Page 100 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2020- Online Magazine

Curtis Ruff
It Just Wasn't His Day
by Larry A. Williams

After boot camp in Fort Ord, The winter gave way to spring and
California, Curtis insisted on going warmer weather, but then came
overseas, and the Army obliged the rain and the mud. Curtis spent
him by sending him to Japan and the next five months climbing
on to Korea as part of the Army’s hills and dodging bullets. By that
2nd Infantry Division known as the time, he was carrying an M18 44
“Indianhead”. When Curtis arrived lb. recoilless rifle, and he had lost
in Pusan, in January, 1951, the 22 lbs. His platoon was in the
North Koreans were making a big lead, heading up one particularly
push into South Korea. The allies deadly hill, when the captain and
had been “pushed back about as far the lieutenant were wounded,
as they could go, and it was time to and the sergeant had to take over
move north.” They moved north in the platoon. Curtis was standing
a convoy, up through mountains in next to one of his good friends, a
the snow; as they got farther north, machine gunner, when he was shot
bullets started hitting the trucks. and killed. He had never forgotten
They eventually made it to their the look on his friend’s face when
base camp, where young Curtis he was hit. A short time later, their
first saw real casualties. Behind the medic was on his way to help a
mess hall, he saw “several of our fallen comrade when he was also
uniformed soldiers, stacked like killed. That action all took place on
here’s something about a firewood in the freezing cold.” May 28, 1951. The next day, they
military funeral that tugs had to return to the hill to retrieve
Tat the heart strings. It’s an His platoon marched on north the casualties. “Eight or ten had
awe-inspiring mix of pride, respect, from there. After arriving at the been killed in action.” As he helped
honor, sadness and a celebration next base camp, he was told they carry them off the mountain, Curtis
of the heroism and life of another “needed some infantry guys up had remembered “a strange feeling.
American veteran. Under a crisp, front.” Company G, 2nd Infantry I was proud that it wasn’t me being
clear blue West Texas sky on Division was his first exposure to carried, and it also made me feel
January 12, 2016, the 21 gun salute “this real thing called war. We guilty that it could have been me, so
was rendered by the American got a new commander, a young I guess it just wasn’t my day.”
Legion, taps were played and the captain, Bill Clark, who was the
U.S. flag draping the coffin was son of a famous general, Mark The next day, May 30, was his day.
folded with precision and respect Clark.” They soon found out that He was going up a hill when an
and handed to the grieving widow, the young officer was a “fearless explosion knocked him off his feet.
Frances. She had been married to leader and wanted to engage and He wasn’t sure exactly what hit
Curtis Ruff for 61 years, years that fight.” Curtis had said Capt. Clark him, but he vividly “remembered
almost didn’t happen. liked to look for action and found the ones carrying me on a stretcher.
it. On one of their first patrols, “He One of them said it didn’t look like
Curtis was born on July 23, 1932 dropped a grenade in an enemy I was going to make it, so they had
in Old Mobeetie, Texas, the next to bunker.” to get me out of there or I was going
youngest of seven children. When to die. I didn’t want to open my
he was 17, his mother signed for “The living conditions were eyes because I was afraid a part of
him to join the Army. Before Curtis horrible, just being out in the open me was gone.”
passed, he had shared much of his all day, then trying to sleep at night
life story with his family. All five on the frozen ground, afraid to Curtis was flown to a hospital in
boys in the Ruff family had served go to sleep after hearing of other Japan for a couple of weeks and
in the Armed Forces, three during soldiers with their throats cut while then on to Brooke Army Hospital
WWII, one during WWII and Korea helpless in their sleeping bags. at Fort Sam Houston. The chief
and then Curtis in Korea. Days and nights just came and of medical records said that PFC
went.” Curtis “remains under treatment

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