"Soldiers of Today and Yesterday"
" Honor,Dignity & Hope "

Why I dislike 2nd lieutenants

2nd lieutenants"

Having been a soldier for many moons, and have gone thru basic training and the like. At a "SPECIAL FORCES TRAING CAMP"

The day had finally come,” WE JUMP.” out of the plane. Of course it was not of a C.130, but of the famous Dacota's, the light came on and we stood in line"STICK"they called it, you was also connected to a line.” STATIC LINE” So you jump out on command, the chute pops open "THANK GOD" and slowly on you went down.

But that is not what I 'm talking about.

I went as an volunteer to the Korean war, the Nation that I belong to, did not send "DRAFTEES” to war, so the "BATALION" 800 man

All were volunteers.

Arriving in POESAN, we went to a camp, and had to learn the US weaponry’s we went to the shooting range, to practice the all to new weapons to us, I had an M1 Garrand nice weapon and easy to load.

When I started shooting, well, the rifle was light a machine gun, and smoking that it did.8 bullets came flying out the barrel, and the clip came flying out the weapon.

What happen was, the barrel was still loaded with Cosmo line and why it fired so rapidly, no one know, because they gave me another one.

But we had not long to wait, the day was coming and we went into action, we had all new stuff, we marched down the road, after a while

My feet were hurting me, so I took my boots off, and yes I had blisters on both my feet, well I did curse the ones that gave me those boots

Why could I not keep my own boots, so the rest of the way I walked on my socks?

Anyway, we went thru some battles, lost a few friends, our first casualties.

To make the story short: One day we where at rest, and another unit replace us from our position, that lucky for us, we were not far from A US army outfit. Of course we were snooped around, and lo and behold it was chow time. So my friends and I took the opportunity to stand in line with the yanks. Man was that chow good, Better than the C-RATIONS that we had. I think it was from ww2, but not bad if your hungry.

Any way, I was promoted to sergeant and squad leader, I was a corporaal1 when I went to Korea.

The battles were hard fought we did have some victories but we were also hammered, by the N.Korean and Chinese.

During our rest period I was dealing and wheeling whit a quarter master, give him some of our fames liquor and he gave me a,

Jungle carabine, with all the bullets and banana clips 4 of them.

Now here is the part that my platoon officer and me had a disagreement on. Officers carry a .45 caliber pistol and a jungle carbine.

One day my squad and another and the platoon 2nd lieutenant, we are going on patrol, but at assembly to instruct us as to what we are going to do, he noticed me carrying the same weapon as he has. He asks me, is that weapon issued to you. I said no. So he replied to get my M1.so I did but kept the other too.

He got upset and start chewing my but out. I told him Luitenant, we are fishing a war here, and you make a big stink about me carrying

A carabine. He said I would see you when we get back. I said to hammock.

It was dark that night, no moon, no stars, just pitch dark, we are walking on the dike of a dried out river bank and passed a lone three

It seems like we were walking for hrs, crossing the river many times. Before we went he instructed us about the river bed, we walked first on the right side, and heading back we suppose to be on the left bank.

So we started back having seen nothing and no engagement with the enemy, on our way back we were walking still on the right bank.

So I told him we are on the wrong side, he grunted and told me to keep on going.

My squad was up front, and the point man stopped, called me and pointed to the lone tree, it was down. I instructed my man, go down in the riverbed, were going to be ambushed called the lieutenant and told him we are getting ambussed. He said how do I know.

So I explained to him about the tree. No sooner had I said that, all hell broke loose, we got fire from every direction. Of course we were lower down, but the bullets we singing above our heads. I fired back, we all did. I saw two people running to another position. In the banana clips that I have every two bullets was a traiser, when I saw those two running I fired in front of them instead of directly at them. Got them both.

In the consternation, I don't really how it happen we lost site of the other squad and the luitenant. The fire exchange started to dwindle down and we made our way, ducking and crawling out of the area, still no sight or sound from the other squad.

Back at the lines, still kind of dark, the platoon officer was waiting for us, I guess he high tailed out of there darn quick. But we could not because one of my men was hit with shrapnel from a handgranate. So we had to drag him and carry him soon it was safe to do so.

So any way we had a talk, he was kind of nasty, pulling rank I guess, when he was finished, I ask him if I could say a word of two.

I said to him, "luitenant with due respect of your rank, one thing I like you to know, what I think."

"We are in a war, and you completely ignore the advice from this sergeant, that had more combat experience than you do, you might

Have in a classroom setting, but here is the real world, and it is ugly, don’t act like your almighty GOD, it may cost you your life and GOD will not be there to save you.” We have a wounded man, my squad is one short, who will replace him until he comes back from the hospital."

He looked at me, and said,” Thank you sergeant. You may go now."

I was wounded a couple of times not serious, only ones I spend 3 weeks in a hospital in Tai Gu. Could not see, was hit is my face by shrapnel.

The Korean war was Ugly, the winters were hars, especialy on the tjots"mountains, you have to on patrol in blinding snowstorms, can hardly see the man in front of you, cold feet almost frozen, no fire in your foxhole, take turns sleeping if you can at all.

But we had some good times too, like going to the yanks kitchen for breakfast, lunch and dinner, wow that was good food compared to our kitchen, and with THANKS-GIVING, a half of a turkey with sweet taters and gravy and what not. I t was to us like going to a restaurant

But time for me to bail out, one year Korea was enough, at times in my sleep, I still can hear the LONG-TOM howitzer projectile

Flying overhead. The friendly fire that we at times got from the highflying SHOOTING STARS. That noose dived into our positions, the release of the napalm bomb, that lucky for us landed well behind our lines. The night attacks from the enemy with their brubguns, gives an eerie sound. The last position that we had before going home was in front of "OLD BALDY."

Well here is my story, I’m very proud to have served side by side with the brave soldiers of "Of the SECOND DIVISION of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" And I "HONOR," those brave man that had fought a loosing war in" VIET-NAM, IRAQ, AfGANISTAN.

I SALUTE YOUR ALL DEAR BROTHERS!!!!!!