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December 25th, 2002 Newsletter
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Table of Contents
1. Christmas Story from 1950
2. Christmas Card from Korea 1951 - HU-1
3. 6th Tank Bn Book in Progress
4. American Blues Singers in Korea - in progress
5. Bookstore | Films
6. Christmas Message from the KWP ==========================================================
1. Christmas Story from 1950
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From: Col. Dave Hughes USA Ret, 7th Cav Rgt, USMA 1950
Mike Dowe is a West Point Classmate of mine ('50). He was
captured on Nov 4th, 1950 in far north Korea. Was a POW for
three years. Resumed his active duty after being released,
retired as a LTC in 1970.
It has to do with how his West Point Class Ring saved the
life of he and his fellow prisoners when they were
recaptured. To West Pointers their class rings are very
important. (In fact, since many started showing up on e-bay,
a group of we graduates chipped into a Lost Ring fund,
bought at auction those on e-bay, and got them back to
descendants of their original owners. Some lost in combat,
some stolen, some lost in travel.
Mike Dowe was a Lt in the 19th Infantry, 24th Division, when
it was overrun.
Dave Hughes dave@oldcolo.com
Dave:
I enjoyed your Christmas story, Shanks Booties) https://www.koreanwar.org/html/christmas_day_2000.html ) and thought on this slack day at the office I might delve back
49 years and jot down one of my own.
On the morning of 24 Dec 1950 Capts Moose McLain, Tony
Pecarrero, Ralph Nardella and Lts Jordan and Mike Dowe Jr
(myself) culminated a week of planning by dropping out of a
"Wood run" and escaping from a North Korean POW Camp.
En route, although careful to maintain as much concealment
as possible and not silhouette ourselves on the skyline, we
were spotted that afternoon by several soldiers in a distant
field. I was to learn years later at Benning from our
classmate, "Muck" McBride, that he was leading an ROK
behind-the-lines team that day to recover some escaped POW's
intel had found out about. Unfortunately, we succeeded in
evading them or we would have been the only successful
escapees from an established camp during the entire war
despite many attempts, including two others in which I
participated.
It was sub-zero weather, so that night we "nicely" took over
an isolated Korean farmhouse. The Mamasan gave us some food
and we left one person on guard while the rest slept. While
Ralph Nardella was on guard, he let the two little kids (he
thought them to be about 2 and 3, and therefore of no
concern) go out to the "Binjo" unescorted. Obviously, the
two went to a nearby house, told about us, and the neighbors
stopped a truck of soldiers at a road about a half-mile
away.
Right at mid-night Christmas Eve, shots began to fly all
over the part of the house in which we were sleeping. At
this point Ralph said (like in a Hollywood movie), "Men,
this is it", and with that he stepped into a hibachi in his
bare feet and flew out the door just as the soldiers
were reloading their weapons. Almost certainly, had it not
been for the hibachi, we would not have been recaptured
alive.
The soldiers then stripped us naked and marched us that way
the entire distance to the road. At this point they held a
summary trial of us to determine whether or not to shoot us
on the spot. The Mamasan and Papasan both told the soldiers
how kind we had been to them, having given them each "gifts"
(I can't recall what they were) and literally pled for our
lives. The soldiers then relented, gave us back part of our
clothes, including our precious shoes and field jackets,
loaded us on their truck and drove for almost an hour to a
town where they turned us over to the Communist police chief
equivalent.
Talk about going from the frying pan into the fire, there we
were roughly thrown into a cell in which were corpses and
skeletal remains.
In a book about his life, in which Moose recants our
"Escape", lauds my next action -- but it was really taken
out of desperation since we had seen the sort of torture and
cruelty of which their "Police" were quite capable.
I signaled to the guard that there was an urgent matter
about which I had to talk with the Chief, himself. Somehow,
after a while, he understood and went to talk with someone.
A short while later he returned and escorted me to the
office of the Chief. I convinced the Chief that I needed to
talk with him about a private matter and that the guard
should wait outside.
Since neither of us spoke the other's language, all of what
had taken place and what was to follow took much "Pigeon
sign language"; but, eventually, he understood. I asserted
to him my assumption that as a responsible professional I
believed that he must be a man of honor, as was I.
I conveyed to him that I could give him something of value
that would make him the only one in North Korea to own such
an item and that I would give it to him in exchange for the
lives of my colleagues and myself. He agreed that if it were
truly as I described, he would do so. We then shook hands as
a gesture to seal the agreement.
I then proceeded by pigeon sign language to describe West
Point. I told him of the significance of the ring to its
graduates. I then produced my ring which I had hidden, taped
to my dog tags. He accepted it, called the guard and I was
escorted back to our cell not knowing what to expect
next.
A little while later a couple of guards came for us and
escorted us to a restaurant across the street. There we were
treated to the first real food any of us had eaten since our
capture on 4 Nov, when the Chicoms entered the war.
Even to this day I recall how fantastic the pancake-like
bread and eggs tasted that Christmas morning Then, instead
of returning us to our cell, they took us to a house in the
middle of the town. I think the entire town paraded by more
than once that Christmas day as we sat there singing
Christmas carols.
The Chief visited us, told us that he had reported us to the
military authorities and that they would come for us the
next day. He was indeed true to his word and made it a
Christmas to remember for the five of us.
Mike Dowe '50
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Christmas Card from Korea 1951 - HU-1
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Doug Froling < javapattidoug@earthlink.net> sent this graphic of a Christmas
Card from Helicopter Squadron One, circa 1951.
This Christmas card is reproduced at the top of this newsletter
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3. Army 6th Tank Battalion Book in Progress
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Dave Teich, former 3rd Platoon, C Co., US Army 1950-51 writes:
I received a request from a French writer who wants to
write a book about the US Army 6th Tank Bn. I need names and
address of any members of the unit who might wish to be
interviewed.
Dave Teich, email at: TANKLEADER@AOL.COM
284 Vaughn St.
Aurora, CO. 80011
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4. American Blues Singers in Korea - in progress
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Please publish the data about the blues singers who served
in Korea so that your readers may have a chance to react
before I will have to correct the proofs. I will send up to
date info as soon as the book will be out in the summer.
Best wishes,
Guido van Rijn
Prins Mauritslaan 95
2051 KC Overveen
The Netherlands
guido@worldonline.nl
++31-(0)23-5266958
Next summer my book The Truman and Eisenhower Blues will be
published by Continuum. It analyses what blues and gospel
singers sang about these two presidents and their times.
There is a long chapter devoted to the Korean War. In it I
also list the blues artists who actually fought in Korea.
Perhaps you or your readers have any further info on these
artists. If so I can be contacted at guido@worldonline.nl
At least ten blues singers served in Korea.
Nat Foster (no dates) was a maintenance clerk with the 540th
Transport group in Chanchon, from where he sent lyrics,
credited to N.A. Foster, Jr., Army Pfc. F-6456, to New York
music publisher Joe Davis.
William "Soldier Boy" Houston (no dates) sang that he had
been in the army since 1941, and that he was sent to the
Philippines in 1943, coming home in 1945. In an unissued
1953/4 song he sang about leaving Korea, although there is
no conclusive evidence that he served there.
Johnny "Big Moose" Walker (1927-1999) played piano in the
Seoul Officers' Mess.
Alford "Chicago Pete" Harrell (1931-2001) served in Korea in
the early fifties.
Sammy Lawhorn (1935-1990) spent most of 1953 through 1958 in
military service. This included a stint in Korea where he
was aerial photographer for the Navy and got wounded in
action.
Little Joe Blue (1934-1990) signed up with the US army in
1953 and went off to Korea for three years "to give it a
try."
J.B. Hutto (1929-1983) served as a draftee in the Korean War
in the early fifties, driving trucks in combat zones.
J.D. Nicholson (1917-1991) served in Korea in the early
fifties.
Rudy Ray Moore (who does not want to reveal his date of
birth) served in Korea where he put on comedy shows in which
he sang, danced, emceed and told jokes. He was discharged in
1953.
Memphis blues singer Velba Lee "Little" Applewhite
(b. 1933) also served in Korea. He fought at the Chinese
border and was in the long march back. He got frostbite,
said the shells were falling like rain and he thought he
would never get out alive.
Iverson "Louisiana Red" Minter (b. 1936), lied about his age
to join up, served in US Army Air Force in Korea in a labor
battalion, and sang the blues at service clubs from 1951 to
1953.
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5. Bookstore | Films
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===a.===
Just in: (cover to be scanned)
I Danced with the Lady, Sea Stories from1945-1971
as told by former crew members of the Heavy Cruiser
USS Saint Paul (CA-73)
Compiled and edited by Dr. George W. (Bill) Whitt
Crew Member 1951-52
Cost: $33.45
Order from USS St. Paul Association, Inc.
c/o Bob Board, President
2781 Saturn Street
Unit K
Brea, CA 92821
===b.===
Film: "Korea: We Called it War"
Regarding the recently completed documentary film on the
Korean War. The title is "Korea: We Called it War" and is
based on the book "We Called it War" by Denzil Batson. The
film is screening at various locations around the country.
A screening can be arranged for any chapter by contacting
John Gilbert.
E-mail address is:
Gilly3000@aol.com
website: https://www.wecalleditwar.com
The film is eligible and entered in the 2003 Academy Awards
competition in the Feature Documentary category.
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6. Christmas Message from the KWP
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The Korean War Project Board and staff: Jan Curran, Hal
and Ted Barker wish to extend a warm wish to all, this
Christmas Holiday and New Year Season.
Each day we receive email, calls and letters from our web
site visitors. Sometimes the news is sad, announcing the
death of a veteran or a loved one within that veterans
family.
Jan lost her father in Korea, Navy Lt. Charles Garrison,
who flew with VF-884 "Bitter Birds" on the USS Boxer.
His story,FOR GOD'S SAKE - BAIL OUT NOW! , is told on our
site in the Recollections area:
https://www.koreanwar.org/html/units/navy/vf884.htm#snapper
Today, the circle of life and death continues in the
Garrison and Curran family. We proudly announce the birth
of the newest edition of the extended family:
From Jan: The new grandson has finally arrived. Here are
the details:
Born around 1:30 AM - Dec 24 - 7 lbs 10 oz - 21 inches -
named Marshall Garrison Coughlan.
Baby, Mommy and Daddy doing fine!
--- end---
And so it goes for all of our families.
Jan, Hal and Ted
Korean War Project |
