Korea 1953
Sir…
This is a photo that was taken with my Argus, C-3 camera, some time before July 16th 1953, and the last time I was on line. We were on hill 229; our MLR, our combat Outpost was Kate, hill 128= 2000 yards north, of the trench line at Able Gate. And Our Dog Company 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Commander was Lt Col. Andrew Geer. Our Company Commanding Officer was Captain Woods, I had been a BAR man in the 3rd squad 2nd platoon 1st fire team for nine months, but had transferred to a 3.5 rocket launcher platoon in May 1953 when the 33rd draft arrived, My good buddy Cliff Kroeber encouraged me to do it. It was an easy transfer handled by Lt. Evans; he knew I had a wife and child waiting for me in Con.US. Before we went on the two MarLEXes = Marine landing EXersizes in May and June 1953 that I have recorded in my diary, and written about in another reflection, I trained on the weapon and became a gunner. Since I had survived a lot of line time for past nine months, and was getting close to being a short timer. Early in the morning after my night watch, I left Able Gate where I was stationed and passed through on my way to the supply point that was on south behind a hill where I would get a 5 gallon can of water; I stopped to say hi to these guys, and took this photo, the five Marines with mud on their bloused pants had been out on one of the patrols that were carried out each night, they probably hadn’t had a lot of sleep, [no we didn’t weekends off, our base pay was $122, $45 combat, $12 overseas; $10 was deducted for insurance each month there wasn’t much need for money since the Marine Corps gave us cloths ammo food, and a place to sleep, so I sent most of my pay home to my wife, Parthene. Keeping enough to buy film and pogy bate from the PX truck when we were off line.
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