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1. How did you join the service in the Korean War as a soldier?
My experience was a little different that many of the soldiers. I had just graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Mechanical
Engineering and a 2nd Lt Commission in the US Army which required service for 2 years after graduation in the Army Reserve. At that time A&M was a military college and required all physically able students take part in the ROTC program for 4 years. After graduation in August 1949 I was assigned to an Army Reserve Unit near my home in Texas. The Reserve unit was activated in September, 1950 after the North Koreans invaded South Korea in June, 1950. All officers in the Reserve unit were sent to Camp Chaffee, Arkansas to train soldiers for going to Korea. I stayed at Camp Chaffee in the training assignment until January 1952 when I was ordered to go to Korea.
2. What was my job in the War?
I was a Forward Observer with the Artillery. This means that I was always in the front lines with the Infantry and directed the support Artillery unit on where they needed to fire their guns. I worked primarily with the Company Commander of the Infantry unit to provide protection and support for his troops. I had radio communication with the 105 mm howitzers located behind the line to tell them when and where to shoot the artillery shells. I was well trained in college and attended additional training at the Artillery Center at Ft Sill, Oklahoma. While I was in Korea I was assigned to the 39th Field Artillery Battalion which is a part of the 15th Infantry Regiment. As an FO I was attached to Item Company of the Regiment.
3. How did we fight the North Koreans and Chinese?
When I was there in 1952 we were considered to be in a stalemated position. We lived in bunkers and trenches that ran along the tops of hills and mountains. The positions we held were along the 38th parallel and considered very vital and important positions that we did not want to give up. Many times, especially at night, the North Koreans and Chinese would attack our positions and try to make us leave. They came at us with hundreds, sometimes thousands of soldiers trying to kill us and drive us away from where we were. My job was to call in artillery fire on them to stop their attack. At the same time we had soldiers in the trenches that fired at them with mortars, rifles and machine guns. This always resulted in many killed and wounded on both sides. It was not a good place to be.
If they attacked during the day time we could call in the Air Force planes and they would strafe or bomb the attackers.
This stalemated situation lasted from July 1951-July 1953 all the while the peace negotiations were taking place at Pan Mun Jam. Soldiers usually stayed in the front line positions for 2-3 months and then rotated to the reserve positions in the rear to get cleaned up and rest.
4. What is the hardest thing to bear as a soldier in the Korean War?
There were 3 things that standout in my mind and I think will apply to anyone that must go to war. Number 1 is having to leave your family behind as you leave knowing that you may never see them again. When I left my wife and small daughter who was 4 months old at the time I really didn't know whether I would return. Number 2 is seeing some of your friends and comrades killed during the battles and know they will never have a chance to live out their lives as I have and it sometimes makes me wonder why I survived and they didn't. Number 3 is seeing the enemy die and knowing that it is has to be you or them because they come at you and are trying to kill you.
War is a very ugly thing that we humans get involved in at times that is very animalistic and inhuman.
5. The most unforgettable moment during the war.
There were several occasions that I came close to being killed by incoming enemy artillery and the enemy attacks. The last time was about a month before I left to come home in August 1952. I was with 4 other soldiers in an observation post scanning the enemy territory as we usually did in looking for enemy movement or activity with binoculars. Our bunker was well concealed with a small aperture we were looking out of when we saw the muzzle blast of a large gun across the valley. We knew they were firing at something on our side but we didn't know what it was. The shell went over our head so we knew we were safe at that time. The gun we were watching fired another shell that landed way out in front of us then a third shell was fired and it came straight at us and exploded about 50 feet in front of our bunker and blew all of us out the opening in the back into the trench that ran along the top of the mountain ridge. Fortunately, no one was killed but we all suffered concussion, ringing in our ears and shock. During the explosion, I could feel and hear the shell fragments zipping close by but no one was hit. If the shell had hit even 10 ft closer we probably would have all been killed. Our bunker and observation post was a wreck and we had to move to another location. I have thought of this event many times in my life and thanked my God for allowing me to survive.
In October, 1952 I returned home to my wife and daughter and have lived a very happy and fruitful life in Texas. I have 3 children, 5 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. I am a Christian and attend church regularly and have worked hard to give back to the community because I think that is what we are meant to do in helping our fellow man.
Grace hope this helps you. I hope this is enough for you to get some feel for what it was like.
Know that the Korean war was not the Forgotten War but the Forgotten Victory. We saved a country and its people. Today South Korea is a free country with a Democratic form of government and in the top 10 economies in the world.
Larry Kinard, Korean War Veteran
My experience was a little different that many of the soldiers. I had just graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Mechanical
Engineering and a 2nd Lt Commission in the US Army which required service for 2 years after graduation in the Army Reserve. At that time A&M was a military college and required all physically able students take part in the ROTC program for 4 years. After graduation in August 1949 I was assigned to an Army Reserve Unit near my home in Texas. The Reserve unit was activated in September, 1950 after the North Koreans invaded South Korea in June, 1950. All officers in the Reserve unit were sent to Camp Chaffee, Arkansas to train soldiers for going to Korea. I stayed at Camp Chaffee in the training assignment until January 1952 when I was ordered to go to Korea.
2. What was my job in the War?
I was a Forward Observer with the Artillery. This means that I was always in the front lines with the Infantry and directed the support Artillery unit on where they needed to fire their guns. I worked primarily with the Company Commander of the Infantry unit to provide protection and support for his troops. I had radio communication with the 105 mm howitzers located behind the line to tell them when and where to shoot the artillery shells. I was well trained in college and attended additional training at the Artillery Center at Ft Sill, Oklahoma. While I was in Korea I was assigned to the 39th Field Artillery Battalion which is a part of the 15th Infantry Regiment. As an FO I was attached to Item Company of the Regiment.
3. How did we fight the North Koreans and Chinese?
When I was there in 1952 we were considered to be in a stalemated position. We lived in bunkers and trenches that ran along the tops of hills and mountains. The positions we held were along the 38th parallel and considered very vital and important positions that we did not want to give up. Many times, especially at night, the North Koreans and Chinese would attack our positions and try to make us leave. They came at us with hundreds, sometimes thousands of soldiers trying to kill us and drive us away from where we were. My job was to call in artillery fire on them to stop their attack. At the same time we had soldiers in the trenches that fired at them with mortars, rifles and machine guns. This always resulted in many killed and wounded on both sides. It was not a good place to be.
If they attacked during the day time we could call in the Air Force planes and they would strafe or bomb the attackers.
This stalemated situation lasted from July 1951-July 1953 all the while the peace negotiations were taking place at Pan Mun Jam. Soldiers usually stayed in the front line positions for 2-3 months and then rotated to the reserve positions in the rear to get cleaned up and rest.
4. What is the hardest thing to bear as a soldier in the Korean War?
There were 3 things that standout in my mind and I think will apply to anyone that must go to war. Number 1 is having to leave your family behind as you leave knowing that you may never see them again. When I left my wife and small daughter who was 4 months old at the time I really didn't know whether I would return. Number 2 is seeing some of your friends and comrades killed during the battles and know they will never have a chance to live out their lives as I have and it sometimes makes me wonder why I survived and they didn't. Number 3 is seeing the enemy die and knowing that it is has to be you or them because they come at you and are trying to kill you.
War is a very ugly thing that we humans get involved in at times that is very animalistic and inhuman.
5. The most unforgettable moment during the war.
There were several occasions that I came close to being killed by incoming enemy artillery and the enemy attacks. The last time was about a month before I left to come home in August 1952. I was with 4 other soldiers in an observation post scanning the enemy territory as we usually did in looking for enemy movement or activity with binoculars. Our bunker was well concealed with a small aperture we were looking out of when we saw the muzzle blast of a large gun across the valley. We knew they were firing at something on our side but we didn't know what it was. The shell went over our head so we knew we were safe at that time. The gun we were watching fired another shell that landed way out in front of us then a third shell was fired and it came straight at us and exploded about 50 feet in front of our bunker and blew all of us out the opening in the back into the trench that ran along the top of the mountain ridge. Fortunately, no one was killed but we all suffered concussion, ringing in our ears and shock. During the explosion, I could feel and hear the shell fragments zipping close by but no one was hit. If the shell had hit even 10 ft closer we probably would have all been killed. Our bunker and observation post was a wreck and we had to move to another location. I have thought of this event many times in my life and thanked my God for allowing me to survive.
In October, 1952 I returned home to my wife and daughter and have lived a very happy and fruitful life in Texas. I have 3 children, 5 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. I am a Christian and attend church regularly and have worked hard to give back to the community because I think that is what we are meant to do in helping our fellow man.
Grace hope this helps you. I hope this is enough for you to get some feel for what it was like.
Know that the Korean war was not the Forgotten War but the Forgotten Victory. We saved a country and its people. Today South Korea is a free country with a Democratic form of government and in the top 10 economies in the world.
Larry Kinard, Korean War Veteran