gray01 Jan-Feb 2011_Gray01_Jan-Feb 2005.qxd - Korean War ...

Feedback/Return Fire
This section of The Graybeards is designed to provide feedback—and generate more feedback. It gives readers the opportunity to respond
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Code of Conduct follow-up
It has been one year since my article on the Code of Conduct
appeared in the January/February 2010 Graybeards. As a result, I
received 196 requests from the members of the KWVA to
become subscribers to the Code. This, incidentally, is the largest
annual increase of subscribers since the Code was originated in
2006.
I have set as a goal 1,000 subscribers since, at the present
time, there are 569 subscribers on the roster of the Code of
Conduct. In an attempt to reach this goal, I have sent letters to the
Presidents of the 16 Departments of the KWVA requesting their
help in attaining this goal.
The Code of Conduct was conceived in 2006 by then KWVA
President Louis T. Dechert to remind the membership of the
Code of Honor that our founders established.
Steve Szekely, sxdszek@sbcglobal.net
Tanks have more armor than trucks
Bill Marshall’s story in the Jul/Aug 2009 issue (“The Role of
the Signal Corps,” p. 13) about radio crews reminded me of my
best friend’s comment about being in Commo and being attached
to the tankers or infantry.
As he noted, “The tanks have many inches of armor and the
Commo trucks had none.” He told me that his truck’s windshield
had several holes in it after a mission following the tanks. My
friend remembered that at one point he was given a half-track. It
had 3/8” of armor.
My buddy Ed Sampler was so good on a key that he only got
to be on a couple of those missions. I got to visit with Ed only
one time over there. He survived and made it home okay.
Marvin Reed, 2900 Right Hand Canyon Rd.
Palomino Valley, NV 89510
Memorial Day 1953
I will never forget Memorial Day 1953. I got off a United
States troop ship in the city of Pusan, the southern-most city in
Korea. Nothing like visiting a foreign city for the first time, to
step off the boat and need to be very careful not to step on women
and children.
The road away from the ship was a single, solid ribbon
through a moving mass of homeless refugees. This mass of starving,
displaced people had been driven south before the onslaught
of Communist troops until they reached the ocean and had no
other place to go.
I will never forget the thought that raced through my mind.
For the first time I understood why I was in the Army, here. I
never wanted to see this scene repeated, upon the U.S.’ fruited
plains.
Peter deLisser, peter@delisser.com
USO show featuring Jack Benny and Errol Flynn
Here is my “two cents worth” regarding the USO show that I
enjoyed while I was serving in Korea with the 581st Signal Radio
Relay Company. The date was July 2, 1951; the site of the show
was in the vicinity of the K-2 airstrip.
The nearby photo verifies the date, the location, and the names
of the performers. Unfortunately, the photo is blurry, but I have a
record of their names from a letter that I sent to my parents. From
top to bottom they are Jack Benny and Errol Flynn; movie star
Marjorie Reynolds; singer Benay Venuta; Frankie Remley, guitar
player in Phil Harris’ orchestra; accordionist June Bruner; memory
expert Harry Kahne; tap dancer Dolores Cay and, in Jack
Benny’s words, “an up and coming star, Steve McQueen.”
When Jack played his violin, I realized that, in spite of all the
jokes about his non-existent talents as a violinist, he was really
an accomplished musician.
Errol Flynn, whose scandalous affairs were making the headlines
back home, directed his remarks to the nurses who were sitting
in the front row in the audience while watching over the
many wounded who were able to attend the show. He said, “Do
you know all those things they’re saying about me? Well, they’re
all true!”
The nurses giggled and the rest of us roared with laughter.
The highly appreciative audience enjoyed the show thoroughly.
And, for a few treasured hours, the war was forgotten.
Norman J. Deptula, P.O. Box 922, Webster, MA 01570
The sign
announcing
that Jack Benny
et al were in
town
Father Felhoelter
I was wounded at the Battle of Taejon on 16 July 1950. One
thing that is missing from the story on p. 64 in the Nov/Dec 2010
January – February 2011
The Graybeards