Korean War Legacy Project

John Atkins

Bio

John Atkins was born July 23, 1933 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  He entered the Korean war at age 18 after enlisting in the National Guard. He served with the 45th Infantry, Quartermaster Company recovering bodies and patrolling the area where he was stationed. He gives a detailed account of his training and preparation leading up to being activated for Korea. The memories of the Korean War followed to him to college and still remain with him as he has a grandson that is the age he was in the when he went to Korea.  He returned to South Korea in 1999 and gives a very comprehensive glimpse of his time in Korea during the war and the time that he spent when he returned to visit.

Video Clips

Preparing for Korea

John Atkins gives a very detailed account of his time in the service, including when he was activated. He left for Korea and Japan in December of 1951. He also explains some of his training.

Tags: Basic training,Impressions of Korea,Prior knowledge of Korea

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Memories and Dreams

John Atkins describes the disturbing dreams he had while in college after serving in the war. While taking a comparative anatomy course in college, the images of the frozen dead bodies that he recovered during the war haunted him. He states that he thinks about his time there more since he has a grandson the same age.

Tags: Cold winters,Fear

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Mr. Veteran

John Atkins describes an incredible experience he has with some youth in South Korea when he and his wife returned there in 1999. He remembers that these youth called him "Mr. Veteran" and gave him a tour of the area. John Atkins states that South Koreans are still showing their respect to the veterans who served in the war in such a gracious and hospitable manner.

Tags: Impressions of Korea,Modern Korea,Rest and Relaxation (R&R)

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Video Transcript

00:00

I’m John Atkins J-O-H-N  A-T-K-I-N-S what is

00:08

your birthday 7/23/33 and we’re you born

00:14

Oklahoma City Oklahoma and tell me about

00:22

your parents you were growing up your

00:25

parents and your siblings my father

00:30

worked in Douglas Aircraft industry

00:34

during World War two he worked for

00:38

industry after World War two

00:40

he worked up they worked some more for

00:44

Douglas my mother was a registered nurse

00:48

she graduated from the verdicts hospital

00:53

skilled nursing and Jonesboro Arkansas

00:55

my father was from Siloam Springs

00:57

Arkansas

00:58

I had one sister her name was Katherine

01:03

she married an individual named Marlon

01:06

Rhodes he was from Drumright Oklahoma

01:10

they lived in Tulsa Oklahoma she passed

01:15

away this year he passed away several

01:18

years ago

01:21

my sister was four years younger than

01:23

myself

01:26

you told me that your father walked out

01:29

them Douglas Aircraft whoa during World

01:34

War Two yes what is the exact name of

01:35

that company Douglas Aircraft I

01:40

guess yeah so it’s a big building which

01:43

is now part of tinker field which is the

01:45

repair depot for the Air Force in

01:48

Oakland which is Midwest City Midwest

01:51

City before it became a big place like

01:56

this today was a place I used to say if

02:02

I would hunt for rabbits if she hunted

02:05

on the south side a 29th Street pre

02:08

mercy ready to raise the Jackrabbits you

02:12

hunted

02:13

on the north side you raided the

02:15

cottontails and Douglas was built during

02:21

World War two first of all I built c-47s

02:26

cargo planes and then later on toward

02:29

the end of the war the c-54 came into

02:31

existence and they were built in c-54s

02:34

so your father walked during the World

02:37

War two yes so tell me about what you

02:41

know on national sort of mobilization

02:47

u.s. people American people during the

02:50

World War two how do they work I mean

02:53

they were all pay attention to the world

02:56

war two right they were all mobilized

02:58

you know mobilize basically everything

03:02

was geared toward being unified United

03:07

to win the war we had European war we

03:12

were fighting first of all fought the

03:15

country call Italy and Italy after Italy

03:21

surrendered then to fight Germany the

03:29

other fear we had was just was fighting

03:32

the Japanese the Japanese invaded our

03:37

country on the Island of Hawaii Pearl

03:40

Harbor and on December the 7th 1941 on

03:46

December the 8th I believe Theodore

03:49

Roosevelt or not Roosevelt

03:54

President Roosevelt declared war had

03:57

Congress declare war on Germany and

04:00

Japan

04:02

first of all Japan Japan and later as

04:04

Germany’s I recalled everything was

04:08

geared toward being United the American

04:13

flag became a very rallying cry around

04:17

people safe everything we had stamps she

04:20

couldn’t buy a pair of shoes unless you

04:23

had a stamp to buy it you

04:24

my tires where she had stamps to buy the

04:27

tires you couldn’t buy petroleum for the

04:30

cars etc and they put making automobiles

04:33

and started making a war machinery I

04:36

believe in free became a very devout

04:39

towards making boats planes vehicles and

04:45

training troops and billing military

04:49

buildings and installations to train

04:52

troops in tinker field was I heard the

04:57

individual professor Atkinson who was a

05:01

journalism professor from Oklahoma City

05:03

University talked about he got the idea

05:05

of improve developing Midwest City

05:09

Oklahoma because he found out that the

05:13

Air Force was going to build somewhere

05:15

in the Oklahoma City area a repair depot

05:20

for the airplanes and he checked it out

05:24

and looked all over Oklahoma State

05:26

inside that place most likely would be

05:28

and it had not been announced and

05:30

strictly his thinking Lee it probably in

05:33

the southeast part of Oklahoma City

05:35

where there are a lot of family farms

05:38

and sector and he wanted to start buying

05:40

land out there so he could devote the

05:43

city called Midwest City Oklahoma to

05:46

house the lives etc of guys who’s

05:52

becoming in Oklahoma City in the

05:55

military and also the civilians would be

05:57

coming in there to refer planes and in

05:59

Douglas was going to build a big plant

06:03

there in part of town so he fir he

06:06

needed built a lot of buildings and my

06:08

village so he got interested in buying

06:11

land in that part of the country and he

06:14

is sadly since it was old farmers have

06:16

owned the land and it was farmers he had

06:19

to deal with he had to learn how to milk

06:21

a cow so for $20 his college professor

06:26

would out and learn how to milk a cow so

06:29

they can go talk to the people at that

06:30

part of the country or that part of the

06:32

city who owned land and he wouldn’t talk

06:36

to him about settlement so you could buy

06:38

it

06:38

and he talked to you it’s not cows and

06:40

talk to him all at the same time that’s

06:43

drug the way in which Midwest City was

06:46

debuff which came about Katrina the Air

06:50

Force gulped the ticker filled the need

06:55

of this aircraft company developed the

06:57

building there on Douglas a building

07:01

which was 3/4 of a mile long if I recall

07:03

correctly I make three quarter to

07:06

quarter smile something about it exactly

07:08

remember that was back in 1942 at forty

07:12

two thousand nine year old kid the

07:18

building was built in most of the short

07:21

period of time

07:22

I remember there was only one window in

07:24

the whole building that was on the

07:25

second floor for the CEO of that plant

07:29

lived with his family everything was

07:38

rationed like I said before and very

07:42

everything was being patriotic patriotic

07:46

parade patriotic music and we had

07:50

nightly we have periodic presidential

07:54

radio conversations that call fireside

07:57

chats back from President Roosevelt the

08:00

war ended in August Germany surrendered

08:06

May 1945 the war ended with each Japan

08:11

surrendered in april of nineteen Canales

08:17

nineteen

08:17

so the world war ii was the war of whole

08:21

nation whole nation donations

08:23

involuntarily and everybody anxious to

08:25

win and if I was 1.9 and everybody

08:29

wanted actually Riley we wouldn’t meet

08:31

under one so when the troops returned

08:34

you’d really have a big one yeah be

08:36

afraid I’m never talking to being who

08:41

had been with the forty-fifth they went

08:44

into Angelo with history Germany when

08:49

they were

08:49

disband had their final four

08:52

nation in Germany it goes into the city

08:59

we’re sad to see which Germany had the

09:04

concentration as Dachau inside the

09:07

Austrians no doctor doc house it was a

09:11

German prison camp but this is ended

09:14

Munich in Munich they had a big car

09:19

Hitler used to go and he would close

09:21

they lock up the bars and people who

09:23

drink and he speed office so it was a

09:25

big place where they headed rallying the

09:29

troops for Germany we had our final

09:31

formation the 45th Infantry Division

09:34

there in Munich in 1945 the 45th came

09:39

home it was a big parade down Main

09:41

Street and everybody was very definitely

09:45

interested in hey go home the war is

09:47

over with that war it all wars at Bingo

09:52

and then Korean war came after that and

09:56

it contrasts so much so different right

09:59

the American people didn’t pay attention

10:02

to it it wasn’t really the legendary war

10:06

here to remember Harry Truman triggered

10:09

that he could not get Congress to

10:11

declare a war so he did not clear a war

10:14

he realized nobody could do is make use

10:17

of presidential powers and he had so he

10:19

declared it a police action and we heard

10:22

the police action and we started sitting

10:24

troops now I have to say that I had a

10:28

inside idea what was going to happen to

10:32

Korea by uncle mine who had been with it

10:36

24th Infantry Division 24th or 25th I

10:39

didn’t recall which but he had been with

10:41

one of those two infantry divisions as

10:44

an engineer right now he was sent to

10:47

Korea right after the war was over

10:50

actually he was on a ship

10:51

you mean World War two after World War

10:53

two is over with he was on a ship headed

10:56

to the Far East to be involved in that

11:00

war but in place of going into Japan to

11:04

fight the plane

11:06

surrendered by the time he got to the

11:08

Pacific and he ended up in career with

11:11

the 24th to the 25th ID what’s his name

11:14

his name was C last name was salmon

11:22

salmon salmon I say mmm

11:25

oh it is he went by name Jay Jay Salmons

11:32

okay I’m gonna step C wrong that is my

11:35

uncle’s is my mother’s brother

11:37

and so he was one of the first troops to

11:39

go into Korea after the Spencer injured

11:44

right in 1948 when Truman and General

11:49

Eisenhower decided that we were going to

11:53

cut down our troops that we had in

11:55

Korean he was sent home leave to go to

12:02

Japan to be octorok part of the

12:05

Occupational forces at that time 1948 I

12:09

had a paper route and he visited my

12:12

parents in Oklahoma City and one

12:14

afternoon while we were I was delivering

12:17

my papers he’s asking for is Korea

12:20

you said it yeah I said where is Corey I

12:23

don’t think we knew where Korea was no

12:25

career was somewhere in the Far East but

12:27

la-la-land as far as most people was

12:30

concerned and this part of the country

12:31

we did with Pearl Harbor was a we with

12:34

Philippines and some of the other parts

12:36

but Korea was not a part of our

12:38

vocabulary other than it existed

12:40

somewhere on the map that’s where is

12:42

career he’d begin to give you some

12:43

information as to what’s going on over

12:46

there and why are you coming home he

12:49

said well it has been decided that we

12:52

have too many troops over there and so

12:53

they’re pretty much they go take care of

12:55

themselves and we’re going to Japan they

12:59

have no occupational forces varies in

13:01

High River there’s going to be a war

13:03

there John you’re your 1948 he could

13:07

this could be a war there in 1948 and

13:11

you are going to be a part of it that’s

13:14

what I said you are going to be a part

13:17

of it now I was in high school at that

13:19

time

13:19

no I don’t think so Jensen there’s going

13:22

to be a war that every cost the country

13:24

has been divided north and south and so

13:27

therefore Korean has always been a

13:29

country that’s been involved one on one

13:31

country or another country china and

13:33

japan or somebody’s been occupying them

13:35

and one of these days they’re going to

13:36

be a united country but russia has got

13:39

the northern part we are occupying the

13:41

southern part the one of these days the

13:44

north is going to try to invade he says

13:46

this is what we hear from the help from

13:48

the people that we have come in contact

13:50

with you have to remember I think

13:53

enlisted means probably have more

13:55

contact with the enlisted people whether

13:57

civilians in the city than officers did

13:59

and I think he had a pretty good contact

14:02

with a lot of his people in Korea than

14:05

he had dealt with according to them

14:08

there is going to be a conflict where

14:10

they were not Korea is one country not

14:13

to and that occurs that war is going to

14:16

be fought and he since tours we didn’t

14:19

forward to – not in all wars this is

14:22

going to be another one and you’re going

14:24

to be a part of it I said what about you

14:26

so I’m going to be home I’m going to

14:28

Japan and I’m going to be up my even

14:32

list it’s going to be up in two years

14:33

and I’m going to be back home and you’re

14:36

going to be the one who has to go then

14:37

five it turned out to be that he was one

14:40

of the first troops to go into Korea

14:42

from Japan because the war occurred much

14:45

quicker than he thought it was going to

14:47

occur Creek started in June of 1950 in

14:51

July of 1950 he was in Korea he was

14:55

going to last he tells me he’s probably

14:57

the last individuals to see general Dean

14:59

in his driver before general Dean was

15:02

captured so long video first Cavalier or

15:05

toxeus no he was not for he was general

15:08

Dean was General for the 24th

15:12

yeah 5th 2014 so general Dean was a

15:14

commanding officer for the 24th Infantry

15:16

Division Geraldine was a train station

15:20

with a preserved earth with his jeep

15:22

driver his jeep driver was going to load

15:25

the bazooka so they could not get tanks

15:28

at that train station he says it takes

15:31

come through

15:32

we’re going knock to take set the GA

15:34

said I said my uncle’s name was James

15:37

his dignity who else went by them ga ga

15:40

said general if you will go with us we

15:43

know how to get out of here and we can

15:45

get you and your driver out of here and

15:47

we can get back down to Busan he said no

15:50

you all go ahead

15:51

g3 can make it you go ahead you go ahead

15:56

and make it back to Pusan we’re going to

15:58

stay here and not got the Russian tanks

16:02

they’re coming through here make it

16:04

easier if y’all guys to come back and

16:06

win this war

16:08

he left general Dean he made down the

16:11

Poussin and then later on in September

16:16

of 1950 because his enlistment was

16:19

already over with

16:20

he had his listed extended twice while

16:23

he was over there Gordon’s in Korea he

16:26

was brought home and discharged in

16:28

October of 1950 so basically like I said

16:31

I had some idea that we were I was on

16:33

fight of War and he gave me said I’ll

16:35

tell you what there’s two things I’m

16:36

gonna give you I’m going to give you a

16:38

ring that I have made from a stainless

16:40

steel nut that you wear and you can work

16:43

when you go to Corinne and you can

16:45

remember what I told you and also is

16:47

going to give you because bite a lot

16:49

happens if I struck me shaving off more

16:51

frequently so here’s my razor

16:52

let’s release if I can hold on we give

16:54

you my new Gillette razor that I bought

16:56

in Korea before I came home so I end up

16:59

with two things and I still have the

17:01

Rings I do I had the arranged meeting

17:02

work oh and I gave my I gave the ring to

17:07

my youngest son when I gave him some

17:10

souvenirs of mine from career such as my

17:12

dog tag my infantry patch my uncle’s

17:14

patch and cetera so he has it in his

17:17

bedroom so that’s how I knew about we

17:20

were going to fight a war in place

17:22

called Korea before is there a right now

17:25

water story water story Europe your

17:29

uncle must be no kind of prophet

17:32

Butler is a prophet just like I said you

17:35

know do you what a little enlisted me

17:38

knew what was going on and I’ve heard

17:41

several enlisted new mixes

17:43

you said so what are you writing a paper

17:48

when your uncle visited your home in

17:50

Oklahoma but I write the paper no I was

17:53

in that why did you ask that question

17:55

because what because he was there he was

17:57

it with the two of us it was walk along

17:59

with me where I delivered my papers on

18:01

my paper route and so you know where

18:04

have you been what school where is it

18:06

located and what’s going on there and

18:08

what did you do why are you there

18:10

typical kids you and just like me asking

18:13

you questions you know and so I knew

18:16

that during World War two

18:18

my mother was a nurse I remember when

18:21

the nursing nurses came to interview her

18:24

because they have courtrand records she

18:27

was still single and once they realized

18:29

that she was married and had two

18:31

children she was exempt from going on to

18:33

active duty but they made her a civil

18:37

defense nurse and as a civil defense

18:39

nurse she was issued sent in the mail

18:43

and went belt with a canteen a canteen

18:46

cup and military belt that was used by

18:52

the medics in World War one that you see

18:54

that minute you see that belt in world

18:56

war ii world war one Memorial here in

18:59

Kansas City

19:00

it’s very end of it you’ll see a belt

19:02

that was more about medics World War one

19:05

 

my wife’s grandfather wore about like

19:07

that so I had some idea for Boy Scouts

19:13

Boy Scouts are very multi realistic we

19:17

had we had inspections in our uniforms

19:19

we then we were sharp-looking soldiers

19:21

as kids at the Boy Scouts but school

19:24

didn’t teach you of all Korea all know

19:26

it’s curry Korea was we learned about

19:28

just we learned about Pearl Harbor and

19:30

Panama Canal was something is being

19:34

built there in Dakotas where the adult

19:41

II memorial for the person is statues of

19:45

them we were learned about we saw it

19:47

constantly being built we saw other

19:51

things much more we saw other things

19:55

being being built at that time

19:57

and I thought not Korea Korea was cream

20:01

the Korea was never really a part of

20:03

World War two it was Japan occupied it

20:08

and Roosevelt made a treaty with Stalin

20:14

that if he would declare war on Japan

20:16

they would get part of it and so after

20:21

the Germans have surrendered my recall

20:25

is correct Stalin when they woke up say

20:28

hey I’m about to lose out on getting

20:30

some free land if I was just a claret

20:33

war on your area and playing war on

20:37

Japan you know and I can get some Korean

20:39

land for free because they’ve already

20:42

dropped two atomic bombs and since they

20:44

dropped two atomic bombs and their

20:46

Emperor’s always say let’s surrender we

20:48

lost too many people are ready the

20:50

surrender all those Japanese were not

20:52

interested in it the people were

20:57

interested in surrendering and so it’s

21:01

taught us and we will enter the war and

21:04

he declared war in every play truth

21:06

they’ve had a single troop into Korea

21:09

and fear in that period of time and just

21:11

got freebie land so when your uncle told

21:14

you that you’re going to be there and

21:16

you’re going to where is a war there did

21:19

you believe that I figured guidance is

21:24

talking about you know use military

21:27

means they don’t whole lot so as a kid

21:29

yeah I figured well probably here you’ll

21:32

find out something about it in daytime

21:35

when did you when war in Korea Austin

21:38

Korea our leaders in Korea in December

21:40

of 1951 and I came out and in July 52

21:44

July 52 so tell me about Korea you just

21:51

came to a encountered ran across about

21:55

this country named because of your uncle

21:57

I said you are there for about a year

22:00

and a six months or seven seven months

22:04

what is Korea to you now the Korea that

22:07

you heard from your uncle now what is

22:10

Korea to you well great eyes

22:11

I would like to Korea in 99 I’ll return

22:17

the return trip was it a couple of money

22:21

invitations yes it was and when I got

22:26

the pen with John then looked over

22:28

because I spent my time in a place

22:30

called a type of thing why this take

22:35

money take money is updated by pork chop

22:38

hill and a Baldy I spent most of my time

22:41

on the Old Baldy area I was in the GRS

22:44

section of the 45th different I was new

22:48

quartermaster the 45th Infantry Division

22:50

GRS section and I spent most of my time

22:53

probably up there in the line where we

22:56

were recovering bodies from eaters

23:00

Americans allied forces the enemy’s

23:03

forces and I probably one time I got to

23:08

talk to a couple of Chinese while I

23:12

visited China in 1992 who we probably

23:17

looked at each other across the field or

23:19

no-man’s land at one time so if I went

23:22

back in 99 to seek Korea at their

23:25

invitation and I look from across at the

23:31

38th parallel

23:32

it hasn’t changed it was still dirt

23:35

roads the old six guys had a hard time

23:38

finding nothing space to keep all their

23:41

duels on the road a couple of cases

23:44

where we had six buyers turned over

23:46

because the road gave way on them but

23:49

when you got down to Seoul Seoul was

23:54

like going into New York City except as

23:56

a miniature of New York City

23:58

they had street vendors they had people

24:04

who very cordial I which came back from

24:08

Korea and 52 nobody said hey what

24:14

welcome home the question where have you

24:17

been I was a high school dropout not

24:20

that I plan to be a high school dropout

24:22

but 1953

24:24

Harry Truman activated I was getting

24:27

ready to go into my senior year in the

24:29

high school and I was activated I was in

24:33

the 45th Infantry Division National

24:36

Guard in May of 1950 in June of 1950

24:41

North Korea invaded in July of 1950 I

24:46

turned 17 in August of 1950 I started in

24:50

summer camp

24:51

noon in route to summer camp eaten

24:54

Chiklis in a box chicken lunch

24:56

the commander our company surrendered

24:59

hearing down the heels – hey get back in

25:02

the vehicles we’re going back to

25:04

Oklahoma City we’ve just been activated

25:06

we’re going to start training as a unit

25:12

again as a division for combat

25:14

so the rocked Oklahoma City on the 22nd

25:19

of August I took my hand up and I swore

25:23

allegiance to the American flag and to

25:25

the press to our country and we were

25:30

activated with camp Polk Louisiana

25:32

training camp Polk Louisiana with the

25:35

schools and of course we were being

25:38

training is the same time they’re going

25:39

to training we were also have to go

25:40

school I spent more time in school I

25:43

think what hours and the guards it has

25:46

been a split or in the military did that

25:48

with a split going to school because I

25:50

would for trolley for school or with the

25:52

Fort Benning for leadership school we

25:55

got on a ship down in New Orleans to go

26:00

through the Panama Canal which I speak

26:02

the pattern of the traveling big milk

26:04

during all the various stages of it

26:07

during weekly nice plate readers we

26:09

wrote then in grace junior high school

26:12

in high school so when did you leave for

26:14

Korea when I leave for Korea’s young I

26:17

left for Korea and Japan from Japan on

26:19

about the well the 10th of December of

26:31

d 151 so where were you landed in Korea

26:35

in John Incheon and I remember the

26:41

skipper said when we got off the ship as

26:43

I look after midnight

26:45

he said just warmly it is 40 degrees

26:48

below outside and some guy in the lines

26:52

here get ready grab gameplays is that

26:55

Fahrenheit or centigrade and I later

26:59

found out that I majored in chemistry in

27:01

college minus 40 degrees that’s the

27:05

point the two skills come together and

27:10

but then we got up into the low balling

27:16

pork chop hill area then what was your

27:19

unit again the 45th Infantry Division

27:21

45th ID infantry and the regimen or

27:27

belong to forfeit forfeit forfeit

27:29

quartermaster company and I was attached

27:32

to I think the 279 well not sure wise

27:36

attached to when I was up in Korea

27:38

because we were attached to some outfit

27:42

there was a line company right and what

27:45

was your mos naval has been arrested no

27:52

no you don’t need to tell me no number

27:54

but what did you do what is national –

27:57

yes I was involved with going out and

27:59

picking up bodies and then we did patrol

28:03

of that and patrolling that we pick up

28:04

by census killed sometime during the

28:09

period of time we picked up bodies that

28:12

and then burnt flamethrower I used to

28:15

think my salt John Wayne during World

28:18

War two movies man that flamethrower was

28:21

a weapon I’m going to have they just

28:23

burn up everything have to worry about

28:25

now kind of realize that flamethrowers

28:27

not a good weapon the Kerry weighed

28:29

about 70 80 pounds it has six to eight

28:32

second to second burst in it and then

28:34

you had a dead weapon so but I realized

28:37

that from going out and picking up

28:39

bodies we picked up bodies at this burn

28:42

Andrea picked up by saving

28:44

it was a trifle in one we had dead

28:51

patrol we did scouting work when we went

28:53

out sometimes we would wet with a scout

28:56

patrol we would come back and do the

28:59

paperwork and cause according to the

29:00

Geneva Convention you have to bury your

29:02

dead so we have a leap establish a

29:05

cemetery there in North Korea and we

29:08

would bury the dead we saw we if there

29:14

was a see anywhere on be part of their

29:18

dog tag great thing Richard we had

29:20

across another glass

29:22

it was a marker that the persons and we

29:28

would put as much of information on that

29:29

dog tag that we put on the cross another

29:33

marker that we put the grave all the

29:37

very all the bodies were buried once

29:39

more with head point for the east like

29:42

he would see here and our cemeteries and

29:44

all them were buried with basically at

29:49

we blow a hole because his isotope the

29:51

most exudes hold out and ground stick

29:54

stick of dynamite of healing ground and

29:56

the hole in it and bury the person in it

29:59

and Kerrigan mess so you were in Korea

30:05

as your uncle predicted and when you

30:09

were picking up the dead bodies burned

30:11

and killed brutally killed what were you

30:14

thinking to yourself more help more is

30:19

help and I saw look we saw all these

30:23

here lately for we’ve seen Isis go in

30:26

there and cut off heads and separate

30:29

server the hits and the bike yeah I

30:31

dealt with some Greeks and some Turks

30:33

and they were really bad about wanting

30:37

to work their artillery they were going

30:39

hit a certain place early in the morning

30:42

they wonder what the firing pattern was

30:44

of the artillery if I could get sign out

30:47

the firing pattern for them I get relate

30:50

to the commander he’s going in and they

30:52

take they’re not

30:56

an answer swords ancestor and into the

31:00

into the field they would go it without

31:04

that he was respect for the artillery

31:06

coming in I came to realize real quickly

31:13

I did not what the fact those kind of

31:15

guys made known over he spake I also

31:20

came to realize that first time I got

31:25

fired ad was by a second lieutenant

31:30

they were lieutenant and three of us out

31:34

on patrol and going to pick up a body

31:37

and that was a small shell just passed

31:46

me and we decided look we’re equipped in

31:51

characters so and so and we’d get to go

31:56

in R&R; because he captured you got three

31:59

days R&R; so we were going to catch that

32:01

individual and it turned out to be after

32:06

a couple of votes came pretty close not

32:10

to lieutenant I said and he was an

32:12

ex-marine from World War two he said I

32:16

said no-till give me permission sir I’ll

32:18

knock that boy I’m not that bad boy out

32:20

of commission I got 200 names here and I

32:23

can hit that oh boy real quick like no

32:25

we’re going to capture but turned out to

32:27

be I think he was the lieutenant he was

32:30

kind of lizard and he would I know we

32:37

sitting back he got he he went back to

32:39

the rear but how does the first time I

32:41

got shot at another time I got we got

32:45

involved with her that I died after I

32:51

landed in Korea we had panicked national

32:55

game of the Korean GI who’s blackjack

32:59

your duty picking up dead bodies does

33:02

that bother you now does that come up

33:06

like a flesh or a night I think

33:09

when I was in college and I taken

33:17

comparison entry and I had a comparative

33:21

anatomy course final come whenever and I

33:27

had a dream to not in 40 jail yeah I am

33:35

have you talked and some of them things

33:42

that you would see most of us are frozen

33:46

because it’s cold very cold but as a

33:57

Irish support that young I’ve been asked

34:05

a question when I spoke to some small

34:08

groups occasionally with young men and

34:12

some people asking the question well how

34:16

many did you kill I don’t know I know

34:19

nobody gently decide let’s make sure

34:22

sure hitches isn’t how many I killed

34:24

them

34:24

I’m interested in coming back home and I

34:29

felt very confident that I was coming

34:32

back home I remember under not before we

34:41

landed in Incheon the next day I gotta

34:45

have a so meeting and I was tough very

34:50

tough and I was going to be back home

34:52

I’d might want to come back home it’s in

34:54

part of my body not being there I felt

34:56

like I stay home intact and I’d yet but

34:59

I stop and think about today as we think

35:04

about I have a grandson who just

35:06

graduated from high school 18 years old

35:10

and I think you know analysis age I was

35:14

learning about surviving not summit

35:18

excellent fellows learned how to survive

35:19

in

35:20

feel and what’s going to happen to him

35:23

hmm

35:24

so I yeah I have I don’t haven’t thought

35:28

too much about all of that until I think

35:32

about my grandson today I have a son who

35:37

retired from the Army is a bird Colonel

35:44

this man in fact I’m not sure what he

35:51

was interviewed for yesterday but he’s

35:55

energy for something too he’s retired

35:58

and he puts in Washington DC has an

36:01

office expended on me guitar evolving

36:03

something to go back career to be

36:07

involved somewhere there and I think

36:09

invited me and what’s his room comedic

36:13

career if I go back to Korea when I went

36:15

back in 99 any way that we were received

36:19

and said to I came to realize you know

36:21

it was worthwhile

36:22

well there was times I learned with what

36:25

in the hell are we doing here and why

36:29

the we shed so much blood

36:32

when I was younger but today I come back

36:36

and say no freedom is not free and

36:40

somebody had to pay and I’ve seen pay us

36:44

you know bloody and shit on both sides

36:47

and Street you went back in 1999 and Tom

36:54

Stephens was sitting beside you been to

36:57

Korea so many times very recently and

36:59

the Korea used so in 1999 and now it’s

37:03

completely different how you are you

37:05

aware of that who I know it I know it

37:07

of course when I saw at night when I saw

37:10

know what South Korea I spent the bulk

37:14

of my time in North Korea I mean I asked

37:17

the question you might like North hell I

37:19

have nothing to gain it I bet I spent

37:22

nine months in North Korea so why should

37:24

I want to go back but we got into

37:28

Incheon we guys in Incheon since late

37:31

early in the morning metal for shit

37:34

we walked right on boards on Train

37:38

boxcars that were unfit for cattle

37:42

because they lack canola if see cracks

37:45

in the floor no wonder here’s the color

37:47

there’s no heat in this thing in so we

37:51

saw felt cold as that or we had I think

37:57

the main thing that we really one of the

37:59

things we worried about some legends how

38:02

cold it was and how we had to keep our

38:05

weapons from freezing them because even

38:08

the oil just kind of service this thing

38:11

we had to worry about then I take a look

38:14

to see well I saw it pennilyn John when

38:17

I looked over at North Korea it didn’t

38:20

look any different than like this and I

38:22

left when I went back then in 99 it was

38:29

still there Oh Baldy and porkchop had no

38:32

I didn’t see them but I saw that area

38:34

where I saw South Korea which basically

38:39

Wallowa said before don’t tell myself

38:41

South Korea was going to replacement

38:43

Depot’s and coming home and I remember I

38:47

talked to when I was having lunch with a

38:52

group of individuals from Lipton tea I

38:56

worked and so one guy asked me about

39:01

Korean our seasons what do you remember

39:04

about Korea I was one thing I remember

39:07

was helping to feed the use of Korea a

39:14

lot roots like corn to replacement

39:16

opposed I said I never went to

39:19

replacement Depot going into Korea

39:21

because we were we were always sad we

39:23

know everyone didn’t really going they

39:25

coming back home we had to come through

39:26

the replacement dip house and one of the

39:29

sites that I can see is the mama songs

39:35

and kids say their toes barbed wire

39:38

fences and the kids with their hands out

39:42

with one piece of fruit because when I

39:45

first went through that first

39:47

the depth I went through was outside

39:50

Incheon and I was to Richardson to have

39:53

an apple and some big old mess charges

39:55

he barricaded Apple sexy boy and so I

39:59

took an apple and after I got out I

40:02

always thought I had two or three apples

40:03

because I only had one half of a given

40:05

word and I saw kids sliding under those

40:09

barbed wire fences hey mission is to

40:12

this garbage kids and scooping it all up

40:15

a niche and so I said that’s one of the

40:21

things I really took my mind and his

40:24

kids having to hide hard while laughing

40:26

livings and I Cecilia never I went to

40:32

the Ness hog took two to three apples if

40:35

I could take silent take more if they

40:37

let me dream on I’ll be here we had no

40:39

problem giving apples because I thought

40:41

there’s evidence of hands never apples

40:43

to fall the hands around for an apple

40:46

and this one guy said I looked at the

40:51

table this’ll work had also shipped here

40:54

coming up as Isis you know he may have

40:57

fed me one day he said you’ve been

40:59

either

41:00

basically somebody said you because I

41:01

remember taking those battles and that

41:04

is a touching moment and any individual

41:09

I had a very post-conflict contact with

41:12

each other for years

41:13

so that’s probably the thing which hit

41:17

me most of all that because I was I’ve

41:19

only ha they finally back at South

41:22

Koreans beautiful I have to tell you one

41:24

thing now laugh and I went back to South

41:28

Korea and with one afternoon we had an

41:30

afternoon off and she wanted to go into

41:33

downtown and so to see what we liked so

41:37

we got on the train and took the train

41:39

down and and got off the train there and

41:44

pretty close to go to Gulf the training

41:47

we sashayed through department stores

41:49

and street vendors and we ate food and

41:53

everything is about two o’clock 3:30

41:56

afternoon my losses you know I think

41:58

them about

41:58

to go back to our apartment or how bring

42:01

that Lassiter Hotel I said well I don’t

42:04

know exactly how to get from here back

42:06

to train station now look I know how do

42:10

we got here selling local toys so I said

42:14

that this morning I saw four young men

42:18

in their early twenties the college

42:21

students and I you know until I said do

42:25

any of you speak English because my life

42:27

and I like know how the best ways to get

42:29

from here to the train station and when

42:33

they hear minister cases mr. Bertrand I

42:37

speak to your spirit England the screw

42:39

anyway here I’ll be right back with you

42:42

so he went over and talked these guys

42:44

and I had picked up the idea he was

42:47

leaving them and they were going

42:49

someplace I said she’s a kid man he said

42:51

then I will take you to the train

42:53

station I see he’s just dismissed

42:56

yourself from your group that’s all

42:58

rises in English that’s all right I know

43:00

where they’re going

43:01

and after I get you taken care of I will

43:04

meet them for going on some fun so

43:07

anyway and as we turned he says you were

43:10

in train station dice no I don’t know a

43:12

train station because that train station

43:14

was not here when I was in he give us a

43:17

real true as we went from where we were

43:19

to train station and we got to the train

43:21

station that mr. veteran if you give me

43:26

so much money I forgot mercilessly

43:28

I’ll get your ticket for you this is

43:30

where we buy your ticket I said fine so

43:32

I give it to him he says now and we will

43:36

go down the steps here and I will take

43:39

you time Eastern Sun and he got my wife

43:43

we get down to the trains come and go he

43:49

says now he said this is the side that

43:51

she wants us to stand by this door here

43:54

what stand on the gate on the platform

43:56

here on this side because yes I was

43:58

taking out out of town so this will take

44:01

you to your hotel and so he stayed there

44:06

with us until the train came and her

44:09

trailer

44:10

this is

44:10

about 4 o’clock the afternoon now the

44:12

train is loaded and then some by sitting

44:15

in a seat and segoe

44:18

you get up this veterans wife’s gotta

44:21

sit there in the England for jumped up

44:24

now I sit down there and we got great

44:27

really received the very best we wish we

44:31

were received in Korea like the present

44:34

United States would be except we just

44:35

didn’t join a limousine so you know such

44:44

contrast we made right the great I am

44:47

from from 1950 to 1999 and current

44:53

despite such successful outcome since

44:56

World War two name any word that you can

44:59

remember that came up with such

45:02

successful outcome the US has ever

45:04

involved I don’t thinks all right

45:07

probably not I don’t know any country

45:09

has very invited us back if they’re

45:11

caught a third and is by paid for us to

45:14

come see their country you see what we

45:15

did for so therefore that respect I say

45:18

yeah

45:18

ll gave I say hey we thank you in either

45:23

device despite such success in high

45:27

school world history textbook Korean War

45:31

is just about this cuz I why is that and

45:36

how can we overcome that I was weekend

45:39

you think we’re work you think World War

45:41

one is even smaller today I think the

45:46

whole point was to what the America was

45:50

not ready to fight another war true

45:54

endures America was not ready to fight

45:56

another war Truman knew that Korea could

46:00

not be invaded by the communist country

46:04

if I understand correctly my history in

46:08

1948 North Korea wants to invade South

46:14

Korea and Stalin was the person who kept

46:18

him from evading

46:21

in 1949 they wanted a in 1950 they gave

46:27

permission he promised to be in a scoria

46:30

in 90 days of max 120 days after Dean

46:34

Acheson excluded defensive parameters

46:37

from the Korean Peninsula aside so the

46:43

situation was affected

46:45

we’d never declared war and I think in

46:48

the 90s we find declared the war but

46:50

it’s all over with all of us my guys

46:54

Laurie died natural deaths who’d come

46:57

back home from war from Korea you have

47:00

to remember that a few years ago World

47:03

War two veterans were dying very

47:06

politically today is the Korean War

47:08

veterans who died it’s just a few

47:10

because only a few veterans were or two

47:12

left and this kids whereas few and sheer

47:15

lesbian left Korea was not a country

47:18

that was have any real significance in

47:22

the life of most Americans and denied

47:25

any significance until they had somebody

47:28

who was involved with the conflict and

47:33

it’s only been within the last few years

47:36

we’ve seen Korea know Korea did not

47:39

immediately come back into the

47:41

prosperity it has today but as the

47:43

prosperity became more and more common

47:45

where a prevalent thing that we had to

47:47

deal with in the world where is this

47:50

economy going where as I’m coming with

47:52

the Korea has become a very economical

47:54

power in the world

47:56

a true pimp as a financial world so but

48:02

Korea was never thought of to be a

48:05

powerhouse I know that the Koreans were

48:09

not like why I’m saying I really touched

48:11

to say that the Japanese did you are a

48:13

favor when they transport it they put

48:15

Korea on wheels on the train because

48:18

Korea was where I understand was not a

48:22

very progressive country and to Japan

48:24

came in and put them on wheels of a

48:28

train and I know the is always some good

48:34

everything bad invasion of Japanese and

48:38

careers bad the question but the idea

48:41

for this could be on wheels are making

48:43

them mobile this country here would not

48:45

be heard we are today if we hadn’t have

48:47

anyone to bring trains the cars at

48:49

playing ships etc years ago countries

48:53

we’re only great if they were on runways

48:55

because she is really important thing

48:56

but if you know the history of

48:59

imperialism and colonialism you see that

49:02

the Japanese cases is uncomfortable most

49:06

atrocious form of colonial control and

49:09

so let me wrap this up I think you are

49:14

one of the most sort of how can I say

49:18

you are actually knew what I am at want

49:22

to ask and the typical question that I

49:24

am ready to ask you already talk to me

49:27

so it is wonderful case and they are not

49:31

connect you country that you didn’t know

49:35

but you came to know through your uncle

49:38

and now you seem to have a very

49:41

comprehensive understanding how prayer

49:43

was divided how the perception was of us

49:47

leaders on Korea and you’ve been there

49:50

you’ve been there again in 1999 what is

49:52

Korea to you and how do you think that

49:55

is the legacy of the Korean War can be

49:58

kept alive I think the legacy of Korean

50:00

War is because right back to the motto

50:03

that came out of Korea by the veterans

50:05

freedom is not free

50:08

mm-hmm and I think this is where each

50:11

time I have made talked about my

50:14

experience and career my experience

50:16

another about national not come first to

50:21

open comment is freedom is not free

50:25

because to hear was that we did not

50:29

become free because blood had to be shed

50:31

you go back and take a look you know

50:34

I’ve been in Singapore several times and

50:38

Singapore for Sentosa the British held

50:43

it before the Japanese

50:46

Fortson toasty they had guns in there

50:49

that could knock out anything in the

50:52

punish enemy Harbor the Japanese

50:55

diarrhea like the Singaporeans felt like

51:00

the British felt like it the British the

51:03

Japanese would come by see Japanese

51:06

remember see they came across the

51:09

causeway on bicycles and those bicycles

51:12

had machine guns mounted on them now

51:15

that there’s a tank so to speak machine

51:19

guns on a bicycle Japan Singapore

51:22

surrendered just like that the Japanese

51:25

immediately cute all the men up in the

51:29

mid were separated by the painter hand

51:33

and those he had dressed hands with this

51:36

side of the street cause he had smooth

51:37

hands with this side of the street and

51:40

all those are smooth hands the foot on

51:42

trucks take them down to the ocean front

51:44

and low down because they did knock them

51:47

around and so they got rid of them they

51:50

took the labors and they were able to

51:52

have free labor so the Japanese

51:55

Imperialism it was very damaging it was

51:59

very careless so go back to your point

52:02

freedom is not free and what are what

52:05

are the other things that you think as a

52:07

Korean legacy Korean War legacy I think

52:11

that probably the thing that we will see

52:17

how Korea has they use they have taken

52:21

the lemon and made the lemonade out of

52:23

it Jon very nice figure we had a

52:30

wonderful time

52:31

great thank you so much well thank you

52:33

sir