A bit more about My Friends in Korea

     I write here when the war was raging, and I was still training in the U.S.. Allow me to introduce some friends,i met these youth in the month of June 1954. All were the children of Refugee parents,or Orphans who had fled South, trying to escape the bitter battles being fought. Many hundreds of those fleeing, although dressed in civilian garb, the U.S. Forces really believed they were Chinese Soldier's attempting to infiltrate thru the defense line of United States forces) there were of course, children being carried or walking, they also were slain . Many "Mistakes"were made, Bombs made of jellied gasoline were frequently dropped on refugee columns, to halt infiltration  Refugee's paid a heavy price, as they tried to gather some food,wood and water. I would never believe that U.S.Air men would deliberately drop bombs and machine gun refugees The Peace movement,must not forget The Korean people and how they suffered,and still our Country feels they need to occupy Korea with dozens of Air Bases, and a large contingent of troops

     That long Road leading to the Peaceful Unification, and the end of the present unnatural division is close by,and The entire Korean People deserve at last the unification, before this can occur both North and South must dis-arm It is time for change. Change is Good!

     The History of Korea will record, that period, after 60 years of Occupation as a pawn in the Foreign Policy of The United States, The Korean People came together At Last! The United States gathered up their Weapons of Mass Destruction and departed.

ScribbleMeister

Jesse Kern

Korea 53-54

Doing a little Business With Mama-San

          Our Company's Laundress, was a pleasant somewhat attractive Woman of about 40 years or so, her main purpose on our base was to engage in buying items off the troopers and then reselling them on the "black market". Almost anything could be sold Cigarettes, lux soap, etc, etc. All these products were wanted by the middle class Koreans. U.S. Currency(greenbacks) could not be held by Soldiers (they must use military payment script) and it was a very serious offence for a Korean citizen to be caught with Greenbacks or script in their possession.....But things happen... people take a chance even me, i would receive in the mail a twenty dollar bill from my aunt Edna a Christmas gift. Our Mama-San explained all this stuff to me "you bring me $10. Green, I give you $ 20. in script.... Hell this had real possibility... except I would have to go thru our postmaster to get a money order to send money home, these transactions were monitored very closely, and some folks i am sure got in trouble. So each month i would bring my two cartons of Marlboro hard pack to my mama san, and she would pay me twice what I paid. thats business.

     Now one day she shows me a Sears Roebuck catalogue, and makes me an offer. She wants me to purchase some very fine material, to make Korean dressers. I agree, I will lay-out the money for her.... we strike a deal. with my money order i send for the goods...... Three weeks and it arrives ( i put it in my foot locker and go visit her). She has no Script only Won Korean money after three weeks, I give her the material she gives me Korean Money (half a foot locker full) I end up giving most of it away to guys with Korean girl friends(they will spend it in the market. I guess I got a Royal Screwing... but it did not turn me against the Korean People. They are hard Workers, and i am amazed at their endurance. I believe that soon will come The Re-unification that all Koreans long for....The Americans will close their bases. and Koreans will live, At Last in Peace

Scribblemaster

Jess Kern

Korea 1953-54

Just Two weeks in Country!

     Two weeks in country, and i get a desk at the inspection and re-packing office so it appears i will be riding a desk, at least for a while (this might be fun).

     Carved into side of a small mountain, are four buildings, each with a "Blast wall" separating each building, designed to prevent an explosion in one line office spreading to other lines... making a real mess, out of a nice clean production line, and those Workers and Soldiers, inspecting "our goods".

     The "Operation" employed about fifty Korean Workers, several supervisor's and a tough main honcho (top bossman) in charge of all Workers, plus each line had two U.S. Soldiers, keeping close watch on the operation..... and play with the pigtails, that all the girls wore. I was assigned a desk, simply because the officer and master sergeant believed that i had superior knowledge of when Ammo should be delivered to the E.O.D Group Explosive Ordnance Demolition. (and they were right.... except I would cross my fingers every time I had to make a decision.

     The office had A.C. and i stored my paperwork in my desk, and could smoke a cigar, with my feet up on the desk and bullshit about The Brooklyn Dodgers or whatever. The junior officers would love to gather there and do plenty of ass kissing of Mr Reno (a big shot) and our office had splendid A.C..

Next: Big trouble at the railhead.

                                                    ScribbleMeister

                                                     Jesse E. Kern

                                                      Korea 1953-54 

         

Yes! You Still Pull Guard Duty

I still pull Guard Duty ? Yes you do.!

     Only a week in Haeundae, and my name is once again on the bulletin board. All Guards report to the supply room, sign out a Thirty Caliber carbine and two banana clips, report to the orderly room for your instructions.

     My shift was something like three hours on then i get replaced, and a long ride back to our company area. I get dropped off and given strict instructions on just where my guarding was to be performed. My instructions went something like this... Pvt. Kern, your job tonight is to protect this 125 x 50 foot steel building, where are stored our most costly Ordnance (proximity fuses) and other high cost items.

     You will start at this end of the building, walk slowly to the end, right turn, then right turn again back to this point. (at this bulldozer) stop any Korean Civilians that you see crossing the depot at this area, and be alert, keep your weapon loaded. The Second Lt & Sarge then drove away. I was now at a far location, in a very large Ammo base.

      

     I put a clip in my weapon, and proceeded to climb into the seat of the Bulldozer and thats where i remained until several hours later when in the far distance i saw the headlights of the truck coming to pick me up.

P.S. Oh yes i saw plenty of Korean Farmers, hundreds of feet away, but they were no where near me, i just snuggled up against the steel protective back of the seat, and remained there until nature called me to piss (no more guard duty after that) My concern about my survival, were heightened by the fact that escaped P.O.W.'s Chinese and North Korean's (by the thousands) were wandering all over South Korea. Therefore I act to preserve #1 (Me).

Next: Good stuff from Home

                                                        Scribblemeister

                                                        Jesse Kern

                                                         Korea 1953-54

Oh Jesus ! I broke my goddamed Glasses

Well just sparing with Stan, waiting for Morning Formation, and my glasses get knocked off and broken (i have no spare). The Master Sergeant informs me i will be going by bus back into Pusan, to have a couple of pairs made. That little errand took all day, and when i walked into my hut i was told my name was on the bulletin board (Pvt. Kern, report to the office of the Base Commander at 0900 hours, the next morning). So now my roommates start to razz me about just arriving and already i must go visit The Commander, of course i believed he wanted to discuss my spending the whole day, getting my glasses replaced, but i was way off the mark.

I present myself before our Commander and a civilian wearing olive drab clothes, the civilian wants to talk to me, and says Pvt Kern your civilian job was working with component parts of anti-personnel devices (commonly called booby trap devices). I explain exactly what my work was, and he was disappointed when i said these parts were all "inert" (had no explosive component). It seemed that the assistant to Mr.Rego, was about to rotate back to the U.S. and Rego needed a new assistant. So Mr.Rego said "I might as well take you" and he did. However when I returned to my hut, many important questions were asked... about what punishment was given to me? Well I had coffee with Rego and the Base Commander, I would now assist Mr.Rego... and pull NO Guard duty, K.P. or "fire watch". My skills were much too important to waste my energy. No I am the assistant to the Big Boss Mr Rego, I can't be wasting my time on K.P. or Guard Duty, No ! No ! I am much too important. That's what I believed until my name was on the roster  for guard duty.

And just imagine I had to sign out a 30 caliber carbine, and a couple of Banana Clips, and I was out in the Boonies protecting valuable Ammo (I will write about that adventure) i was the assistant to Mr. Rego (his rank was about a G-S 12). Like a full bird but he just wore a GS on his lapels. I acquired a vast amount of General Knowledge, just keeping eyes and ears open, when he would be making judgments if a certain lot # number of ammo should be re-packed or destroyed. It was not long before my opinion regarding Ammo was sought after, by junior officers, always seeking to keep on the right side of Rego, by treating his assistant with respect.

Next Time ...I will think of something !                       

ScribbleMeister

Jesse Kern

Korea 53-54

  

My New Home, My job, My room mates.

     Well, she's not much to look at, but she will keep the rain and snow off our head. I'm writing about the Quonset Hut that is now my home, with patch's of sheet metal to keep out the storms, once again i feel lucky that i am Not up on the front lines living in a hole in the ground. When us new replacements arrived, there was no one to welcome us, but then along came a pfc, he answered all questions. "Soldier you go into that first hut, take your gear to last bed against the rear wall" (the procedure is new men go to the back, and move toward the front when others rotate home, it sounds very simple.... Just go to the back of the bus.... and slowly work your way out the front door and home). Well its time for me to get out in the field, and get started inspecting some Ammo. I am waiting at our assembly point, and i start sparring with another new person and my eyeglasses get broken, and i don't have a spare, so i ask an officer what to do. Now i must go back into Pusan to a lab... to get two pair of glasses (it's an all day deal) and when i get back to my company, my roommates tell me that I'm "in trouble and the base Commander wants to see me the next day at 9am". I guess it was because i was in Pusan for the whole day. So i will go and say that everything was very slow at the clinic nothing like New York, where its all hurry-hurry we gotta get it done and by the way, just what is that smell? Brother its human fertilizer, and has been applied to the paddies for hundreds of years. But! you will get to a point where you will not smell it any more.

next time: i visit our Base Commander.

ScribbleMeister

Jesse E. Kern

Korea 1953-54

Grabbing a Brewski in Baltimore

This occurred just before we all were shipped to Korea...

                                        

     While receiving training at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, in May 1953, I asked a fellow trainee, if we filled up his gas tank, would he take four of us into Baltimore, when he drove in to see his wife at their apartment for a few hours, then pick us up at the same spot for the ride back to the base James Heavel is his name and since James was a bit older (24) then us, we respected James like an older brother, James said "you just be at the spot where i will be dropping you off, Everyone understand !"

     All went well...we put in $10.00 gas,almost filled his tank. We were let off at a main street, i beleive East Baltimore Street, we just drifted along checking out the Women and drinking in the atmosphere when i said lets go in here for a Brewski, Mac a colored Soldier* from Baltimore tried to stop me saying "Jess we won't get service in there" I just said Bullshit and we all went in. We lined up belly to the bar and called out to the Barmaid to please bring four cold Brewski's Mam, well! she stared at me and informed me, that the two White soldiers she would serve, but the two Colored Boys, she would sell them a couple of Beers to go. Mam we stand here in the uniform of our Country.....We are close friends, No! we are more like Brothers.....We wish to drink together....listen to some good country music.... to just relax.... soon we will be on our way to Korea. She said the law is the law! Don't cause a problem, I don't want to call for the M.P.'s. Arthur IrIck takes my arm (Arthur is my bunk mate, he sleeps on top) and the others head out the door. Soon we are at the pick-up spot and here comes our older Brother James Heavel, and as we jabber and discuss what has occured, James drives and lights a smoke, he is the most Relaxed person in the car and at last he speaks.. Hey Guys  Things are changing... soon we will  be drinking "together". This is how i never got my Brewski in Baltimore.

* Colored was acceptable in 1953

   I Was called Whitey or White-boy

ScribbleMeister

Jesse E Kern

Korea 1953-54