The Complete Issue - Korean War Veterans Association

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22 Mail Call What was every GI looking for while in Korea? First was a hot meal instead of “C” rations, those wonderful cans of what was left after the guys in the rear took out the good stuff. Every time our mess came up to our battery area to cook something hot for us, the Chinese must have seen the smoke or smelled the food, because we would get shelled every time. The cooks just finally stayed away. Naturally, the next best thing—and what we all hoped for—was mail from home, which was something to take our minds away from the day-to-day drudgery and fear of the unknown. Our Battalion (the 300th Armored Field Artillery) moved frequently, because our 105 Howitzers were mounted on a tank with no top. We could move and set up faster than the split-tailed 105s pulled by a deuce-and-a-half. Because of this frequent movement, our mail had to catch up to us, so sometimes it lagged us by several days. Sometimes we would stay in a place long enough to start building a bunker. Usually, the first thing we did was set up our tank to be ready to fire. Then, we would dig an ammo bunker and individual fox holes. If we were still there when these jobs were done, each gun section would start its own bunker. In March of 1953, our unit was at the point of the Iron Triangle. The Iron Triangle was a bulge in the front line drawn by an imaginary line between Pyongyang, Kumwha, and Kumsong. We didn’t know then, but the cease fire would be coming July 27th. The Chinese wanted the bulge out of the line before the cease fire, so they began their fourth spring and summer offensive. By this stage in the war they knew they could not take South Korea. The next best thing for them was to get this bulge back before they agreed to a cease fire. On one early morning in March, all three of our firing batteries were firing as fast as we could reload. The shell casings were all over the ground around us, making it hard for the man preparing the charges and fuses on the ground to get around. Suddenly, Chinese mortars and artillery began walking in on us. Now, a tank with no top and powder bags all over the place is not a good place to be when you come under a barrage. We were starting to take too many hits. The Battalion Commander called some 155s behind us to start taking over firing on our coordinates and we were ordered to take cover. We all headed for our bunkers none too soon, because we took several hundred incoming rounds in Charlie Battery that day. Our bunker had ammunition boxes filled with dirt for walls. The roof was old logs with sand bags on top. A shell larger than our 105 came through our roof, but did not explode. Some other troops on different places were not as lucky. We were hunched down for hours in this bunker. Some of you know what goes through your mind when you are under hours of heavy shelling, or “incoming mail.” These thoughts of all this in - coming mail made me wonder if I would ever get to read my real mail from my wife. Sometime late that afternoon, the Chinese must have had to restock their ammo, because the in coming almost come to a standstill. I decided I would make a dash to the C.P. to see if any mail had come in the day before. It was about 150 yards. I picked up about four letters (two for me) and headed back to the bunker. Some of our phone lines were blown out, but they told me at the C. P., “Don’t leave your bunker yet.” I was halfway back when we started getting hit again. I ran as fast as I could, taking cover a couple times in the holes on the way back. I reached our bunker and dove head first right through the door - right into the old can we had been using all day for “indoor plumbing.” ABOVE: Artillery firing on morning of July 13 or 14, 1953 LEFT: 105 Howitzer on M-7 Tank BELOW: Artillery moving through Kumwha Valley You know that old question, “Where were you when the stuff hit the fan?” Well, from then on, our guys asked, “Where were you when Henderson hit the can?” So, you all know there was more than one kind of mail in Korea. The mail from home never caught up to the incoming mail, but thank God for the mail from home. Dwight Henderson, 4757 Cactus Wren Court St. Louis, MO 63128-2308, (314) 892-7110 (Charlie Battery, 300th Armored Field Artillery) September-October 2007 The Graybeards
We had to be mountain goats Here are some different views of the Korean War in 1951. The photos are submitted by William Bloss, 3865 Hugh Street, NW, Uniontown, OH 44685. William was a member of the 987th Armored Field Artillery. This is for the Engineers!!! Sgt Millard Shreiner (L), a high school buddy of Bloss, and Sgt Wade Beans (R), Bloss’ gunner on their 105 “Better than a steel pot”…SFC William Bloss takes advantage of wash day Gypsies on the move (notice the mud, which didn’t make the moving easy) We had to be mountain goats to stand. This position was for high angles fire A “rice paddy shower”…even the battalion commander came for a cool shower 23 The Graybeards September-October 2007
Page 2 and 3: The Graybeards is the official publ
Page 4 and 5: 4 September/October 2007 COVER: Off
Page 6 and 7: The Editor’s Desk Art Sharp 6 Let
Page 8 and 9: 8 BUSINESS New Chapter Forming For
Page 10 and 11: 10 BUSINESS CALL FOR ELECTIONS The
Page 12 and 13: BUSINESS Official Membership Applic
Page 14 and 15: 14 Follow-up from Reno By Arthur G.
Page 16 and 17: 16 My Memories of the Korean War By
Page 18 and 19: 18 keep a few to cash later, if nee
Page 20 and 21: s A . r Does Anyone Remember This P
Page 24 and 25: 24 Guest Editorial Is This Cover Up
Page 26 and 27: 26 By William P. McCraney As part o
Page 28 and 29: The 44th Brigade HQ was located nea
Page 30 and 31: 30 Roadblock At Kunuri-Sunchon Pass
Page 32 and 33: Update Tell America 32 24 - CHARLES
Page 34 and 35: A pause is not necessarily a war 34
Page 36 and 37: Chapter News Chapter of the Month 2
Page 38 and 39: Morning prayer at the CID 56 Armist
Page 40 and 41: Flag placers from CID 64 at Pinelaw
Page 42 and 43: 42 Members of CID 142 package “Co
Page 44 and 45: 44 Holton, Mack Dunford, Bill McCoy
Page 46 and 47: Monuments and Medals Korea: the For
Page 48 and 49: At left, Victoria County, TX, Distr
Page 50 and 51: How Many Korean War Veterans Got Ho
Page 52 and 53: Korean War Veterans’ Mini-Reunion
Page 54 and 55: 54 BY D. J. Harrington In the fall
Page 56 and 57: Miracle in Minneapolis There was a
Page 58 and 59: Feedback/Return Fire This section o
Page 60 and 61: 60 1953, also showed that an F-80 c
Page 62 and 63: 62nd Engineers Topo Company Lou Bon
Page 64 and 65: 64 Passing From Memory An Analysis
Page 66 and 67: 66 and wishing her the best, ‘Leo
Page 68 and 69: 68 In a transaction that was to be
Page 70 and 71: 70 February 1952 Franklin Lyon, Rep
Page 72 and 73:
This poem belongs to veterans… Ab
Page 74 and 75:
Recon Missions 74 Henry M. Ferguson
Page 76 and 77:
Hill 180 (Bayonet Hill) A Remembran
Page 78 and 79:
APPLICATION FOR KVA SEOUL REVISIT T
Page 80:
The Korean Tribute at Neillsville,
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The Complete Issue - Korean War Veterans Association

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