Three letters. Sept 2, 5, and 7, 1954

Sept 2, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Another month started yesterday. Won’t be long till I’ll be here a year. Sept 7. I got to the company on the 8th.

Not much new here. We are still pulling guard and probably will be till about the 15th of the month. I pull it about every 4 or 5 days. Sgt of the Guard. I don’t do anything besides that. I just lay around and sleep in the day and go to the club at night. Sure getting lazy. The other guys pull guard every day. The last time I was a guard I gave those Korean workers a fit. I took a pistol belt off a Korean kid. He went and got the National Police to try and get it back but it didn’t do him any good. It had US stamped on it. It was a better belt than the one I had so I changed it and turned the old one into the arms room here at the company. Once before a Korean had a pistol belt holding up a size 40 pants which were two sized big for him. I took it off of him and also a T shirt. He left the gate holding up his pants with one hand and his lunch pan in the other with no T shirt. I arrested two for trespassing on one of the piers and turned them over to the MPs. That’s about all I do on guard is go around all over the ships and piers 3 and 4 checking on different things and people as well as my guards. The people down there move out of my way when they see me coming now. I get a bang out of it. Some guar are afraid to say anything to them. I cal sure tell the Koreans off when I get started and they stand there with their head down.

Something happened here this morning I wont ever forget. I got a big kick out of it. My practical joking come out on me once in awhile. Out cigarettes we get here are wrapped in wax paper. 3 of us took our cartons and opened them up and too the smokes out of them and then filled them up with card board to make them firm and then sealed the paper around them agin. We had 5 empty cartons when we finished and they looked good. A couple of guys took them out to the fence in back of our company and sold them for $10.00. As soon as the Koreans had hold of the 5 cartons they knew they was nothing in them and the GIs already had their ten dollars. They really raised heck. Our whole platoon was out there laughing at them. The Koreans had their family out swearing at us for taking them. We sure had a good time. The Koreans are always stealing etc and it did us goode to put something over on them for a change.

Nothing new on moving yet. A couple of guys got orders for the 25 Div to Hawaii. I don’t think any of the outfits have moved. I think ours will be the first to go and it will be this month. I don’t know where I will go as of yet.

I got 5 letters from you today. One had pictures in it that you took in Colo. Sure were good. Glad you liked the slides I sent. I guess from the way you write about Don that he didn’t make any rank yet. It’s pretty hard to do in some outfits.

The storm never did hit here. Just a little wind and rain. What kind of Mercury did Dick’s sister get. She got stung I guess for 3,300. Don’t know what kind of car I will get when I get home. Might to to some honest crook and ge a good used care like the Olds I had. I thought I came out OK on that deal. I bet Evelyn’s care is really nice. Is that what they call a Starfire. I guess Jim thinks he has a rough basic training cycle. Good thing he is only getting 8 weeks of it.

That sure is something about the ring. I know it came out of one of your letters as I felt it in the envelope before I opened it up. (note: I guess no one back in KC new anything about it. It could be the power of suggestion but the more I hear about the ring the more a little spark goes off and I can almost see me putting one in the envelope while thinking he might want to get married. But that is a stretch.)

Well I can’t think of much more to write about. I will write again later when there is something to writer about.

Love, Ted



Sunday Sept 5, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Not much doing today. Everything is quiet. Yesterday I was on guard again and I wont go again till Wed. That gives me 3 days between guard that I don’t do anything. This is the first time since I have been in the army that I’ve got to take it easy.

I haven’t had any mail for a few days. The last I had was the 5 I got with teh pictures of Colo. I did get a letter from Arkie. He was telling me about KC etc. I hope to get a letter form you today. I will probably get several. Not much new, about the same old stuff, nothing new about the move… I am sending a part of the Stars and Stripes. It tells a little about the 5 RCT, it finished on the back page. I have heard that the most of us with a little time left will stay right here in the camp. The 19th Regt of the 24 Div is moving in here by the 15th of the month, so I will probably be transfer to the 24 Div till I go home. The 5th leave on different dates. From15 till the 22 of Sept. Most of the guys that are going will be gone by the 21 of Sept. They are going to take a lot of guys that are rotating in Oct back with them on the ship. They won’t be in the 5th. They will get their discharge as soon as they get back.

Well there isn’t much more to write about so I will close. I’ll write later on today if I get any mover mail.

Love, Ted



Sept 7, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

It rained some this morning and looks lie it still want to rain. Yesterday was a hot day again. They had a carnival over at the Hialeah Compound for the last 3 days. It ended yesterday. It was put up to make money for the Korean Hospital fund. All the different units in the Pusan Military Post area had a booth. Most of it was gambling booths, beer, ice cream, duck the doll, etc. Simonie and I went together yesterday afternoon We sure had a good time. Ate at "Little Italy" a concession there. Had spaghetti and meat balls and pizza pie and read wine. It sure was good. Simonie call me the Missouri Wop (dagoe.) They had a "German Beer Booth" too. We filled up on German bear after eating. The beer was really good. The Germans make good beer. They had women serving it. The Germans have a hospital over here for the Koreans. The British had a lot of concessions too. Seemed funny to see all the different people here together having a good time. Germans, Swedes, US, Australians, English, Canadians, etc. It also seemed funny to see 50 cal machine guns sitting around in different place on the armored cars in case of a riot or something.

I got two letters from you. Aug 29 and 30. Nothing about moving yet. The 24 Div is starting to move in. The 19 Regt. What was Jane’s brother Regt and Company. He may be around here before long. If he is I’ll look him up. From the way they talk they won’t be around here very long either. I will probably stay right here in the same company and be in George company of the 19th Regt. Keep writing to the same address as you have been and when it changes I’ll let you know. Well not much more to write about so I will close.

Lots of Love, Ted





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