633 rd Engineeer Light Equipment Co.

Comments: For the men in the unit and for historians,military buffs etc,here is a salute to a real soldier. My platoon sergeant was one of the old regular army,hell on wheels type.SFC Hudspeth (better known as sgt headspace) was captured at BATTAN and ended up in a Japanese POW camp in Yong Dong Po, KOREA. Once the platoon was set up in quarters in a factory in Yong Dong Po and the sergeant wanted to show me a local area. Seems that in a local building there was a bar and brothel where the JAP officers like to hang out. As part of the good will between the shop owner and the prostitutes with the Jap officers,a work detail was sent each day from the POW camp to scrub down the whore house.Headspace related that the owner hated G.I.s;beat them ,stood on thir heads and forced them down into the mess on the floor and generally berated them.The Japanese guards delighgted in this mistreatment and used their rifle butts to carry out the owners orders, When the U.S.Army arrived in Yong Dong Po,the internees were released. SFC Hudspeth spied immediately,a jeep with a five gallon jerry can full of gasoline. He immediately borrowed the gasoline and walked down to the whore house;poured it on and burned the bar. He was then arrested and charged with arson. The next day,charges were dropped. In a 24 hour period,Headspace had gone from POW to releasee,to arsonist,to arrest and charges.to a free man. He was a great platoon sergeant and taught me a lot. The men in the platoon knew better than cross him. One hard head was put in a six by six detail. A few hours later when headspace went to check op the digging,he found the soldier had taken a couple of refugees from the road and had them digging his punishment detail and worst,was holding a gun on the frightened refugees. I dont know what thae sergeant did to that kid but,when I went by the hole some time later,he was way deep in the ground and throwing dirt way up;all the time singing;my daddy died in the pen;Ill die in the pen. Headspace was one of those old soldiers who make young shavetails into soldiers. Probably not too many of them around today and it is a shame.

Keywords: Yong Dong PO

633Engineer Co.

Comments: you haave a lot correct about the company;the location andother units nearby.We supported the engineer units in the I corp area to includethe English COMMONWEALTH Div,the TURKISH Brigade,the 1stMARINE Div,1st CAV Div,24th Div,25th Div and took up special projects to relieve troops when the 45th (thunderbird) Div.(Oklahoma National Guard)and the 40th (sunburst) (California Natiional Guard) came on line. A book could be written about this operation. We also supported the 1169th Combat Group Hq. a National Guard Unit from Alabama. Group was made up of the 1092nd Combat Engineer Bn.(West Virginia National Guard) 151 Combat Engineer Bn (Alabama National Guard) ,THE 14TH Combat Engineer Bn.(regular army). The 633 Engineer Light Equipment Company was regular army and was stationed at Ft.Lewis,Washington prior to being ordered to KOREA. During the retreat in April 1951,some of the equipment operators were so far forward that low boys could not get to them in time. Sgt Shultz walked and I mean walked a D-8 back from the 38th to Yong Dong PO. Every bolt was loose and the cat was almost a third echelon rebuild job but,the men pulled it back together and back to war. Shultz got a purple heart when his tracks "found" a landmine. Fortunately,he had on his steel helmet for he was working under a blown concrete bridge. He bounced off the underside of the bridge aand dented his helmet. A NOTE about the Norwegian MASH Hospital;the commander was one of,if not the best brain and head surgeons in Norway and his deputy was the best stomach surgeon in Sweden and the Nurses had an average of 20 years experience. One of my G.I.s went off his rocker and had the strength of a bull ox.It took 6 men to restrain him on a stretcher. I thought the nurses might get hurt when we took him in for sedation. Those nurses were strong and professional and got him under control in a minute.I do have a few photos of the men and our living conditions and some of the projects.

Keywords: BUZZSAW

Looking for others in my division

Comments: Seeking Other's who served in this unit from 1949-1950 @ Fort Lewis.

Keywords: Served from March 1949 - July 1950 @ fort Lewis washington.

633 eng.co.

Comments: My name is Jerry Finch I served in 633 from jan 54 to may 55 I was a grader operater and the maintance sgt. This is the first time I,ve been able to find the unit anyplace. Drop me a note, I would like to here from you.

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Comments: I was Company Clerk from April 1953-August,1954. Our Commanding Officers were: Capt. Miller, Beer, and Kelly. Much of our engineering equipment along with operator were sent to various units on TDY. We received a Meritorious Unit Citation for a system of hardening the roads during those terrible spring thaws and to keep down the dust during the hot summers. I would love to get in contact with as many 633ders as I can as I am writing a history of the unit. I NEED YOUR HELP!

Keywords: Telephone code name: Nicholson. A sign over the gate that read, "Through These Portals Pass the Heaviest Light Equipment in the World"

To anyone that has an interest.

Comments: Served with the unit and was with the 3rd Platoon from December 1950 to August 1951.

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Hey Gang!

Comments: I just thought that I would post this message so that anyone that was stationed w/me could write to me. I was stationed in Korea from Sept. 1950-Nov. 1951. Or to hear from anyone else would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Ken Campbell Gladwin Michigan grandpa9405@hotmail.com

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LOOKING FOR VETS AND REUNION

Comments: WAS WITH 633 ENG.LT.EQUIP CO FROM 1948 IN WASHINGTON STATE UNTIL LAST OF AUG 195O WENT TO KOREA STAYED THERE UNTIL LAST OF NOV 1951. ANYONE THERE DURING THAT TIME I WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT.

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