Korean War Legacy Project

Robert Mount

Bio

Robert Mount was born and raised in Cherry Creek, NY, a small town fifty miles from Buffalo. He quit school in 1948 to enlist in the Army, explaining that there were very few opportunities in this town of just sixty people and no guidance to further his education. After enlisting, he went army engineer school before arriving in Korea on July 23, 1950. While he did not engage the enemy because of his role behind the infantry, he remembers dangerous moments such as witnessing Napalm bombs being dropped on the enemy. He also describes a time when he had to examine a bunch of corpses while defending an area near Daegu. Robert Mount remembers streams of refugees coming south as he headed to Seoul. The war certainly had an impact on Robert Mount, but after seeking treatment he went on to college through the GI Bill and became a successful businessman.

Video Clips

Witnessing Napalm Bombs

Robert Mount describes how he worked in the reserves behind the front lines. He did not engage the enemy, but did get shot at while searching for explosives. He recalls a time when he saw the Air Force drop napalm bombs on the hill, causing the enemy to run out of the bunkers-- it was like a scene from a movie.

Tags: Front lines,Physical destruction

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Inspecting Dead Corpses

After the Inchon invasion, Robert Mount's company headed North to river just beyond Daegu where there was a flat bridge. His platoon leader left Robert Mount and a detail there to defend the bridge. Only eighteen years old, he spotted a dozen apparently dead North Korean soldiers across the bridge and went over to inspect the corpses.

Tags: Daegu,Incheon,Front lines,North Koreans

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North Korean Refugees

On the road to Seoul, Robert Mount describes the devastated landscape and the streams of refugees that he witnessed heading south. He describes how they were carrying as much as they could on their backs, very disheveled and sick-looking. He shows a picture of a refugee in North Korea; he does not remember who took it.

Tags: Daegu,Seoul,Fear,Front lines,Impressions of Korea,Living conditions,Poverty

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Personal Effects of the War

Robert Mount describes the after effects of the war. "It made me a drunk," he said. He describes having combat nightmares frequently, and also being treated for malaria. Eventually, he got treatment at the VA center for about a month. He received guidance there to attend college on the GI bill.

Tags: Fear,G.I. Bill,Personal Loss

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