THIS PAGE IS JUST A SHORT PAGE
TO LET YOU KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT MYSELF. A LEAST ABOUT MY
MILITARY CAREER ANYHOW. TO BEGIN WITH I WAS IN THE
NATIONAL GUARD WHEN THE WAR BROKE OUT IN KOREA. I WAS A
RADIO LINEMAN WITH HQ COMPANY, 109TH REGT, 28th INF. DIV.
PENNSYLVANIA NATIONAL GUARD. THE DIVISION WAS ACTIVATED IN
SEPT. 50. I WENT WITH THEM TO CAMP ATTERBURY, INDIANA. IN
DEC.50 THEY RECEIVED THEIR ORDERS TO MOVE TO GERMANY. AT
THAT TIME THEY FOUND OUT THAT I WAS ONLY 15 YEARS OLD AND
I WAS DISCHARGED.
WHEN I TURNED 17 IN MARCH OF 52 I
JOINED THE REGULAR ARMY. I WAS SENT TO FT.KNOX, KENTUCKY
FOR BASIC TRAINING. AFTER BASIC I WENT TO CAMP
BRECKINRIDGE, KENTUCKY FOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL. FROM THERE I
SHIPPED OUT TO KOREA. I ARRIVED IN KOREA IN THE EARLY
SPRING OF 53. WAS ASSIGNED TO "C"COMPANY, 224th REGT, 40TH
INF.DIV. WHEN THE WAR ENDED WE WERE ON SANDBAG CASTLE. WE
PULLED BACK TO HEARTBREAK RIDGE AND SET UP POSITIONS. WE
WERE IN KUMWHA VALLEY AND CHORWON FOR AWHILE.
WHEN THE DIVISION MOVED BACK TO THE STATES I WENT TO
FINISH MY TOUR AS A FIRST SGT. WITH "A' Co. 35TH REGT.25th
INF. DIV. WHEN I CAME BACK TO THE STATES I WENT TO
FT.LEONARD WOOD, MO. I LEFT THE ARMY IN SEPT 55. IN JAN 56
I JOINED THE AIR FORCE. MOSTLY TO RECEIVE A EDUCATION AND
MAKE A CAREER FOR MYSELF.(When I was in the ARMY I was
trained to be a killer. I found out that there was no call
for trained killers in civilian life.)(Humor?). I SERVED
THE NEXT 17 YEARS IN THE AIR FORCE-SERVED ALL OVER THE
WORLD AND RETIRED IN NOV. 72. WORKED FOR STATE OF
PENNSYLVANIA, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AS A EQUIPMENT
MANAGER. NOW RETIRED FROM THAT POSITION ALSO.
WELL THAT JUST ABOUT SUMS UP MY WORKING CAREER. NOW I WILL
SIT IN THE FRONT YARD AND WATCH THE GRASS GROW.
LIKE THE OLD SAYING GOES: I WOULD NOT TAKE A MILLION
DOLLARS FOR MY EXPERIENCE OVER THOSE YEARS. BUT I WOULD
NOT GIVE A DIME TO LIVE THEM OVER
AGAIN.
THIS PICTURE WAS
TAKEN WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED AT FT.KNOX, KY. TO
START BASIC TRAINING. DAMM, THAT WAS A LONG TIME
AGO.
DO YOU PEOPLE
REMEMBER THE BREAK FROM THE MLR THAT WAS REFERRED TO AS
THE MINI-R & R? THATS WHAT I WAS ON. GETTING DRUNK WITH
3.2 BEER, BEING SICK FOR THE TWO DAYS. THEN GOING BACK TO
THE OUTFIT AND TELLING THEM I HAD A GOOD TIME. AS YOU CAN
TELL I JUST MADE PFC AT THAT TIME. THOSE WERE THE
DAYS.
THESE TWO DESPERADOES
ARE NAMELESS. I CAN NOT REMEMBER THEIR NAMES. THIS PHOTO
WAS TAKEN JUST BEFORE THE
CEASEFIRE.
THIS IS A PICTURE OF ME AT THE TENDER AGE OF 18.
THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN THE KUMWHA VALLEY AREA IN THE
FALL OF 53. OH, TO BE YOUNG AND CARE FREE
AGAIN.
THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE WAR
ENDED. IT WAS UP AROUND HEARTBREAK RIDGE. A FEW OF YOU
PEOPLE OUGHT TO REMEMBER THE 357 RECOILESS THAT WE USED
BACK THEN.
THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN ON THE
MORNING OF 28 JULY 53. WE WERE MOVING BACK OFF THE MLR AS
PER THE TRUCE AGREEMENT. THE PERSON IN THE MIDDLE WAS THE
PLATOON LEADER. HE CLIMBED ON TOP OF THE BUNKER TO TAKE
OLD GLORY DOWN. THE FLAG SEEN BETTER DAYS. IT WAS FULL OF
HOLES AND HELD TOGETHER WITH SOME TYPE OF CHICKEN WIRE OR
COMMO WIRE. THE NORTH KOREANS AND THE CHINESE ALWAYS SHOT
AT THE FLAG WHEN THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE AROUND.
THIS PICTURE WAS
TAKEN THE DAY AFTER THE CEASEFIRE. WE JUST GOT
OFF THE TRUCKS AND WERE WALKING TO OUR NEW
POSITIONS ON HEARTBREAK RIDGE. DON'T THEY LOOK
LIKE A VERY ATTENTIVE GROUP?
THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN ON THE DAY
THAT I WAS SHIPPING OUT. BACK TO THE LAND OF THE BIG PX.
THAT SMILE REFLECTED MY INNER FEELING KNOWING THAT I WAS
FINALLY GOING HOME AND LEAVING KOREA
WHEN WE PULLED BACK FROM HEARTBREAK
RIDGE WE WENT TO KUMWHA VALLEY. WE HAD TO GET RID OF A LOT
OF STUFF, SO IT WAS BURIED. THE KOREANS COULD NOT
UNDERSTAND THE WASTE, SO THEY LIBERATED THE THINGS WE
BURIED.
THIS IS OUR CP AND MESSING AREA
WHEN WE PULLED BACK TO KUMWHA VALLEY. FROM LOOKING AT IT I
CAN NOT REMEMBER WHICH WAY WAS NORTH. BUT WE DID NOT STAY
HERE LONG.
