The Moment

Kumwah/Kumson North Korea
"L" Co, 5th RCT 24th Div.
Oct 1951 Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret/

The Moment

We moved from hill to hill for awhile. One day I had an experience,,You know one of those moments. I was 18 years old.

We were coming down a path off a hill, I looked to my front and many soldiers were on the path along side the hill going to another front line area. The dirt was dry and they were kicking up dust.

Then I thought to myself,,I was watching history being made,..I knew this was a special moment...In that moment I had felt I knew why I was there..One moment I was a teenager that next moment I had grown up.

The Hero and my pal

Dear Readers. You have all heard that cliche about combat.."Dont make a friend, or dont get friendly with another soldier"..well it is true....just a few minutes with that radioman..and I have never forgotten him,,or that medic..It was sad when I heard later that he was never the same again,,The way they described his wounds,,,it was bad,,,,,Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret

 

                                                                                 JMJ
Kumwah,North Korea
"L" Co 5thRCT 24th Div,,
Oct to Dec 1951
Phillip Meyer S/Sgt Ret.
                                                                Kumwah Valley 1951
..It was starting to get a little cold when we made our next move.,We settled down in a valley. To our front the enemy lines and we were at the base of a hill..Our first duty dig deep holes, When the snow and freezing weather came these holes before the earth got frozen would be our place when we came off the hill,.Yes we dug them very deep and wide,,Then we would put the tent over it,The rainy season was over,,In that time period a demonstration was put on by soldiers who had special dogs, I watched as a Sgt told one of our men to hide himself in one of the dried out rice paddies,He went a good distance and hid himself.Then the dog was released, The dog went right to the soldier who stood up and froze,But the dog did not attack,,
                                                   My pal and The Black Gentleman..warrior
 Ohh do I remember this. We were getting ready to go on the front lines but first some patrols would go out see what they could find...I saw the radioman on the other side of some sandbags.I went to him and said "Can you tell me how the radio works: He says I am getting ready to go on patrol but when I get back we can get together and I will show you:' He was about 20 year old and not very tall...So I said okay and he was getting his radio ready..Then I look to my left and there was a tall black soldier .he was a Medic.I walked over and he was talking about what they would do and other things,I was impressed the way he talked and acted. This soldier was refined he spoke like someone very educated,,,,Then he left with the radioman for the Patrol...........I never saw them again...The story goes that patrol was going over a ridge line when the Sgt told them to get off and in between the hill,They had got around a hundred feet from the top. They said they could hear the Chinese laughing. Then they were fired upon..Two new men that just came in the company got up to fire and were hit.The Radioman got hit in the arm then his leg badly wounded, The Sgt in panic not doing anything,,The Black medic took over taking the wounded radioman down the hill then the other wounded and getting the other men to follow him.All the while being fired at by the Chinese...The Black
soldier I learned later got the Silver Star..The radioman was never the same again,,,,I only met him once
but Ill never forget him,,,I learned he was still alive but he died before I could see him again.The Black soldier a true hero,,,and a gentleman.......Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret.

The hill Sept 51

Kumwah,North Korea
"L" Co, 5 RCT 24th Div
Sept 51, Phillip Meyer S/sgt.
The Hill Sept 51

Again we were on the move and we settled on this hill.What made it so different was that instead of being high on the ridge line I ended up where the hill started down.So the valley was not far away.At one point we took a break going down the hill and I found an abandoned enemy fox hole. He had left behind various pieces of his equipment also found ammo. I got an idea, I took the Chinese ammo and took off the end and lit a match to the powder inside, not bad so now I opened a few more and poured all the powder in one cartridge and lit the round.However this time when it reached the end the cap at the end exploded.That was enough.Now the Sgt said move out and he assigned us an area to make a bunker or a fox hole.My buddy and I look around and he says."Look its late lets just get a good night sleep",,So we just found a spot and slept all night long..The next day the Sgt comes by..:Where is your bunker??" How we ever got away with that one Ill never know,But before the day was over we made a good size bunker.A very large pine tree was our corner of the bunker the other side the opening to the bunker.So we settled down.

One day on the friendly side of the hill a soldier had a razor and he was shaving soldiers, So I am sitting there getting a shave when we had mortars come in and as they exploded he calmly kept shaving me.. They were hitting a different area.

Then one night "Danny Kaye" the comedian came and was putting on a show. Some of our men were allowed to go the next day some more would get a chance.

That night I was in my bunker and I heard the first round go over. This was a large shell..coming from artillery.Then another and another. My prayer was "Please Lord don't let them get lower"..Then one round hit the lower part of the tree to our bunker. There was a loud explosion and I went down and grabbed my buddy who was sleeping,I said :a round hit us" and I woke him up.and he says.."Did you get wounded?" I said No,,then he says Im going back to sleep and he did.

The next morning I looked at the tree,. A large part had been blown away. Then I found out that the artillery had hit the USO show and they were leaving.

So the nights passed.The soldiers in the next fox hole would throw small stones at our helmets if they thought we were falling asleep.

My last act before we left that hill.I found a Chinese hand grenade and put it to the front of our positions, With the string that came with it and made a bobby trap.

So we moved out again...

Three short narratives

Dear Readers  Just a couplwe of short (very short) narratives..,,Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret...

                                                                          JMJ
Kumwah,North Korea
"L" co.5th RCT 24th Div.
Phillip Meyer S/sgt
                                                                   The priest on the Hill
   In those first couple of months on the hill. Something unusual ,One day the sgt said there was a priest down the ridge line.So a couple of took off.Soon we came to a clearing and there was our Chaplain.
He said I do not have time for Confessions.So he gave us a general absolution, Then he gave Holy Communion to each of us...And that was it he was on his way down the hill to help other troops,

                                                                       Special patrol
This patrol happened as we were moving to new positions,We were passing across a hill and officers were looking through special telescopes on enemy positions,,As we kept going we came to end of a ridge line ,As we got close to that point we were told that spot was being fired on by a sniper.So the sgt said move real fast.We all ran past that spot..Then the patrol..I mean it was a very ordinary patrol..but then we came to a ridge line..overlooking a big valley,Then it all changed,I followed the Sgt. And look down the hill.On the right a tunnel and Chinese tanks..When the Sgt,saw that he gave the order to go back to our positions immeatdly If we had been spotted those  tanks would have been firing on us..

                                                                       Lost,,,,,,,
Again we were moving out to a new position, We came to a spot on top of the hill and stopped. 1st Platoon moved out,,,Second platoon moved out the sun was going down..By the time third platoon moved out I had gone through stuff I was carrying and seeing how light I could make what I was carrying. When third platoon moved out.It started to rain.It was rainng hard so the 4th Platoon (My platoon) started down the hill in the rain and dark,The Sgt said go to the left we moved off the ridge line I slipped in the mud and my rifle strap broke..Then the Sgt said those famous words."We are lost"We got back up on the path and headed down the hill.When we reach the bottom the Sgt said make a circle I ended up sitting on the side of the hill.
The rain was pouring down and underneath me a stream of water was flowing.At one point we saw each side firing tracers from a machine gun fire on a hill, On the left the Chinese position and on the right the American,,So the night and the morning passed the rain poring down on us..As I sat there somehow I fell asleep.,In the morning the rain stopped.We look to our front there were the two hills that had fired on each other,We started walking and we had to go across a flooded stream walking towards the American position.
As we went up the hill a Sgt met us,,we kept slipping in the mud.By the time we got our position we were muddy wet..How I ever fell asleep in that rain,,It was one of the hardest nights I ever had,,but then came the snow,,,.........................Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret

Third attack 51

Dear Readers (Hi Geo)..Ohh the dead eneny.. many many..Its amazing Ill never forget taking the better C-ration .Oh the other soldier got something to eat,Today as a more mature Christian,,I would have given him everything,,,Amazing burned bodies,,I nearnost got killed but Ill never forget being selfish,,,Well at least I have never forgot  ....One day I am going to eat a can of corn beef hash and make up for it... Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret                                                                   JMJ
Kumwah North Korea
Sept 51 "L' Co 5th RCT 24th Div
Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret
                                                                  Sept Memories
   When we left the hill we attacked in Sept...It was go to one hill stay a day an move to another,Sio various memories.Number one. We were told to stop and get in any empty fox holes or bunkers for the night. I look down where I was standing and there was a bunker. I was very care full going down to that bunker,So I pulled guard as the sun went down.It was late when we went down. I woke up look down.Oh good grief I look down.I was looking rearmost straight down. How they made that bunker ill never know.I was very happy to move out..Then we were going over a hill.Some Officers were looking through special telescope to check out what the enemy was doing I got a chance for a quick look,Then as we approached the end of the hill we were told.A sniper is shooting in this area,Move quick as you as you pass this spot. I moved very quick...Then one day we went on a patrol;..It was all normal until we reached this spot. I looked down the hill..there were Chinese tanks at the bottom,,The Sgt said lets get out of here quick..and we did..again I avoided a bad situation.....but then...
                                                                Third attack on a hill
It was not like we were told it just happened.. I was going down a trench.There was Lt.Lee our company commander was the last one.
In the trench.When I saw him he pointed for me to get out of the trench. I went out fast on the ridge line.A few feet away I looked down.There was a dead Chinese.I will spare you what happened to him.I was thirsty but after seeing that body I was not thirsty any more.(Many years have passed but every time I get a shot or think I am in pain I think of him and my pain is minor).It was not a pretty sight.Then I kept going and there was the rest of the squad.I hear the bullets going over our head,.the Sgt said those famous words."If you can hear them they are already [passed you by" so we went down the hill.When we reach the bottom I saw a quad Fifty on a truck go by. (4 fifty cal on back of a 3/4 ton truck,,) I would find out later why..I looked up at that hill the artillery had strip the hill clean of evreything.When I got to the top I was told to check the tunnels under the hill/Oh was I lucky.I got in the tunnels but did not find any enemy but I could see our troops coming up the hill as I came to the end of the tunnel.Then I watched with some other soldiers,Down in the valley a tank had been hit and could not move,Off to the left a small shack and trees.Then the quad fifty caliber came around .It stop by the tank and started firing four 50 cal, machine guns.Gone went the small house the trees all was left was a puff of smoke,Ohh before that we watched as the tank fired.No sound then one two three four and we heard the sound of the gun firing.Then we moved out down the ridge line,as I turn the corner ,,there were Chinese hit by Naplam.A whole line of them still burning looked at one body the flames coming from his mouth the flames in and out as if he were breathing flames,.But quickly the Sgt said start firing in the valley the enemy is escaping so I took my M1 and fired at a small road that was between the hills where te Chinese were going across..While we fired a big recoilless weapon was being fired..I kept going to the end of the hill,As we stood there three of us an American marine jet
fired at us.The bullets hit just in front of us, About three feet in front.We had not put out a panel saying we had taken the hill that's how quick we took it.Then the jet came around again it fired rockets but this time they went in the valley,He got the message in time,One soldier said his rifle got hit when the jet fired at us.I got a hold of binoculars. I looked and there was the Chinese going up the hill.i reported it,,Im sure they knew what was happeningThe hill was taken so we passed out rations.One box was shared.I was the second to choose.Even to this day I regret what I did.. It was corn beef hash or something else.I took the better one so the black soldier got the worst C-ration,,forgive me,,Phillip Meyer S/sgt ret

My longest day

Dear readers.(Hi Geo") as you can see I did not do very much in the fight for that hill,,40 men wounded..some very bad..but it is a day ill never forget..Ill never forget the fear on those dead Chinese..........Months later I would have a body that I would think "what was his village ect.I even had a name for him..( a good one)  Phillip Meyer s/sgt ret

                                                                              JMJ
Kumwah,North Korea
Sept 1951 "L" Co, 5th RCT 24th Div
Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret.
                                                                My longest Day
 To start I do not claim to have been in a big battle ect, But this was my day..I had been talking with some Korean soldiers and they gave me the name "Ol ne Mi" The sad face boy..Then we started down the hill.I was carrying a M1 Rifle and plenty of ammnution. We were about half way down the hill when I hear soldiers shouting.I knew the attack was staring on the hill to our front,When I got down to the bottom of the hill I looked on the ground and there were Chinese rifles.Some of the enemy just dropped them . I bent down picked up one and looked at the rifle. On the stock was the communist symbol.. When I look to the left an officer was trying to get his men to go up the long trench that went straight up the hill. I looked to my right on the side of the hill.I saw a wounded soldier coming down the hill then a couple others,I started to count
5 ,,15,,,20 30 35 Oh there was my platoon Sgt with his arm in bandages, Men with various wounds,Then I counted 40 and stopped counting..One soldier passed on while we were waiting what had happened to one soldier..Every time he tried to move a mortar came in and he would dive for cover.Finnaly he broke down and kept saying "got to get in the trench" "got to get in the trench'...but then came my turn and the officer pointed for me to go up that trench.When I got to the top I found all the trees in that area blown away,I look to my left a dead Chinese in a bunker. A soldier cried out to me come on over eat while you have a chance,   
I looked and they were sitting by a bunker that had been hit by artillery sat in front of them,As I ate my ration I look down and saw a sneaker in the dirt,I said. "I wonder if that sneaker would fit me"..well I took the sneaker and pulled on it.as I pulled up there was a leg.I followed the leg to the rest of the body in another
bunker that had been blown up,Nobody said anything,then the rest of the platoon made it to the top, Now not to far the trench went through woods not hit by artillery.When we reach that point and I look down the trench was full of dead Chinese,I said to the Sgt,There are bodies in the trench..he said keep moving and I did. I walked on bodies for awhile then the Sgt said get out of the trench, I look down and looked at a line of bodies.I saw the fear on there faces,,...............I was carrying a machine gun barrel since I was in the machine gun squad,At one point a marine jet strafing went by on my right.He was very close.I looked and for a second I saw the pilot.He was that close.The Sgt in front of me said?
"If you hear one come in get rid of that barrel" (a mortar) No sooner than he walked away I heard the familiar whistling sound.This was coming at me.I threw the barrel and look to my right and started to fall,As I went down I could see the mortar and I falling at the same rate of speed,I hit the trench my head in the dirt and the
mortar exploded on my right,,All I remember I was in a daze for awhile then we continued down the trench the enemy being pushed off the hill. I was now at the end of the hill and the Sgt said to hold that area.I look down and saw something burning.I took my shovel and put dirt on it then my blanket.I slept on that spot all night when off guard..In the morning carouse I took my shovel and made a big swing to see what was there.. I had been sleeping on a dead body all night,What a smell when I hit the body,Soldiers came and in a few minutes a five foot pile of dirt was on the body.After that I took out my C-rations and ate it was spaghetti,,for breakfast,Down the ridge line they found a Chinese hiding in a bunker,He took off running down the hill and they never got him,,,So ended my longest day..
Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret,                                                         


  

The hill the radio call Sept 51

Dear readers (Hi Geo) If any memory haunts me.To a point of course would be tha radio call..That soldier and his platoon was in bad shape,,I cant see how any of them made it,,The next operation I call my longest day.It was one of the worse for our company..but we succeded in our objective,,

Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret

                                                                      JMJ
Kumwah/Kumson North Korea
Sept 1951 :L: Co 5th RCT 24th Div.
Phillip Meyer S/sgt ret.
                                                                Special Moment
 After the rest area..The trucks took us to another hill.Then we new the reason lt,Lee had us climbing the highest hill.The one we would occupy was a high one .The highest we would ever stay on, Immediately we got to work changing fox holes into bunkers. We put everything we could find to make the roof of the bunker strong...So a day or two passed then one day and officer came on the hill and said."Look how dirty this men are why are they shaved ect"" When he left we said to each other .We want our water for drinking forget using it to keep clean,,,,Then one day the problem with the leaflets.Our platoon officer called us together and showed us some leaflets the Chinese had left by the hill..Im not sure while the occupied it and when they left
they also left surrender leaflets. He warned us that he did not want any of us even to pick them up for souvenirs. But then that day......................
                                                                The radio call
 I was out of my bunker looking at the hills to my front. The radioman came by my bunker when a call came in.As the soldier talked I could hear explosions in the back ground and Gun fire,He said they were running out of ammuntyion.Men wounded..We need help..As he talked and told of his situation the attack was going on..How long could they hold out??? It was one of those moments I felt so helpless.He kept asking for help and then........the radio went silent.......Somewhere on a hill far away soldiers were dying the soldier on the radio dead to??? To this day Ill never forget his plea for help....

                                                                     My new name
The day came for us to attack the hill to our front.Ill never forget that tree that survived on the highest point of the hill.We were getting ready to go off the hill.There on the right  were some Korean soldiers took out the cigarets since I did not smoke and gave it to them, One Korean soldier said.:We give you a name"
Your name "ol ne mi" thats the way it was pronounced. I said what does "Ol ne mi" mean.....and the soldier said It means "Sad face boy"........................So before an attack I was called "The sad face boy"I would soon be 18 years old......
The attack next story...Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret

Final days rest area North Korea 51

 

                                                                          JMJ
Kumwah,North Korea
Aug 51,,5th RCT 24th Div.
Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret
                                                                   Rest Area
 After climbing the hills a few interesting things happened. On the lighter side one night a soldier cried out
"Your Mother wears combat boots" down the line a soldier pick that up and shouted another funny and so the night went.From far off hills you could hear the message being passed on..The interesting part about this incident it was put in the newspaper "the Stars and stripes_,Once a soldier got hold of small portable record player and for a few minutes we heard Korean music..
As A part of keeping us in shape we were called down by the road and here was this small tank,,What were we to do..Lay in the middle of the road and the tank would carefully go over you,,The reason if we ever came under attack by tank we knew there was a away to survive.Any way my turn came..It made a lot of noise as it passed over,Then the tanker invited us to get on top and ride a little with him,When you ride outside a tank you have to hold on real tight...
We were checking out the area when a soldier said "This is what happened here and he told this story (Joke) the Chinese found a recoilless weapon.A couple of soldier were in back when they fire it and got killed from the backblast,So the Chinese soldier says as they load it up.Let turn it around and fire it..They told it better than me.
The next was more seriouse.  We were in the woods and some soldiers found a dead Chinese soldier.He had been hit by napalm. Think a triangle that was his body.It just twisted the body.I give the men my respect.They buried the body.....
The soldiers that performed at Fort Jackson in the club came and gave us a show.That truck was loaded with soldiers to go see it,and on that same road we found an empty fuel tank dropped by a jet,A soldier started to draw a soldier in a fox hole looking up at a pretty girl..Eventually   "L" Co 5 RCT was put on it.Some where in Hawaii they have that tank surrounded by a fence.Just a few short days so many things happened.The last night they dug this huge hole not deep but wide a fire was lit an in it went everything they did not to bring up to the front lines.Letters ect.I never received letters so I had nothing to throw in the fire,
Early next morning we ate breakfast.The trucks came to bring us back to the front lines,The Sgt said to me. "Burn that garbage in that abandoned fox hole." So I tried to light the trash,,would not light..Ahh I know I got gasoline and poured some on it ..In went a match..no flame so I got a piece of paper (time had passed it was a hot day).I put the burning piece of paper down by the hole.It never got there because.The min or explosion hit my face just a few small burns,I let out a yell,,Then it was to the truck to go to a new position,,Amazing how much can happen in a week,,,
Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret

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.

Rest Area Part One

Kumwah, North Korea
July 1951 ..5th Rct 24th div
Phillip Meyer S.sgt ret,

USO Show

Im back to the first hill we occupied..and the many patrols we went on..It was some where in the middle of July we had just come off a patrol going over the barb wire fence with the mines and we were told we could go off the hill and see a USO show,Again we walk of the hill and a truck took us down the road.There were a lot of soldiers waiting to see the show,On a small stage was Jack Benny and two other actors,.Its amazing he would come this close to enemy lines. So we enjoyed the show that did not last that long and went back to the front lines..

Rear Area Aug 1951

After the seven day patrol we got a break,For a couple of days, Trucks took us to this area and we set up our tents At the bottom of the hill was the Mess tent.then just short of the woods were our tents,Two things I remember about living in the small tents.One down the middle we dug a small ditch so when it rained a stream of water would go down the middle..The second at night we wanted a little light, We did no have flashlights or candles so what do you do,? Simple you take an empty c-ration can and put a little gasoline in it. You light it and well not much light but it gave some.

In those first couple of days some one got an idea.Lets raid the mess hall.So I went crawling down the hill on my stomach.(We did not have to go far).The cans of food were passed to each of us and back to our tents,Cans of peaches ect ahh, The next day were called into formation. The order there will be no more raiding of the mess tent,.we complied.

About the same day we went in formation out on the road and there was Lt.James Lee the officer I had put 2 boxes of ammo on his shoulders while going on the front lines. This was his introduction to us,Along the line in his speech he said "I wont make you do anything I would not do" and he did it very well whatever he did (After that speech he got wounded six times).

We were in a rear area but for a reason..Not just to rest but get in shape,,We were going to climb a very high hill.The next day we got in trucks and went down the road at one point we stopped by a village,When we got out of the trucks for a break. The children all came out so we took out candy that we had. There was a line of sand bags the children on the other side, I took a Hershey bar and was bringing it down when some children grab for it,before I could open my fingers the candy was gone except a small piece still in my fingers,Then we got back on the trucks and headed toward the hill we would climb.

More next time.

Seven day Patrol North Korea

Dear Readers..In one part of the story I toned it down..You can read in between the lines..Tell the complete truth it would not sound nice..Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret

                                                                            JMJ
Kumwah,North Korea
Aug 1951, 5th RCT 24th Div,
Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret
                                                               Seven day patrol
    We arrived in an area where basically the village had been destroyed.We set up our tents on a small hill near the village,..Our mission patrol a large area,It sounded simple enough but that's not what happened.
As we passed through a quiet little village with there small houses,The ones with straw on top.One soldier
had made a small torch and threw it on the roof, Then another,Any house we came to was burned down.
Oh we went on long patrols with out seeing a house.In one spot where we stopped in front of me a typical Korean house.How peaceful that area looked,,,,Then three things happened..The first I was on the other side of the area we were camping in,There was this house which the roof had caved in,Why?? I took out a
book of matches and set the building on fire,,,,,The next day all that was left were ashes..
The next we had come back from a patrol and we were at the bottom of the hill and we heard a shot,One of the men in our squad shouted "Count your men"..You hear a shot you see if some one was hit,,We went up the hill and soldiers were around the body of a dead black soldier, What had happened? In a tent just a few feet away a Cpl gave a private his .45 Pistol to clean. The private unfamiliar with a .45 and he pulled the trigger pointing away from him.In the tent by them a black soldier was playing cards.The bullet hit him in the side and never came out.He was killed instantly....I never found out what happened to the Private and Cpl who were at fault..
The last day of the patrol we were in a village not burned down yet.The Sgt said to me and another soldier "Go in the house and bring out the people" So I walk in the house there is an old man women children.
And feeling very stupid I pointed my rifle and motion for them to leave the house..Now we had the whole village lined up on a road,A group of children went separately going over a wide stream,,But here I was with my rifle making people leave there homes...I heard a young women cry and look in back of me a soldier was
trying to,,,touch her..that made it even worse...
So why that patrol..why burn down a village,,,later I was told. One they wanted this village stripped so if the enemy did come they would not find anything.The second explanation was that ammunition ect was hidden in that village,,No matter what I heard the whole operation did not make sense...I have pictures of the many children being taken away,,,..............................Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret

Kumwah valley North Korea 51 go for water

Dear Readers..I was very thirsty that day,,Yes I think you will go very far to get a drink of water...Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret

                                                                           JMJ
Kumwah/Kumson North Korea
Aug 1951 "L:" Co 5th RCT 24th Div
Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret
                                                                   "For a drink of water"
   After the attack on the "Million dollar hill" we never seem to stay in the same place long.We were traveling north however.,It was still warm in August,..One day we were climbing one of the many hills.
We were on the top of the hill I had run out of water in my canteen and I was very thirsty.On the top of the hill I look down in the valley.The sun shining on a very large stream of water. Not to far from the bottom of the hill. I said to myself I just got to get some of that water.Our platoon officer was just coming by and I said.,,Pleading?? "Can I go of the hill and get some water?"It must have been the way I said it To this day I am surprised on what he said,,Simply.."Go".Now when all the soldiers realized I was going for water they started to give me there canteens,. Then I started down the hill ..No not walking I was running as fast as I could, The soldiers I passed must of thought I was crazy.Who knew what I would meet in the valley.When I got to the bottom of the hill I look to my right and there was this huge stream of water. I ran into the valley and jumped in the water,I open the canteens and started to fill them up Plus getting myself a drink of water,By the time the other soldiers caught up with me I had there canteens filled.When they all had there filled canteens.One soldier came to me and said.Pointing at a hill at the end of the valley..The Chinese have a machine gun
up there..Why I was not fired upon..I think because we were to far away to be fired on,,but I was lucky that day..All for a drink of water......Phillip Meyer S/sgt Ret.