gray06 Nov-Dec 2009_Gray01_Jan-Feb 2005.qxd.qxd - Korean War ...

Captain said he needs the liquor today.”
“I’ll send Miles down with it right after
lunch,” I assured him.
I let Miles know what was going on. He
said he would eat lunch and leave.
“Get another typewriter if you can,” I told
him.
He came back with two.
A few days later I was promoted Private
First Class. In 2-3 weeks I was a Corporal.
This next deal is a whopper!
A big Colonel came into the tent.
“What did I do now?” I asked myself.
He told me he needed a large typewriter
with a long carriage that would accommodate
a form he showed me. It must have been
30 inches wide!
“Wow,” I said.
“Have you ever worked on a typewriter
with a carriage this wide?” he asked.
I told him I had.
“I know you can get me one,” he said.
I justified his faith in me, but I informed
him it would take some time to find one with
a carriage that long. After a little talking, we
settled on three quarts of liquor if I could get
him one that worked.
The next day Miles made a trip back to
the depot with the form the Colonel had left
with us. I told him that if he found a typewriter
that would accommodate that form, he
should bring it—and another one—of the
same make for parts. He did just that,
although the second typewriter had a shorter
carriage.
We started working on the machine that
night. We cleaned it. The next day we oiled
it, checked it, repaired what was wrong, and
finished the job that night. The next day I
tested it again; it worked fine.
We took it where the Colonel told us
where he was located. There was nothing but
a big rise in the ground. But, as we got closer,
we spotted stairs going down to a door.
This place was camouflaged; very hard to
see it. I went down, opened the door, and
walked in.
Just as I got all the way down, the Colonel
was going past, all smiles.
“You have a typewriter?” he asked.
“I do,” I said. “I just wanted to make sure
I was in the right place.”
He summoned the Sergeant and told him,
“Help this man with the typewriter and get
him the three quarts of liquor.”
The Sergeant and I got the typewriter and
set it up. I checked it out and asked that some
one there check it out, too. They got their
form out, put it in the typewriter, set the tab
stops, etc., typed on it, and proclaimed it
ready to use.
“Now we can get our reports out,” they
said happily.
The Sergeant produced the three quarts of
liquor. They thanked us; we thanked them.
Outside, I said, “Another satisfied customer.”
I become a truck driver
Near the end of the 24th Division’s stay in
Korea, my truck driver was transferred. The
First Sergeant asked me if I could drive the
truck. I said I could learn. I got a crash
course. The truck bucked a few times. Some
of the guys watching me laughed and kidded
me.
I said, “If one of you can drive this truck,
you can be my truck driver.”
They all said, “No way.”
I told them they were chicken. “You will
be a couple miles from the front line.”
Anyway I mastered the driving and
became a truck driver, too.
Later, I was called backed to our intermediate
location. My four Korean workers and
I packed up and headed south. The California
40th was relieving us.
Some of the men of the 40th asked our
First Sergeant where the front was. He told
them the only one here who knew was
Harris. He called me in and asked me if I
would show them where it was. I agreed to
do so. My relief and a few others went with
me. When we got in the area, I told my relief
things have changed.
I found a spot to back up and turn around.
As I backed in, we spotted a patrol running
toward us. I told the men in the back of the
truck to lock and load their weapons. The
patrol was upon us in no time. We lucked
out; they were our men.
The Sergeant asked if I would run them
over to where they had to go, as they were
late. We transported them. Just after they
were out of sight around the side of the hill,
shells started coming in.
I hollered, “Take cover and spread out.”
As I was looking toward the open field,
one of our tanks was coming north. The next
thing I saw was something explode under or
near the tank. The hatch opened and the men
were climbing out of the hatch. Shortly after,
things stopped.
A Sergeant came down the hill and asked
who had the truck. I said I did.
“The General thanks you for bringing
over the patrol—and to get the hell out of
here,” he barked.
When we were leaving, we saw the jeep
up on the hill with a star on it. We were headed
south, and we thought it was time to bug
out.
When we got back to our area, we were
relating our experience. The First Sergeant
called me in and asked what happened. I told
him the same story that the 40th men were
telling. I also told him that was my last trip to
the front lines.
“The 40th men know where it is now,” I
told him. “I’m rotating back to Japan with the
rest of you guys.”
When we were packing up to leave for
Japan, the Captain asked me what was in the
small wood box.
“A typewriter, Sir,” I told him. “I thought
we might need one in Japan as you were
leaving this one here.” He chuckled and told
me to move on.
We were in Japan a short time, and the
First Sergeant sent for me. He told me to
pack my gear for a trip north.
“Where am I going?” I asked.
“The Captain, you, and me are going up
north to check out the base up there to see
what it needs,” he announced. “They are
going to open it up, but the Russians have ski
troops out practicing. We need to keep our
eye on them.”
Sure enough, they were out there. I
thought we had snow in the Catskills and
Jamestown N.Y. areas. They had this snow
piled real high!
When we got back to our base, the
Captain called me in and told me I had
missed my boat back to the States, but I
would be on the next one. I should have told
the Captain that I would stay if I got promoted.
That was hindsight.
Richard L. Harris, 5219 Grape Street,
Houston, TX 77096, Cpl, Typewriter Repair,
24th Quartermaster, Korea 1950-52, (713)
664-1872
NOTE: This is an edited version of a story
that appeared in The Taro Leaf, Vol. 62(2),
spring 2008, pp. 24-25.
72
The Graybeards
November – December 2009