Vote! Vote! Vote! - Korean War Veterans Association

BUSINESS
10
The good news is that sometimes there
is a happy ending and here it is:
Dear Mr. Cohee,
It has been quite awhile since we have
been in touch, but after all these months I
finally did locate someone who knew Jim
and was able to find a picture of him.
Mr. Wilbert Walker was friends with Jim
when they were in the barracks together in
Camp Hakata, Japan. Mr. Walker couldn’t
find a picture of Jim in his own collection,
but he got in touch with another Korean War
James “Jim” Paul Dart
vet who has a collection of pictures.
Together they were able to find this photo of
Jim.
My sister-in-law was so happy to receive
this picture and to finally know what her
father looked like and also to find someone
who actually knew him.
Thank you again for your help.
Ginny Sanders
As I have mentioned many times previously
my job as Secretary is not easy
and sometimes very frustrating. But, once
in a while something happens to make it
all worthwhile. Following is one of those
occasions.
Dear Mr. Cohee,
My name is Elizabeth Foss. My uncle
was Max L. Myers. He was killed in Korea
on September 20, 1952. His family received
a letter from his platoon sergeant in April,
1953, giving some details of his death. The
envelope bears the following return address:
Sgt Richard F. Carvell RA 15 288 8122305-
1, Army Instructor Group W, VA Military
District So Charleston, W VA.
It is becoming increasingly important to
myself and my children to learn more about
what exactly happened. We have a letter
from Max dated September 20, 1952, stating
that he was going in to battle that day to
take back Old Baldy. Yet, when I researched
that battle ground on line, it looks like those
battles ended a few months earlier. If there is
anything you can do to help me find Sgt
Carvell, or to get more information about my
uncle, it would be greatly appreciated.
God Bless
Secretary’s Comments:
Off and on I did some research trying
to find Richard Carvell. Finally, I came
up with a possibility. It was a Richard
Carvell, Col., US Army Retired, in Saint
Albans, WV. I gave him a call and he was
the Richard Carvell that Elizabeth was
looking for.
I spent more then an hour discussing
with him how Max Myers was killed and
Col. Carvell remembered every detail. I
told him he should write a book.
Here is my response to Elizabeth and the
responses from Richard Carvell and
Elizabeth:
Elizabeth:
I was able to locate Richard Carvell and
we had a long conversation. He remembers
your uncle Max Myers very well, including
the day he was killed, and that he was a big
guy who played football for Purdue. Richard
has a good memory about the battle for Old
Baldy. Hopefully, he will tell you all about it.
He promised me that he would call you.
Best regards, Frank Cohee
Here is the response from Richard:
Dear Frank and Elizabeth:
You both made my day. For some time,
I’ve been hoping to make contact with the
family of Max Myers. I recall writing a letter
to them way back in 1953, and I recall
receiving their response. I hope that some
day that I’ll be able to locate it, along with
other notes and papers from Korea.
Max knew of my ambition to remain in
the service and he was encouraging.
Elizabeth, you asked what type of weapon
was Max using in our attack of Old Baldy.
I’m certain that as a Rifle Squad Leader, he
was carrying an M-1 Rifle, with a mixture of
ammunition—armor piercing, ball and tracers,
plus a small pack on his hip that contained
about 6 fragmentation grenades.
He had 10 men in his squad: 7
Americans plus himself and 2 Korean Army
Soldiers (KATUSAs). We had 8 Katusas in
my platoon and 36 Americans, a total of 44
soldiers, including myself, when we were
tasked to recapture Old Baldy on September
20, 1952.
Prior to our return to the line from Koje
Do, where our unit was dispatched to quell
the riots of North Korean and Chinese
Prisoners of War, Max was armed with a
Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). In 1968,
when I was having my furniture being
moved into my quarters at Fort
Leavenworth, KS, to attend the Army
Command and General Staff College, one of
the deliverers of my furniture was PFC
Dillon, another of my squad leaders for the
Old Baldy Operation, and a friend of Max. A
real coincidence. I do not have his address
or phone number.
Another person who should remember
Max is Van Philpott. He was with us in the
3rd Platoon, F Company, 38th Infantry, but
he had rotated home about 3-4 months prior
to our attack on Old Baldy. I spoke to him
about six months ago. He seemed to have
been quite ill. He lives in Decatur, AR. His
phone # is 479-752-3594.
I have fond memories of Max. He was an
outstanding soldier. Blessings!
Dick Carvell, Colonel, USA (Retired)
The response from Elizabeth:
Mr. Cohee,
Thank you so much for your quick
response, and for finding Mr. Carvell for us.
As a matter of fact, I was speaking with him
today when you left your message. It was
so nice to speak to someone who knew Max
and served with him. He gave me a lot of
great information and I have already typed
up a document so this information will not
be lost.
Thank you for all your service to our
country, and to those like me who need to
make contact with those we love. I truly
appreciate your prompt response to my
request.
God Bless, Elizabeth Foss
March – April 2009
The Graybeards