Nelson Skinner
Bio
Nelson Skinner of Waterloo, New York enlisted in the military at seventeen-years-old in 1944. After training, he went to the Philippines as part of a surveyor group of the engineer regiment in WWII. When the Korean War broke out he was sent to Busan in August of 1950 as part of the field artillery regiment. He worked with CIC officers from North and South Korea to speak to South Korean troops and civilians. Around Thanksgiving of 1950, he was shot in the leg by a North Korean sniper and was sent back to the US where he became a Chaplin for the US Army. He feels his time working with the military during the Korean War was very rewarding.
Video Clips
Toughest Battle at the Nakdong River
Nelson Skinner describes a fierce battle fought near the Nakdong River. He explains that his mission was to protect his regiment and another one in front of him. He describes the weaponry used during the battle. He goes on to describe being shot in the leg by a sniper and having to go to an overwhelmed MASH unit for medical aid.
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Counter-Intelligence Officers
Nelson Skinner describes his duties as a forward observer and working with two Counter-Intelligence Corps officers from North and South Korea. He explains the CIC officers received one-fourth of a cent a month for pay. He recalls sharing his Coke rations with them and they, in return, gave him their blankets when his sleeping bag was wet. He later realized that that winter was the coldest winter Korea had experienced in many years.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNZ4Eq1Wwu8&start=648&end=822
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/nelson-skinner#clip-2
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Team Work was needed to Fight at the Nakdong River
Nelson Skinner describes being stationed at the front lines at the Nakdong River. He describes their daily routines which entailed eating, working, sleeping (when they could) and firing rounds 50 feet in front of the North Koreans. He goes on to describe the difficulties in maneuvering without any maps and not realizing the men on the next hill were not Allies but North Koreans.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNZ4Eq1Wwu8&start=928&end=1120
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/nelson-skinner#clip-3
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