The ship docked in Pusan and we were loaded into trucks and taken to a staging area for the night. By now the fear was raging and tearing at our guts. Many wrote letters to girlfriends, wives and Mothers and gave them to buddies to be passed on if the writers did not make it. We got some chow which was not bad at all but ya gotta know that I always did love everything. Having been raised during the depression taught me to appreciate and savor all and any food! We crowded into squad tents and got our first taste of sleeping on the ground. Well there was not much sleep - just a lot of talk trying to think of anything but what lie ahead. The next morning we were loaded into into trucks and started north until we got some where near the 38th parrallel. The fear then gnawed at us as we started hearing gunfire in the distance. I was dropped off at a Battalion Aid Station about 3 miles behind the lines. I got an issue of C rations and told to bed down for the night -- on the ground again. I would not feel the "comfort" of even a cot for nearly seven months. I was awakened just before dawn and told to follow a trail heading north until I reached my company. I was given a password counter sign so I would be recognized and I headed north. Now I was really alone and my only company was agonizing fear as I walked and the gunfire got louder. I was going up a slight incline when I heard the familiar sound of a rifle bolt being pulled back. I was frozen in fear and heard a Marine yelling a password . I was so scared I could not remember the counter sign and simply yelled, "It's me, the replacement corpsman"! "Brooklyn Dodgers New York Yankees Boston Red Sox" The Marine laughed and let me through! Oh there was lots of good natured teasing after that. But the Marines love their Corpsman for taking care of them and patching them up. The fatality rate after getting wounded was 2 1/2 per cent -far lower than any other war. I settled in a bunker with the other corpsman It was kind of quiet the first night but the next day found our position being shelled and I got my first taste of running over no man's land to wounded Marines. I'd often heard about doctors trying to keep dispassionate so as not to get to close to patients. This was an impossibility in our position - we were not patching up nameless Marines - we were trying to do our best to save our brothers. Since then I have found that whenever I see an x-Marine or one still in uniform I am looking at a brother. There is an unspoken feeling of brotherhood that no one can explain. A standard greeting is Semper Fi - short for the Marine motto of Semper Fidelis - always faithful. Or often there will be a yell -OOOOOOOOOOO RAH!!!! A final note. I was at a reunion when a Marine walked up to me with tears rolling down his cheeks. He wrapped his arms around me and nearly squeezed the life out of me. Then he told me how I had saved his life -I did not remember the particular incident. I had lost count after a couple of dozen. There were several Marines watching and nodding knowingly and I felt very good!! Next thing was some Marine shouting, "We love our corpsman"!
Entry: 8967
LOOKING FOR KOREAN WAR STORIES
ROBERT G. HARRIS wrote on April 7, 2013
Fenton Michigan
Comments:
Ann ..Go to Amazon.com for my e-book "Many Come, Few Are Chosen" It is my life in the Corps...some interesting stuff about time in Korean War...Feel free to contact me...SF Bob Harris LtCol USMC Ret
PPS Better move quickly I am approaching age 90 :)
Entry: 8650
LOOKING FOR KOREAN WAR STORIES
KEN GOESSL wrote on November 1, 2009
Comments:
Iarrived at the 2ndBat.5thReg. in early Feb,51. We were given a welcoming speach, by Col.'Chesty'Puller, then sent to uor units. I was sent to the Second Battalion 5th Marines. I was asigned to 'Fox'Co. I was shown to the squad tent, where my unit was bunking. I introduced myself around the stove, and one of the guys remarked, that he liked my new style hat. They were all wearing the old style hats. this guy offered to trade hats with me but I told him I'd rather keep mine. He said that was OK, he'd just stay behind me, and wait 'til I got hit, then he'd 'liberate' my hat. I asked him what he'd do if the hat got hit. He said not to worry, he'd aim low. I asked him how he'd qualified on the range, and he said he only made rifleman. I told him he;d better aim carefully then, because I'd made sharpshooter.He told me to keep my hat.
Entry: 533
LOOKING FOR KOREAN WAR STORIES
RICHARD A. SUAREZ wrote on November 6, 2000
Comments:
IF YOU HAVE THE MONEY AND THE TIME THE CHOSIN FEW IS HAVEING THEIR REUNION AT THE TOWN AND COUNTRY RESORT HOTEL ON DEC-5-9-00. I SERVED IN ITEM CO 3RD BN 7TH MAR FRON HAGARU-RI DEC5, 1950 TIL SEP 10, 1951 IN THE 3RD PLT 2ND SQ, IT WOULD BEHOVE YOU TO TRY AND ATTEND THIS POSSIBLY ONE OF THE LAST REUNIONS OF MARINES FROM THE IST DIVISION THAT FOUGHT AT THE CHOSIN. I'LL BE ATTENDING MYSELF, I LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA AT 32 52 16TH STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103-3533 PH 415-861-1300, WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK. RICK SUAREZ I-3-7- KO CF 50/51
Entry: 515
LOOKING FOR KOREAN WAR STORIES
1ST.SGT. GIL STAUSS USMC RETIRED wrote on October 22, 2000
Comments:
The BATTLE HISTORY of the U.S. MARINES, BY Col. Joseph H.Alexander,USMC,Retired. This is a good one.Parts about 1950 Korea,1st.Marine Brigade and later 1st.Marine Div.
