Page 70 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2021- Online Magazine
P. 70
Steven Fair From a Mechanic
to a Medic
by Larry Williams
the lower Rhine River and its Steve was assigned as a Medical
neighboring rivers. While the Corpsman to the 382nd General
plan failed, James was able to Hospital in Osaka/Kanoaka,
evade capture by swimming Japan and did “emergency
across the Ruhr River. He spent training for three months before
time in a hospital in England for heading to Inchon, Korea” where
a while after his ordeal. Another he was part of the 382nd Hospital
one of his brothers served during Battalion from February 1952 to
the Korean War. January 1953 as a “rear echelon
medic, assigned to transporting
Steve joked that “he and Elvis wounded troops – patching them
Presley grew up close to each up and caring for them. We
other.” Elvis was born in transported the less wounded
Tupelo, Mississippi, just 20 miles via a medical ambulance truck.
southeast of Bethany on U.S. (Fair most likely drove the Dodge
Highway 45. Since Bethany did WC54 ambulance built during
not have a school, Fair attended WWII and used up through 1953
or those of us who have nearby Macedonia High School. in Korea.) The more serious
served in the Armed Forces He enjoyed playing baseball cases were Medevac'd to either
Ffor any length of time, we there, and his favorite subject a hospital or a MASH unit.” A
can relate to what happened to was history. seriously injured soldier had
former Army PFC Steven Fair of a 97% chance of survival after
Abernathy. He started out as a Steve's family moved to being treated at a MASH unit.
mechanic and became a medic. Arkansas, and he was drafted The National Museum of the
into the Army on February
Steven Fair was born to George 27, 1951. First, he went to U.S. Army estimates some 17,000
and Lela Fair in Bethany, the induction center at Camp troops were flown from harm’s
Mississippi on February 25, Chaffee, Arkansas. (Later way during the Korean War via
1930. His dad was in the logging renamed Fort Chaffee, Elvis helicopter.
and sawmill business, while arrived there in 1958 for his Steve’s time in Korea lasted from
mom was a homemaker. Steve four-day induction.) Steve was April 1952 to February 1953.
was part of a large family – five sent to Ft. Lewis, Washington Korea was known for harsh
brothers and four sisters. Steve for eight weeks of basic training. winters. PFC Fair said he “saw
was the fourth oldest. He After surviving basic, Fair was lots of frostbite, along with limbs
noted that one brother, James, assigned to the 6th Infantry
served in WWII with the Army Division. (Actor David Janssen
and participated in the D-Day of TV’s The Fugitive fame was
invasion on June 6, 1944. He with the 6th Infantry the year
was a Higgins Boat driver after Fair.) From there, Steve
and dropped troops off on the was sent to Vehicle Ops Training
beach under heavy German School at Ft. Ord, California
fire. Surviving that ordeal, for three months. While there,
James volunteered to join the he learned to drive all types of
82nd Airborne. He trained in Army vehicles and how to do
England for three to four weeks maintenance on them. After
and participated in the so-called Vehicle Op training, he was
Operation Market Garden. The assigned to Korea and was “on a
plan was for Allied airborne ship transport zigzagging from
troops to seize the bridges across Seattle to Tokyo (Yokohama).”
70 Lubbock Senior Link
