Chuck Walther
Bio
Chuck Walther was working at a factory in a small farm community in Michigan before being drafted into the Army in 1953. He was sent to Fort Riley, Kansas for sixteen weeks of basic training and and then assigned to Leadership School. Chuck Walther was sent to Seattle to board a ship for Korea and had a brief stop in Sasebo, Japan before the final destination of Incheon, Korea. He arrived in Korea shortly after the cease fire was signed, was assigned to the DMZ before becoming a Military Policeman assigned to checkpoints near Seoul. He worked with soldiers from many different countries to deal with spies, or lane crossers, attempting to enter from North Korea. Upon returning to the United States in 1955 he used the GI Bill to earn a college degree.
Video Clips
The Path From Being Drafted to Arriving in Incheon
Chuck Walther describes being drafted in 1953 and the path he took to Incheon seven months later. He went to basic training in Kansas and was placed in Leadership School. He arrived in Seattle for the journey to Incheon after a stop in Sasebo, Japan.
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Impressions of Korea and Dealing With Spies
Even though Chuck Walther arrived in Korea after the cease fire, he said they were always on alert. He said he never saw a country so poor. Buildings were destroyed and roads were in bad condition. He was in Korea for fifteen months. He was stationed at the DMZ with the 40th Infantry, but was transferred to the Military Police to work at checkpoints. Chuck Walther talks about how lane crossers, or spies, were dealt with.
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Military Police Living Conditions
Chuck Walther describes the improvement in living conditions when he was in Seoul working as a Military Policeman compared to working at the DMZ. They stayed in a converted two story girls school in Seoul and he had a real bed to sleep on instead of a cot. His room and building were warm which was a another welcome upgrade.
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/chuck-walther#clip-3
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