LOCAL KOREAN WAR VETERANS SHARE THEIR WAR MEMORIES

Tom Darling, 72, of New Albin, said "One of my best memories of the war is the Swedish nurses. They were very pretty and friendly." Darling became acquainted with the nurses when, after being hit by mortar fire, he woke up on a Swedish hospital ship near Puson Harbor,       As soon as he was released from the hospital, he volunteered to go back to his old unit and join up again with his buddy, Eddie Breeser. He and Eddie had joined the Army together, spent all the time together and got out together. They both were part of the Army's 24th Infantry Division, of which Torn was a squad leader of the 19th regiment, 3rd Battalion, Company 1.
It took almost 46 years, but Tom finally received a much overdue Purple Heart about four years ago. He has five other medals and ribbons awarded from the Korean War
Bob Leppert, 66, of Lansing was drafted into the US, Army in 1952. "They said I was 1A, but I got tired of waiting, so I enlisted," he said. In November of 1952 Bob entered basic training at San Luis Obispo, California.
Serving with the 8070th Engineers Group, Bob operated and repaired generators and engines. The base he was stationed at was the only one around with refrigeration, Because of this, GI's bodies were sent there, buried nearby and eventually sent home,
One of his more interesting assignments was assisting in tearing down a North Korean POW camp at PowHang, in which entire American families were held. During his time in South Korea, Bob made friends with a North Korean defector named Kim Chun Kum. The North Korean learned English from reading letters Bob received from home,
"Many times he told me he would kill himself before he would go back to North Korea," Bob said. He and Bob have corresponded every year, at Christmas.
Ernie Luster, 70, from Harpers Ferry, was drafted at 18 and served in the war from September, 1951 until September, 1953. Last week he received his long-awaited medals, including the United Nations Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Medal.
He recalls eating c-rations from World War II. "We had big garbage cans of boiling water and we would throw the cans in them to cook," he said. "I also remember they said, don't eat the cheese."
Ernie served most of his wartime near the 38th Parallel and recalls buying cartons of cigarettes at the special price of two cartons for fifty cents. "The South Koreans who fought alongside us used WWI Springfield 3006 rifles." Ernie said.
One of Ernie's bad memories involves the 2 and one half ton trucks called "deuce and a halves". They would come onto the base loaded with bodies of American soldiers stacked like cordwood."
Lloyd Miller, 68, of Lansing, grew up in LaCrosse and enlisted in 195 1. In fact, he enlisted two more times, serving a total of 11 years, Smiling, he said "There must have been something wrong with me," When Lloyd enlisted the first time he got his basic training at Scofield Barracks in Hawaii. "That sounded really good until I found out I was getting shipped directly to Korea," Lloyd said. He served in the 3rd Division of Heavy Weapons, spending his tour of duty in the war north of Seoul, near the 38th Parallel.
Lloyd reminisced about the legendary 'Bedcheck Charlie. No one knew for sure if he was Chinese or Korean, but he would appear every evening around dusk, flying a prop-driven Russian plane, and drop one bomb. He never hit anything or anyone with his bombing, so no one bothered to shoot at him. Lloyd said, "I've always wondered what happened to him."
Lloyd also likes to tell the story of the gunner in his division. This particular gunner operated the 75 caliber recoilless rifle that sat on a tripod. It could also be mounted on a jeep or a truck. It was easy to spot, so they only used it in the early morning or late evening hours. The breech, or back, of the gun could be opened like a cannon, The gunner did not like to use the sights, so instead he would pull two hairs off his head, cross them in the center of the barrel and use them for sights. He was a good shot and claimed it was quicker to do it that way, rather than set up the sights.
The remainder of Lloyd's tours in the Army included stints in Paris. "Much better duty," he said,
Everett Stahl, 71, from Lansing clearly remembers the February day in 1951 when he left Waukon for basic training. The temperature was 35 below zero and he was told he would be going to either Camp McCoy, Wisconsin or Atlanta, Georgia- He ended up at Atlanta, and later transferred to Ft. Benning, Georgia and recalls hearing the temperature at Camp McCoy got to 50 below,
He recalls the draftboard telling him his tour of duty would last for 21 months, but as soon as he was inducted, it was increased to 24. Upon his entry into basic training, he received one pair of khaki pants, one khaki shirt and one pair of boots. "That uniform lasted a long time," he said
Everett recalls his pay was $82.50 a month, but paratroopers were paid $50 extra and only had to jump one time a month.