Short Stories of a Lifetime

BACK to the BRONX I was attending New York University (Downtown Campus), belonging to Air Force R.O.T.C. (Reserve Officers Training Corp) the program teachers college graduates to train to become future officers in the military. Halfway through my second semester I was attending a training class when a Captain in the Air Force was giving a lecture, at the same time he was really giving me a hard time. This was going on ever since I started the class. It was getting to me, but today I lost my composure having a confrontation with the Captain. The Captain pressed charges with the court giving me an option, serve time or enlist in the service … I took the latter. The following week I am reporting for induction … going to be stationed at Ft. Dix, New Jersey for my eight weeks of Basic Training, after completion of the eight weeks I received leave. Going back home to the Bronx. The leave ended my new orders were for me to report back to Ft. Dix starting another eight weeks of Advanced Infantry Training. Nearing the conclusion of my eight weeks, Rumor was spreading that the whole squadron was going to be shipped to Korea. There is an old adage in the service “do not volunteer for anything” So I volunteered for Leadership school in order not to get shipped off to Korea. In the interim my squadron gets orders to be assigned around the New York State area (Ft.Wadsworth, Ft. Hamilton and Ft. Drum) WOW!!!. I report … assigned to a new basic training company, again at Ft. Dix as a temporary cadre sergeant. The NCO was a staff sergeant in charge of the whole platoon with me being his assistant. The 16 weeks of basic training are complete, orders get issued, it turns out the entire squadron is being shipped to Korea. Had to volunteer! We were sent to Ft. Lewis, Washington for debarkation to Korea aboard a USS General ship. Landing in Inchon, Korea in June of ’54 (the war had ended in July of ’53). We were loaded unto 2 1/2 ton trucks, shipped to general quarters. We had to report to C/A (Classification & Assignments) the whole squadron was assigned to the 3rd Army Infantry Division. It was my turn to approach the sergeant who was handing out the new orders … Seeing that I had gone to Leadership School, he asked me what I would I like to do … I had no idea! So he said I am going to assign you to a company called Civil Affairs which was attached to the 3rd Division MP’s. They only have 11 men in the company, two are medical personnel a Dr. who is a Captain and a corpsman. It is run by a 1st Lieutenant … Sounded great! The only problem was that it was in the Chorwon Valley above the 38th parallel technically in North Korea. Arrived at Civil Affairs (It was located right next to the 3rd Division MP stockade). Reported to the commanding officer, was issued the 3rd division patch, collar insignias with cross pistols (signifying Military Police) a carbine and a side arm. We had three squad tents which slept four, we had to sleep on cots with air mattresses. The good part was that we got to eat at The MP cafeteria. We had real milk, fresh eggs and fruit … The 3rd division MP’s made a deal with quartermaster not to write them up in order to be granted fresh rations. We too had stockades it was set in the back of our compound comprising of two squad tents (enclosed in wire) In front of the fence was a four foot wide walk way going around the squad tents was another wired fence in front of the walkway. We also had a fence around our entire perimeter. The reason for the two stockade tents, was to round up the prostitutes by raiding small villages. We traveled on our patrols with another squad member, a Korean entrepreneur and a Korean Policeman. After arresting the women we would take them back to the first squad tent in which they were tested by the medical team for venereal disease (at least 95% had some form) The corpsman would then give them one shot a day for a week of penicillin, after being tested negative they would be switched to the second squad tent. After we had about a dozen women we would truck them down to Seoul handing them over to the Korean Police. There were times we would apprehend the same women multiple times. We also went out on patrol trying to round up slicky slicky boys who were armed gangs that were ravishing there war torn country, trying to steal whatever they can. When we were not on patrol our other function was to stand guard duty at two separate locations, one was the overall perimeter of our compound the other location was in between the wire fences (the walkway) of the two squad tents. This one night Bob was stationed at the walkway by the squad tents his carbine at his side, while the rest of the company was sleeping (with our carbines at our bed) there was multiple gun shots. We all jumped out of our beds grabbing our carbines, rushing outside into the night not knowing what we were going to face … As it turned out one of the slicky slicky boys was escaping, as he was going over the second fence Bob opened fire with his carbine not realizing that he had his weapon on automatic fire, unloading the complete banana clip in seconds missing the escaped prisoner. The commanding officer then put out a search party but to avail. Needless to say our commanding officer was really upset … … The following days we continued to do our job like nothing had transpired. Until about a month later when I was on guard duty taking care of the exterior perimeter of our compound. A group of slicky, slicky boys were trying to break into the compound wanting to release one of their leaders who we had in our second squad tent being ready for transferring over to the Korean Police in Seoul. On the far side of the compound away from the MP stockade was a gully about 60 yards from our rear fence which sloped down about three feet and gradually rose up … That is where I saw movement which I called halt both in English and Korean (Learning a little Korean from our interpreter). They did not comply so I fired off two rounds at the spot where I thought I had last seen them. With this mayhem breaks out as everyone again is outside weapons ready, We send out a patrol to the area in which I had seen the slicky, slicky boys but no luck, coming up empty. The commanding officer is beside himself so at 2:00 am he has us lined up giving us a chewing out, his last statement was that everyone was going to re-qualify using the carbine. Well it could have been worse. Like canceling our future leave that was going to take place in two weeks, we were going to Japan for R&R (Rest and Recuperation) (but really it was I&I). Three days later the MP’s pulled into our compound delivering a wounded slicky slicky boy with his arm bandaged, stating they had picked him up three nights ago about two miles from our compound. He was treated and handed over to the MP’s who in turn was turning him over to us to deal with. After further questioning from our entrepreneur, finding out he was one member of the gang that had tried to free our prisoner. With that knowledge I asked the commanding officer since I did shoot him can we call off the re-qualifying He snapped back certainly not! So off to qualifying we all passed with Bob barely making it. It was time to go on R&R as Bob and I went to Osaka, Japan having a great time, I meeting a Eurasian gal having a wild seven days, before you know it is back to Korea and Civil Affairs. The months roll by, it is the middle of December orders came in stating that the colors of the 3rd division are being transferring back to the states. That means we will be getting new orders … Now what? Back to C&A, this time they transfer me to the 185th Military Police Division to be stationed in Taegu, Korea. My new job is to protect the Neutral Nations Investigation Team when they travel throughout Korea, inspecting K bases. Making sure that no one was stock piling any extra war supplies.