Korean War Legacy Project

Joseph Gruber

Bio

Joseph Gruber grew up in Chicago where he was a dockworker with his father. He was drafted into the army in 1952 and landed in Busan in the early months of 1953. In the interview, he describes his experience on the war front in Inchon, mail delivery trips between Busan and Inchon, his hospitalization during the war, and trips to Fiji and Japan.

Video Clips

The Bitter Cold of War

In his clip, Gruber describes how he sent a letter to his mother about the cold weather in Korea and the inadequacy of U.S. military-issued army jackets. As a result, she sent him sweatpants and sweatshirts while he was stationed in Inchon.

Tags: Cold winters,Living conditions

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Daily Life in War

Gruber describes his sickness and illness during the war. He suspects that he contracted hepatitis from contaminated water during the war. In this clip, he also describes a minor altercation during his hospitalization when he threw a bed pan at a higher-ranked officer for demanding that he clean the hospital.

Tags: Busan,Incheon,Food,Living conditions

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Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAJss0U3Y7w&start=1643&end=1922

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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/joseph-gruber#clip-2

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