JMJ

Thursday, March 25, 2010

"L" Co. 5th RCT 1951

Korea war 1951
"L" Co, 5th RCT 24th Division

The next time the truck stopped it was down a small road with dried out rice paddies on the right side and a wooded area on the left. When I got out of the truck .I was now a member of the 5th RCT and I was in "L" Company the 4th platoon..I went across a mound of dirt to a bivouac area. A couple of soldiers were sitting on the ground,,The first thing the Sgt ask me was "Okay what weapon do you want" and I had a choice, the machine gun,a BAR (Browning automatic rifle) or a plain old M1 rifle. I chose a rifle which I already had, However I was assigned to a machine gun squad..That night I pulled guard on the wooded side of the road.We had mosquito nets to put over our helmets but I could not see very well with the net so I would pull it up and got bit by mosquitos.It would be the only time I got bit by mosquitos which would cause a big problem much later.

The next day after breakfast the Sgt was looking for volunteers to fire the 2.3 rocket launcher volunteered and we met a the end of the road where it ended at the bottom of a hill.There were three of us who volunteered, There was one 2.3 Rocket luncher..The Sgt took the first soldier and gave him instructions then a round was put in the rocket luncher .The soldier squeezed the trigger it did not fire.A small wire connection was checked it fired. Next soldier another round put in. Again problems making it fire and when it did there was rust on the round that blew out the back,Now it was my turn.I was supposed to fire high at the hill but as I looked through the scope it was aimed somewhere at the bottom of the hill and I thought its not going to fire......So I pulled the trigger and it fired immediatly. The round landed at the bottom of the hill.

The next day some big General came and our company put on a show of fire power, Soldiers carrying 81 MM mortars up the hill, I fired a carbine with other soldiers. I put it on automatic and after firing a clip or two the wooden cover was smoking it got that hot,.after the General left we bivouacked near a hill in the valley, I was in my tent writing one of those rare letters I ever wrote,.When the artillery started to fire which was not far away the ground shook,Some soldiers who were called "Ridge runners" made special patrols before we would go on the front lines.We were in Kumwah,North Korea.

The next day we would go on the front lines.

Front Lines, North Korea 1951

North Korea May 1951
5th RCT :L" Co, 4th Platoon 3rd Squad

Front Lines
After the demonstration for some top generals it was time to go on the front lines.Since I was in the machine squad I was assigned to carry machine gun ammo,two boxes..It was heavy..I had it over my right shoulder with straps to hold the boxes.About half way up the hill I was getting tired.what to do..I looked in front of me and there was this soldier,tall looked strong..With out thinking I got close to him took my ammo threw it on his shoulders then said "Will you help me" He turned around and then I saw the Lt. Bars.and he was my company commander..The surprise he said "sure Ill help you"

So we continued up the hill. When we got to the top .We kept on going for awhile then we stopped and we were told to chose a place to make our fox holes..The machine gun men got quickly making a special bunker.We were next to the machine gun and my buddy and I dug a fox hole. That night guard 1 hour on one hour off all night.During the night the machine gunners heard sounds and would fire in that direction.The morning came and just below the new machine gun bunker was an old North Korean bunker and a soldier came out of it. The soldier was a medic who had thought that would be a good place to sleep but no one knew he was in there so every time he moved the machine gunner would fire but he was safe as long as he stayed in the bunker,That night he slept on the other side of the hill,,

That day the artillery was firing on enemy position and a White Phosphorus fell short on our area,Lucky just far enough not to hurt but as the white smoke came across the hill the machine gun bunker was fill of men...In those first couple of day the mess people were able to bring hot food up in containers but a problem not enough mess kits to eat out off..What to do..Simple.The first men got the mess kits.When they finish eating on the ridge line they put them in a box.Next group took the dirty mess kit hit it on a tree and ate and so on/You finish eating knock the old food out and pass on the mess kit,We only got a couple of meals that way then we got C-rations ..

The next thing I learned the hard way was how to sleep. I was sleeping on the ridge line not far from my fox hole when I got off guard.One night I felt some one kicking me and saying ;Is he dead?" Then they told me.I was sleeping with my mouth wide open and a soldier saw dozens of flies going in my mouth.So he presumed I was dead.From that day on I covered my mouth with whatever I could find when I was sleeping.

Our first casualty, no not the enemy but a horrible way to die. A soldier had a very large flare and as the story goes he put it in his fox hole then for some reason sat on it and it and the flare went up and he was killed immediately. My memory my fox hole was near the ridge line and they carried his body pass my fox hole.

The next man to die.We were put on alert were we being infiltrated, a soldier had gone in front of his fox hole to go to the bathroom his buddy woke up not realizing it and shot him,..We had a lot to learn.

On The Way Up to North Korea -1951

Korea 1951
5 RCT "L" Co.

Moving North

After a day at the abandoned factory we went a little north and came to an area once occupied by American soldiers. There was a row of small house with two floors, they were very small houses. We got there late so our squad got the top floor. We slept on the floor. While were getting ready the Sergeant.left and went to a nearby village. He came back upstairs with bottle he said had beer in it, then he told us to watch.he said as he poured a little on the floor that when he put a match to it if it turn red it was impure but if the color was blue you could drink it. The beer did burn. He drank it.

The next day after breakfast our exercise was climbing a nearby hill for exercise. It was a very rocky hill.

Again we proceeded north and stop by the side of the road and set up our pup tents. It was early and near by was a stream and a small waterfall. The Sergeant got an idea, why not, so we all strip down naked and jumped in the water. Nice clean water and cool. The stream was wide and I had not swam in a long time. So I tried swimming across. I barely made it. The swimming lessons in boarding school saved me. So I passed the waterfall put on my clothes and went back to the bivouac area .

One soldier said to follow him up the hill which I did with a couple of other soldiers. I was not ready for what we found. In front a dead enemy soldier and all down the ridge line many more dead enemy soldiers there body bloating. One soldier took a stick and pushed it in the body then we went down the hill. That night I was put on guard and the Sergeant told me the other soldier in the tent would pull guard after I was finished.

That night I walk the area and when I got to the tent I woke the soldier up for guard and went to sleep. The next morning I found out he never pulled his guard. He was in serious trouble and punished by digging what they called a 6 x 6 hole. He could have been shot.

That night after I got off guard I had a nightmare of dead soldiers head rolling down the hill.
That next day we got on trucks and again move north we were passing by Seoul. As we went down the road we saw a bridge. A soldier took a grenade and as we passed over it he threw it in the water. Everybody was in good spirits.

To our front we saw Army ambulances coming down the road as they passed us by we could see some of the wounded .Many ambulances passed us by and we all got quiet. It was a wake up call. Then we passed by Seoul on the outside of the city. There was smoke coming from some of the buildings. All along were proceeding north.On our next stop I would be assigned to my combat unit,

Korea 1951

5th Rct 24th Div,
Kumwah,North Korea..

Front Lines Kumwah.North Korea

As time went on our focus was on this very high hill to our front. Almost daily this hill was strafed by our airplanes.We would judge whether the pilot was married or not married, if he was not married the airplane would fly real low and near most touch the tree tops. The married pilot flew high above the tree line, also the artillery that hit that hill, soon it was given a name .We called it "The million dollar hill" the idea was that all the shells, all the strafing added up to a million dollars. In the History books and to this day that hill is referred to as "the Million Dollar Hill"
The Ghost

What would you call it? As we look down the ridge line there was another company.That had a particular problem that we all heard about later,..This is what happenned. Each night they would hear something moving around to there front. They would fire there rifles. The next day the same sounds but no matter how many rounds fired the mysterious sounds continued. Now the soldiers were getting worried, what was this mysterious thing that could not be killed. Finally the Sgt ask for volunteers the next time they heard the sounds they would go after it. So that night they heard the sounds and went after it, and caught a pig that was coming up the hill to find food.
Lesson Learned

One day my fox hole buddy says lets dig our fox hole down by the barb wire, this was in the early days when we got on the line. So we took our shovels and dug a hole close to the barb wire that the enemy would have to go over to get to us.

It look good all we would have to do would be to fire straight ahead at the barb wire. We neatly put the grenades, clips of ammo on the sand bags. We were ready. However to our left was the machine gun emplacement high above us and to our right two soldiers with rifle above us.But it was quiet a couple of days. Then came the night. I was sleeping on the ridge line. When my buddy had finished his guard duty he would come get me,then he would sleep on the ridge line. One night he came up to wake me up, all of a sudden there were red flares going up and other colored flares. The left flank was firing there weapons, then our men started to fire. I wanted to get to our fox hole but as we looked down. We could see the machine gun tracers going over our fox hole, our fox hole was now in the line of fire. So we split and stayed on the ridge line.I had ammo in my rifle and my ammo belt. So I started to fire to our front, I kept pulling my trigger then it stopped, my rifle had jammed. I looked around and I saw a soldier pulling commo wire for a telephone, I told him my rifle jammed so he said he would help, he got along side me and fired his weapon until it all got quiet again.

The next morning I did two things. We dug a new fox hole near the ridge line and I took my rifle apart got out the bad round clean my weapon. A couple of nights later I used it again and I fired off eight rounds with out a problem.

Fort Story, VA - May 21st 1966

In December 1965 we arrived at Fort Story, Clare,Dominic around two years old and Michael around a year and a half old.We stayed at the guest house near the old light house. Our trailer came down from New Jersey and we settled on 17th street in a trailer park. Each day I drove from 17th Street to Fort story. I was in the 344th LARC company,my job was in the Motor Pool with trucks and supply, However Vietnam,,,,I was leading the regular life of any soldier when we got our orders to go to Vietnam.This was at the end of May.We would be restricted to post at a certain point in time. I was packed and ready to go (Sorry we did not see combat but we did our duty and did it well).We lost our first soldier before leaving.) 21 May 1966,,that fateful day. We ate breakfast and went back to the barracks. I was sitting on my bunk and talking with the soldier next to me.His name PFC Hunt. He was telling me about his girl friend who worked at the “Paper box” a restaurant on the beach (Pacific ave) near 17th St. He said she was french, I said I spoke a little French I could help him.I swoon realized I was making a Buddy I could have when we got to Vietnam. We kept on talking then the 1St Sgt told us to put on our swimming gear. We would go to the beach and get some exercise swimming. We took our gear with us and we marched down to the beach.On the beach we put our gear down and went in swimming.(we were around 40 or more men just one platoon.) We were enjoying ourselves when the Sgt said “Everybody out of the water” One soldier had been pulled out by a rip tide. Who was it?? We all went by our gear and one spot was missing, PFC Hunt. I remember looking out into the water he was out there some where. We returned to the barracks. That night his body washed up on the shore by the NCO club.(NCO=Non Commissioned officers club)It was a sad night for me.I felt I had lost a friend even tho I knew him such a short time.

Later we found out he had made out an insurance policy for $10,000 the day before he died.I will not judge what he may have done or saw an opportunity to do. At the end of May I was restricted to post we were ready to leave.I had arranged to be picked up by the fence at the end of the trailer park .

Early that morning my buddies pick me up and we went to Fort Story. That night I called Clare from a telephone near the old PX at the back of the barracks. I would not see her for a year.We packed our gear and the next day we were headed on the long trip to Vietnam, again we would lose one more soldier(In Vietnam).

Next our trip to Vietnam and our first few days.

Fort Devens, MA - Dec 1960

On the first December my leave had not started yet.In the morning we went out in the forest and set up a tent.It was very cold. After dinner I went to Finance and got $193.20 travel pay..Then I pulled charge of quarters at the Motor Pool...(Some one need a jeep or truck I was there to see it signed out properly).

For dinner I walk to the Mess hall but a soldier drove me back,At the motor pool I studied mathematics and wrote letters.After midnight still writing letters.Then I got relieved went back to the barracks and slept until noon time

I ate dinner at the "Crossroads" snack bar and later I wash my field jacket and fatigue in a Laundromat in Ayer,Mass.At the Service club I called a Miss Carmel Randozzi (more later on that)The next day cleaning my M1 rifle and work as CQ in the motor pool studying Mathematics lessons.,On the 4th Dec the usual work day bu then I was packing my duffel bag to get ready to leave,,The 5th Dec was my last day with the 232nd Combat engineers.

I spent the day going back and forth doing all the paper work that was needed to clear post..I went to Ayer the town nearby and had dinner Mixed Fish,clams,shrimp,scallops,Then I bought ticket to Hartford,Conn. I called Miss Carmel Randozzi..after three calls got her and will see her tomorrow..I got on the bus at midnight,The Bus driver could not let me off in Hartford so I had to walk across a long bridge and walk a dozen blocks before I found a place to sleep at a YMCA..I went to the greyhound bus station and got my bags.I caught a bus to Putman Rd. to Burns school.To see a Miss Carmel Putman a 3rd grade school teacher. I stayed around the school until she got off and went to her house, then we went across the street to eat dinner I had three Manhattans and Veal cutlets, spaghetti,salad, port wine and black coffee. We just talked.
I write if she is that cold I'm headed for warmer climate"

Her father drove me to the YMCA..On the 7th Dec I called my sisters husband :Louis" come I say to New York to pick me up..and he says "no I wont", so it was a couple of days of walking around and sleeping at the YMCA,.Talk about a nothing affair that was it,,Don't ask me why..I went to see her..On the 8th Dec it was catch a bus to New Jersey.

North Korea - December 24th 1951

I was on a listening post with "L" Co 5th Regimental Combat team, It started snowing long before midnight. By midnight the snow was very deep. All of a sudden I hear Christmas music coming from the Chinese side. Who was playing the music. I started to think of home (What home??) and I also notice the music sounded different. Then, after a few minutes the music stopped and a voice said "This is the Chinese Communist Army and we invite you to surrender" Then he talked about a hot meal and read letters from prisoners of war and how well they were being treated. I heard a voice come from the fox hole next to me which said. "Pass the word get the artillery" so I passed the word to the next fox hole.

A couple of minutes later the artillery came down on the hills in front of us. (The word was passed on to a radioman)The around midnight they said a man got wounded and I was selected to carry him part of the way off the hill. The snow was so deepwe were dragging him in the snow. I went back to my fox hole and at around 2 am it started again the music and asking us to surrender. This time the artillery came without passing the word, now in all that in between Lt.Lee our company commander and a Sgt down from us caught the Chinese trying to infiltrate us. The Sgt threw grenades and killed a few.Plus Lt.Lee with his rifle.

Yong Dong Po, South Korea -1951

Inchon Korea 1951
After we left the landing craft we walked across a field and I saw a small building.What made it so unusall was that it was full of holes made by shells. There well holes of all sizes.Then we continued walking a truck took us to an abandoned factory.there was barb wire in one area. The sun was going down when we got inside on the bottom floor. The first thing I was told to do was "grab a piece of cement", in other words no bed, no tent, just sleep on the concrete floor,which I did.

During the night some soldiers went on patrols. The more seasoned soldiers. The next day were still at the factory. Years later I would find out that town was Yong Dong Po.(as close as I can get to the spelling but that is the way it is pronounced). But it was that night at the dinner meal, We were able to get cooked meals and we used our mess kits to put the food in..Outside
the factory on one side was a row of trash cans that we put what we did not eat in them. I had scraped my mess kit clean in a garbage can and going back in the factory when I heard voices and people walking I hid myself by the doorway and looked..The people were coming from the village.They went to the garbage cans. I saw one man pull out a piece of meat. Other putting there hands in the carbage cans pulling out what they could find. Ill never forget that scene. It was my first lesson in what war can do.

Aboard Ship - Yokohama, Japan - May 1951

Japan

We had been at sea for at least 14 days then around the 15th day I came up on deck and the First thing I saw was Mt.Fujiwama. I saw it just for a short time when fog covered it.The harbor was a little dirty with item floating in the water.We got our duffle bags ready and waited in the stairwells.

As soon as we got off the ship were lined up to get shots. No Joke the shot was called the "Japanese B".What I remember I watched as the soldier in front of me got his shot. But when the medic pulled out the needle it was still in his arm. Then it was my turn and all went well.

The next thing we were put on a train..We were told not to put our hands out the window because the train car passed very close to the bridges ect..The train cars were very small not very wide. The building we passed seem dull how can I explain, no color to them. They brought us to a small Army post and by a patch painted on a smoke stack it was the 1st Cavalry. We would not stay very long. We ate dinner and were restricted to the Army post.

The next day we were issued brand new M1 Rifles all the stuff it had been wrapped had to be cleaned away.The whole rifle taken apart and cleanned. We were taken to a rifle range and we fired a clip of ammo at targets that were not very far away. When we got back the Sgt said go thru your duffle bags get an extra set of under wear and socks he said you wont need the rest,What we took we put in a knapsack. As the sun set and it was dark they took us to the docks and we got on a different ship a smaller one. This ship had been hit by Japanese airplanes during World War Two so in the dark of the night we left. The idea very few people would know were on our way, it would take a couple of days to get tp Korea.

Our first knowledge that we were in the waters of Korea some one thought they had spotted a mine in the water. Then we arrived at Inchon. The first problem was the 30 foot tides.One time you could see for a mile or more water then some time later the same place would be a mud flat. So we boarded a LST a landing craft and it went in at the right time and brought us to shore.

My tour in Korea had begun.

Trip to Korea - 1951

On way to Korea

Basic training was over and now I had a little money in my pocket.I look sharp wearing my uniform had my orders and the date to report to California. I went back to the trailer park in Gainesville to sleep on a couch,take a shower across the road. My Foster parents in a way could of cared less if I had come home.

I would have more fun on an Army post, I went to Cedar Keys but nothing there. I found out quickly I was living better in the Army than where I was, so I bought my tickets for my trip to California had to go to Jacksonville, Where I got on a train.That train ride started my seven plus days trip across the United States.

I enjoyed every minute watching the scenery and eating good in the dinning car. When we reached Texas it took us three days to across the top of Texas, On the train I met a sailor we after talking we agreed to write each other, he would become a medic with a Marine unit and later in the Korean war win the Silver Star when a squad of Chinese came at him while he was working on some wounded. He threw grenades, fired his weapon and killed all the Chinese. It was one of the best trips I ever took across the United States. When we arrived in California on the seventh day. It took one more to get to our destination.

I reported in and showed the Sgt my orders. Then he said that I had reported in three days early. He also told me about others that were deserters. Our barracks was near one of those canals famous in California and we warned not to go near them.

It was a changing point in my life. I had started to think differently growing up? I knew I was completely on my own now, even my taste in music I went from Western cowboy type music to Doris day, Bing Crosby and Pop music. The first song that got my going was ? "The world is waiting for a sunrise" Les Paul and Mary Ford. While I was at the camp they had typewriters that work by putting a dime in and it work for so many minutes. I wrote letters but I never received a letter from my foster parents. We pulled details but soon we were packing up and brought to the docks. That troop ship was so big a two stacker the bow of the ship was way past the dock, a two stacker is a big ship. The ship was the General Johnson.

The last thing I saw was the Golden gate bridge.

A couple of days out we hit a typhoon and I got very sick and put on guard. The officer took me to an upper deck on the port side. He open the door and there was a soldier sick lying on the deck. He told me if I got sick I should get on the deck to.

The wind was blowing very strong. On that trip there is a couple of days I do not remember I was that sick.

Later when I felt better rumors went around that the Chinese had a special weapon. The ship would move in such a way all the trays flew off the dinning room table. We would be at sea over two weeks going to Japan.

Fort Jackson SC - End of Basic Training 1951

Some of training went into advance basic so it latest a little longer. For example we went out for firing 60mm mortar. What we did was just a demonstration but it did prove to be an interesting morning.When one round was fired it fell short. Very short but no one got hurt,,We went in the room where tear gas was let in and were told not to put on our mask, as soon as it got to us we were let out,The idea to let us experience what would happen with out a protective mask on,,there other demonstrations but then came the day we would be physically put to test, We would go on a 20 mile force march with full pack on our backs. Now do not think we walk at a regular pace we were pushed. We started early lucky the weather was good. It was an extra rough day.What I remember is when we finally did get back to the barracks got up stairs and I stopped and fell asleep standing up. I woke up after briefly sleeping and got to my bunk.


The Obstacle Course.


There was one last thing we had to do to pass Basic training. It was called the obstacle course.It made everything we had done so far pale in comparison. The idea to give you a feel what it would be like in real combat.If you did not make this you did not pass basic.I had long gotten over my fear of noise but this would really put me to the test if all I hear was true. As we got close to the Obstacle course The sgt told us to take off our watches ,,and he held on to them,.It was night time when we arrived by the course.It was a huge oblong pit. All we had to do was crawl the length of the pit, but as we crawled real bullets from a machine gun would be firing over our heads and as we crawled TNT would be exploded to simulate shells falling. We got down low as the machine gun started firing and crawled over the sand bags in to the pit. How high were those bullets? They could have never been high enough. As I crawled in the dirt down the middle of the pit small explosions from TNT went off this continued until we got to the end, then we crawled out and the firing stopped. The Sgt gave us back our watches. We had passed basic.


Sent Overseas


We had a special ceremony for graduation.In all that time in basic I never received one letter and of course no one at the graduation, I had been in the barracks a couple of days. One day I came back and everybody was gone shipped out, I went with another group. Then I went to Florida before I would go over seas. I would stay with my Foster parents for a few days, I would be going to Korea.

Fort Jackson SC - January 1951

Basic Training 1951
The first thing we were taught as recruits was to stand at attention,right face, left face about face, then marching, left right. I did very well except when we were standing at attention we were told we could not move for any reason. Well I found a reason, as I was standing at attention a bee started to buzz around me. Without thing I took my hand and tried to brush it away, big mistake. The Sergeant saw me and I spent the rest of the day washing stoves. I learned when at attention that is what it meant.

In the mean time the mess hall offered me some adventures, one for example when I went to breakfast I would eat get out of the Mess hall and get in line again so I would eat breakfast twice, many a meal I ate twice, however that was nothing to what happened to me one day. We sat at tables that would be equivalent to a picnic tables, I was sitting at the first table on the left side of the mess hall up by the serving line. I will not forget. As I ate my noon meal I noticed a bottle of ketchup which had been put in a glass jar, I tried to pry off the top. It was on tight. So I banged it on the table, the top came off. I put the ketchup on my food. Now in those days I ate my food fast. Down went that food but this time as I gulped down my food I felt a pain on the sides of my throat. I was taken to the hospital immediately had swallowed a piece of glass that lodged in the side of my throat just bore it would have gone down,when I hit the bottle to loosen up the top I broke a piece of glass. The Doctor advised me to eat more slowly. I did.

One day I was walking down the company street I was going to go on sick call because my neck hurt me. The officer saw me,he ask me what was wrong, I told him He said move you head left and right, I did, he sent me back to duty.

One does not forget K.P duty or Kitchen Police. It was very early in the morning you would arrive at the Mess hall and the work began. One duty was to go out and fill the bucket with coal for the fire, it was a hard days work. The Mess hall was immaculate clean before we left. When the coal fire was burning out side soot would fall so you had to be careful not to get it on your uniform.

My first pay we went to a place in Fort Jackson called "Tank Hill" . There was PX there and I bought my first cleaning equipment, razor blade a razor, soap, etc and a watch plus had money left over.

Our place for entertainment was the Snack bar and the Service club. In those days I liked listening to Western music, Hank Williams, Gean Autrey, The Sons of The Pioneers. The snack bar floor was wood.

Soon the basic would get find me doing things I thought I could never do..

Gainesville FL - 1950

Gainesville Florida

Before I get to Gainesville one more thing about Cedar keys. It was the last of the medicine men. The word got around and we would go to a field and a stage was set up. The Medicine man would come out and give a talk on his medicine that would cure this and that. Our reward he would show a movie. So we would show up the couple of nights he was there to see a free movie.

The trailer park there was much larger and near a highway.John my Foster parent got a job as a mechanic Helen got a job in a Mental hospital nearby I took care of my half-sister Sarah and made dinner every night, that's how I learn to cook. One big day they had a contest for animals and I took the bird in a cage and cleaned it real good we got a ribbon for the best in birds. To make a long story short one day Helen decided I should be on my own (I was not yet 17).

So with no clothes and little money I started walking and hitch hiking. I hitch hiked from Gainesville to St.Augustine Fl. I remember walking along lonely road in the swamps and forest.Getting a ride now and then. In St.Augustine I got a room it was clean and I had abed to sleep in.I got a job washing dishes at a restaurant.

Now I was eating good and making a little money. Around my 17th birthday a hurricane hit. I walk to the bridge and felt the strong wind blowing.many boats were being sunk and part of the dock went floating down the middle of the street. A Church was across the street but I never went in. I visited the Fort near by, it was nice.

Then the day came at the place I was staying. The land lord had raised my rent and I could not afford it. What to do. I went to the park and was sleeping on a bench (Like a homeless person) which I was. A Police Officer came by and ask me what I was doing. I explained that I did not have that much money to rent a place. So he took me to a cheapy. Now I watch cock roaches crawl up, the wall. I had enough. I hitch hiked back to Gainesville.

On my way back a trucker gave me a small container with oysters to eat. Ill never forget that. Back in Gainesville I look for jobs. Sign of the times.

I got on a bus and was going to the back, the Bus driver said I could not do that I had to sit in front. Because only the black people sat in the back plus black people only drank from a certain fountain and used certain bathrooms. Up North it was not that way

Pirates Cove Trailer Park, Cedar Keys FL. - 1950

Pre Army Days 1950

I walked down the path by the trailer park you could see the ocean and a small dock. There were some young people playing there. Joyce was the first I met and I liked her immediately found out her father owned the trailer park. We talked about fishing and we decided to go fishing together. My Foster parent father gave me one of his poles. The only difference between the two were the color of the rods,this one was blue, so that day Joyce and I went fishing.

On the island were a series of small bridges. At the first one we stopped at she went to put her line in the water instead the hook hit my head and stuck in my head. We walk back to the trailer park Joyce following me real close with her pole and her line in my head.Her father took the hook out of my head. John my foster parent for the next couple of months tried fishing to support the family but it was destined not to work. In the mean time I did a lot of fishing and we ate a lot of Yellow tails as they were called of the big dock in town. Joyce in the mean time was more interested in the local boys. I tried once talking with her but some things I said got back to my foster mother. We had oyster bakes, a college student who did research made us Shrimp Gumbo. I went with him out to the little Islands where he collected sea horses with a net.

Some times I would get a tourist and tell him I knew the best fishing spots and go out with them.
It was easy enough for them to catch fish. One caught a small shark and he gave me some to eat it was good, I went out with a local fisher man who put out a net to catch fish. One night he was so drunk he threw in the anchor with out the line attached to it. Then another time I went out on a larger boat for deep sea fishing and caught grouper red and black grouper, (Black taste better). I was doing well catching fish but I got sea sick so I never went out with them again. One day I saw a small boat on the shore with a oar in it.Why not I got in and started out to sea,,big mistake a strong wing blowing out to sea and so I went not able to get back to shore.
I rowed and rowed towards another Island and lucky got to it. I took off my shirt and waved it, A boat stopped and pulled me back to shore. On another day the main dock caught fire and my foster parent John was on it.he had to jump in the water but got to shore.

On one of the bridges I was fishing with my foster parent Helen, I caught a five pound cat fish . We ate it the next day.

Then one day we moved to Gainesville to another trailer park.

A new phase in my life had begun.

Wayne, NJ 1949 - Pre-Army Days

In June of 49 I graduated from the 9th grade from Wayne jr.High.....I had my one friend Bobby Calabrese who lived a street away up the hill from where we lived....I was supposed to go back and take 9th grade all over again,,,In that time period my Foster parents planned to move to Florida.

One thing happened after the other, the small farm was sold $4000 for 10 acres prime land. They bought a trailer. A day or two before we left Bobby and another boy had there eyes on houses being built down the road.,,they wanted me to go with them to take something but I did not go. The next day a Police Officer came to our house. Some equipment had been stolen from the houses being built. "Did we know anything?" I knew but I did not say anything. Im glad I did not go that night.

Soon we were in a trailer going to Florida. We had a problem getting on a ferry,(Virginia),Grandpa Burton came along with Helen and John Burton and Sarah my half sister. Along the road going to cedar keys John spotted a turtle on the road. He stopped got the turtle real quick. We ate it that night. The big change in living the trailer had a bathroom in side, However no shower. I slept on a couch, there was only one bed.

In other words other people to slept where they could. The Trailer park we stayed at was called "Pirates cove" it was very small with around a half dozen trailers and small ones at that..Not to far from our trailer was a path that led to the beach. The name of the person who owned the park was a Mr.Frank. When I went to the beach I saw some young teens playing.One of those girls was Joyce Frank.

Boarding School - NJ - 1948

Patterson NJ 1942 - Pre-Boarding School

The Burtons

After my brother and I left the family who accused my brother of stealing a ring. we went back home for a short time. Those few short days I had been touching plants that caused me to get Poison shomack all over my body. My Mother brought me to a family that lived out in the country. Helen Burton took care of me and nursed me back to health getting rid of the poison shomack. I slept on a couch for a long time. My brother and sisters visited but eventually I was the only one to stay with the Burtons. Helen Burtons husband John Burton was a mechanic.

Again I was living basically I was happy with.I loved the country I was fed good and had a clean bedroom. However again they never gave me a hug or a kiss, but all in all I was treated well.

They lived in a small bungalow the forest in the back. On one side of the house was a chicken coop with chickens hens and roosters and a lone duck that wondered about off to the right of the chicken coop was an out house then a spot where the Burtons left there trash which had many egg shells plus countless cans. On the other side of the house they had a very nice garden.Where they grew a variety of vegetables. Helen also grew flowers her favorite was a plant called a "bleeding heart"

My first job was to go to the chicken coop and find eggs that the chicken had laid. I found one egg and of course I put it in the wrong place my back pocket and the egg got crushed, however that was overlooked and I learned how to bring the eggs in to the house.