Page 96 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2018- Online Magazine
P. 96
Alton Garner
Witness to History
by Larry A. Williams
the prisoners and find Garner completed ten weeks
out their names and as of basic training in San
much as he could to Diego, then ten weeks of
identify them. Most infantry training at Camp
were clothed in Russian Pendleton, and one week
and Chinese clothing. of cold weather training in
He noted that “all the northern California. When
men seemed to have he was deployed to Korea, he
been brain-washed,”
and one of them said he
had “spent 1001 days
in captivity.” The men
were part of the so-called
“Big Switch” in which
12,773 United Nations
POW’s, including
3,597 Americans, were
repatriated.
Alton was born on a farm
ormer Marine in Terry County, Texas
Corporal Alton Garner in 1928 to Horace and Mabel
F remembers well Garner. He graduated Union noted that the men were glad
that day in 1953. Several High School in 1946. Here that a former general, Dwight
Marines from the 1st Medical he met and then married his D. Eisenhower, was elected
Battalion were chosen to wife, Thalua, in 1948. Alton President in November 1952.
go to “Freedom Village” at attended Draughon Business The trip on the troop ship
Panmunjom where United College in Lubbock in 1946/47 USS Pope took 10 -12 days
Nations prisoners were to be and studied bookkeeping and to reach Korea. Assigned to
exchanged for Communist accounting. Even though the the 1st Medical Battalion, D
prisoners from China and Korean War began in 1950, Company, he was stationed
North Korea. One of the Alton “escaped the draft on Kimpo Peninsula, west
prisoners being exchanged until April 1952 when I was of Seoul, on the Yellow Sea.
that inducted into His company was “basically
September the Marines a Marine MASH unit.”
day was in Brownfield, Their job was to “take the
Medal of Texas, at age wounded, returned from the
Honor 24.” Even front lines, and transport
winner, though he was them to Inchon, where they
Major married at were ferried out to the
General the time, he hospital ship USS Hope for
William noted that the further medical treatment.”
Dean, who government Alton was later transferred
was the “started to Marine HQ on the
highest-ranking officer to be drafting married men with no Western Front. HQ was
captured by North Korea. children.” in need of men who could
Alton’s job was to talk to
96 Lubbock Senior Link
