The Regimented Life of A Soldier

Contributed by Joseph Bonaccorso

Background on the Korean Conflict

 

In June of 1950, North Korea attacked South Korea; within a week President Harry S. Truman committed American air, sea, and ground forces to South Korea's defense.  There was mass chaos on this day in American history.  Although it did not have a direct impact on the people of America, if we had not taken action, there could have been a totally different outcome.  Regardless, the United States did not want to become “world policemen” and monitor the constant battles between North and South Korea. 

In the Korean War, the two sides agreed to work toward establishing an independent state while occupying the other territories. By 1947, however, the Cold War was already entrenched and the North Koreans established themselves as the Democratic People's Republic, a Soviet satellite. The newly formed United Nations sponsored the creation of the Republic of Korea in the south during the following year.  The role that Americans played in this war was acting as mediators, and protectors for our country as well as all of the other countries around the world.  We were able to come in and stop the fighting between North and South Korea, which ultimately lead to our safety, and those who surround us. 

Even after the Korean War, the US kept troops stationed in South Korea.  Even when teh Vietnam Conflict emerged, US troops remained stationed there. 

Interview:

Below is an interview with Wolfgang Mueller, a soldier who was stationed in Korea during the Vietnam Conflict.  He reports on the regimented life of a soldier. 
 

 

 

·         What memory will you always carry with you from your time in the war?

When the North Koreans seized the U-2's America back in 1968 for spying.  This put South Korea on high alert  and this meant everywhere we went we had a take our weapons and ammunition because the North Koreans were coming over the DMZ and attacking South Korean military bases, and by the way the DMZ separated the North and the South.

 

·         Although you were not on the battlefield can you describe the life of a soldier?

·         Life of soldier is very regimented.  You get up of 4 AM make your bed and get ready for PT, calisthenics, and run several miles before having breakfast.  Then we went for training on the rifle range and to demolition school which is dealing with high explosives. Then we would have lunch in a field and I would go back to classes.  Then about 4 o'clock we would head back to the barracks and get ready for dinner, after dinner we were on our own time, We had to be in a barracks before 10 o'clock at night because that when the lights went out and if we were not in our bunks at 10 o'clock for Roll Call we are would be considered AWOL which means Absent without Leave.

 

·         What were your thoughts when you were deployed? 

I was happy to go to Korea instead of Vietnam, but I would have preferred to go to Germany just to see where I was born.

 

·         Did you meet any citizens of Korea while deployed?

·         The only Korean citizens I met were the houseboy I hired to clean my clothes, which I paid him several dollars a month. His duties were to starch my uniforms and polish my boots and clean my underwear.

 

·         What was your family’s reaction when they found out you were leaving?

·         My family was happy that I went to Korea instead of Vietnam but don't forget that Korea was a hot spot at that time a lot of conflict between the North and South and they were very concerned about fighting that was going on there.

 

·         What were your daily duties while deployed?

·         I was assigned to the second division to pull security and patrols along the DMZ's for my Tour duty which was for 13 months.

 

·         How did the life style of Korea differ from the one you knew in the United States?

·         As we were getting ready to land at Kampo Airport in South Korea I looked out the window as we were descending to see nothing but grass huts and water buffalo if I didn't know any better I thought I was in Africa. We left the airport and headed to Camp Casey on the way I saw South Koreans carrying heavy packages on their  heads and back attached to their back they had this wooden A-frame which they attached a heavy, packages to, South Korea was very primitive and dirty and at that time. They only have one main road from Camp to the airport. Compared to the United States, South Korea reminded me of the Stone Age.

What did you do in your free time while deployed?

·         Well during my free time I went to the PX to buy cigarettes and candy bars and get something to eat which were California burgers they were the best.  It was better than eating military food, also went to the USO played pool, cards, develop photos, built models and went to the movies. That was my life for 13 months.

What do you remember most about the war?

 The thing that sticks in my mind is when the North Koreans seized the USS Pueblo because the North Koreans started to invade South Korea.  We had a lot of dead North Koreans that were killed in South Korea and along the DMZ also we had a lot dead American soldiers and casualties during that time you never heard about this back in the United States everything was classified.

 

·         Did anything historical happen at your base?

 

·         The only thing historically happened to me that went down in the history books when the North Koreans seized the USS Pueblo back in 1968 for spying.

 

·         Did you ever have the opportunity to work with any famous generals or war heroes?

·         Sorry Joseph I did not have the privilege of meeting any famous generals while I was in the service.

 For more information on the Korean War, see:

"Korean War." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013

Korean War. CHARLES A. LOFGREN. Encyclopedia of the American Constitution. Ed. Leonard W. Levy and Kenneth L. Karst. Vol. 4. 2^nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. p1541-1542. Word Count: 614.

The Korean War. American Decades Primary Sources. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Vol. 6: 1950-1959. Detroit: Gale, 2004. p213-218. Word Count: 3541.

 

Cold War: The Korean Conflict. American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, Victor Bondi, Richard Layman, Tandy McConnell, and Vincent Tompkins. Vol. 6: 1950-1959. Detroit: Gale, 2001. p187-189. Word Count: 924.

A Personal Narrative of the Korean War (1950, by Bob Roy). Mark D. Baumann. Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. Vol. 9. 3^rd ed. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. p417-419. Word Count: 1861.