Lester Ludwig
Bio
Lester Ludwig was born in Atascosa, Texas, and moved to San Antonio when he was two years old. He married in 1949 and made their home there. By the end of 1952, he was serving in Korea during the Korean War. He spent twenty-one days traveling by ship from San Francisco to Japan, arriving on Christmas Eve to a steak dinner. On New Year’s Day, he landed in Korea and began his service. He remembered seeing widespread destruction across the country. Fortunately, his deployment was mostly safe, with only one fatality in his unit. He returned home on the same ship and was happy to be back, resuming civilian life. He felt deep compassion for the Korean people and appreciated their ongoing kindness toward Korean War veterans.
Video Clips
The One Fatality
Lester Ludwig recalls the one fatality in his unit. He describes how a young man walked over a trip wire and set off a flare when walking through a wooded area, later dying from his injuries. He shares that he later developed big bumps all over his chest, only to discover that he had contracted the measles.
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Complete Destruction
Lester Ludwig shares his memories of Korea as a soldier, especially his time in Seoul. He remembers that he rarely saw signs of civilian life. He expresses a desire to visit Korea again, but health issues have prevented him from going back.
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/lester-ludwig#clip-2
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Arriving and Setting Up Camp
Lester Ludwig recalls arriving in Korea on New Year's Eve in 1952. He describes arriving at Incheon and continuing to just east of the Punchbowl. He explains that his duties included setting up the bivouac, a temporary shelter, which required digging in the frozen ground, and how they shared humor when describing how another soldier built a snow woman.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHLh7DUFLfY&start=100&end=291
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/lester-ludwig#clip-3
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