Today I met a Veteran...

[Dantankerous]

Today on a flight there was a much older fella sitting a couple rows in front of me wearing a very interesting ball cap.

 

It was a Marine Corp Korean War veteran logo ball cap style hat which immediately caught my attention.

 

The logo on the back of the cap said "Chosin Few."

 

I had to catch my breath.

 

After deboarding and collecting our luggage I had a chance to briefly converse with him. It was truly an honor to speak with him and shake his hand. 

 

 

 

 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Always an honor to speak to one that helped shape history. 

OLG

 

[Sixgun Sheridan]

Cool. I know those guys don't think of themselves as heroes, but I honestly don't know how they managed to cope with what they went through.

[Blackwater 53393]

My dad was a Korean War vet.  He wouldn’t talk much about it. The thing I remember him talking about was being frostbitten and getting dropped into god forsaken places to build temporary landing strips.

[Phantom Falcon, SASS # 46139]

I wrote my First Class term paper on The Chosin Reservoir. To this day I cannot understand how those men lived through that weather let alone mount an offensive that returned them to US control, brought out their dead, wounded and equipment and destroyed most of the chinamen sent to destroy them. They rank extremely high in my book of heroes.

 

PF

[Utah Bob #35998]

Awesome. A heroic battle...mostly unknown today except for guys like us.

 

[Pat Riot]

I know a Marine that was at Chosin Reservoir. The only thing he told me about the experience was that it was miserable cold. He also asked me not to tell people that he was there. The only reason I even knew about him being there was I heard he and his wife discussing him attending a reunion of Marines that were there. I also saw the flyer he had received regarding the reunion. Otherwise I don’t think he would have told me.

 

After his reunion I asked about it. He said he got to see some guys he hadn’t seen in years. He lamented that some friends were no longer alive. 

 

I miss talking with my friend. I haven’t seen him in a few years. I hope he is well. 

 

 

 

[Buffalo Creek Law Dog]

We have a couple of Korean War Vets  in our nearest town of 8,500 pop however, there are no known WWll Vets around here, none that are Legion members.

According to Veterans Affairs Canada, there are 50,300 WWll veterans remaining with an average age being 92.  There are 7,700 Korean War Vets left with an average age of 85.   Combining to two Wars the veterans are dying off at the rate of 300 per week.

 

Just as an aside, the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) was awarded the U.S. Presidential Citation for their action at the Battle of Kapyong

[Utah Bob #35998]

We lost our last Korean War vet on Wednesday. Mr. Myers served in the Navy in Korea on an attack transport. He was one of the original VFW Post 5181 members. We will render final honors at the local cemetery on Monday after the funeral service. 

[Dead Eye Jake]

Yep, the Greatest Generation is quickly passing.  Those guys and all veterans are heroes in my book.  Thanks to all.

[Smoken D]

My dad, who jumped on D-Day, said his brother never talked about Korea until one day he caught him telling the story about his involvement as a Lt. while at Pork Chop Hill. Very interesting and sad. Was a different war than WWII, just like Nam.

[Trailrider #896]

For those of us who did operations in sub-zero weather, without being shot at, the Chosin Reservoir was truly an amazing and heroic fight!  We have a number of those gyrenes who are members of the 1st Marine Division Veterans Association in the Denver area.  It is always an honor to speak to them.

[Painted Mohawk SASS 77785]

My dad who passed in Aug '017 aged 90 never much spoke of his Army service but he did tell me once that when he went to Korea they were badly equipped & if it wasn't for the Americans who supplied them with 'proper protection from the freezing weather they would have frozen to death.

He was with 3 Battallion [ Australian ] ' that was involved in the Kapiong battle..he unfortunately was machine gunned in the leg 3 weeks prior to the battle, he also said that everyone except one American doctor wanted to amputate, this doctor saved it & he was still on 2 legs at the time of his death.

Ironically  he was diagnosed with Leukemia at age 85 from the effects of  the 'bombing of Japan where he served 1945-49 with the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces..dad also served in Vietnam.

We never spoke for the last 7 years of his life..at the time I thought that was right but now I do wish I had known how bad his condition was  as  I always did & will love him...miss 'ya dad.

Sorry I stole the OP's  subject...I'm just sayin'.......thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Noz]

My uncle's story I love about Korea was that it was so cold that the zipper on your sleeping bag would freeze closed from the condensation from your body heat.  He said " Don't ever let anyone tell you you can't run in a sleeping bag.

[Trailrider #896]

2 hours ago, Noz said:

My uncle's story I love about Korea was that it was so cold that the zipper on your sleeping bag would freeze closed from the condensation from your body heat.  He said " Don't ever let anyone tell you you can't run in a sleeping bag.

Sadly, a number of GI's were caught trapped in their sleeping bags by the Chinese, and killed, partly because they couldn't unzip the zippers.  From that, if I believe the story, came the type of zipper that could have the slide pulled past the stop, so that, while the zipper was fastened to keep in the heat, all you had to do was push against it, and it would come undone. Frozen or not, I'd bet if you were "motivated" enough the zipper would open.  My old Woods Three-star has a zipper like that. Quite convenient in bear country!