Voices from the Korean War - Douglas Rice [183]
We really enjoyed being at OP2. The “gooks” would bring us gifts and leave notes behind asking us to surrender. They said we would be treated very well, and would not die, that we would be able to see our loved ones when the war was over. Yeah, right!
After about a month, we left OP2 and went into reserve where we stayed for ninety days. Some of the men even received three days of R&R in Japan—lucky guys.
The CO wanted a squad of men to go outside of the fence line, to clean up the area. I said my men would do it. After we got outside, and no one else was around, I let the men go to a Korean village while I stayed behind. Roughly two hours had passed and the CO came by, and wanted to know where the men were—I pointed towards the village. He instructed me to get them inside the fence and for me to be at his office at 0800 hours the following morning. I said, “Yes, sir.”
Promptly at 0800 I met with the CO and he busted me to PFC. Big deal! I left and went back to my tent. On the way back I saw new replacements coming in, which we really needed. Our platoon was only about half the size it needed to be. I heard my name called, and as I walked towards the voice, there stood Avery. Boy was I happy! I hadn’t seen him since we joined together. Immediately, I took him to meet my platoon leader, Lt. Peeler. The lieutenant asked if we were related, to which I replied, “No.” So, my brother ended up being my platoon sergeant.
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In July we had been in reserve for about fifty days when all hell broke loose—the “gooks” were hitting every hill.
We were going to Boulder City and Lt. Peeler was taking an advance party that included four others and myself. All outposts were in front of the MLR, and Boulder City was about a mile away. Still riding in a 4 x 4 truck, we had to go through 76 Alley (76 are anti-tank guns) and I didn’t think we were going to make it, but we did. We quickly disembarked and began fighting—it was a mess. Soon, everyone had become separated and on their own.
As I was fighting my way around the hill, I picked up three men; enough for a fire team. We were on a road, or a big trail, I don’t know which since it was so dark. Apparently, a “gook” spotter must have noticed us and called in 76’s on us. We continued on, but the shells were getting closer. There was a cut-out in the road, and as soon as we got in it a shell hit just past us. We had made it to safety—wrong! The soldier closest to the shell was unscratched. I, being next, received a wound to my right knee. The soldier next to me, lost both legs, and the soldier at the end—lost his life.
The guy who lost his legs was screaming loudly, and the “gooks” zeroed in on us. I tried to get to him, but when I tried to stand—I couldn’t. That’s when I realized I had been wounded. As I started to crawl to the road, the shelling became heavier, so, I hopped on one leg to the aid bunker. After telling the corpsman about the other Marines, I blacked out.
The next thing I remembered, I was on the hospital ship USS Haven, awakening to the voice of the doctor saying, “This Hale isn’t going to make it.” I told him I wasn’t hurt that bad. He replied, “Not you, this Hale.” I looked over at the bunk next to me, and there laid Avery. I started screaming that they had better save my brother. The doctors could not believe that as big as the Haven was, and as many wounded that were aboard that they had put two brothers next to each other.
Knowing the War Department would be sending telegrams to our parents, I yelled for the Red Cross to send one saying that we were not hurt that bad. They wouldn’t do it unless I paid for it. I had nothing of my own—much less money. A chaplain heard me yelling, and he said that he would send it for me. I knew it would help our parents to hear from us.
We were sent to Japan for nearly a month. Our brother Donald was in Japan, and he came by every other day to visit us; that sure was nice.
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After boot camp, I thought I knew what the Marines