Delbert Ray Houlette
Bio
Delbert Ray Houlette enlisted into the Marine Corp when he was seventeen years old. Before serving in the Korean War, he knew nothing about the Korea peninsula. However, he quickly became familiar as he found himself serving overseas. He details his experiences during his duration of service at the beginning of the war. He participated in the Pusan Perimeter, Chosin Reservoir, Incheon Landing, and Wonson Landing. For many years, Delbert Ray Houlette suffered from PTSD after the war and did not talk about his experiences. However, after being advised by his wife to write down his experiences, he is now sharing his legacy.
Video Clips
Massacre in a Korean Village
Delbert Ray Houlette recollects here on some of his toughest moments while serving in Korea. He describes the disconnect between the Marine Corps with the Army and ROK soldiers. He also details having to build a causeway over a river in the middle of fighting. Lastly, he remembers witnessing a village after it had experienced a massacre.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoT8xdNL8lI&start=579&end=869
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/delbert-ray-houlette#clip-1
Embed:
Seasoned for the Incheon Landing
Delbert Ray Houlette recalls being sent to serve at the Incheon Landing. He and his outfit were sent due to being "seasoned" in combat compared to other troops with their experience in the Pusan Perimeter. He describes the tides of the area where he was on Red Beach.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoT8xdNL8lI&start=870&end=1090
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/delbert-ray-houlette#clip-2
Embed:
Collecting the Dead
Delbert Ray Houlette describes how one of his duties during combat was to collect the dead bodies of fellow soldiers and put their bodies in the beds of trucks. He remembers one incident where a soldier's eyes had opened unexpectedly while in the truck. Believing the body might be alive, he told the personnel he was getting ammunition and would try to come back to see if he was okay later. However, he was never able to return and check.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoT8xdNL8lI&start=1490&end=1590
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/delbert-ray-houlette#clip-3
Embed: