To me it seems like this is a forgotten war - I never hear anyone mention it. I thought this short article that was on NPR today might be of some interest since I know a few here had relatives with some involvement in the conflict.

https://www.npr.org/2020/12/04/94123...and-evacuation

 

Thanks Dave. I passed this along to my (Korean) wife.

 

I was in Korea over a year while in the army. When I tell younger people that, they say, so you fought in the Korean War? I slap them and then tell them I was only three years old then.

 

I spent a log of time in Korea. Where were you stationed? Ulsan? Busan?

 

I had an uncle who fought in WWI as infantry, switched to the Navy and survived the USS California at Pearl Harbor. HIS uncle perished in Custer's last stand. He was one tough SOB but had a huge heart.

 

An old Marine Pilot sat down at the bar, still wearing his old USMC flight jacket and ordered a cup a draft beer.
As he sat sipping his beer, a young woman sat down next to him. She turned to the pilot and asked,
Are you a real pilot?
He replied, 'Well, I've spent my whole life flying planes, first Stearmans, then the early Grummans... flew a Wildcat and Corsair in WWII, and later in the Korean conflict, Banshees and Cougars. I've taught more than 260 people to fly and given rides to hundreds, so I guess I am a pilot, and you, what are you?

She said, 'I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about naked women... As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about naked women. When I shower, I think about naked women. When I watch TV, I think about naked women. It seems everything makes me think of naked women.'

The two sat sipping in silence.
A little while later, a young man sat down on the other side of the old pilot and asked:
"Are you a real pilot?"

He replied, 'I always thought I was, but I just found out I'm a lesbian.'

 

My father enlisted at 17, and served in Korea during the occupation. Other than a few pins, photos and a footlocker that was his, we don't have much. It wasn't talked about much in the house. Not sure if that would have been different if he served during combat, but we can't ask him anymore. I don't even know where he was stationed. I do know that he was a radio operator and helped in the kitchens (he was brought up in the restaurant industry where his parents always had a restaurant of some sorts in NY). I guess practical experience prepping meals for large numbers was valuable to the camp.

 

I was at the 7th Infantry Division at Camp Casey. About an hour from Seoul. The 7th Medical Battalion, to be exact. Also spent three months with the Army Security Agency up near the DMZ as one of two medics on the base. It’s possible that this camp was Casey and I forgot the name of the main camp. Long time ago.

 

My uncle Jack was a Marine NCO and survived the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. I would lock in on the conversation whenever he and my dad (WWII) were alone and would talk about combat. I remember that my dad was struck by how disciplined the German soldiers were. I remember that Jack said that they could kill Chinese all day long and more would come the following morning. Sometimes they would find pockets of Chinese where a lot of them had just frozen to death. I never got my brain to wrap its arms around why that would happen until much later in life. Jack just died two years ago in the VA hospital in Albuquerque, NM.

 

My dad flew for the USAF in the Korean war. He talked about flying all his life, before he was too gone with Alzheimer's. I wore his jacket and hat trick or treating, twice.