Page 84 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2024 - Online Magazine

“Our first day of combat
was August 6, 1950. On
our third day, I was
with O.B. Swindall from
Crosbyton when he was
killed. Our company
commander got killed
on August 11. After that,
we had officers coming
and going. I went with
them when they took
O.B.’s body down the
hill in the dark to an
area at the aid station
and placed him with
other casualties to be
transported elsewhere.

“On September 16, 1950,
our colonel ordered us
into a boat to cross the
Nakdong River. About
30 of us loaded up in one of the 8th Army’s
DUKW (the DUKW was a six-wheel-drive,
2½-ton amphibious vehicle). We had bombed
and lobbed artillery shells at the North
Koreans the night before and were supposed
to go on a ‘mop up mission’ across the river.
When we got to the middle of the river, the
North Koreans opened fire on us. Guys were
screaming to get out. A lot of the guys were
carrying heavy field packs, and they jumped
over the side (to avoid the fire) and drowned.
Everyone in that boat got killed except me
and maybe one other guy. I was shot behind
the neck and slid down the side of the craft.
I was lucky that I was close to the side. All
I remember is that something stung like
fire. When I woke up, the boat was floating
out. They laid down a smoke screen for us.
You couldn’t see anything for the smoke. I
remember a lot of blood. It seemed like it was
ankle-deep. Another boat came by, and they
got me out. I was put in a smaller boat and
taken back to our side of the river.”

84 Lubbock Senior Link