Page 85 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2024 - Online Magazine

arMY
Don’s wound was not severe enough to be sent
home. After a few days in the aid station, he
was returned to his unit. “When the Chinese
came into the war, that changed everything.
We were in the capital of North Korea,
Pyongyang. We went out looking for North
Korean stragglers. We were attacked by what
we thought was North Korean troops, but it
was Chinese. We weren’t expecting them at all.
They just walked right up to us. It was bad—
just a slaughter. There were 87 of us before
the Chinese hit, and there were only 12 of us
the next morning. I remember it was so cold—
below zero.
“I never slept in a sleeping bag the whole
time I was in the field, just under blankets.
As my friend O.B. had told me, you can’t use
your sleeping bag, because the zippers freeze,
and you couldn’t get out of them, so a lot of
guys were killed (by the Chinese) while stuck
in them. They attacked us one night. One
of our guys got killed with a hand grenade.
He landed on top of me. I was stunned by
the blast, so I laid real quiet. I didn’t see the
Chinese, but I heard them talking. They were
calling us ‘Yankee pigs.’ I was glad they finally
moved on.”
Don got a break after months of combat. He
was given guard duty at a colonel’s quarters
behind the lines. “For once, it was good duty,
and I got hot meals.” Don’s time in Korea was
ending, but he felt he had one more important
mission to fulfill.
“I went back to Inchon and stayed there until
May 1951. I was sent back to Ft.
Ord, discharged on November 26,
1951, and went home to San Diego.
I wasn’t sure what I was going
to do after I got out, but I knew I
needed to go see O.B. Swindall’s
family in Crosbyton. I wanted to
let them know that I was with him
korean war
when he died. The family was very nice to me.
O.B. had three sisters. I really hit it off with
the middle one. I lived with the family and
eventually married Glenda on July 19, 1952.
I was 19 years old, and she was only 16. We
settled in Crosbyton and had two boys, Robert
and Kelly, and one girl, Darla. I worked at
several gas stations and at the Crosbyton
Power Plant for several years. My last job was
with the Crosby County Fuel Association (Co-
op). I never had to worry about a job, I always
had something to do.”
Glenda passed away June 23, 2010, but Don
has been a fixture in Crosbyton for many,
many years. The kid from San Diego found
a wife and a long life there. A neighbor said,
“Don was fun to be around. He’s forgot more
about sports, especially Crosbyton sports, than
I will ever know.” Now 91-years-old, Don
Ferree is still a survivor, and he still serves.
His daughter, Darla Hightower, said, “O. B.
Swindall is buried in the Crosbyton cemetery.
My dad would raise a flag on his grave every
Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. He always
helped put out flags for all the veterans every
Veteran’s Day. He took care of the graves of
his friends and family members.”
Don Ferree feels lucky to have survived, but
West Texas is lucky to have had this hero
among us for over 70 years.
Lubbock Senior Link 85