Voices from the Korean War - Douglas Rice [212]
He and Laurie live in Bartow, Florida. They have one son and one daughter.
Richard Esser – After leaving the Navy, Richard started his own business—Dick Esser Plumbing and Heating, Inc. His two sons, and their wives, took over the business after he retired.
He lives in Lorain, Ohio.
Howard Camp – He was discharged from the U.S. Army on October 8, 1952. On November 21, 1952, he married Phyllis Scott.
He worked for the National Cash Register Company in Dayton, Ohio, until 1975. Then he went to work for the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier. In December of 1991, he retired.
On October 10, 2006, Phyllis passed away.
He resides in Xenia, Ohio. They had one son and one daughter.
Rexford Glass – He arrived home, in Gas City, Indiana, on Christmas Eve 1952. On January 26, 1953, he married and returned to work at Owens-Illinois Glass Company. His marriage ended in 1959 due to his nightmares of Korea. They had three daughters and one son.
He remarried in 1972 and moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana. After thirty-seven years of marriage, she passed away on January 30, 2009.
In 1982 he retired from Owens-Illinois Glass Company.
He still resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Raymond Reilly – After returning home, Raymond went back to work in the mines. He drove trucks and operated a front-end loader. He married his high school sweetheart and they had two daughters.
He currently resides in Aristes, Pennsylvania.
David Lopez – After working as a Longshoreman, a drop forge operator, and a drop hammer operator, he traveled to the east coast to learn meat cutting. Unfortunately, the ice boxes were bad for his health. So, he returned to California and went into the lawn care business. At the age of sixty-two, and working for thirty years, he retired.
He lives in Torrance, California.
Charles Bracey – Charles passed away on March 13, 2008, in Aberdeen, North Carolina.
Albert Field – He spent the first two years, after leaving the service, doing odd jobs. Then one day Albert received a called from one of the guys he went through basic training with. He wanted to know if Albert was interested in driving his father’s dump truck while he was recuperating from surgery. He took the job until his buddy’s father returned. Liking it so much, he bought a truck and became an owner/operator.
Albert married his buddy’s sister and they have been married for thirty-five years. They have five children. They live in Cherry Valley, California.
Kenneth Flynn – Kenneth passed away on September 29, 2009 in California City, California.
Donald Degood – After returning home, Donald married. They have two daughters.
He retired after selling insurance for thirty years. He is active in volunteer work. By 2009 he had amassed over 4,000 hours at Memorial Hospital.
He currently lives in Marysville, Ohio.
Otto White – After leaving the service, Otto married Geraldine Johnson of Capron, Illinois. He went to work at Woodward Governor Company, where he was a tool machinist. After twenty-three years, he went into his own business. However, two years later he went back to industrial work. Nine years later, he retired.
He and Geraldine live in Loves Park, Illinois. They have one daughter.
Alfred Eckhart – In October of 1952, Alfred returned stateside. On December 5, 1952, he married his sweetheart, Nola Ann.
After leaving the service, he went to work for Firestone Tire & Rubber Company. He eventually went to work for Tyres International of Columbus, Ohio. He retired after with forty years of service.
He and Nola live in Canal Winchester, Ohio. They have two sons and one daughter.
Nola said even Alzheimer’s can’t keep Alfred from remembering the horrendous fighting, and death toll on Porkchop Hill.
George DeSha – He went to work for a lumber company in Florida after leaving the Marine Corps. George worked there for three years, and then he went into construction building houses. He joined the local fire department and after eight years, became the Fire Chief.
He and his wife moved to Michigan, where he continued working in the