JMJDear Readers...How the prayer the roster of 5th RCT survived all these years...its amazng...
Kumwah valley,North Korea
Christmas 1951,,,
"L"Co, 5th RCT 24th Div.
Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret
Christmas ,North Korea
It wasn't to long after the Chinese had broadcast us to surrender on Christmas that we came off the hill. Now it was walking through deep snow,,and when we went down the hill we simply sat down an slid off the hill with our rifle barrels pointed backwards, When we got to the holes we had dug with the small tents over them there was at least a foot of snow around them,,The mess hall (tent) had fixed a good dinner.We sat in the snow and ate our meal,,A paper was passed around..On one the company roster as of Dec 1951,On one paper the Christmas menu..and on the back a prayer written by Lt James Lee our Company Commander
which read.....................................Give peace oh God give peace
This day we celebrate the birth of HE who has blessed us with..notable successes thru out the year with little hurt to ourselves.Under the present circumstances we cannot treat this season with the joy and good cheer that tradionaly accompany it.Instead we must turn our joy into thanksgiving for His protection and our cheer into Hope for better things to come.For Lee's Miserables I pray for the best possible CHRISTMAS and a NEW YEAR in which Gods peace shall come to our land.
JAMES M. LEE
1st Lt. Commanding Officer
One little pine tree was decorated with tin foil from cigaret packs,,It was bitter cold..Then we had a visit from Cardinal Spellman. With Priests they set up a tent for Mass and other priest heard Confession went in a frozen rice paddies to a priest for confession..
The only other big thing in the valley was receiving our Combat Infantry Badge awards in a frozen rice paddies,
Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret.
