Baseball in Korea - 443rd Quarter Master Bn
From: LPARK3@aol.com
Wed, 16 Oct. 1996
Subject: Re: 443 QM Depot, Seoul Korea 1954
1st Lt. Robert Wills is my father-in law. He is also the older brother of Maury Wills who played professional baseball for the Pirates and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both were outstanding ball players but Bob got a commission in the Army and participated in the tail end of the Korean war (his assignment with the 443QM).
After the armistice, Bob remained in Korea, as QM Officer, to help rebuild Seoul. One General was reading his background and thought he was Maury Wills who had already begun to make a name professionally. He asked Bob if he wanted to play baseball and Bob said, yes.
The first game, they picked him up by chopper, had a staff car waiting for him and he dressed on the way to the game. They arrived late. The game had already commenced. Upon his entrance they announced his arrival. The coach immediately put him up to bat. There was already a two- strike count on the batter he replaced.
Bob had not played baseball for quite a few years. Fortune smiled on him, as he had a baseball day of which all players dream; home runs, hits, stolen bases, and fielding prowess at second base. They won!
At the end of the game, Gen. Maxwell Taylor, 8th Army Commander can out of the stands and personally praised him. Assigned to special services, Bob spent the remainder of his tour playing ball. The remainder of his military career was at the White house, under the Eisenhower administration.
The Army Times or Stars and Stripes wrote an article on that initial day. A copy, of which, has long disappeared from the family.
We are planning to commemorate him for his military career, his career as an educator, and for all the impact he has had over the years on people. He gave and continued to give guidance for those who have aspired to careers, whether general, professional, sports, or just successful family life.
If you have any suggestions where I can obtain a copy of the article, it would be worth its weight in gold.
Those times he reminisces about were heyday's for him.
Lee
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