Voices from the Korean War - Douglas Rice [129]
I was assigned to M Division, which handled the four engine rooms. Here I spent a day learning the messenger job, which involved reading the instruments every hour. However, the following day I reported to the mess deck for three months of mess cook duty, which turned out not to be such a bad job. There was a lot of free time, plus I was assigned to the 40mm AA gun on the starboard side.
It was during this time, I met another cook—Robert Osterwind. However, I never got to know him too well. On the morning of the May 21, 1951, the Jersey came under her first encounter with the North Koreans.
On this morning, Bob and I had finished securing from morning mess when several of us cooks gathered top side, aft of #3 turret. The ship was anchored in Wonson Harbor firing ground support. Suddenly, water spouts rose up on the port side from enemy fire; general quarters was sounded. I ran to the 40mm ready room on the fantail. Bob ran forward, on the port side, and started up the ladder to his battle station—he never made it. A piece of shrapnel pierced his chest below his right arm, severing his aorta. He died instantly.
The Jersey saw action in the Second World War, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf; Robert Osterwind was her only fatality.
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After finishing my tour as mess cook, I returned to the #2 engine room. Here I resumed the duty of messenger.
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The Jersey stayed in Korea, and Japan, until November of 1951. Then she was relieved by the Wisconsin. We returned to Norfolk in early December.
I was discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1954.
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In 1986 I attended my first reunion of the New Jersey. As I was at the registration desk, I noticed a ships clock—with a plague—that was to be raffled off. The inscription on the plague read:
In memory of SA Robert H. Osterwind – Korea – May 21, 1951.
ETC Michael W. Gorchinski – Beirut, Lebanon – October 23, 1983. Comrades and shipmates who have since passed on.
Michael Gorchinski was a sailor from the New Jersey who was among the two-hundred and forty men that were killed during the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.
The clock, and plague, was made by the father of Michael Gorchinski; I purchased ten dollars worth of tickets. During the dinner banquet they drew the winning number—72722; it was mine.
Today, the clock is mounted on the wall above the fireplace in our living room. Every time I glance at it, Bob and May 21, 1951 flash across my mind.
~~Forty-One~~
Howard Camp
19th Infantry Regiment
24th Infantry Division
U.S. Army
On January 8, 1951, I was inducted into the U.S. Army. I spent sixteen weeks at Fort Knox, Kentucky, for Armored Infantry Basic Training of which 95 percent was infantry training.
After going through Camp Stoneman, California, I left for Korea on the 10th of May, 1951. When I arrived in Korea I traveled through Ascom City before reaching my duty station—Company L, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. A guy that had gone through basic with me was assigned to G Company. His last name was Goff, and he was from Kentucky; he was killed the first day he was in combat.
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It was July and we jumped off into attack. As I was climbing up the hill, I was grabbing onto small trees, or bushes, to help pull myself along. I looked down and noticed dirt being kicked up between my legs. Suddenly, it dawned on me that someone was trying to kill me.
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On another occasion, while we were attacking. I jumped into what I thought was an abandoned foxhole; lo and behold, it was full of small frogs. Apparently, they must have been deposited there as eggs. I found another foxhole.
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On Saturday morning of October 13, 1951, Love Company