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Started By
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Today is the 75th anniversary of the start of the Korean War
Posted on 6/25/25 at 4:52 am
Posted on 6/25/25 at 4:52 am
June 25, 1950.
Often called "The Forgotten War," the Korean War came within a hair's breadth of becoming World War III. Despite the fact that it remained a regional conflict, it involved many nations and millions of soldiers from around the world. By the time it was over just over three years later, an estimated three million people were dead (mostly civilians). Despite the Vietnam War being the more famous conflict of the two, the Korean War is believed by historians to have been the deadliest conflict of the Cold War.
Personal anecdote time. My paternal grandfather served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. For years he would tell his children (my dad included) that he didn't do anything during the conflict, serving mostly in Japan. However, when my dad drove him and my grandmother to a reunion of his Korean War unit, one of my grandfather's fellow veterans came up to my father and started talking to him.
"Hey, you're Leon [last name]'s kid, are you not?"
"Yes, sir," my dad replied.
"He saved my life in Korea. I was hit and he dragged me back to a foxhole."
Turns out my grandfather was a .30 cal machine gunner in Korea and saw extensive service/action there in 1951. It's crazy how some men are able to keep those experiences a secret from their loved ones for so long.
Often called "The Forgotten War," the Korean War came within a hair's breadth of becoming World War III. Despite the fact that it remained a regional conflict, it involved many nations and millions of soldiers from around the world. By the time it was over just over three years later, an estimated three million people were dead (mostly civilians). Despite the Vietnam War being the more famous conflict of the two, the Korean War is believed by historians to have been the deadliest conflict of the Cold War.
Personal anecdote time. My paternal grandfather served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. For years he would tell his children (my dad included) that he didn't do anything during the conflict, serving mostly in Japan. However, when my dad drove him and my grandmother to a reunion of his Korean War unit, one of my grandfather's fellow veterans came up to my father and started talking to him.
"Hey, you're Leon [last name]'s kid, are you not?"
"Yes, sir," my dad replied.
"He saved my life in Korea. I was hit and he dragged me back to a foxhole."
Turns out my grandfather was a .30 cal machine gunner in Korea and saw extensive service/action there in 1951. It's crazy how some men are able to keep those experiences a secret from their loved ones for so long.
This post was edited on 6/25/25 at 4:53 am
10
Posted on 6/25/25 at 4:56 am to RollTide1987
Legit…CSB
Posted on 6/25/25 at 7:19 am to RollTide1987
Maternal grandfather served there after serving in WWII. He hit one of the Normandy beaches apparently, though it was one that saw relatively little action that day. Yet, he never talked much about the actual action.
This appears to be him. He never wanted to confirm, but all his features from being tall to his ear and nose (the one holding the man) are present.
Edit: as a clarification, this would be a picture from Korea, not WWII. As I remember hearing, some of our family were touring the USS Alabama some few years ago, and while one stopped for a bathroom break on the ship, someone saw this picture hanging nearby. They noticed the resemblance and asked if it was him, but he never really would confirm or deny. Regardless of whether it was him, the men were real, and the realities should be remembered.
Interesting sidenote: he had two grandparents who fought in the Civil War. He apparently joked later in life (he passed just a couple summers ago) how he was probably the only living person with civil war veteran grandparents. I was always nervous to ask him things about that or the wars because of how he "never talks about it." It's an absolute fricking shame I never did.
This appears to be him. He never wanted to confirm, but all his features from being tall to his ear and nose (the one holding the man) are present.
Edit: as a clarification, this would be a picture from Korea, not WWII. As I remember hearing, some of our family were touring the USS Alabama some few years ago, and while one stopped for a bathroom break on the ship, someone saw this picture hanging nearby. They noticed the resemblance and asked if it was him, but he never really would confirm or deny. Regardless of whether it was him, the men were real, and the realities should be remembered.
Interesting sidenote: he had two grandparents who fought in the Civil War. He apparently joked later in life (he passed just a couple summers ago) how he was probably the only living person with civil war veteran grandparents. I was always nervous to ask him things about that or the wars because of how he "never talks about it." It's an absolute fricking shame I never did.
This post was edited on 6/25/25 at 10:00 am
Posted on 6/25/25 at 8:07 am to RollTide1987
My Dad did a tour in Korea. Said it was the coldest place he'd ever been.
Posted on 6/25/25 at 8:10 am to RollTide1987
quote:
Personal anecdote time. My paternal grandfather served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. For years he would tell his children (my dad included) that he didn't do anything during the conflict, serving mostly in Japan. However, when my dad drove him and my grandmother to a reunion of his Korean War unit, one of my grandfather's fellow veterans came up to my father and started talking to him.
"Hey, you're Leon [last name]'s kid, are you not?"
"Yes, sir," my dad replied.
"He saved my life in Korea. I was hit and he dragged me back to a foxhole."
Turns out my grandfather was a .30 cal machine gunner in Korea and saw extensive service/action there in 1951. It's crazy how some men are able to keep those experiences a secret from their loved ones for so long.
God bless him
Posted on 6/25/25 at 8:55 am to RollTide1987
My grandfather was there. Stationed at Kadena Air Base - Okinawa in a B-29 Unit and after being discharged enrolled at Mississippi State to get an electrical engineering degree.
RIP Grandaddy
RIP Grandaddy
Posted on 6/25/25 at 9:04 am to RollTide1987
quote:
It's crazy how some men are able to keep those experiences a secret from their loved ones for so long.
My wife's uncle passed away, and we were visiting her aunt (they had no kids and my wife and her were really close). We started going through a box of letters he had sent her when he was a mechanic with Patton. Every letter was pretty much the same, making it sound like a great adventure, and would often have a picture of him and his buddies smiling and holding a bottle of wine in front of some bombed out town. The last letter, however, was unopened. I asked her about it and she told me that because he was older and married, he was among the first to come home and he beat the letter. He told her not to bother with it, to just put throw it away. She kept it but never opened it. So, I opened it. There was no letter, just a picture of him standing in front of a big iron gate, with some low slung buildings in the background. He wasn't smiling. It was one of the saddest looks ever. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. I said that I didn't know he had seen a concentration camp. She said he never said a word about it.
Posted on 6/25/25 at 9:46 am to RollTide1987
My wife's uncle received a Silver Star in Korea. He rarely talked about the war. One day I was sitting with him on his front porch, and he just unloaded all these stories about the war. I sat there for over an hour captivated.
I told my wife about it, and she said "wow, he has never talked to us about his time in Korea. Whenever we ask, he would say 'I was just a cook.' He must like you."
I told my wife about it, and she said "wow, he has never talked to us about his time in Korea. Whenever we ask, he would say 'I was just a cook.' He must like you."
quote:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class ******, United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of [REDACTED}, in action on 16 July 1950 near Yongdong, Korea. The enemy had penetrated front line units and were attacking the battery’s positions. Private First Class *****, a battery cook, joined a 105 howitzer section which was firing on the enemy from the battery’s exposed flank. While serving this howitzer in direct fire he was wounded twice by small arms fire. At one time the howitzer received a direct hit and wounded three men serving the howitzer. With utter disregard of his own personal safety, Private First Class ***** continued loading and firing the howitzer by himself until the enemy infantry was finally driven from the battery’s exposed flank. The act of gallantry displayed by Private First Class ***** reflects great credit on himself and the military service.
This post was edited on 6/25/25 at 1:07 pm
Posted on 6/25/25 at 10:25 am to boxcarbarney
My uncle served in an infantry unit as an interpreter. He spoke fluent korean that he learned on his own growing up in south Louisiana. he's still with us today and i asked him he says he can no longer speak the language but probably could understand it. he said he never spoke the language after he came home in 53
Posted on 6/25/25 at 10:49 am to RollTide1987
The one time that nation building actually worked as intended.
Prior to the war, S Korea was rural and poor in comparison to N Korea. Now look at them.
Prior to the war, S Korea was rural and poor in comparison to N Korea. Now look at them.
Posted on 6/25/25 at 11:54 am to FightinTigersDammit
quote:
My Dad did a tour in Korea. Said it was the coldest place he'd ever been.
My dad did to and used to say the same. Which is saying something considering he grew up in the northern 3rd of Indiana. He wasn't exactly a stranger to cold weather
Posted on 6/25/25 at 11:59 am to boxcarbarney
Posted on 6/25/25 at 11:59 am to RollTide1987
quote:My dad got his orders to deploy to Korea after basic training at Schofield Barracks. He said he was sitting on his footlocker trying to write a letter to his mother telling her he had to go, when guy came up and said he needed to report to the Captain. When he got in to see the Captain he found out they wanted him to become an MP on the Hawaii base. He really did end up spending the duration of his time in the Army roaming around the islands.
For years he would tell his children (my dad included) that he didn't do anything during the conflict, serving mostly in Japan.
He and a couple of buddies bought a convertible. When I was a kid I saw pics of them with girls in grass skirts having a good time. Pretty sure my mom threw them all away at some point because they disappeared. He even had pics of Sinatra, Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr and Donna Reed hanging out at their hotel when they were filming From Here to Eternity. He's actually in the beginning of the movie where they show the troops drilling.
When his time in the Army ended he got offered a job with the Honolulu PD, but was ready to go home. The only times he left Hawaii was when they sent Army prisoners to Leavenworth. He took one on a boat, and another on a cargo plane to San Francisco. He dropped the guys off at the Presidio brig and would have a couple of days leave in San Francisco.
Posted on 6/25/25 at 12:07 pm to boxcarbarney
Just as an FYI, you quoted enough verbatim from the citation that the name was easily found.
Posted on 6/25/25 at 12:59 pm to LemmyLives
quote:
Just as an FYI, you quoted enough verbatim from the citation that the name was easily found.
Meh. If someone here wants to go through all that trouble, have at it. If they're coming to visit me, I hope they bring food.
Thanks for the head's up though.
Posted on 6/25/25 at 5:21 pm to RollTide1987
My dad whacked his share of the yellow bastards. God Bless America!
Posted on 6/25/25 at 6:23 pm to FredBear
I read this oral history of the Korean War once, and this one grunt was asked what was the hardest thing about living and fighting in that cold. He said, trying to take a leak when you're wearing six inches worth of clothes, and you only have four inches of dick!
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