9:10 P.M.
5 Nov. 52
No. Korea.
Hi Pal;
Letters are pretty hard to write up here. When I write the
folks I have to smooth things over so they wont worry. That
leaves me practly nothing to write about.
I don’t feel that is necsrary with you however. I’ll just
tell you facts and you can keep them to yourself.
The second day I got in Korea I got a good look at the
things that are realy happening here.
The train that brought me to the front stoped right beside
a Hospital train. I watched them putting wounded men on the
train. The ambulances were bringing the men down faster
than they could
get them onto the train. It was a sight that made me so
sick I had to turn away and vomit.
Right now I’m in a fairly safe place. Our own artilery is
behind us firing over our heads into enemy lines and the
enemy are on the other side of the hill throwing artilry
and mortar back at them. You can see how cozy that makes
us. The other night we had quite a shower here. (artilery
that is I was told that 160 rounds hit us between 7 PM and
Midnight. You can bet your sweet ass I didn’t bother to
count them. I just hugged Terra Ferma and hoped like hell,
It continued until morning but not quite as bad. Not a sole
was hurt by
all reports though. A sargent here that had 35 points
steped on an enemy mine and went home quartermaster style.
It was realy to bad, he had just a week until he would have
rotated. Another guy came into our outfit the outfit and
lasted only 5 hrs. Mortar got him square in the face. His
helmet looked like a sive.
A lutenent got schratnel right in the groin. From what I
was told it tore his privats right out. That is realy a
pity I think I’d rather have my head shot off than my nuts.
We are a lot better off than those No. Koreans though. Our
planes and artilery are strafing
and bombing hell out of them 24 hrs. a day. So far the only
planes I’ve seen are our own. Theyed sure play hell if they
ever struck back.
There is a guard fifty machine gun mounted on the hill
right over my head. Right now he is pounding his guts out.
I’ve heard so dam much of this blasting that it doesn’t
even bother me now. I can sleep right through the worst of
it now.
I guess our outfit will be on line until about May. If I
can keep my ass in one peace that long I’ll realy be lucky.
This place can realy raise heck with a guys nerves.
Once in a while we go out into no mans land and take up
mines. The last time we
went out one of our owne companys dam near opened fire on
us. They mistook us for Reds and we nearly got the shaft.
Things could be a lot better here, but I suppose they could
be worse too. Just be thankful your not here.
Well I guess thats about it as far as activity is
concerned. As you can see life here is very dull.
This’ll kill you. A lot of guys here are sleeping in tents
and us that do have bunkers aren’t much better off. the
bunkers are to weak to stand very much pounding if we got
zeroed in. Soooo What are we
doing about it?? Why of course! Were building a Latrine for
the officers. We are using the best logs we can get and
reinforcing it with plenty of sand bags and stones. And to
top that off it has a stove and electric lights. Thats what
I call looking after your men. What do you think of it?
I’ve got to close this letter and write my Dotty. Love to
Dot, Davy and Ann.
Your Brat Brother
Woody
P.S. Take care of that
job. Work is plentyful here.
Woody home page
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Brenda Woodbury