Ready to Fire: Memoir of an American Artilleryman in the Korean War

Each book listed here is in the Korean War Project library by donation. In return, we list each book as a free service.

---

by Richard B. Holmsten

Once North Korean forces crossed the 38th
parallel in 1950, the lives of many Americans
half of the globe away were disrupted.
President Truman authorized a call-up of
enlisted, inactive reservists- like Richard B.
Holmsten, an about to be married 20-year-old
with a bright future.

Replacements were needed for Artillerymen
killed during one disastrous day in August
1950. He was assigned to the Headquarters
Battery of the 8th Field Artillery Battalion of
the 25th Infantry Division.

This memoir begins with Holmsten's transition
from civilian to newlywed soldier. It covers
training at Fort Lewis (Washington State), the
voyage across the Pacific, and the readying of
a Fire-Direction Control Center for 105
Howitzers near Kaesong. It covers the early
days of the conflict as the unit moved during
the flux of battle, the problems faced as the
unit retreated south of Seoul, and the efforts
put forth as the unit struck north again. The
major campaign covered concerns the crossing of
the Han River in March 1951. The crossing was a
massive but fast operation, and Holmsten's unit
was responsible for firing 70,000 rounds of
artillery against enemy forces. The daily
happenings, hopes, and fears of soldier life
are explored, including the often-contentious
relationship of enlisted reserve versus regular
army. It concludes with the author's rotation
back to civilian life. Photographs accompany
the text.

Published in October of 2003. Available on
Google as an eBook, print copies available on
Google, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.


ISBN: 0-7864-1613-0