that. About 3 weeks later the company commander comes up to me and said that headquarters were looking for me and I said what for and he told me what we were talking about they are taking about it. So I go to headquarters and I didn’t know what was going on. They told me to stand in line and they walked up to me and put a gold pin on my collar and they said you are lieutenant Hoganson. I thanked him and saluted him and then he said he wanted me to eat lunch with him and someone one told me this was the last time I would be allowed to eat with the colonel.

 

R: so what was the immediate change once you were promoted to lieutenant? Your salary increased?

 

B: yes it increased. So what happened normally they would move you to another unit but our boundaries were so far apart that I just moved to a different place called Atbondies. At that place there was a very nice commander there he looked at me and said I was a young officer and that he would help me learn to deal with things. I said thank you very much. I was shown at the time… I didn’t know what it was but my mission was to use the BC and cite the whole area in front. What made it dangerous was Korea ha a certain bit of a fog in the mornings and the fog started down hill it would up to 4 or 5 feet high and cover the whole area. There were times that you waited it out because the enemy could snip and come in so you had that fear. So anyhow my mission was to supply utilities and bomb anything I saw like utilities that I saw through the BC scope I would shot at. We would move around to different areas, it was a very dangerous job. There was even a time where a navel officer came up to my unit and we were in a foxhole with a head on it and had peepholes on it so we could look out. And he said I have some planes on station and he says they will be here in five minutes and I want you to pick out targets for the planes to hit. I asked what does the planes have in them and he said some have bombs and some have naybomb. He said he want me to shot out white fasts bombs

 

R: What was that?

 

B: A white fast bomb it is a irregular shell. And he told me he wanted me to figure out the areas where they would hit. I notified the headquarters to tell them what I was doing and they gave me permission to shot these things. So I did and that was the worst thing I ever done in my life

 

R: why was it the worst?

 

B: the planes came in and these white fasters got shredded and the plane dropped the naybomb and the fire that came out of that… I dreaded that I felt sorry for the enemies, I felt sorry for everyone who was there.

 

R: How much destruction?

 

B: there we had trench lines and the enemies had trench lines and the planes were hitting the trench lines so I knew that there were people in the trench lines and I knew people were hit with these. To see the whole thing go out plus the bombs, they had ten planes just on this one trench line. So where I was, I was in a lonely place in Korea and around Pamagon, south of Pamagon and they thought it was such a blast and someone told me that Ganus Con had came down this avenue or how ever you want to call it “low area” valley to get the sole. So this was important and dear on me everything else as far as the value of the land and value of my life just being here.. Yeah that’s just how I feel. We were alternating the observation post and I was assigned the reconstruction and a lot of time the battery was broken up and two guns were taken away and move to another area and I was in charge of the wiring of the new area and the commutations because the thing wouldn’t work without commutation. So that was by function in that area I decided alternate positions for those guns and this worked out pretty good but we never used the area so about four months before I left and about three months after I was commissioned there was an opportunity in headquarters for an assistant SC3 job and I was a regent Lieutenant but due to the Battery commander telling the headquarters about me and about what I was doing and what I was capable of so there was a vacancy and they put me in the vacancy. I was assistant of the whole header and headers decided on what targets to shoot at, when to shoot it, and how many rounds to use. And I was an assistant under a major so he worked the day side and I worked the night side so I worked with him for four months and it lasted until I left Korea.

 

R: when did you leave Korea?

 

B: December

 

R: December 1952?

 

B: yes. What happened was the rule of thumbs here about points only rotates after you get a certain amount of points and my points, four points on the line. Three points in korea and it all added up and I was allowed to go approximately 11 months and I left Korea early part of December and I cleared out to japan and I was on a boat and I made it back for Christmas. On the 23rd of December. I have been gone from for about two years but the thing was when they made me an officer they wanted to know if I was spending two more years in the army they made it mandatory and I said yes I would go so I had to go back to the states sand I had a year and a half to go so they assigned me to Oklahoma and they gave me a job down there as a Battery commander so I was Battery commander for the 595th unit

 

R: Have you went back to Korea?

 

B: when I was in Korea I remember standing in a rice patty and my job there was to drain the rice patties and we would put 55 gallon containers down to try to drain it so the guns could come in and stabilize with out disturbing… they were the only low areas and these were rice filled patties so it was very difficult. So I looked up to god and I said god get me out of this place alive, I never want to see Korea again. I will always remember that. Now in the future I’ve known guys that stay in Korea for 10 15 year and they have videos which I’ve seen and I don’t believe it. When I hit the sole on the repcal thing everything was lovely pause the buildings were gone everything was gone it was bad that’s why I got the impression of Korea in those days

 

R: so you never went back to Korea

 

B: No I’ve never went back

 

R: do you know what happened in Korea, after the Korea war?

 

B: I followed it, Korea has been on my mine for the last 60 years. You know? And to see produce and progress into what it is today I am amazed

 

R: next year it will be the 60th anniversary of the Korean War and there is no war that lasted 6 years after a cease-fire. If there is a petition to replace the thing with a treaty will you be willing to sign it?

 

B: yes. I think the nature of North and South Korea are interchangeable. I think unification has to come and knowing what Korea did and what north korea is doing to there own people. I think its natural for them to observe South Korea

 

R: that’s an interesting point

 

B: its very obvious

 

R: Do you have grandchildren? How many?

 

B: I have 6 grandchildren. 2 of them are going to college ones going to texas anm and the other is going to university in Texas. And I got 2 of them ones getting married this year up in Connecticut

 

R: any great grandchildren?

 

B: yes

 

R: im trying to create and grandchildren clock of veterans so that your legacy can be passed down to the next generation

 

B: well my grandchildren know has heard stories but ive never told them the complete stories, I try to stay away from the plot that I was going through. It would be traumatic to think of all the stuff that happened to me and im still alive and I got through without anything. I got a brown star

 

R: You didn’t tell me about it. Tell me? How did you get it?

 

B: Near the end when I was assistant there was an operation called Vegas that was done by the marines in the west coast and there was an attack by the Chinese against them and there was this river and there was attack in between it and they called me up and they were wondering if they would shoot any lones rounds and I was curious at first because I have never fired at anything. so we were shooting on a leveled plan and we had to figure out how to work the machine. I finally got it and sent the information to the marines and they got direct hits and we did this for half an hour they said to cease fire consequently the marines came back to the units to back us up. They colonels there and they asked who was the officer who authorized this operation and I asked is there a medal involved and they said I was being crazy but they wrote it up as a brown star.

 

 

0:00
my name is Bernardo Vinson I was born
0:05
August six nineteen twenty nine you know
0:09
I lived in Brooklyn and I went to st.
0:12
francis prep high school that I went to
0:16
Brooklyn College then at the time the
0:20
korean war started I was in brooklyn
0:23
college and it was june so i figured
0:28
being i was dreadful at the age i went
0:32
into I didn’t take my September term you
0:36
know so I stayed out of college I was
0:39
drafted in 1950 where was it December
0:43
December December 1950 I went up to the
0:51
army took me and worries up in in
0:56
Massachusetts camp Devens Massachusetts
1:00
and there was a group of people from New
1:04
York and for me and they decided to keep
1:08
us all together and they’ve been a shift
1:11
us at the California and we were in
1:14
Camco California at that time they gave
1:19
us basic training and advanced training
1:22
and/or in the army I was in the army yes
1:26
they put us in what they call the 747 in
1:30
fib vyas tank attractive Italian 30
1:35
years they gave his naval vessels and
1:38
lvt a five and it was more or less with
1:43
navy and after we go through with the
1:46
training they put us on LSTs and they
1:51
bade us go up and down and make it acts
1:54
on the on the western coast of
1:56
California
1:57
we went to San Diego with the Marines
2:01
now the thing was that this amphibious
2:04
tank attractive Italian was more or less
2:08
secretive and they were preparing us for
2:11
an invasion in Korea now we didn’t know
2:15
where but they figured it was only a
2:18
small invasion and they were training us
2:21
by that and they put us on LSD I spent a
2:26
year with them training in California in
2:29
California Wow up and down the west
2:32
coast up and down at the Pacific Ocean
2:35
and simulating attacks with wood the
2:40
tanks and everything now we had two
2:43
companies of tanks with about 17 tanks
2:46
in each company and we had tractus we
2:50
had two two tractors two companies
2:52
practice and each one was supposed to
2:56
have 20 Marines on board we went down to
3:00
San Diego and put the Marines on him and
3:04
we made simulant tax there everything
3:06
was going look pretty good we lined up
3:09
the tanks on the first wave and in
3:14
tractors was second way and everything
3:18
else helped actually getting to myself
3:23
the tanks when they hit the beaches they
3:27
stayed back because these were in
3:30
Phineas tanks and they was subject to
3:33
being blown off without and they were
3:36
very buried visit visible you know so
3:40
they wanted to use these tanks and the
3:46
guns on the text 75-millimeter houses
3:50
and they wanted to text it to neutralize
3:54
different functions or different targets
3:57
that would be involved in Korean you
4:00
know so what they needed was choice they
4:04
need shots and you just charts and
4:11
people to read the charts at the ready
4:14
area and designate to these tank honors
4:19
the targets of opportunity to pick out
4:22
because these guns were really guns on
4:26
tanks these are houses and they fly a
4:30
different way so they want to do so my
4:33
job was a fire direction so I was
4:37
involved with these charts in the maps
4:39
and everything else at all this time so
4:43
did you finally go to Korea I mean
4:45
because his every year training was
4:48
really long right and it was a sickly
4:51
design to invade some power of the
4:54
Korean punishment right right cuz when
4:57
did you leave for korea during that time
4:59
we became a number one unit on the west
5:04
coast and we’re untouchable as far as to
5:07
ban powell was concerned they kept it
5:09
together and in december 1951 they said
5:14
the operation was cancelled that that I
5:17
had it I had a hot mos you know so the
5:23
hot Emma was meant me for artillery
5:27
because i was as butter and a madman you
5:32
know so they i went the career when was
5:37
that get december 51 huh where did you
5:41
write I arrived in Japan first I cleaned
5:48
my guns and what haven’t got ready to go
5:50
and I write in Korea about the 28th or
5:55
2750 Simba
5:57
and I went into an inch on so I went in
6:02
John we loaded down the ropes on telus
6:06
ends of what have you and when it the
6:10
Korean they put us in a replica depo and
6:14
I was waiting there until I was assigned
6:18
and then I waited there about five hours
6:22
and six hours and then I was put on a
6:25
truck and brought up to the front lines
6:28
and I went to the 159 field and that was
6:33
a filha to reunit it was a 155 howitzer
6:37
unit so I was it with our west side yes
6:43
so anyhow when I went to that the
6:48
everybody ran up to me here’s my
6:51
replacement now I’m going home they both
6:55
foot though and then the eunuch amanda
6:59
was there and he welcomed me and he told
7:03
me where FDC was Patrol David fire
7:08
Direction Center and I went into fighter
7:11
jet setter he introduced me to the other
7:14
people working here and we assumed
7:17
everything was okay no they took a rod
7:20
they took away my m1 and said we don’t
7:23
use them once we took a copy and here
7:27
was a car being on it they fired her she
7:30
said uh tells the Gunners what a shoot
7:33
and they give him a deflection and they
7:36
work with slide rules they have a slide
7:38
rule as far as the target is concerned
7:42
how far it is talk away from you and
7:45
what charge is to use to get you to
7:47
target and everything else so i was
7:50
involved in all this you know Guinness
7:53
the worked out pretty well and there was
7:57
no no electricity no nothing god
8:01
you know and it worked out okay that way
8:04
so we’re involved with that for four or
8:08
five months then all of a sudden one
8:12
night we have what they call the
8:14
perimeter defense and we have about 30
8:18
people involved in this and at night
8:23
when it gets dark these troops go out in
8:26
the front for perimeter defense because
8:29
the enemy is looking to neutralize the
8:32
guns and we’re supposed to adhere to the
8:37
fight or death to save the guns you know
8:40
so anyhow that started okay and
8:45
everything was going along pretty good
8:48
everything else there was a an officer
8:52
day and a sergeant of the guard and they
8:55
usually get these people out to derive
9:00
right positions and everything else you
9:03
know and I guess about two o’clock in
9:07
the morning outside this perimeter with
9:11
barbed wire and a barbed wire had cans
9:14
of beer cans yep
9:17
something happened in the beer kids
9:20
started rattling so he thought that it
9:24
was an attack and I I was Sergeant God
9:29
at the time and the sergeant of the
9:31
guard responsibility that they keep
9:33
everybody informed as to what’s going on
9:36
and work with the office of the day and
9:38
the way it happened is we heard the
9:43
rattle and we taught at the attack and I
9:47
wait I went between the guys and
9:49
everything else and coordinated the
9:52
attack on him and we opened fire we
9:55
opened by word Russia guns and rifles
9:57
and everything else and no one to be yes
10:00
at that point you know so consequently
10:05
the officer made a big thing about being
10:09
doing it then and he told her commander
10:12
the company commander about it and the
10:15
company came here to come up to me and
10:17
he said Robinson he did a good job I’m
10:21
going to give you a medal for this
10:23
should serve it but instead of that he
10:25
says I’m going to recommend you to be a
10:29
lieutenant would you like to be an
10:31
officer we need officers would need good
10:34
officers so I said I’ll think about it
10:37
you know and he says I’ll give you a
10:40
couple hours a couple of days think
10:42
about so I go to hold him later and i
10:45
said i was thinking about it and I said
10:48
I would like to be an officer to go from
10:52
a corporal toward officer is something I
10:56
never expected you know and he said okay
10:59
I’ll submit your name to the army and
11:02
see what they say see how it goes about
11:05
two weeks later he came down to me and
11:09
he said I want you to go in front of
11:13
offices and he said Debbie majors and
11:16
Colonels there and this is going to be a
11:20
review of what you know about artillery
11:23
and though whether you can become it
11:25
also anything whether they want you to
11:27
become an awesome so the weeks later I
11:31
went to the this meeting yet they had
11:35
and it had a battery about six offices
11:38
there and they questioning on what I
11:42
would do and my knowledge of artillery
11:46
my knowledge about the fundamentals of
11:49
artillery require direction and fire
11:52
Direction it that helped me alot hit up
11:54
and I said okay we’ll consider so that
12:00
was the end of that out of it two weeks
12:03
or three weeks later the company
12:07
commander come up to me battery
12:10
commander
12:11
come up the babies that the looking for
12:14
you at headquarters today and I said
12:16
what for and he says from what I was
12:22
talking to you about they’re talking
12:24
about it so he took me in a jeep and we
12:28
went back to headquarters come
12:30
headquartered battery and headquarters
12:34
battery was all out in formation and I I
12:38
didn’t know what was going on and my
12:41
company compared is that you stand in
12:43
the middle of that and I stood in the
12:46
middle of that and the company commander
12:50
happy danica man i was in a front and he
12:55
said person to be decorated move forward
13:00
or something like this you know and i
13:02
didn’t know what that group going on and
13:04
i walked forward and they pinned a gold
13:08
bought Star go bar on me and so he’s
13:14
there ya’re you are lieutenant hugginson
13:17
her as of this fact so I said okay and
13:21
thank you very much i gave no salute and
13:24
everything up and everything was
13:26
nullified and then he said i want you to
13:31
eat lunch would be and we went to the
13:33
best mess tent and it went over there
13:37
they said this is going to be the last
13:39
time you’re going to be allowed to eat
13:42
with the current so what’s the immediate
13:46
change that you promoted to the
13:48
lieutenant officer on your salary
13:52
increase yes Sarah of procedure that’s
13:56
naturally you know so what happened was
14:00
they told me that normally when you
14:04
become a battlefield commission they
14:07
move you to another browser where they
14:09
don’t know you but our battery so so far
14:12
apart they said instead of being at sea
14:15
battery we don’t want you to go back
14:17
with the enlisted people in we’re going
14:20
to move you to a battery so i went to a
14:23
battery so what I went to a better there
14:27
was a very nice commander there have you
14:31
looked at me and said you’re a young
14:33
officer well the 21 years old what
14:36
happened and he says I’m going to help
14:39
you and to deal with people and to make
14:42
decisions and everything else so I said
14:45
thank you very much I was young at the
14:48
time and I didn’t realize what was going
14:51
on but I knew my mission my mission was
14:56
to use a PC scope and cite the whole
14:59
area in front me what made it dangerous
15:03
Korean had a certain bit of a fog in the
15:07
mornings you know and the fog started
15:11
down here and it wound up the four feet
15:14
or five feet high and covered the whole
15:17
in and there was were the dangerous
15:20
times that you sweat it out because the
15:23
enemy could snipe could come in on it so
15:26
you’re you had that the fear so any of
15:31
my mission as I said was to supply
15:35
ettore and
15:37
so bomb anything I saw any any artillery
15:40
out it helped it that was knowledgeable
15:44
to me whether I CBC scope I used to
15:47
shoot at we had concentrations out there
15:50
and we move goog arounds from different
15:54
areas though it was a very dangerous job
15:59
there even was a time that a naval
16:04
officer came up playing by you by unit
16:09
are we were in a foxhole over in a
16:11
foxhole would head on it on the top of
16:14
it little peoples what we could look out
16:17
and he said I have some planes on
16:21
station with armament and the fold you
16:29
know whatever but he called it you know
16:32
and he says they’re going to be here in
16:35
five minutes I want you to pick out
16:38
targets but I’m the hidden so I said
16:42
what do they have and he said that some
16:45
have bombs and some have napalm and he
16:50
says I want you to shoot out a couple
16:54
White House response or the white
16:57
phosphorus instead of a a hea Tate or
17:03
whatever they call it a regular chill
17:07
you know his shell IPS you know whatever
17:10
it is you know he says white phosphorus
17:13
gives off a white theme and that’s going
17:17
to be a bit the thing could be read for
17:20
them to hit you know so i want you to
17:23
identify the different areas so with
17:27
that hi I notify battalion headquarters
17:31
what I was doing and I told him what was
17:34
here and they gave me permission to
17:37
d jinx it so I did and that’s one of the
17:43
worst things I’ve ever done in my life
17:45
why is it worth the planes came in and
17:51
had this quite far today they shot at
17:54
the voice boxes and it dropped napalm
17:57
and the fire that came out of that day
18:01
fun bye I shred now I I felt sorry for
18:06
the enemy I felt sorry for everybody
18:08
that was there you know how much the
18:11
destruction then we had trench lines and
18:18
the enemy had trench lines and they were
18:22
hitting the trench lines though I know
18:25
that these people in detroit’s lines and
18:28
they do that people were hidden within
18:30
matey’s and to see the whole thing go
18:34
out get up plus the bombs they came in
18:38
with bombs if you let about 10 10 planes
18:42
in honest and this said you know so
18:46
anyhow where I was I was in a lone lands
18:51
of korea and around pama john and this
18:57
is south of powell john and they commit
19:00
with such a blast and everything else
19:01
and somebody told me that Genghis Khan
19:06
had originally came down this Avenue
19:09
came down this this whatever you want to
19:13
call low area is Valley to get the soul
19:19
and everything else so that that’s all I
19:22
could think of so this made an important
19:26
important idea on me and everything else
19:31
as far as the value of the land and the
19:34
value of
19:36
my life you know of being here so that’s
19:40
how I fear we are alternating the
19:43
observation post and I was designed I
19:46
was a sign of the reconstruction so a
19:51
lot of times the battery was broken up
19:54
and two two guns were taken away and
20:01
moved to another area and I was in
20:05
charge of the wiring of the do area and
20:08
the communications because I Tory can’t
20:11
work without I he would have
20:12
communications so that was dying
20:17
function to go in this area and I I
20:20
decided alternate positions for these
20:24
guns and this worked out pretty good but
20:28
we never use you know we’d never use the
20:30
area so about four months before i left
20:35
at about three months after i was
20:38
commissioned right there was a
20:42
opportunity up in headquarters for an
20:46
assistant s3 job and I was a second
20:50
lieutenant but do
20:57
the battery commander had told the
21:01
people up in headquarters about me and
21:06
what I was doing when I was capable of
21:09
so there was a vacancy and they could be
21:13
in a vacancy I was assistant estrie of
21:17
the whole battalion and the s3 in those
21:21
days or it then decided what targets to
21:25
shoot at when to use it and how many
21:28
rounds to expend on it you know and I
21:32
was assistant under her major so he
21:35
worked the day side and I worked the
21:38
night side so I work with him
21:40
performance and that lasted until the
21:44
Korean women to be December December of
21:49
1952 great now what what happened is
21:54
this is the rule of thumbs hear about
21:58
points here only rotate yup do you get
22:03
it certain amount of points and my
22:06
points4 points on the line three points
22:09
in the rear they all ate it up and I was
22:12
allowed to go and approximately eleven
22:16
months and I left Korea in the early
22:19
potted December and I cleared at through
22:23
Sasebo to dance japan and was on a boat
22:27
and i made it back for christmas and
22:30
that 23rd of december right i had been
22:35
gone from home
22:36
two years but the thing was when they
22:41
may mean officer they wanted to know
22:45
whether i would spend two more years in
22:47
the army they made it mandatory and i
22:51
said yes i would go so i had to I had to
22:57
go back to the states and I another year
23:01
and a half to go so they assigned me to
23:04
Fort Sill Oklahoma and they gave me a
23:07
job down there at the battery commander
23:10
so I battery commander of the five 95th
23:14
fa battalion until I laughs have you
23:19
been back to career when I was in Korea
23:23
I remember standing in a rice paddy and
23:30
my job there was the dream of rice
23:33
paddies and we put 55-gallon drums at
23:38
the base trying to train him so that the
23:41
guns could come in and be a stabilized
23:44
you know without disturbing them and
23:46
they were the only low areas that I Tory
23:51
could shoot it you know so it was very
23:53
careful and this is rice field patties
23:56
so who is very difficult so I looked up
24:01
the little looked up to God and he said
24:05
God give me out at his place Elijah
24:10
never want to see career again I always
24:15
remember that and I always thought of
24:18
that now in the future I’ve known guys
24:22
that Roman Curia about 10 years ago for
24:26
15 years ago and they have videos which
24:29
I’ve seen and I don’t believe it finally
24:33
when I ended sold on a rebel thing
24:37
everything was Louisville almost
24:40
buildings with God everything was gone
24:43
it was desolate you know that’s why I
24:46
got the impression of career in no state
24:49
unit so you’ve never been back to Korea
24:52
but you know what happened in Korea
24:55
after the grimoire if the Korean War I
24:59
know my father did curry has been on my
25:03
mind for the last 60 years you know and
25:06
to see it produce and to see progress to
25:12
where it is today I’m amazed that Indira
25:18
next year will be 60th anniversary of
25:21
Korean War armistice and there is no war
25:25
that lasted more than 60 years after an
25:28
official ceasefire if there is a
25:30
petition to replace armistice with the
25:33
peace treaty would you be willing to
25:35
sign that yes yes i think the nature of
25:44
north korea and south korea i think are
25:48
interchangeable i think a unification
25:51
has to come
25:53
a unification and knowing what career
25:57
did and know what North career is about
26:00
now and what is doing through its own
26:03
people I think it’s natural for them to
26:09
absorb the South Korea but i think the
26:13
it’s very very hard very office do you
26:19
have grandchildren a minute i have six
26:23
grandchildren to them are going into
26:25
college mundy one’s going to hate in
26:30
texas A&M and the other ones done a
26:33
university in texas and i get to them
26:37
once getting married next year up in
26:40
Connecticut and a great grandchildren
26:43
yes I’m trying to create a grandchildren
26:48
club of cream war veteran so that your
26:51
legacy can be passed on to the next
26:53
generation my grandchildren now if heard
27:00
stories I never told them complete
27:03
stories I never I try to stay away from
27:06
the thought that I was going through you
27:11
know it traumatic to me to think of all
27:15
these things that happen to me and I’m
27:18
still alive you know dinner I got
27:21
through without it I got a brown star
27:27
anyhow the tell me we didn’t talk about
27:31
it nothing about it how did you get it
27:34
well at the tail end
27:42
they’re too Dylan about when I was
27:46
assistant history there was a operation
27:51
called Vegas mm-hmm who had done bite of
27:53
arranged on the west coast and what
27:57
happened was there was his attack by the
28:00
Chinese against them and there was a
28:03
river in between and ends in things and
28:07
river yeah engine room and there was
28:10
attack in between and they called me up
28:14
in fire direction and they wanted to
28:18
know if I would shoot illuminating
28:20
rounds illuminating rounds around that
28:24
go up in here and i was i was curious at
28:30
first because identifier to the engine
28:33
and the theory was to get it up here and
28:38
away from our troops it half far enough
28:41
to get it like a beverage yeah so we’re
28:46
usually shooting on a level plane and it
28:49
took a lot of figure it out and a lot of
28:52
things and I took the sergeant at the
28:55
side of the way and let’s figure this
28:58
out let’s i’ll give you my input on us
29:02
and you could be your input on it and we
29:05
did it and we told the Gunners the
29:07
elevations and the deflections to shoot
29:10
at this thing and we shot it out and the
29:13
brains come back the Marines come back
29:16
and they said it was during on target oh
29:19
and they were they were keep it up fire
29:24
for effect quietus and everything else
29:26
so we kept it going for about a half an
29:29
hour and then they said cease fire it’s
29:31
effective we’ve done what we was
29:33
supposed to do and everything else so
29:36
consequently the Marines came back in
29:39
the end unit you know to back to us you
29:43
know and there were kernels and pages
29:46
and everything else that I wanted to
29:48
know who the office of ones that I want
29:50
to write this for the 159th feel
29:53
companion headquarters that did this and
29:56
they reminded everybody and I asked them
30:00
I said is there a metal involved the guy
30:04
guy said to me what do you want today
30:06
across you’d be ridiculous shit up and I
30:11
said no no that’s it forget it you know
30:14
I did what I was supposed to do and they
30:17
wrote it up on a Bronze Star oh nice did
30:22
this is the official proclamation for
30:25
mr. Burnham ovington producer
30:38
thank you
30:40
thank you very much thank you thank you
30:44
again thank you

Photos

Propaganda to North Koreans

This is propaganda that is warning the North Koreans of what will happen if they do not submit.

Propaganda to North Koreans

Propaganda to Chinese

This is propaganda that aims to show the Chinese soldiers they will be taken care of if they surrender.

Propaganda to Chinese

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

A propaganda leaflet showing safety will be granted.

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

A propaganda leaflet condemning the Communist Party's rule in China and asking for the end of military assistance to North Korea.

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

A propaganda leaflet, implicitly undermining the legitimacy of the Communist Party in China.

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

A propaganda leaflet, celebrating the Double Ten Day while implicitly undermining the legitimacy of the Communist Party in China.

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

A propaganda leaftlet, condemning the Communist Party's rule in China and asking for the end of military assitance to North Korea

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

A propaganda leaflet, requesting submission

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

A propaganda leaflet, guaranteeing safety upon submission

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

Propaganda

A propaganda leaflet, implicitly requesting submission

Propaganda

Propaganda to the North Korean soldiers

A propaganda leaflet, requesting submission

Propaganda to the North Korean soldiers

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

A propaganda leaftlet, condemning the Communist Party's rule in China and asking for the end of military assitance to North Korea

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

A propaganda leaflet, requesting submission

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

A propaganda leaflet, requesting submission

Propaganda to the Chinese soldiers

Propaganda to the North Korean soldiers

A propaganda leaflet, requesting submission

Propaganda to the North Korean soldiers