Korean War Legacy Project

Charles Kutchka

Bio

Charles Kutchka was born in Victoria, Texas on August 23, 1932. After graduating Vanderbilt High School in 1948, he attended Victoria Community College and earned an associates degree in 1950. He went to work at Victoria Bank & Trust and worked until he was drafted into the US Army in February, 1953. He attended boot camp at Fort Polk, Louisiana and was deployed to Frankfurt, Germany later that year. He served in Personnel at 4th Infantry Division Headquarters in Germany before returning home in January, 1955. He returned to work at Victoria Bank & Trust and retired there after 43 years of service in 1994. Today, he lives in Victoria, Texas and enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Video Clips

Working in Personnel in Germany, 1953

Charles Kutchka describes his job working in personnel in Frankfurt, Germany in 1953. He talks about typing orders for officers that were assigned to their respective posts by the Colonel in command of his unit.

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From Draft, to Training, to Assignment

Charles Kutchka worked at a bank at the time he was drafted in 1953, near the conclusion of the fighting in the Korean War. He describes receiving his draft letter to the Army, and taking the bus for his basic training. He also details receiving his notice that his assignment after basic training was to Frankfort, Germany.

Tags: Basic training

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Fundraisers for Korean Children

Charles Kutchka details fundraisers his brigade did in Germany to help raise money for youth in Korea. They had watched films that described the poverty suffered by Korean children and that many were orphaned after the war. Although he wasn't stationed in Korea, all US troops in the world, contributed to the effort there.

Tags: Impressions of Korea,Orphanage

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