JMJ

Saturday, June 5, 2010

The High Hill

Kumwah North Korea
Aug 1951 5th RCT 24th Div
Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret.
"The Hill"

After leaving that village it did not take us long to get our objective.We did eat breakfast and in the mean time we looked at the "Hill" we were going to climb.No not a hill a mini mountain.It was very high.Early that morning we started to climb the "Hill" How different was that hill early in the climb we were holding hands as we went around a part of the "Hill" so nobody would fall...Then we reached a point were it had a lot of boulders. Now we had to be careful not to fall in between the boulders.

We found water coming out of the hill and wild grapes,very high up..The climb continued and the sun was going down,Now we were very close to the top. That is when I realized how high we had climbed.I look down and I was looking at a layer of clouds.

We had just about reached the highest point (so we thought) it was getting dark and some soldiers started a fire to keep warm. Then I heard "Grenade in the fire" a soldier had bent over and one of his grenades had fallen in the fire, In just a quick couple of seconds another soldier put his hand in the fire and pulled out the grenade,If he had not done that there wasn't any place we could go so he saved a lot of lives.I could see a path going higher up the "hill" but the Sgt said to bed down for the night.

When the sun came up here came Lt,James Lee our company commander who had really got to the top of that hill,He was very angry. One of those rare times and only time I saw him angry,As he passed us by he point up,and said "I wanted you all to get to the top of the hill you still had a long way to go." Then he said no food when you get off the hill,,So we went down the hill got on the trucks and went back to our "rest" area.

The next day he had us in formation and he pointed to another hill and said "We are going to climb that one and I know you all are going to make it.Again we started to climb and when I got to the top there was Lt,Lee sitting on a boulder and he was greeting each soldier just as he greeted me,..This time he was pleased,,So why climb a high hill..well we found out later,,Yes he had a reason, a good reason.

On that next hill one of those sad moments,that you never can forget.