A Letter Home From Korea
" Between the Lines "

David J. Lutze DJL457@aol.com
Date: Fri, 5 Sep 1997

...The following article appeared in the Racine Journal Times (Racine Wisconsin).

The column was called &aquot Between the Lines " by Tex Reynolds. The letter was written by my father when he was 19yrs old. I thought you may find it interesting. My father was in the 5th cav HQ company I&R platoon.

Tex:
If one may judge by a letter received from a Racine lad, the U.S. Army has done a miserable job of " selling " its soldiers on the reason for the war in Korea. Certainly there is a lack of fervor over the " Crusade for Democracy " as compared to the fanaticism of the enemy that is fighting for Communism.

The name of the 19 year old first class Private is James J. Lutze. He is in the 5th Cav. Regiment. His letter to this department comes via his mother,Mrs. Iva Lutze. Here are some excerpts.

" The question on the lips of the G.I. over here is, " What are we fighting for? "

This is no 'police job' as Mr. Truman says. It is a real war, but not the kind most people at home can realize. We are fighting men who can live for a week in the mountains with just a little bag of rice. Where we have to travel by road they travel over the mountains and beat us to where we are going. We attacked and took a small town the other day with no opposition at all.

Then, just before daylight, a couple days later, they hit us with everything they had, and we were forced to withdraw for about eight miles with heavy casualties. About half the members of our battalion have been killed or wounded. Among the latter is our battalion commander and six other officers including my section leader.......

" Well, we withdrew again last night for about 10 miles and again the enemy knew we were moving, because they shelled the road. It's an old saying here on the lines that if you kill one Korean, there are 10 more to takes his place.......In closing all I can say is this: give us reinforcements, or pull out what is left of us---which isn't many. "

At the end of the column Tex wrote:

" No it isn't surprising if GI's at the front ask themselves, " what are we fighting for? " They haven't been told, in clear, honest language. And the home front certainly isn't doing much to inspire them, with its " business and pleasure as usual "

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