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 27^th/ 28^th 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 115^th 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 23^rd 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 595^th 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 60^th 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.