October 31, 1953

Sat  Oct 31, 1953

Dear Folks

It rained all last night and this morning.  We didn't have an inspection.  We got paid instead.  I got $334.  I figured about 344 but that was close enough.  I put 200 in the Soldiers deposit.  It will draw 4% and I get what ever I have when I get discharged.  I paid off what I owed and still have about 100 left.  I might send some of it home later this month. 

We drew the rest of our winter clothes this morning or rather part of it.  I got a liner and hood for my field jacket, a pair of suspenders, wool pants, pile cap and that is about all.  We still have to draw our parkas and hoods and boots etc.  I found out that I am on guard duty tonight so I guess I will be a busy man.

The mail hasn't come in yet so I will wait till I get some before I finish this letter so I can answer it -------

It is Sunday night.  I didn't do much today.  After I got off guard at 6 AM I ate breakfast and went to bed and slept till noon and then I washed out a few things.  I just go a letter from you dated Oct 26 and also one from Jim.

Did you ever get the pictures I sent of the USO show or the ones I sent to be developed yet or is it to soon.

I think this week they are going to change the mortar squads around. I think right now I will be first ammo barer and then in a week or two when the old guys rotate home I will be gunner or asst gunner.  I don't know for sure yet.  You have to wait 4-6 months for corporal and then 8 months for Sgt.

I got a letter from Jan the other day.  It was a nice letter.  Said she joined the church etc.  She sent a picture of Abe and his horse that was in the paper and a picture of her and her mother that was in the paper. (note: he is talking about my mother.  They had been divorced for a while and this is the first time I knew that they ever had contact.  It must have been sort of confusing for him. Mom had recently joined the Catholic church and was probably just trying to mend old hurts.  I thought about asking mom about it recently but decided to let sleeping dogs stay put.  That was then and this is now.)

So they haven't found the money yet. (note: I think he must be referring to the Greenlease ransom money.  Only half of it was ever recovered and two policeman ended up going to jail over it.)  Sure is to bad.  Some one is having a good time with it.  If I had found it I would of helped myself and sent the rest back.

That's funny that letter was not post marked.  I think I mailed it the same place I mail all of them.  The mail l eaves here at 9 AM every morning.

A guy just brought back a 5th of IW Harper from Seoul.  He paid $5 for it.  That was black market price.  It only cost a little less than $2 in Japan for a 5th.  It was good whiskey.  I might try to go to Seoul on a sight seeing trip next Sunday or the week after. 

The weather was nice today.  It has been a little cool most of the day.  I am getting use to the cold now.  I don't think it has started to get real cold yet anyway.

I have been smoking my pipe most of the time since I got it.  I haven't smoke many cigarettes yet.  It was a pretty good pipe of a dollar.

I went to the PX and bought some candy bars etc today.  It seems nice to have a little money in my pocket again. There wasn't much gambling going on this month like last time.  Boy these guys are coming back from Seoul drunk.  Another one just came in. 

Well I don't know much more to say. for now.  I have to guard the prisoner again tonight.  I think I will write to Jim a letter and then go to bed.  I will write again tomorrow.
Love, Ted

October 30, 1953

Fri  Oct 30   53

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

We fired the mortar today.  We left early this morning and went up next to the line to fire it.  It started raining after noon and it's rained ever since.  I didn't take my rain coat with me so I got a little wet.

Tonight I went to the PX and bought a few things.  They got a shipment in today.  I bought a box of cookies, lighter flints, a Frank Medical pipe for a dollar, gum, 5 packs of Hershey bars and two cans of Biggs pipe smoke.  If you haven't sent that pipe yet, don't need to but if you have I ca use it.  I can change off every once in awhile.  Some time you might send me that Mixture #79.

I got another letter tonight.  Sat Oct 24.  I have got the last few in about six days.  I got the $2 OK.  You just as well wait about sending that camera.  I might buy one here.  I got a letter from the people that develop my film so I should get them before long.  So I will wait and see what they look like.

So Carlin is on R&R.  Did he go once before in April.  The guys here only go about once before they go home. 

I thought that Halloween thing Snapper made was cute.  I have forgot all about Halloween till just now.

I could make some coffee here if I had any coffee.  I don't know much of anything you could send me really.  May be some pipe tobacco that I said Mixture #79 or may be a writing tablet.  Writing paper has been hard to get for some reason.  I have plenty for a while.  Envelopes are easy to get.  Well I don't know much more to say now.  I'll write again tomorrow.
Lots of Love, Ted

October 29, 1953

Thur  Oct 29,  53

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I got two letters today, one at noon from Dad mailed Oct 22 and another from Mom mailed the 21 of Oct.

We didn't do much today.  It rained all night long and it cleared off today.  We worked in the area, had PT, checked our shot records and this afternoon the CO (Col. Wheller) talked to the whole combat team.  He is leaving the 5th RCT and made a farewell speech and asked for donations for the Boy's Town.

I walked down to King Company to see Zink tonight and he was on Bn guard.  I went to the guard house and talked to him.  We talked for quite awhile.  He is in the 4th platoon there like I am.  He is in a mortar position also.  He hadn't been paid yet and I loaned him $2.  He was out of smokes.  We had a good time talking.  I am sure glad he is close to me.  He said he was going to try and come up Sat and see me if he could get away and stay all day.  He has been here since the last of Sept.  He got here after I did.

I have prisoner guard tonight.  I think I will try and catch the show at 9 PM.  I don't know what is playing.

Tomorrow our section fires the mortar so we will be out tomorrow all day doing that. 

To bad they couldn't have that rain we had last night in KC. 

I guess that is quite and inspection they are having at work.

I am glad Snapper is doing OK in school.

I am sorry you are having so much trouble getting the packages to 2 lbs. all the time.  I usually look through the packages good.  I hope I have had all the packages you sent so far.  I still haven't got the one you sent to Sasabo or the one Jim sent yet.  I should get my boots before long. 

I forgot when you said that Snapper's teacher lived in back of Evelyn. (note: The teacher was Mrs. Dodd, I had here for 1st and 2nd grade. She lived behind my Great Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Jim.  Her son went to West Point I think.)  I had a teacher at Chrisman that lived a few doors down from Evelyn. Her name was Mrs. Leonard.

Well I don't have much more to say right now.  I guess.  I guess I will write a letter to Sipes and then go to bed.  The guys said they just had TV shorts at the movie tonight so I don't guess I'll go.
Love, Ted

October 28, 1953

Wed  Oct 28, 1953

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Well I stayed in yesterday morning till noon and then we rode out to where the troops wee. On the way I saw K Company going across the road and I thought I would look for Zink.  I saw him and he saw me.  I told him I would be down to see him one night.

We got out to where the troops were, it was about a 10 mile ride by road.  Went up on some big hill that I would call a mountain.  We had just finished with a class when a guy sitting about 10 feet from me picked up his M1 and stuck it in a guys side and fired it.  The guy jumped up and started yelling. The M1 had a blank in it and when the gun was stuck against his side it sounded like a cap gun when it went off.  Everyone thought he was just playing at first.  He wasn't hurt to bad but had bad enough.  It blew a big hole in his side and he had internal injuries.  The guy that shot him said he was just playing.  He was a corporal.  I didn't know either one of them.  They radioed for an ambulance and took him away.  That's the last I have heard about it.

We stayed out late last night and came back over the mountain trail.  It was sure dark.  I didn't have my big flashlight.  I had the little one you sent me.  It sure came in handy.

Yesterday morning I was eating some of the cookies and found the bottle of maple syrup in the bottom, I took it with me last night.  It tasted pretty good.

It has been sprinkling for quite a while now.  It stops for awhile and then starts again. 

We had two hours off this noon.  I didn't get any mail last night.  I don't know what we will do this afternoon.    I am going to try to go down to K Company and see Zink tonight.  I think I can get away.

I don't know whether or not I will be able to send anything for Xmas or not.  I hope I can.  I don't know whether or not I will be any place to get anything or not.  I am sure I will be paid this month.  I think Sat is pay day.  I have decided which pictures to send back from the ones you sent me.  I enjoy all of them but I don't have any place to keep them safe. 

Well it is about 6:30 PM now and its been raining all afternoon.  It has been coming down pretty hard.  We didn't do much of anything all day because it has rained.  We were supposed to fix up the area but we didn't get much done..  We have been working on the area building rock walls and fixing sand bags around the tents.  You would be surprised what they can do with sand bags, rocks and logs.

I didn't go down to see Zink tonight because of the rain.  I might go tomorrow night. 

There is going to be a show in the mess hall tonight.  I think I might go see it. Tonight will be a good night for sleeping. 

I got your letter dated Oct 22 this eve.  To bad you don't get some of the rain we are having tonight.  The floors are OK but one part of the tent wont quite reach over the ends.  We are going to have to cut our center poles off to make it stretch over.  We are making doors for them. 

Those pictures I sent for you to develop, some of them were taken in our company area.  You can see what kind of tents they are.  Right now there are 14 sleeping in our tent.  There should only be ten in the winter.  We got another tent in our platoon so when they change our squads around some of us will probably move into another tent.

Everything here is quiet.  We don't hear much about the war.  I think they might extend the truce for 90 more days.  I don't think it will start for awhile anyway.

I was glad to get Keith's address.  I will try to write him before long.

I went to the PX tonight and bought some envelopes and a carton of cigarettes.  So I am well supplied on smokes for awhile. 

Well don't know much more to say right now.  I went to the show and saw Law and Order.  I saw it once before in the states.  It's still raining out.  The tents leaks almost every place but where I am sleeping.  I hope it doesn't leak here tonight.  I am sending 100 yen that I got in Japan.  I have had it in my bill fold for a long time now.  Also an 10 yen copper.  It takes 360 yen to make a US dollars.  Well not much more to say now.  I guess I'll go to be.
Lots of Love, Ted

October 26, 1953

Mom  Oct 26  53

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Well I got 2 letters tonight and 2 packages.  The packages were OK and the cookies were sure good, so was the candy.  I was glad to get the shoe polish and cigarettes.  The shaving cream came at the right time because I was just about out.  It lasts for quiet a while though.  I didn't get any mail last night. 

Yesterday I didn't do anything all day.  They asked me if I wanted to go to Boy's Town again but I didn't go.  This morning when I got up they asked us if we wanted to go and I decided I would go.  I borrowed $10 from my platoon sgt.  It was sure a nice trip.

I saw a lot of things from the truck on the way.  Boy's Town is on the outskirts of Seoul.  We rode the truck to a canal and got on a ferry and went across.  The town is a small camp with buildings.  They have a Mayor, YMCA headquarters, and a Boy Scout Troop.  The Boy's Town was started by the 5th RCT.  They donated $18,000 for it.  They have a memorial there.  It only took us an hour to go through.

We went back to Seoul and we had about 2 hours to spend there.  We went to the UN PX.  It is a big place  4 stories high.  I had two hamburgers with cheese and bacon, coffee, two pints of ice cream.

This guy I was with and I decided we would go out on the street.  We went to a Korean shop and had some pictures taken.  We talked them into 5 for $1.50.  They took to long so we walked off and left them.  They took to long to develop them.  I may get them some other time.  We went back and started back to camp.  I only spent $4.  I bought a scarf where I had my picture taken so I am sending it.

I am on company guard tonight.  We sure get a lot of guard anymore.  Company guard, that is the mess hall, supply and the Bn guard, that's the regular guard.  Our platoon has that prisoner still and we got another one now.  I don't trust the new one to much.  Our squad gets that guard every 4th night.  I get the morning off now because we are on guard.  That is OK with me because we are going out and set up in the hills tomorrow morning.  I don't know all the details yet but I think it's because the 90 days will be up tomorrow and I think they want to be ready. We wont be on the front anyway right now.  I get to ride out on a truck at noon.  I think they may extend the 90 days from what I hear.

I hope Carlin gets here before long, I would like to see him.  I don't think he is to far away from me if he is still in the IX Corps.

I thought the packages were swell and think you should take it easy.  It cost a lot to send them.  I enjoy them but it is rather expensive.  I am glad you saw the Coronation Ball (note: that was the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II) and the Cisco Kid.  I heard that Leo Carrillo who played Poncho was dead.  I think he died a few months ago. 

I guess you had quite a time with Jim and Rosalyn.  They make quite a pair.  So Don Underwood is on his way here.  Didn't he get to go to OCS or didn't he want to.  I hope he is close by.  He wont know his new Division till he gets to Soul.

I don't think the pay is messed up, they just didn't get the money Saturday.  If not I will find out about it.  I wrote Mr and Mrs Sears (note:  that was my mother's mother and her husband.) a letter and thanked them for the birthday card. 

Did you say you put a 25 cents can of polish in that box.  That must have been a big can.

As far as what I need for Xmas.  I don't know of anything.  The floors help out and when it gets real cold we will have another stove in our tent.   So, it is warm in KC yet and you sleep with the doors open.  That is bout the way it is here only its not to warm.  It rained again last night or rather early this morning.  Didn't last long.  Boy you sure got the pictures back in a hurry.  I'll send them back home.  They wee good and I enjoyed them very much.  Boy I am sure glad to know that Zinks is that close to me.  I was hoping that after he finished CBR school they would send him to the 5th RCT.  K Company is in the 3rd Bn.  I am in the 2nd Bn.  They are just down the same road I am, just a few blocks.  I am going down there the first chance I get.  I like Zink and Sipes better than I did any of the rest.  I wont have any trouble seeing him.  I think I will go tomorrow night if I get back in time from out trip.  

You said you enjoyed reading about the Chiporee Sweepstakes.  I don't remember whether I sent you a copy of our paper or not but I will send it anyway.  Well can't think of much more to say now  So I think I will go to bed.  I have to get up at 1 AM for guard.  Thanks for the packages.
Lots of Love, Ted

October 24, 1953

 Sat night  Oct. 24,  53

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I thought I would write a line or two.  Haven't heard from you in a couple of days.  Maybe  I'll get one tonight. I didn't do much yesterday.  Last night I had Bn guard.  It wasn't to cold so it wasn't to bad.

This morning when I came back my section leader asked me if I wanted to go to Boy's Town in Seoul Korea.  I told him yes.  They only sent two from our company.  We went down to Regt Hdqt and there wasn't enough room on the trucks so they sent us back.  The First Sgt said we could go next time.  I am glad I didn't go today because it turned cold and started hailing and then rained hard.  I didn't have much money (20 cents).  Next time I will probably have been paid.  They send a group every week to go there and visit with children.  The Korean Boy's Town is supported by the service men here.  I think the 5th RCT has donated about $18,000 so far towards it.  These same kids will be taken to the different outfits at Xmas for a party. 

Korean Boy's Town

This afternoon we worked around the area and about 3 PM we had beer and soda pop.  It was bought out of company funds.  That is about all that is new with me.

There is going to be a show tonight here in the mess hall.  I think I will take it in.

It cleared off this afternoon but it is still cold.

I traded my pants yesterday for some new ones.  When they came back from the laundry they had some new ones in supply, so I just traded in my old ones.  I think before long we get field pants so I probably wont keep them long. ------

I just got back from the show.  It was called "Call Me Madam" with Ethel Merman and Donald O'Connor.  It was sure a good picture.

 When  I got back to the tent I got a letter dated Oct 18.  It was from Dad, Jim and Roslyn.  I sure enjoyed reading it.  Sounds like you guys had quite a time.  Jim says he sure enjoys being with you.  He says you are just like a mother to him  He said he sent a couple of packages.  I haven't received either one yet.  I hope they get here OK.   How do you like Rosalie.  I guess Snapper and Sharron have a good time with each other.  (note:  Jim was married to Rosalyn and Dad's best friend.  I am not sure how they met.  Rosalyn was a professional violin player and had a daughter by a previous marriage.  I am not sure what her name was and don't know exactly who Rosalie or Shannon were.  Jim had Rosalyn had a baby and it died.  They soon divorced.  Of all Dad's friends that is the only one I really knew and kept in contact with over the years.  More about Jim later.)

Well I haven't much more to say for tonight.  I'll close for now and write again later.
Love, Ted

October 22, 1953

Thursday Oct 22  53

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I got a letter tonight and the paper (Westinghouse.)  How was the coronation ball this year.  I guess it was nice.

I got a letter from Jim.  He had about the same old things to say.  Hope you take some pictures with them and send to me.

I haven't heard much about the prisoner talks.  Just a little.  I keep up on that quite a bit on my own.  It is interesting to read about what the PW's say when they come back from Red Prisons.  I know more about that sort of thing than most people do.  They have a lot that goes on in those PW camps that even the Reds no nothing about. (note:  this is one of the few times that Dad lets on that he had more knowledge than the average guy about PW's and PW Camps.  It was part of the secrete training he had while in the states and better described in my other blog, The Adventure's of Conley McAnally, that I entitled Spy Dad.)

What did JQ and Marlyn have the baby christened for.  Was it Catholic or just a regular one.

The weather is about the same now.  We have our stove in our tent now and we now have a lantern.  It really lights up the tent.  It is a presureized type.  They are cautious about fire.  We always have it off when we go to bed and someone in the tent whenever the stove is lit.

I guess you could use some rain in KC.  Sounds like it.

I wrote Lowell twice.  I wonder if I put the right address on the letter.  You said one day when you talked to Virginia that she hadn't heard from me and she should have.

I don't know why Margie hasn't called you.  I don't worry about it myself. I hear from her a couple of times a week.

They are planning a Xmas part here for Korean orphans.  They are going to have about 25 kids to each company for dinner and give them candy etc.  They asked us to have our folks at home send packages of clothes, canned goods and candy etc.  I was wondering if you had any of Snapper's clothes or any kind of clothes, if you would send them.  They asked us if we knew of any organization to ask.  I don't know of any myself.  You can mail them to Commanding Officer, Company G, 5th RCT apo  52 % PMSF.  You don't have to but if you had any you could.  Let me know, you can just send it regular. (note: I remember going through some old clothes with my grandmother and picking out clothes I thought a little Korean kid might like for Christmas.)

I didn't do much today.  We had a parade again today.  Think I will write Jim and then go to bed.
Love, Ted