Larry Shadler
Bio
Lawrence Shadler was born on May 28, 1927, in Baroda, Michigan. He was drafted into the United States Army in September 1950, soon after the Korean War began. When he arrived in Korea, he was surprised by how different everything looked, especially how small the people seemed to him. On May 18, 1951, his division ran out of ammunition while facing thousands of Chinese soldiers, and he was captured and held as a prisoner of war. He experienced the Chinese taunting the prisoners, taking their weapons and pretending they would shoot them. He endured harsh Korean winters so cold that he saw birds’ wings freeze in the air. After the armistice, he was released and returned home weighing only ninety-seven pounds. He struggled with PTSD but chose to share his experiences so others would remember the Korean War and honor those who served.
Video Clips
Captured by the Chinese
Lawrence Shadler describes the night he and sixty eight other men were captured by the Chinese when his troop ran out of ammunition. He recalls how the Dutch had pulled out and left a two and half mile gap in the lines. He remembers being on guard shortly after midnight when they were hit by more than twenty-five thousand Chinese troops.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ6DPXfJ51s&start=270&end=487
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/larry-shadler#clip-1
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In Line Waiting to Die
Lawrence Shadler shares how the Chinese lined up captured American soldiers for execution, and he was third in line. He remembers the uncertainty, not knowing if it was a threat or would actually happen. He also notes that about three hundred American soldiers were marched north to a POW camp.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ6DPXfJ51s&start=492&end=591
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/larry-shadler#clip-2
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A Prisoner's Winter
Lawrence Shadler remembers the winters he spent in a Chinese POW camp. He talks about being given a piece of steamed bread that was plain but filling. He also describes how the stove’s flue ran under the building, warming the floor and how the cold was so intense that he saw birds’ wings freeze in midair.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ6DPXfJ51s&start=720&end=833
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/larry-shadler#clip-3
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Prisoner Release
Lawrence Shadler describes his release just north of the 38th Parallel. He recalls for every one hundred American solidiers released, five hundred enemy prisoners were also repatriated. He remembers how they were taken on trucks to a white stone path and were not officially released until stepping onto those stones.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ6DPXfJ51s&start=1147&end=1226
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/larry-shadler#clip-4
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