The Korean War 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 was a war between the Republic of Korea (South Korea), supported by the United Nations, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), at one time supported by the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union. I preface my comments with that bit of information to verify my service in the U.S. Navy from June of 1952 to May of 1956, so I am a Korean Veteran.
I missed mentioning it on the 27th of July. The war actually started at the end of my Senior year in highschool, and I remember my Freshman year at The Citadel, a military school, where unfortunately, it was occasionally announced that a graduate had been killed in the Korean War. Some Seniors who graduated in June knew what their future held. A Second Lieutenant in combat does not have a long life expectancy, so Korea was on everyones mind in one way or another.
One underlying reason I joined, was to carry on a family tradition that started in the Civil War. I don't think I did it to save the world, more so, my ADD kicked in and I was up for something new. I loved boats, and the sea, so that was a logical choice. No forethought, I impulsively enlisted, in Columbia, South Carolina.
They put is all on a train headed for San Diego, California, I was the only "Yankee" in the group. Two or three days on the train, had a lot of fun, the train pulled in to Los Angeles. Saw my first star, Peggy Lee and her entourage, headed East.
I did as little as possible in Boot Camp, was the Company Mailman, got me out of a lot of "duty." I actually did not learn to swim, probably one of the few. Boot Camp to Yeoman School, where I learned how to type, then two years at the Receiving Station in San Diego, then two years on the USS William T. Mitchell TAP-114, and then I became a Veteran.
I vividly remember my first trip to Tokyo and as the ship approached the city there were still many reminders, partially submerged, damaged, destroyed, relics of the recent war, that had ended less than ten years before. I had seen newsreel or some of them, and it was surreal to see them in person, it was a strange feeling. We ported at Inchon and Pusan and I walked around both cities, there were some reminders.
We had two thousand troops aboard, as well as dependents (wives and children) and some civilian government employees. The troops going over were young somewhat apprehensive about what might lay ahead. On the return trip they were seasoned veterans, a bit more arrogant, and some were very quiet and apprehensive, perhaps battle weary. They were Veterans of a very intense war, different from other wars we had fought.
There are still quite a few of us "Vets" around, from Korea, WWII are almost gone, so we are the the last survivors.
