Adolph “Floyd” Ermer: Sweeping for mines in the combat zone
MicheleZander2018-05-08T08:28:42-05:00“The military is all about discipline,” says Floyd. “I was used to it growing up. When my dad said to do something, we knew better than to ask why.
Dr. William E. Fishman: A flight surgeon, never on an airplane before
MicheleZander2018-05-08T08:28:58-05:00As it was growing dark, Whitman was forced to navigate by the full moon as he once again attempted to raise help on the radio. The plane was now running low on fuel, and Whitman’s “Mayday!” transmissions were answered.
Gordon A. Vaundry: Patriotic duty calls sailor to life of care
MicheleZander2018-05-08T08:29:20-05:00“I thought we were going to take part in the invasion of Tokyo,” he says. “Then we got notice we had bombed Nagasaki, and a few days later we heard about Hiroshima.
Kenneth D. Koehler: The service was fun but also very real
MicheleZander2018-05-08T08:34:53-05:00Basic Training was the best thing that ever happened to him in the service. “It wasn’t that I was a wild kid, I just had a lot of wild and goofy things I was doing. The service helped nail me down and straighten me up.”
Ralph W. Mueller: From printing to surgery in one quick enlistment
MicheleZander2018-05-08T08:29:51-05:00Practical nursing duties, like making a hospital bed and caring for patients was also part of his training, as well as general maintenance of a surgical unit. Despite having no medical background, Ralph was enthusiastic about his new assignment and says “when you love something, you can learn anything.”
Robert J. “Bob” Dahms: Surveying, a critical responsibility in combat
MicheleZander2018-05-08T08:30:11-05:00“The winters were very, very cold. Thank God for insulated boots.” Bob and his tent mates took in a young Korean boy who they named “Peanuts.” He would do odd jobs for them and keep their tent clean.
Dale P. Buhl: His voice led to an Armed Forces Network assignment
MicheleZander2018-05-08T08:30:25-05:00Dale went to Nuremberg, Germany with the 371st Armored Infantry Division. His new world of 201 files and Morning Reports did not really satisfy his creative mind. A buddy suggested that, with his voice and experience, Dale should look into the Armed Forces Network (AFN).
Edvins T. Budenieks: It was a long road from Latvia to Incheon
MicheleZander2018-05-08T08:36:44-05:00We kept moving forward, and by June we crossed the 38th parallel. We were attacking all the time, and there was a few close calls.
William T. DeCicco: Trained as an artist and with heavy weapons
MicheleZander2018-05-08T08:30:57-05:00Sergeant DeCicco “distinguished himself . . . serving as a Section Leader in a machine gun platoon, inspired his men through his distinguished leadership and courage while detailed on the outpost line of resistance in support of infantry operations.
John V. Frega: Achieving a goal to become Captain
MicheleZander2018-05-08T08:31:14-05:00John’s ship was on the water during two dangerous hurricanes. The first, Hurricane Hazel, a Category 4, was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of that year.
Donald E. Bennett: “Atomic Annie” was one big gun
MicheleZander2018-05-08T08:31:27-05:00After preparing the weapon to be fired, they were ordered into a trench and told to close their eyes and cover their faces with their forearms ... Even though they had their eyes closed and forearms over them, Don says the blast was so bright that you could see it right through your arm.
Charles A. Griffea: A common cause
MicheleZander2021-01-25T13:29:41-06:00If the dirt roads and mountainous terrain of North Korea weren’t difficult enough for moving men, equipment and supplies in the warm months, when winter set in, they quickly learned that surviving mud, snow, ice and -30 degree temperatures was “the real challenge.”
Edward Kadlec: Paperwork in a war zone
MicheleZander2018-05-08T08:31:50-05:00With only one clip Ed asked “What do I do if I run out of Ammo?” The sarge said “Jump off the train and run like hell!”
Terry S. Hensley: A family of Purple Heart recipients
MicheleZander2018-05-08T08:32:12-05:00Having been raised on a farm taught teamwork from an early age.
John Martin: From gunner to driver
marc.zarefsky2018-04-08T21:49:02-05:00John Martin was a driver for a battalion commander and platoon leader during the Korean War. His brother served in WWII at the Battle of the Bulge.
Eugene Bylina: Diesel locomotive driver
marc.zarefsky2018-04-08T21:31:17-05:00Gene’s job in South Korea was to drive diesel locomotives hauling train cars of ammunition, food, K rations and other supplies. The U.S. Army used the Korean rail system, but the train engines were diesel locomotives brought over from the United States.
William Howland: A World War II POW
marc.zarefsky2018-04-11T22:32:39-05:00Bill Howland was a POW during World War II. He estimates there were approximately 300 POWs in his group. About two weeks before the war ended, Bill escaped in part by hiding in a barn in a pile of hay.
Jerome Adler: Enlisting for a friend
marc.zarefsky2018-04-05T07:26:33-05:00Jerome Adler enlisted in the Army, much to the chagrin of his parents. Jerry remarked that his enlistment was motivated in part by the battlefield death of a childhood friend in Korea during the first year of that war.
Jim Carroll: Suffering hard times
marc.zarefsky2018-04-03T21:40:18-05:00Jim enlisted in September, 1946 with four buddies from his neighborhood gang, the “Parkside Maulers.” They all had the idea of using the GI Bill after their service.
William Adams: Youthful work pays off
marc.zarefsky2018-04-03T10:42:50-05:00When the Marine Corps asked for soldiers to volunteer to fight in Korea, Bill stepped forward. He and approximately 5,000 other Marines boarded a Merchant Marine vessel and headed to Korea.