Page 122 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2018- Online Magazine

Buzz McMillan
Cooking Under Fire

by Larry A. Williams

with “incoming and The 2nd Infantry, whose
outgoing artillery history can be traced back
shells.” Buzz to the Civil War, arrived in
recalled that “the 1st Pusan, Korea in July 1950.
Sergeant was killed They happened to be the first
by a shell fragment unit shipped directly from
from Allied the U.S.
artillery.” Even the
task of feeding the
troops was often
under extreme
duress.

Buzz was born in
Rockwood, Texas
and graduated
from high school
in Melvin in 1949.
He joked that his
favorite subjects
in school were
“recess and Math.”
The Korean War
broke out in June
“ n army marches 1950, and Buzz
on its stomach.” was drafted in October
ANapoleon recognized of that year. He did his After arriving in Korea,
in the 18th century, as did basic training and Infantry Buzz initially carried a BAR
every military leader who training in Ft. Lewis, (Browning automatic rifle)
preceded him, that an army Washington and also worked for a short time but was soon
needs a regular in the motor serving on the front line as
supply of pool. Two a mess cook. Later, his unit
food to keep volunteers was transferred to a prison
fighting. In were needed camp at Koje-do, an island
the fall of in the off the southern coast of
1951, Korean kitchen, so Korea. The prison was built
War veteran Buzz put into eight compounds and
Cleveland in to be a was designed to hold 700-
“Buzz” cook. He 1,200 men apiece but was
McMillan was eventually soon filled to five times their
“close to the wound up capacity. Buzz recalls talking
front lines and being a mess to some of the prisoners -
had to feed sergeant for “one was only 14 and one
120-130 men Co. G, 38th was 15 – these were just
three meals Regiment, kids.”
per day” - not 2nd Infantry
an easy task Division.

122 Lubbock Senior Link