John Pritchard
Bio
John Pritchard was born on November 10, 1932. He was a child during World War II and remembered days without lights and long walks to school. When he was older, he found settling down difficult. He decided joining the Army was in his best interest, so he enlisted in 1952 as a Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers craftsman. The Korean War was underway, and he was sent there to serve knowing little about it. He was shocked to see the poor conditions in which Koreans were living. He recalled seeing cardboard boxes for housing and a lack of proper sanitation. He spent time on Geoje Island assisting the Americans with repairs and witnessed the Prisoner-of-War camps that housed North Korean soldiers. He adjusted to the unwavering heat and extreme cold of Korea and found it difficult to acclimate to beds and sheets when on leave. He was glad to have helped the Korean people and was appreciative of the skills he acquired while in service.
Video Clips
Making the Decision to Join the Army
John Pritchard discusses his reasons for joining the army at a young age. He shares how he was restless and struggling to settle down. He recalls being excited to join the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers [REME] so that he could learn a good trade.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5vdiPiE9i4&start=362&end=547
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/john-pritchard#clip-1
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First Impression of Korea
John Pritchard describes arriving in Pusan and being shocked to see that civilians were living in cardboard boxes without any sanitation. He recalls being sent to Geoje Island to work with the Americans to repair a water tanker. He remembers being impressed with the tools available to the American Army.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5vdiPiE9i4&start=891&end=1149
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/john-pritchard#clip-2
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The Need to Laugh
John Pritchard recalls helping a group of English entertainers by fixing the ambulance they were transported in after breaking down in transit. He shares how they kept a very unique souvenir hanging from their flagpole. He describes how this humorous episode helped balance the realities of war, such as having to leave base to tow a mortared tank and witnessing the reality of human loss.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5vdiPiE9i4&start=1832&end=2019
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/john-pritchard#clip-3
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Christmas in Korea
John Pritchard remembers being relieved of duty for Christmas for 24 hours thanks to his commander speaking up for his men. He recalls receiving a pint of rum to help enjoy the holiday. He shares how they went to Seoul to buy a Christmas present of four hundred cigarettes for their commander and how the gesture made him cry.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5vdiPiE9i4&start=2129&end=2280
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/john-pritchard#clip-4
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