THE KOREAN ADVENTURE This recollection demonstrates the creativity of military personnel when allowed to make the most of bad situations. 67th RTS in Kimpo, Korea, summer 1951. |
 Jack Morris and Marine Don Young toast their good fortune while being entertained by beautiful Korean girls. - YongDungPo, Korea, 1951. |
Back: Part 4Not all war is hell. Several times during my short career in the Public Information Office at Kimpo AFB, 1951-1952, I was able to pull some airman, soldier or marine away from his duties for media purposes. Media reporting was considered a requirement at the time and I tried to make the most of the assignment. Being from California, service people from the Golden State got special effort and for those close to home my efforts grew in their intensity.
Among the many I interviewed from California for radio stations and newspapers were 8th Army soldier Perry Jackman, Nevada City, 5th Air Force Airman John R. McKay of Fair Oaks and Marine Corporal Donald Young of Grass Valley.
I remember Don Young best because of my records.
One day, while laboring in the PIO hut, I came across a list of personnel in the 1st Marine Division, 7th Regiment, engaged in brutal combat with the Chinese. The Regiment had been on line for a number of weeks and I scanned its list for Californians. Donald Young's name surfaced. His family and mine lived in Grass Valley, and while I had never met Don, I picked him as my next interviewee. I hasten to add the Marines refer to this form of special rear assignment a boondoggle.
Captain Donald Moats, my PIO Commander, signed the request for interview and the request began its often failing journey to the nearby Korean battleground. Within hours, a field phone reached Moats, and he to me, announcing Young's transportation to Kimpo. I remember the Marine officer-writer asked Moats for clarification regarding my affiliation with LIFE magazine. Some nameless person had exaggerated the official request and Moats, as he always did, ignored the question.
It seems like yesterday when the big Marine stood in the doorway of the Quonset hut, duffel bag in one hand, his M1 in the other and asked for the writer from LIFE.
I arranged for a barracks bunk, his first true meal in days, and allowed him to sleep a bit. Awake, we went to work on taping an interview for use on Grass Valley's radio station, KGFN. I also composed several news releases for Nevada County papers. The interview took exactly twenty minutes and Young's pictures another ten. After that, we had two days to kill and Captain Moats suggested socializing was now required.
Moats authorized my use of the PIO Jeep and the three of us went to our favorite bistro in YongDungPo. Young was delighted to find cold beer and beautiful center-fold girls.
I like to think Corporal Don Young still remembers his moment away from Chinese bugles and bullets. I do, even though forty-six years have passed since we clinked beer cans on that sunny Korean porch.
Jack Morris
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