Had Lunch with a Korea Vet

[Wolfdog91]

My friend lost her dad earlier this year and it's been kind rough so we decided to have lunch with her grandad for father's day.but I had something special for him.
The family game me all her dad's reloading and gun stuff including alot of books ( apparently he wanted me to have them) and while going though then I found this book.
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It was basically a year book. We got the same deal in basic training but in a dvd. Actually found he granddad's certificate of completion for BCT. Cleaned it up and talked it over with her and she thought it would be a good idea for me to give it to him. Apparently he never really talked about his time in service till I started hanging around when we dated so she thought it would be best.

Honestly was pretty nervous giving it to him but the old guy lit up like a Christmas tree when I pulled it out.
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He said he hand seen it for a long time and thought it was lost. He started flipping though each page pointing people out talking about this and that. Finally he mentioned he had three bronze stars, which shocked the both of us , especially her, because again he never really talked about this stuff. Asked if we'd like to see his medal and he proceed to almost run to go get them. He's 92 and she said that about the fastest she's ever seen hime move lol.
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Apparently the look on our faces was something halarious because he just stared laughing and asked if we wanted to see more. He proceeded to start pull out some of the best pictures I'd ever seen that he took himself with this little camera
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And I mean these where some amazing pictures. But I'll tell you the crazy thing was even though our service dates where some 70 odd years apart it was like I was talking to anyone I'd be in with two years ago. Of course there where differences in this and that but generally it was the same banter ,same type of stories, same things that irritated us, just two enlisted guys talking about the army
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He loved comparing stuff too lol. Would say something like
" They gave us 15rd for that M1 carbine and that's it what about y'all ?"
"Well one 30rd mag in our M4's and seven on our vests for a full load out so like 210 total per person "
" Holy hell ! One of you boys coulda probably held that whole line when them Koreans can running down haha !"

The I was showing him stuff like the Javalin and pladins systems on YouTube and he really enjoyed that. Actually I have a M1 Carbine I'm reworking im going to bring it to him when. I'm done, he really loved talking about how he like the m1's so reckon that would make him happy. Anyway I asked if it would be ok post these pictures and he said he'd love it if I did. So

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[Wolfdog91]

And a few more
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[owejia]

Well done young man!!!

[FISH4BUGS]

I am having a similar experience with my Dad's WW2 stuff. My late mother, who just passed away at 95, saved all my Dad's stuff over the years.
Sugamo prison items, Japanese War crimes Trials stuff, Tojo's arrest record, manuscripts, photos, autographs, tons of stuff.
I am having a great time reviewing all of it. The will directed me to catalog it all and sell it.
It does bring back some memories of when I was a kid. Photos of Germany and Japan, and all over the pacific.
I can imagine the vet's joy at seeing all those people again.

[derek45]

Excellent post

:drinks:

[quack1]

Interesting pictures. The picture of the two guys holding shotguns, the one on the left looks to be a Browning A-5 or Remington model 11, and the other a Winchester model 12.

[pworley1]

Our church family lost its last WWII veteran ,Troy Cox, last year. We only have a few Korean Veterans left. They have a lot of history in their heads that most have never shared with anybody. We were grateful that Troy shared his story in a book. An Infantryman's Memories Of WWII Troy D Cox Author/Soldier. It is out of print but they are usually on ebay if you want to read it. Thanks for your post.

[bedbugbilly]

You have a good heart as does your gal Wolfdog and you obviously made his day . . . cultivate that relationship as much as you can . . . . you two may be a couple of generations apart but you have so much in common. What you two can share with each other . . . stories, laughs, but most of all a caring friendship and him just knowing that someone "cares" is priceless and you both come out winners. Thanks for the post, very special!

[sharps4590]

Good on you!

It's like looking at my Dad's pictures. He went in at Pusan in July or August of 1950 and was there for 16 months. In his 80's he would talk a little about it though he was never bashful when it came to talking about his M-2.

When I got my M-1 I took it to show Dad. He knew it wasn't an M-2 but as he was turning it over slowly in his hands his eyes got a far away look and he said, "I burned up one of these in Korea." I knew that story and just let it lie.

[Thumbcocker]

You done good Wolfdog. Good karma will flow from your actions.

[fivegunner]

Thank you for posting this , It made my Day!!

[shdwlkr]

Seems so few other than other veterans or family members that remember what it means to be free. Today so many young people don't want to know anything about WWII, Korea, Vietnam or any of the newer military events. Thanks for posting and get that M1 done so that Korean Veteran can have it.

[Three44s]

Wow! Good on you!!

Well done!

Three44s

[MrWolf]

Thanks for posting that. I really liked it.

[WardT]

Well done !!
Thank you for sharing.

[sparky45]

You've outdone yourself this time Wolfdog; amazing story and fantastic pics.
Quite eloquent I must say. Evoking commentary. Must read for all on this forum.

[nicholst55]

Good on ya, Wolfdog! I recently retired from the Army (for the second time - this time as a DA civilian), and I've spent a lot of time in Korea (13+ years). The older Korean civilians still remember the US and other UN forces, and still respect them for what they did back then. I left Korea last November, probably for the last time. I always enjoyed visiting old battlefields and museums, and talking to Korean War vets whenever possible. My last assignment was at Camp Carroll, just a mile or so from the site of the Hill 303 Massacre.

[Murphy]

I've seen a lot of good things on this forum. This post ranks with the best of them!

Murphy

[WRideout]

My old scoutmaster was a Korea vet. The leader who taught the Explorer post I belonged to lost his eyesight to a Chinese grenade in Korea. He was proficient in Morse code, and helped us all get our amateur radio licenses. There has been some discussion about whether Korea was officially a war (it was never declared by congress) but the guys on the front lines always knew that it was.

Thanks, Wolfdog.

Wayne

[wv109323]

Great post, i have relatives that was at Pearl Harbor, China and Germany that I wish I could go back and talk to.

[elmacgyver0]

Thanks Wolfdog, I always enjoy your posts, this one especially.

[slim1836]

Thanks for sharing, brought back memories of my dad serving in Germany and Vietnam. He did 3 tours in Germany and one in Nam where he left on a stretcher. He lost his battle to agent orange in '06. While doing mop up operations in Germany at the end of WWII he took hundreds of pics of the devastation which he never printed but I kept all the negatives. Some of them were risque, the frauleins had to make a living some way. Miss him greatly, he could do about anything.

Slim

[jim 44-40]

If you get a chance, ask him if he knew Jimmie D Hager. That is my Dad from Pennsylvania.

[dverna]

You are a good man.

My FIL served in Korea. He his gone.

He would never talk about it. Saw and likely did some serious stuff.

We were watching a war movie one night about Korea. He loved ice cream and I had gotten him a big bowl. For some reason I glanced over at him about 10 minutes after getting his treat and he was sitting there with tears streaming from his eyes....bowl cradled in his hands and untouched. Asked him if I should turn it off. He just nodded no. I didn’t say a word until I went to bed and said good night.

He was a good man and second father to me. He is turning over in his grave with how the family has gone woke and what has become of the country he served.

Wolf...thanks for posting. Glad you made the old soldier smile.

[xs11jack]

Bless you Sir, for sharing that with all of us. The stories and pictures are priceless.
Ole Jack

[tommag]

I don't need a like button, I need a LOVE button.

[Nazgul]

Very good stuff here.

Wife and I spent a few days at Gettysburg a couple years ago. We were on Cemetery Hill walking around and I noticed a small older man near us. We both had Marine hats on, so I wandered over to talk to him. His name was Arthur, a farmer from Ohio and he was at Chosin Reservoir in Korea. Talked to him a long time and ran in to him twice the next day. Same deal, we both remembered our rifle serial numbers, same BS stories and jokes, laughed a lot at our misbehavior.

I am a Viet Nam era vet, never got there, they stuck me on a ship.

My wife was watching and smiling. She said "Whenever you meet another Marine you both stand up about 2" taller and smile. Then the stories start". Think of him often, it was a nice encounter.

The respect you have for each other is immediate. All the shared experiences make us brothers.

Don

[Shawlerbrook]

Fantastic !!! It does my heart good to see the younger generation appreciate and honor their elders, especially veterans. Good on you Wolf. Good karma heading your way.

[Land Owner]

My FIL, who I see daily, is a Korea Vet - an Army Medic. At 91 years young, he is VERY spry and fit. He will NOT eat at a restaurant, diner, or anywhere but his own home (and his daughter's home [mine] on rare occasion), to this day. His lineage has each lived, in excellent health, past 100 years.

I will share this thread with him in the hopes he remembers the good. I KNOW he saw MOST of the bad.

If there is any way to identify those men in the pictures, they too, or their families and friends, would benefit greatly. I was Ship's Photographer as a collateral duty for which I volunteered in the USCG. ID'ing shipmates and sharing photographs has been extremely pleasing for me and the men and families with whom I served. Were it not for them, I would have significantly fewer memories.

[ebb]

You done good, don't stop, keep it up.

[farmbif]

this just all makes me very sad because it makes me think about my dad who was a Korea vet, not combat, he was army mechanic who kept the trucks running over there. I miss him every day and he passed away back in 1992. I remember when I was a kid going though his foot locker and seeing all the pictures and stuff he kept.

[Fzr1000]

Thanks for sharing, brought back memories of my dad serving in Germany and Vietnam. He did 3 tours in Germany and one in Nam where he left on a stretcher. He lost his battle to agent orange in '06. While doing mop up operations in Germany at the end of WWII he took hundreds of pics of the devastation which he never printed but I kept all the negatives. Some of them were risque, the frauleins had to make a living some way. Miss him greatly, he could do about anything.

Slim

Your quote brought back my memories to my granddad, he died in the year 2000.
He often told me his storys from the French channel coast, there he and his comrades had a great time.
Got wine from the French people, drinking and eating with them and a lot fun with the French girls.
Maybe the same story like the American vets later had in Germany with the „Frauleins“.
He told that they never had any problems with the people there, not like later told in tv and in school.

But, and that’s the truth, I was a little boy, and he only told the nice parts of his service time.
The heavy parts, especially from the eastern campaign, he hold inside mostly because it’s really unbelievable how hard they fought and which inhumane things happened.