Voices from the Korean War - Douglas Rice [148]
I yelled, “If he misses, I won’t!”
I don’t believe anyone shot at the deserters—we didn’t have enough time.
I quickly turned around and started feeding mortar shells to our corporal; a Japanese guy from California. He was firing the mortar without its tripod. Enemy mortar shells were hitting all around us—hitting almost every position. There must have been five-or-six, with each one getting closer to me. Suddenly, I stood up. Why? I was knocked down the hill. Wounded, I crawled back to where I was before the mortar round hit, finding the corporal lying face down. He had suffered a concussion wound. From the back of his head, to the middle of his back, looked like he had been struck with a machete.
I remember yelling “medic” several times, but no words came out. So, I began to move back and after a while I sat down because I felt weak. My wrist and arm were in pain, and covered in blood. Even though I couldn’t feel it, I also had a stomach wound. As I set there, the corporal walked by me—I couldn’t believe it.
I had been hit, simultaneously, with small arms fire and fragments from a mortar shell. My left wrist had broken bones, and there was a hole in my left forearm that I could put my finger through. I also had a wound to my intestines.
It was 9:05 AM when I was wounded; it would be 9:05 PM when I arrived at an aid station: twelve full hours before receiving medical attention. I recall the doctor checking me out and calling the helicopter service for a helicopter to evacuate me. The voice on the other end of the radio, said the helicopters were done flying for the day.
The next voice I heard was the doctor. He was yelling, “I have a man with 105 degree temperature. Get your --- back here right now!” Needless to say, the helicopter arrived in short order.
They strapped me on the outside of the helicopter and flew me to a M.A.S.H. unit. I woke up with a bandage on my wrist and a ten inch incision on my stomach. From there I was transferred to the hospital ship, USS Repose.
I went on to spend time in Tripler Hospital, a hospital in San Jose, East St. Louis Hospital, and Battle Creek Hospital. I spent one year, and went through three operations, at Battle Creek.
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During the first hour of battle, Baker Company lost one-hundred and nine men. I am one of three that made it from the fourth platoon. Within a few weeks of me being wounded, my mother received a telegram reporting me as being killed in action.
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[In 1986, Clint Eastwood directed, and starred, in the movie “Heartbreak Ridge.” The movie begins with film footage shot during the battle in which Otto was wounded. There are some frames that show wounded infantrymen and medics. One series shows two men assisting a wounded soldier. Otto believes that may have been him.]
~~Fifty~~
Alfred Eckhart
7th Cavalry Regiment
1st Cavalry Division
U.S. Army
On November 2, 1950, I was drafted into the service. I was sent to Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky for sixteen weeks of basic training. After completing basic, I was made sergeant and transferred to Roger Company—as instructor—for a sixteen week course on basic training.
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At the end of August 1951, I was shipped to Korea. Here I was assigned as a squad leader in Company D, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. I was to be a forward observer for calling in mortar rounds. However, I was assigned to Charlie Company, which was a rifle company.
The night I arrived at D Company, the operating officer handed me a map, a pair of binoculars, and said, “There is your position at C Company on that hill a couple of miles away.” I worked my way up before nightfall, because when darkness came no one was allowed in or out of the perimeters. When I arrived I met the forward observer who was to be with me the first night. During that night the North Koreans started a barrage of mortar fire, and threw hand grenades. The forward observer, who was with me, was hit in the neck with shrapnel. And all through the night I had to keep pressure on