About Pop on Veteran's Day

Jan. 14, 1952

Camp Haugh

 

Dear Mama & Bobby,

    I received your letter today with my income tax form in it and was sure glad to get it.  I'm sure glad your cold is better.  How is Chuckie?  Hope he gets over his upset stomach.  I guess all the kids are really growing.  I bet Billy really can walk now, can't he?

    We haven't been doing much here.  The worst part we have is in the morning which is a hike.  They are trying to get me back in shape in a hurry.  Today we went out and dug foxholes and gun implacements.  That's the hardest work I've done in a long time.  The ground was frozen and we had to dig with pick and shovel.  We are going back out tomorrow.

    The weather has been pretty cold here.  It went down to 13 degrees yesterday morning.  That's about the coldest its been here.

    I was on guard duty Saturday night.  It was really cold out there.  I had a pretty good post though.  I was in the motor pool and sit in a truck most of the time, but still my feet were really cold.

    Tell Bobby that I'll get paid the twentieth and I'll send some money for his boots.  I was going to buy you all something at Drake, but didn't have any money.  The stuff there really was cheap.

    About those rumors you've been hearing.  Don't believe them or worry about them till it happens or it'll happen.  I can't tell you anything about that.

    So Goober & Shirley got married.  Betty wrote me that they didn't go on a honeymoon.  Shirley sure was young to get married.  Fifteen or sixteen, I believe.

    Well, Mama, I guess I'll close.  I don't know much to write about, so tell everybody hello for me and write soon.

    Love,

    Buddy

May 23, 1952

Korea

 

Dear Momma & Bobby,

    Well, I'm back here in the same old place again.  Sure was a nice vacation while it lasted.  I got six days in Tokyo and enjoyed every minute of it.  I sent some stuff home.  I sent two little packages, one is for Bobby & Jr. and the other is for Betty Jo.  I had the stuff wrapped and didn't know which was which so I just sent it all to you.  The big album is for you, and one for each of the girls.  The toys you can give to the kids.  I thought they were really cute.

    So Bobby and them lost their first game.  That's too bad.  I sure hope they win from now on.  Maybe if Bobby pitches he can do better.

    It sure is getting hot here now.  The mosquitoes and insects are really pesty too.  We have to spray all the time. 

    We had a nice plane ride to Japan and back.  The weather was nice and it really was smooth riding.  The worst part about it was the truck ride to the air-port which was about a three hour ride.  Sure was dusty.

    Well, Mama, I guess I'll close and write some more letters.  I really am far behind and probably never will catch up.  So tell everybody hi.

    Love,

    Buddy

June 21, 1952

Kumhwa, Korea

 

Dear Mama & Bobby,

 

    I received your letter today and was really glad to hear from you and Bobby.  That's about all there is here to look forward to, mail call and rotation.

 

    I was glad to hear that you had received the Fortieth Div. book.  We ordered them in January at Camp Haugen.  Sure did take them a long time to get there, didn't it?  I guess by now your albums I sent should be there too.  I got some more pictures today, which I had sent along with one of the boys who went on R&R.  Some of them are pretty good ones.  I sure like my camera, it really takes good pictures.

 

    We had a beer party the other night.  The company gave us about sixty cans of beer.  I guess about ninty percent of the co. was drunk.  Sure had a good time though.

 

    Yes, I got that paper and signed it and sent it to Elva the same day I got it.  She should have it by now. 

 

    There has been pretty heavy fighting in the 223rd Reg. area, but everything is still running smooth or fairly smooth here.  Did you hear that Darrin Ahi got hit? It wasn't very bad, I think he is back with the company already.

 

    Well, Mom, I guess I'll close and write Bobby a few lines, too.  I hope to see you in a few months.  Lots of love,

 

    Buddy

 

(From a sheet enclosed in the same envelope:)

 

Dear Bobby,

 

    I got your letter and was glad to hear from you.  Mama writes me that you really have been helping her.  I'm glad you do.

 

    So you really like the pocket knife.  I'm glad you do.  When I come home,  I'll bring some more stuff along.  I guess I'll have some money by then.

 

    The first bunch of our guys are going home the 26th of this month.  I guess Elroy and [Darrin?] Ahi will go home the middle of next month.  I guess I might leave sometime in August.

 

    Well, Bobby I guess I'll close.  Be good and write soon.  Your loving brother,

 

    Buddy

 

(Note: I can't for the life of me make out what the odd name out is;  at first I thought it was Darwin, and then in the letter to Bobby it seems to be some kind of nickname starting with P.  I'm even guessing at the last name as what looks like an "i" doesn't look like it's dotted in either instance.)

July 3, 1952

Pusan, Korea

 

Dear Mama & Bobby,

    Well, I finally got a chance to write.  We've been moving ever since June 27.  When we left Kumhwa we went about half ways to Chunchon and set up in pup tents.  We were down in a rice paddy and that night it rained.  Boy, we almost got washed away.  The next morning we packed up all of our stuff and moved farther up on the hill.  We were there about one day and then they got us up yesterday morning and told us we were moving.  So we loaded up on trucks and went to Chun-chon.  There we got on a train and we landed here or rather ended up here at Pusan.  The rumors are this regiment will be here about six months.  I hope that's true.  Then I'll be rotated from here and won't ever have to go up on line again.

 

    I haven't had any mail since the 26th.  I hope we have mail call tomorrow.

 

    How are you and Bobby getting along?  Hope fine.  Is it still very hot at home?  I think the rainy season has started here.  It is cloudy here now and looks like it may rain.  I don't know though, maybe it's always like that here.  We are right on the Yellow Sea. I think maybe we'll get to go swimming tomorrow.  The water sure did look good to us when we got here this evening.

 

    Has Bobby been playing any more ball?  I hope they win some games.  I guess maybe now we'll have time to get us up a team and play some.

 

    I guess Seguin is all ready for Fourth of July.  I sure wish I was home.  I guess they'll have a big beauty contest again.

 

    Well, I guess I'll close.  Sure hope I get a letter from you tomorrow.  By the way, has Elva ever sent you that income tax paper?  Well, tell everybody hello and hope to see you all in a few months.

 

Love,

Buddy 

July 26, 1952

Koje-Do, Korea

 

Dear Mama and Bobby,

    Well, here it is almost August already.  Time is passing a little faster.  I sure will be glad when that day comes when they tell me to pack my bag.

    How is Bobby's eye?  I hope it is better and didn't get too bad.  I guess Bobby sure doesn't like that he can't go swimming for a while.  Tell him he better take those shots.  They aren't really bad.  It's just the idea of having to take them. 

    I guess we moved out of Pusan too quick for me to go see Melvin Holcomb.  I sure would've liked to have gone to see him.

    We really have been getting our share of guard duty.  That's about all we do.  We are on four hours and off eight.  We have three reliefs.  I've been on the second relief.  Every night at about eight or nine o'clock we have to go inside the prisoners' compounds and look for knives or any kind of weapon they might have.  There are about twenty of us that make these raids.  Radtke and I go through the tents while the others guard us.  It's a lot of fun.  These prisoners are pretty crowded,  I almost stepped in one's face last night.  We have to make another raid tonight.

    We got off this evening long enough to go swimming.  The water sure was nice.  We didn't get to stay in but for about half an hour.

    I hope you can make out what I'm writing.  Judy Canova is on the radio and I'm trying to listen to her and write, too.

    I sent two rolls of film along with a boy that went on R&R, but they didn't turn out so good.  I will send you a few of them anyway.

    Betty is still in Austin.  She sure likes it up there.  She went up there to get a job, but she said she wasn't looking too hard for one.

    Well, I guess I'll be here till November unless we go on line again.  I don't think we will.  I guess Virginia will have her baby by the time I get home.

    Well, it's getting late so I guess I'll close for now.  So hope you are all well and tell Bobby hi.

    Love,

    Buddy

Pop never liked to talk about his time in the army in Korea, though we do have these five letters that he wrote to Omi. I have no idea who half of the people mentioned in these letters are. A few of our earliest playthings were some helmets and army blankets that he brought home ten years before any of us were even born. I do remember he never cared much for the show MASH, though whether that was because it brought up bad memories or because it was disrespectful I never knew, and he didn't tell. I still regularly use an old army tablespoon that he brought back. It was made tough and hardly shows any sign of age. It is marked "MDUSA".