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| My Link and Saga to the Men of Company M will be discribed in this section.... Documents displayed are for verification of date shown only along with promothion order listing three of my friends I am trying to link up with. Picture displayed is for identification only. I WAS NOT a Veteran of the Korean War. My enlistment contract in the U.S. Army, June 26, 1947, was for three years Regular Army with a PFC stripe after basic training, assignment to the Core of Engineers and four years of college after discharge. (No problem, Army guarantee) The stripe came with assignment to the Engineers waiting at Camp Stoneman along with a quarantine off and on of the mumps. With a Death in the family, Assignment to Schofield Barracks as my destination would wait, as an extra week of time at home was approved and I would not see the U.S. again until 1950. (No problem, Army guarantee, with approval, 30 days furlough per year) You know the story, try and get it) Upon return my slot filled by another and reassigned for replacement dutu. On a luxury liner called Gen. Brewster, along with 3000 other military personnel, we docked at Okinawa and we all had our look at the Horror's of war and after effects that ravaged this land. Deployment of troops left around 600 men to continue on to Inchon, Korea, (quarantined again) in Seoul, snow up to our shoulders in the middle of January and guard duty for the 7th Division, 32th Regiment and still no home or pay records. (No problem, Army guarantee, money in your pocket and a great place to live) Thanks to the Red Cross I had Ten Dollars in four months. (Please Support the Red Cross) Another repledepo at Tegu and finally nine months after enlistment, my outfit The Sixth Division MP Platoon in Pusan, Korea. (Beautiful Monsoon weather prevailed) Train guard duty and jeep patrol driver allowed a view of this forgotten land that I have forever carried in my mind. What they called home we knew as hen houses in a chicken yard. After a night of patrol and a cook smoking a pipe and blowing ashes in my egges, I told the mess Sgt. at the line end I could do better then the cook. (No Problem) would you like a job? After no duty for two days I was assigned to the mess Sgt. who said you are the baker. I had never baked a cake in my life! (No problem, here is the book) Alerted that in a short time we would leave Korea for Japan in 1948 and split up into the two divisions there, morale was up. We had Thanksgiving dinner with Christmas dinner a week early and a boat ride to Japan. A second Christmas dinner with a welcome to Kokura, Kyusha, Japan, Home of the 24th Infantry Division Headquarters and future home for some of us. Assignment to Dog Company 21st Infantry Kumamoto, Kyushu the southern tip of Japan in January 1949 meant new friends, new environment, new duty and a tour of duty 30 months up from 18, (Six months added time over seas, (No Problem, 30 days vacation in Japan, Try and get it!) Approximately six months later the fun loving MP boys of Dog Company would become the Heavy Weapons Company at Camp Wood and move from the cozy downtown surroundings in Kumamoto. My retun to Camp Wood from cooks school in December 1949, where General Dean had spoken to the group about the increased activity of communism and the values of life in a democratic nation before he presented us with our Cook's certificate. (There is a special place in my heart for the General and also General Ward, who's quarters I patrolled with the help of a guard dog in Korea) left two months before rotation March 2, 1950. (No Problem, two months vacation in Tokyo try and get it) The Army discharged me on March 2, 1950 with over two months paid leave and the option to join the reserves within 90 days if I wanted to retain my newly awarded stripes. I joined the reserves and my unit was never activated except for yearly training requirements. I was discharged from the reserves in 1953, with a medical explanation, Heart Murmur. Ralph aka "Mac" |
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