Korea four letters from Feb 27 to March 1, 1953

Friday, Feb 27

Dear Mom and Dad

Well I thought I would start a letter.  I won’t have time to finish it.  We just had our first day of basic.  Most of it was class lectures on most everything - tradition, military justice, courtesy, etc.  We had 3 shots today.  Didn’t bother me a bit.  We will take some more later.  My feet were sore this morning.  Couldn’t hardly  move.  I haven’t got the mail yet.  The mail call is about 6:30.  Hope to hear from you.  They are starting to get rough on us over the barracks.  We have to GI them tonight.  Move everything out and clean them from top to bottom.  Wax the floors etc.  Our clothes and field equipment has to be in order and in the right position. Won’t get to bed to early tonight.  We are still restricted to the Btry.  area.  Probably will be for another week.  Well we just had mail call.  I got two letters from you and one from Margie.  That was a nice check from Westinghouse, didn’t take to long to get it.  Pay my bills with it and make a payment on the car.  If I need any money I will write you for it.  Use what you want too.  You asked if I see the boys.  Underwood and Keith and I are in the same Btry which is 4 platoons.  Keith and I are in the 2^nd platoon and sleep right across from the isle from each other.  We are always together.  Charles Kurt was separated form us when we first got here.  Haven’t seen him sense.  He was next to me on the end of the picture you got.  Keith was on the back row.  Underwood wasn’t in it.  Underwood is in the fourth platoon.  We see him in the day and at night.  But we are right together.  All 4 platoons go everywhere together – 212 men altogether.  Well I feel good except for my feet and my cold.  If I could straighten them up I would be all right.  I could take what they dish out easy..  I am doing it good now.  Well will try to write you Sat and Sun.  I get your airmail the next day after they are postmarked.  I mail a letter at night here.  It probably doesn’t leave here till the next day sometimes.  Let me know how log it takes you to get them.  I am just going to put 3 cents stamps on the letters.  You probably couldn’t get it before Monday.  If I am in a hurry for something I will send a wire or air mail.

Lots of love Ted

How is Snapper?  Hope he gets over the measles ok and gets back to school.

(over)

I appreciate you doing work for me mom.  I feel a lots better.  I am going to church as soon as I can go.  They have services on Monday night.  Yesterday when we were marching and double timing I thought I was going to fall out once.  I repeated to  myself what I knew and made it all the way back with less trouble even though my feet hurt.

Love Ted

P.S.  Margie just called me again.  She wants to come out here.  I can’t make her understand that I can’t find out anything and there is nothing out here.  Explain that I am restricted and in the army I can’t  do what I want to do.  They won’t let me make a phone call or go anyplace just because I want to.  She calls me, I have to go the C.O.’s office and use his phone.

Sat Feb 28, 1953

Dear Mom and Dad

Have some time tonight so I thought I would write you a line and send you a set of pictures I took.  I was paid today, $70.  I didn’t get paid for a full month for my pay or my allotment.  Why don’t you take the 40 dollars out of the bank.  I will put this in the bank here when I get a chance.  I want to have money here so I can have it in case I get a chance to get home etc.  You should get a check from them after the 1^st of April.  Still have a cold and my feet hurt me.  We had an inspection today and I told them about my misfit clothing and I will get to change them this next week.  Have some more mail to send so will close and try to write later.

Love  Ted

Sat Feb  28, 1953

Dear Snapper

I thought I would send you a letter and let you know how I am.  Hope you get over the measles ok.  How are you doing in school?  I hope you do good and learn something.  I have been training and learning to be a soldier.  I am sending you a shoulder patch like I ware on my uniform.  You can have grandma put it on one of your coats and you can ware it.  I got this one just for you.  Write me a letter and let me hear from you.

Love  Daddy

Sunday March 1, 1953

Dear Mom and Dad

How is everything at home?  I wrote you a letter last night but guess you will enjoy getting this one too.  I didn’t do anything last night to speak of.  Wrote letters and played Black Jack.  I won $2.  Everybody had money because they just got paid.  Some colored boys took a young kid from the farm for all his money with dice.  He didn’t know anything about them.  He will be broke till the end of the month now.  I won about $1.50 at craps in Camp Crowder the day we left.  I lost about a dollar at black jack last Sat night.  Donald Underwood won about 12 dollars last night and Keith lost 6.  If I start to loose I get out.  I have won more than I have lost.  We played till 10:30 last night, the lights went out then.  Our corporal played with us.  I went to the PX a little earlier in the evening.  I bought things I needed to put in my foot locker for display when we have inspections.  I am not going to use that.  I spent 5 dollars and didn’t get all I needed.  I couldn’t hardly go to sleep last night because I coughed for a long time.  I hope I can get over it before to long.  I use to have a single bunk but I had to double up because some more boys came into our squad.  Martin the boy I sent a picture of and I bunk together.  I took a upper bunk.  I like it better than a lower.  It’s wormer higher up too.  Martin kind of sticks by me.  We got up at 6:30 this morning.  Had 2 eggs and bread for breakfast (and coffee)  That is all I felt like eating.  I went to the church today again.  The service is different than you would find in a regular church.  The Chaplain talked and had hymns and a collection.  There is no one faith, all are present.  The Chaplain is a Southern Baptist but the service is just a regular service.  I came back and washed my clothes, some underwear and two pairs of dungarees and socks.  I put my name in about 8:00 and got to it around noon.  I hung them up over my bunk and layed my dungarees out on the foot locker and used my comb to press the wrinkles out and then hung them on coat hangers.  It is about 4:00 now.  I may go to the show tonight if they have a formation.  It gets lonesome  here on Sunday and Sat night.  I felt a little home sick today.  It rained a little this afternoon but cleared up now.  We are going to eat about 4:30.  Wish I could see you once in a while but I guess it will have to wait.  Hope I get some letters tomorrow from you.  I didn’t get any Sat.

All my love  Ted

Korea...two letters

Tuesday Feb 24, 1953

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Well we had mail call tonight.  I got 2 spc.Del. you mailed the 21 and 2, Margie mailed the 22 and one air mail dad sent on the 23.  Funny they all got here the same day.  They might have been holding them here.  It only took a day for the one you sent the 23 to get here.  Sure was glad to hear from you.  The pictures of me weren’t very good.  I got your stamps.  That sure was nice of you to send them.  

I have felt better this week except I have a cold and it seems to get worse.  My feet hurt and my knees are a little better but it doesn’t hurt too much but when we double time or run I can hardly make it.  We doubled timed for a mile today, the whole Battery, to a class.  

I have been taking pictures now and then of this place; will send them when I can.  I ain’t got use to this weather here.  Glad to hear everything is ok at the plant.  

Donald Underwood is in another platoon from me but still in my Battery.  We got too go to the show last night.  Don and I were together.  I see him all the time.  His mother seems nice.  We saw The Apache at the show.  I saw it once before.  The shows they get at this camp are old.  They are usually new around the other camps I hear.  They were at Crowder.  Some of the boys were going tonight but I am going to stay in and write some letters and take care of my cold.  

We haven’t done much here except dismounted drill and manual of arms and so forth.  They took our pictures today.  It will cost us 3 dollars.  They give us a book of pictures on our training with it.  You would probably like it.  

We are going to start Basic Thurs. or Weds.  It will get rough then.  Guys that mess up now for something or another have to dig 6x6 holes all night or till they tell them to stop, 10 to 25 push ups, run around the company area or buildings.  March around a tree and guard it.  I have been lucky so far.  

Our cadre leader is a Negro.  We were laughing at a guy marching around a building, changing steps.  He saw me smiling at him and he made me do it.  I did it for a ½ hour.  He forgot I was doing it.  Some one else made me stop and go with the rest.  You can’t argue about anything.  The army isn’t too bad except for not doing what you want.  You never have any privacy or anything.

The food is good usually.  Not as good as Camp Crowder though.  I have had one meal here I wouldn’t eat – rice and meat.  They are kind of tight with the food here.  They won’t make you eat what you take so far.  

They have different training periods.  Some training takes 8 weeks and some times for 16 weeks.  If you go for 8 weeks you usually go 8 more weeks in some other branch of the army.  Like the engineers or quartermasters, truck drivers, etc.  The 16 week cycle is usually men with 1A physical profile.  That means 1 class shape.  They all are put in the Infantry.  That is the 16 week training.  They are always physically fit and have a good IQ.  I don’t know what I am going to be in.  Some of us will be taken out at the end of our 8 weeks and go in for something else.  Some of us will stay here and be in the infantry.  The guys around here that are finishing the training are getting a 10 day leave and then going overseas.  Half are going to the Far East and the other half to Europe.  Maybe the war in Korea will be over before long.  

Well sure do miss you and love you.  Glad to get the letters and hope you keep it up.  Won’t do much good to send any Spec. Del.

All my love Ted

Thurs Feb. 26, 1953

Dear Mom and Dad

I got your letter tonight that you wrote Monday.  I start my basic tomorrow.  

Today we marched out to the Range Station and worked a detail.  I got to ride around in a jeep with a corporal.  We checked telephones.  In the afternoon we nailed targets together.  We marched all the way back.  I didn’t think I was going to make it.  We doubled timed over part of the way and back the same way.  The hills and double time was the hardest.  My knees and my ankles get weak, they are hurting tonight.  I think it is because my boots are big.  No one else’s seems to hurt them.  

I didn’t want to sell my tool box.  They cost 35.00 now.  I won’t be able to buy another one like it for as cheap as I got that one.  I told you I wanted to keep it.  You keep the 15.00.  I can’t cash it any where out here now.  I don’t need anything anyway.  I should have got more for that box anyway.  Well not much more to write.  I think I will go to bed in a little while.  Will write again.

Love Ted

Letters from Korea, A World Away

The following are letters now archived at the Missouri Historical Society.  They are letters from my Dad, Teddy Stone McAnally that he sent home from basic training and Korea.


Feb 10, 1953

Dear Mom and Dad,

I ended up leaving KC about 4 P.M on the KC Southern.  Arrived at Camp Crowder about 8:00.  Had dinner on the train.  Good food.  It was raining here when we got off the train.  They gave us blankets (3,) two sheets and a pillow.  That is about all so far, nothing to do but go to bed and sleep, it’s about 9:00 now.  

I forgot to tell you to change my insurance on the car.  Change it to the Chevy.  It wont cost as much either.  

I guess I’ll write tomorrow or the next day when I know something new.  Tell Snapper hello. 

Love Ted

(post card)

Feb 12, 1953.  Thursday morning.

Dear Folks,

Everything OK so far.  They feed us good and gave us plenty of clothes yesterday.  

I talked to Margie.  I plan to call you tonight.  

I got up at 4 A.M. this morning.  No reason for it.  We had to wait till 6 A.M. to eat and fall out at 7:00 again and go to different places for processing.  

My boots are 9 ½ D.  I dyed them brown last night and polished them.  

The lights go out at 9:00 in the barracks.  

I went to the show Tuesday night, felt a little homesick this morning.  

I don’t know where I will go from here.  I hope I go to Ft. Riley from here so I can see you once in awhile.  

All my love   Ted

P.S.  Don’t write me here.

Feb 13, 1953

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Had a little time this morning so I thought I would write you a letter.  

We haven’t been doing anything much except process ect.  We got up at 4:00 this morning and I am waiting to go to breakfast.  I don’t know whether I can get home Sat or not.  I haven’t got my uniform yet, it is at the cleaners.  

I sure do miss you.  I hope I get sent close to home so I can see you once in awhile.  Ft. Riley or Ft. Leonard Wood would be good.  If I can’t get there I probably won’t see you for a while.  

I tried to get some Valentines but they were sold out.  So I guess I can’t send one home to you.  

The army isn’t so bad itself it is just the idea that you can’t go home or do what you want.  Well not much more to say now.  

Margie may be down tonight and if I can get a ride to KC I will come up.  I will write you again later on.  You had better not write me any more letters here because I will be leaving here most likely the first of next week.  Some of the guys get sent all over the U.S.  

Lots of love   Ted

How is my boy Snapper 

Monday Feb 16, 1953

Dear Mom and Dad and Snapper

I have some time this morning so I will write you.  

We got up at 5:00 this morning, had breakfast and mopped the floors.  The boys that are shipping out are not doing anything but playing cars, sleeping, etc.  

I wrote Margie a letter and sent Jimmie Miller a card.  I feel a little better today.  It was harder to say goody by this time than last time.  It was the best two days I have had.  I really enjoyed being with you.  Why don’t you have Margie come out once in awhile?  We got to camp last night about 9:30.  

Had a good trip.  Ate at Boot’s Drive-In in Carthage.  I went to bed as soon as I got here. (at 10:00 that is)  You might send me another book of stamps when you write.  They buy them in a machine here at Crowder.  

I don’t know what it will be when I get to Roberts.  I will write you as soon as I get there.  I will write along the way if I can..  

We are going to fall out at 3:30 P.M. and take a bus to Springfield and get our plane.  I am not sure of that yet.  I will let you know.  

Well not much more to say now.  I will write again later.  

All my love Ted

(post card)  16 Feb. 53

 

 

 

Dear Mom and Dad

I left Camp Crowder about 5:00 and rode to Springfield Airport on a charted bus.  I was supposed to leave there at 10:00 on Continental Airlines but they changed our flight and I boarded about 8:30.  I called Dad and I could not get Margie.  

The engines on the plane would not start so I got off and called Margie again.  I am sorry Mom I didn’t talk to you.  I will write you again in the air and have it mailed. 

Love Ted

(post card) Feb 17, 1953

Left Springfield at 9:45.  Stopped in Tulsa for about 30 min.  We are now flying straight through to LA, non stop and should arrive in LA at 4:30 A.M.  It is just now midnight .  Going over New Mexico, can’t see a thing but lights.  Just ate another steak, Pepsi, roll, milk and coffee. 

 Don Charles and myself are sitting together, Bill Keith is in the plane to follow.  I will mail this on the plane.  You will probably get it from LA.  Write later 

Love Ted

Panama 3

Panama Pundit 3

Jan. 3, 1991

We convoyed over to Camp Russo to deliver a 5 Ton truck and pick up two smaller vehicles for the return trip to Base Camp.  We almost had to transport a large sum of money back to the Base Camp, which I was not looking forward to, but it got cancelled at the last minute.

While at Russo we heard that an American helicopter got shot down in San Salvador.  The American soldiers that survived the crash were executed by the rebels.  It was a couple of hundred miles away but it did make us stop and think.  We realized that we “weren’t in Kansas anymore” and there were people in the general area that didn’t really like us. 

Captain Johnson said he had heard that Air Force One had landed at Howard AFB near Russo, but I didn’t believe him, so we decided to check it out before we returned to Base Camp.

Jan 4, 1991

The trip back to Base Camp was uneventful.  I did miss a turn in a town called Solo Palto.  There were five Panamanian bar fly’s hanging around the outside of a bar.  I guess they had been there all day according to their appearance, watching all the trucks go by.  They all pointed in the direction we were supposed to go.  As I was turning the convoy around I drove by them, leaned out of the jeep and yelled, “American Stupido.”  Which is Stupid American in Italian.  They understood what I meant and laughed very heartedly.

The set up of the Base Camp had made a lot of progress in the two days we had been absent.  We put our gear away and walked into town, if you can call Numbre a town.  They have a dirt road, shacks, two grocery stores (or a least a place where you could buy food), a café operated out of a house and an Asian Restaurant that also doubled as a grocery store.  One of the grocery stores had a bar.  We went to the one that had the bar.

There were a bunch of Panamanian playing something that looked like dominos and a pool table that was infested with beetles.  We didn’t play pool, just drank their $0.25 bottled beer, called Panama oddly enough.

Jan 5, 1991

We got up and took a ride to Ft. Davis and requisitioned material to paint directional signs for when the main body arrived.  Captain Johnson and I took the material down to a rocky beach and painted them.  We needed to clean our brushes so after soaking them in kerosene we cleaned them in the ocean.  I had been watching the waves and had figured out that every 5^th wave was larger than the other 4.  So when the 5^th wave was coming in we would dash back up the rocks.  I did not count on any abnormality in the wave cycle.  One wave took us by surprised and drug us both off the beach into the Atlantic Ocean.  Lucky for us there was a large boulder that we latched on to or we would have been picked up by some sort of current and our bodies found floating in the Gulf of Mexico or off the tip of Florida.  We took longer to dry than the paint on the signs.  We returned to Base Camp after driving by the supposed Air Force One, which it was not, and finished our brush cleaning on a sand bar in the Numbre River next to Base Camp.

Jan 6, 1991

We got up early and drove into Ft. Sheridan to pick up a truck convoy to lead to the Base Camp.  Just as we were about a mile away from camp we heard over the radio that there had been an accident on the road just ahead and a medivac helicopter had been requested immediately.  From a hill we watched as a group of men tried to save another man’s life.  We halted all traffic going down the road and took in the event.  Apparently the driver of a fork lift had lost control of his machine, the fork lift started to bounce, he un hooked his seat belt and stood up trying to get a better view of the road and guide the lift around the pot hole and large rocks.  The lift turned over and trapped the young man under the lift just below his waist.  It crushed him but he was still conscious.  Controlled panic developed.  His band of brothers immediately called for assistance, but the only medical helicopter available was in Panama City.  It was dispatched immediately but distance was against him.  They did what they could for the young man but by the time the helicopter arrived the 19 year old National Guardsman from Sikeston, Missouri was dead.  The Base Camp was named after him, Camp Thomas.  Some day I might write a story about that.

Some explinations if you have been following.

My grandparents maintained a bank account Dad used back in Independence.  I suspect it was the Standard State Bank in Fairmount.  That is where he sent his money and had them draw from now and then to send him money orders.

The Martin he refers to several times seems to be his closest friend and it will be interesting to read if he keeps in contact with him after basic.  My own experience was that you made very close friends in basic but when the basic training was done you never saw or heard from them again.  Years pass and you don’t even remember their names.  I never heard Dad mention anyone by the name of Martin.  We shall see.

I was stunned to read that he and Martin got a hotel room for $3 in LA.  I was not surprised that he did not think much of LA but found Hollywood enjoyable.  I felt the same way when I visited there years later and wonder now what sites he and I both saw but never talked about.

The Playmore was a large entertainment center in Kansas City where they had dances and had several bowling alleys.  It was a big deal in the 40’s and 50’s. 

He must have been on a roller coaster about his orders.  First he is going to be sent to New Jersey and assigned to the Signal Corps and was planning his 24 day leave at home only to find out moments before he was to leave that his orders had been changed to go to that “special school” and only get a 14 day pass with out the benefit of getting what amounted to a paid trip home due to the travel money he would have received to go to New Jersey. 

I have no idea where Camp Stoneman is and not sure I deciphered it correctly.  Perhaps that will be made clear later.

He seemed proud to be picked as one of the outstanding soldiers of his cycle and didn’t seem to think it ironic that after he received the commendation he was put on guard duty the next day.  I cannot believe that FTA didn’t run through his mine.

June 20, 1953

June 20, Saturday

Dear Mom and Dad

I thought I would drop you a line and let you know what happened.  About 20 of us got Signal Crops at Ft Mammoth, New Jersey.  I didn’t have to be there until July 14 and we were going to leave here today.  The other boys left on the charted plane a little before noon.  It would have given me 24 days at home and I would be in the states for 16 or more weeks.  I got $203.04 for travel pay.  

When we went to pick up our orders they didn’t have any for us.  Nine of us altogether.  We all knew what had happened then.  The deal on the special school came through.  They said it would be 3 or 4 days before our orders came through.  I was sure sick.  I had wanted the other so bad.  

About 20 guys got orders for Korea, 20 for Alaska, 10 for Austin, some sort of medical corps and the rest for Europe and Leadership school.. I would have been home tonight sometime.  

After everyone left our company commander told us that our orders were for Alameda, California naval station and we were cleared for secret work.  We will be in Alameda for 3 weeks and then we go to Camp Stoneman, California to go to Korea.  I don’t know what the school is or anything.  I get my orders starting Tues 23 June to the 7^th of July.  I will have 14 days.  So I should be home Tues sometime.  

I don’t feel as bad now as I did for awhile.  I was counting on being home Father’s Day.

We finished up Thur and was graduated Thur evening.  I was one of the outstanding soldiers of the cycle.  All the squad leaders got to go up before LTC Pruitt and shake his hand and salute and get their diploma from here.  I was the only one that was not a squad leader to go up.  I was the third one to go up.  I was sure surprised.

I had guard duty Wed night.  I didn’t write because I thought I would be home by now.  Well not much more to say.  I’ll be home soon and will sure be glad.  

All my love, Ted

July 14, 1953

Tues July 14, 1953

Dear Mom and Dad

How are you.  I got your letter tonight with the money.  I was sure glad to get it.  Thanks a lot.  Not much new here.  I saw Thunder Bay last night.  You would like the picture.  I guess I  will go tonight and see Hangman's Knot with Randolf Scott.  That is really all there is to do.

Margie called tonight and said she might be out this weekend.  I hope she can.  The weekends get lonesome.

I don't know to much about the school and what I do know I am not supposed to talk about let alone write about.  It is something that would really surprise people and it would be a great use to certain people.  It would be best not to say anything about it in your letters.  I can't say much more.  It is sort of a new thing anyway.

I guess when I leave here I will just have four days and I might have to go to Stenman first.  I am not sure yet.

Well not much more to say, I will write you later.

(not signed)