January 2, 1954

January 2, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I got a letter today from Dad and he sent the newspaper clipping about sending troops home.  You asked what Div we are with, we are not with any now.  We are in the 9^th Corp.  We use to be with the 3^rd Div, 24 and 2 Div and a Marine Div, and a couple of others.  After the war stopped we were attached to the 9^th Corp.  Just before that we were with he 3^rd Div.  The 9^th Corp has the 2^nd and 3^rd Div and one other but I don't know who it is.

I heard something about sending troops back but don’t know much about it.  I have heard that they are going to send the colors of 2 divisions back and make up the 32,000 men by the Divisions left by sending home the ones who have been here longer than any of the others and put the rest of the guys in the divisions that are left.  So I don’t know what the outcome of that will be. I can get confusing.  If they wait a couple of months I may be one of the lucky ones.  I have 4 months here now and I think the tour is cut to 12 months so I will probably go home in Sept anyway. 

The 5^th RCT is a self supporting unit and is mobile, which means they can move around easy.  That’s about all they did during the war.  They got 4 points every month because they were always on line.  They don’t give us much write ups for security reasons.  They have been here since the war started and have more time here than any Division or unit.  A Regimental Combat Team is just like a Division on a smaller scale and easy to move around.  They have their own tanks and big guns etc.  There was only one other RCT here in Korea.  They moved back to Japan a couple of months ago to train and that was the 187^th Airborne RCT.  It is possible they might send the 5^th back home , when I don’t know.  It is better to forget about it till it comes true.

It has been snowing most of the day.  Not to cold though. 

We had our inspection today as usual.  My first time as a squad leader.  The Major from Battalion inspected us.  He asks a lot of questions usually.  When he came up to me he asked me questions about my rifle etc.  The Captain told him I was the boy who took third place at the NCO School.  So he just looked me over and didn’t ask anymore questions and went on.  They ask all kinds of questions to see how much you know.  Like where was your rifle made, what is the serial number, who is the Regt commander, how many men you have in your squad, where  they are from, what size boots they ware and all kinds of stuff like that.  They might even ask how many pairs of socks they have.

We have our problem Monday at 1:00 for all night, might now amount to much.

I sure hope that Jim and Roslin’s baby is OK.  It sure is to bad they have had so much trouble.

Be sure to thank all the people that sent packages.  The Corley’s sent some Xmas puzzle books.  One book was for me and the other was from Marilyn “to my buddy.”  She said it was for some sort of competition.  I think I will give it to Simonie and have him write her and thank her.  She put her name and address on it.  Do you think she would like that.  He is a nice guy and 20 years old.  He came from Italy 5 years ago and has a home in Penn now.  He speaks as good a English as I do.  Tell her and see what she says.  She must be about 17 now isn’t she.  (note:  the Corley’s moved into the house next to my grandparents, the one Mom and Dad had lived in.  They eventually bought the place.  Marilyn was my trombone summer teacher years later.  The whole family was musical.  They were very active in the then RLDS church.  I suspect Marilyn had a little crush on Dad, you know the army guy, and the church or school had some sort of reach out to service men or something like that.  Seems as though Dad was trying to do a little match making here, perhaps to deflect any interest Marilyn might have had.  I am not sure what happened if anything.  The Corley’s eventually moved across the lake and Marilyn moved with them.  Marlyn became a teacher in the Independence School system.  I don’t know if she ever got married or not.)

Well I don’t know much more to say for now.  I’ll write again later.

Love, Ted

PS  The pictures were taken Xmas day,  I had just finished shaving (note: no pictures were enclosed by the time I got the letter.)