Page 107 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2021- Online Magazine

arMY
Korean War

there, he letter most every day. Once, I told him I thought he
shipped out had one, but he didn’t get one, and he really cussed
for Korea. me out. He used to box them (the letters) up and
“After send them home.
stopping
in Sasebo, “Nine of us lived in a tent. It got down to 0° in the
Japan, for winter. We had two potbelly stoves in our tent.
three days, The guard came through at night and cut the heat
where it down. We turned it right back up to high after he
rained left. We could see snow in the mountains year-
every day round. I was there about one month when the
we were there, we headed for Korea and landed at cease-fire agreement was signed at Panmunjon
Pusan. We were young recruits and had M-1 rifles (July 27, 1953).
with fixed bayonets. Fifteen to eighteen (Korean) “I stayed in Korea for 16 months. Then I flew back
kids ran along behind the train as we threw candy to San Francisco, took a bus to Abilene, and got
to them. a ride home. I was only back three weeks when

“They took us within three miles of the 38th
Parallel. We could hear the rifles going on the
front lines. I was close enough to know I didn’t
want any part of it! A guy named Yates, from
Ohio, took ammo on a deuce-and-a-half (Army
truck) to the front lines when a 105mm Howitzer
hit his truck. Fortunately, he was OK. I was there
training for four months. At first, I was with the
45th Division, then rotated to an Anti-Aircraft
Battalion (AAA), then the 24th Infantry Division.”
The 24th was the first division to respond at
the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. They
remained on front-line duty until October 1957,
patrolling the 38th parallel. The 24th suffered
3,735 killed and 7,395 wounded during the
Korean War.
Benge was assigned as a mail clerk. “We were
located 18 miles from the APO (Army Post
Office). Mail call was at midnight. I could break
into the chow line whenever I wanted so I could
go get the mail. One guy used to send $200-300
home to his mom. We were only making $137.50
a month, but he was a good poker player and
made extra money that way. He said, ‘I’m getting
the longest, blackest Buick I can buy when I get
back home to Detroit.’ Another guy received a

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