Leslie Fuhrman
Bio
Leslie Fuhrman was born on July 29, 1928, in Inez, Texas. Following graduation from Patti Welder High School in 1945, he earned an associates degree in mathematics from Victoria Junior. After being drafted into the United States Army in December 1950, he attended basic training and field artillery at Fort Hood, Texas. While at Ft. Hood prior to his deployment to Korea, he completed Officer Candidate School and Anti-Aircraft and Guided Missile School. He arrived in Busan on New Year’s Eve in 1952. During his twelve months in Korea, he was assigned to an Anti-aircraft Operations Unit in Sosa, Korea. Six months after the signing of the armistice, he returned home to start a family. Though his orders were complete, he chose to continue his military service for twenty years in the United States Army Reserves.
Video Clips
Anti-aircraft Operations
Leslie Fuhrman describes the operation and headquarters of the anti-aircraft unit that he commanded near Sosa, Korea. He details the role of the operation officer in identifying MiG aircraft and their movements. He does not recall having to shoot down any enemy aircraft but remembers some instances where the unit was alerted to man battle stations. Bedcheck Charlie was a reason for many of the alerts for soldiers to man their battle stations, and he explains the reason for the nickname.
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Daily Life in Anti-aircraft Operations Unit
Leslie Fuhrman describes the fairly comfortable living conditions. He shares how his living arrangement had heat, cots to sleep on, a mess hall, and house ladies to clean the floors. During his service, he recalls earning two hundred dollars a month as a Second Lieutenant. While he sent most of his pay to an account back home, he remembers keeping some money to spend at a small px, or military exchange, that was a few miles away.
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/leslie-fuhrman#clip-2
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Felt Fortunate to Serve
Leslie Fuhrman comments on feeling fortunate to serve his country from a safe and secure location. He compares his experience with the experiences of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. He identifies the challenging part of his service was marking the time.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3idV5WmBytA&start=1696&end=1766
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/leslie-fuhrman#clip-3
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