Tom and I started working through his father's documents and photos that have been sitting here since he passed in 2007. We found were a lot of letters - letters from his father to his mother while they were courting, letters from his uncle Frank. But so far the most interesting letters are from a friend of his name Eddie. Eddie was in the Army, stationed in Korea in 1951. The letters describe what he was going through. They are rough, sobering, but the offer insight into what life was like in a war zone.
For some background and identifying information, Tom's father was Bronislaus Thomas Ploski, born in 1929. He grew up in Danbury, Connecticut and Tom believes he went to the now-closed Sacred Heart Parochial School. I'd really love it if I could find Eddie's family, but there is no information that would indicate Eddie's last name. I can tell from the letters that he was stationed near the 2nd Division.
Here is the transcription of the first letter:
17 Sept 51
Hi Tom
Well how is it to be a young happy Marine. I have been trying to get your address for a month now. I got your letter yesterday. What was that crack you made in your letter about Japanese. I was in Japan about 70 hours then I was back on the boat on my way to Korea and the front line. I’m not an MP just a plain rifle man in line company.
My first day in the company I went out on a 16 hour patrol. What a blast in the ass that was. Up & down mountains for 16 hours. And that is all I have been doing since. That is all there is in Korea is mountains. For the first month I carried a BAR the Belt & the AR must weigh 40 lb. I though I’d never make some of these hills but I did. But you sure feel safe with a AR. I finally had to give up the AR when they made me a squad leader.
There may be peace talks going on, but that don’t make any differences to the Chinks. They kicked the shit out of us at night two weeks ago. We’re not the only ones. The Marines got the shit kicked out of them too. One of my buddies is in the 23 Reg of the 2nd Div. He wore and told me how they had to help the Marines.
They sure gave us a rough time. We were on a patrol base that was almost behind Chink lines. For 2 days (sic, may not be) they would throw mortars in on us once in a while then one night they let us have it with 120 mortars. Over here the GI *unk* dig for fox holes. But you should have seen us dig that night. The Chinks must have crawled under their own mortar fire because when the mortars stopped some of them were in our foxholes. I never heard so many purp guns in all my life they seemed to be firing at me from all sides. You can always hear them once they start a attack they blow bugles & whistles and start yelling.
Our squad was lucky we held them off in front of us with grenades but they overran the higher ground on our flank and started firing down on us. When the order came to move back we sure did move. When you look back and see someone shooting in your direction your bum run a long way.
The line was about 4 miles in back of us and I know guys who doubled timed most of the way with all their equipment. I left helmet and belt and a lot of other equipment behind. I don’t mind fighting in the day time so much but I sure hate fighting at night. I hope you come over here then you wish you never joined the marines. No I hope you don’t come over. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody. This is a filthy stinking country. I don’t see how people can live here.
Well don’t believe all they teach you in basic. You never use it over here. They waste so much time teaching you how to fire a rifle. Then I get over here and we lay down marching fire from the hips & shoulders. I’ve had 10 different weapons and haven’t been over here 10 weeks yet. You never know how a rifle is *zeroed in* (possibly) Every time we go back in reserve for a couple of days they give us bayonet Patrice. But I’ve yet to hear of a guy using a bayonet on a “chink”. If you’re close enough to stick him your’e close enough to shoot him.
The one thing that gets me is going to chow. Usually we’re on the top of a hill 300-400 meters high and you have to up and down it 3 times a day to get hot chow. I will say that we got better chow on the front lines than you’re getting in the States. We got about 18 cans of beer twice a month on the line. And Except for the beer you don’t have to pay for anything.
Yes Tom, it’s a lot of fun. We’re near Yongchon (Yeoncheon) now. It is east of Kaesong. Well if you ship out to the west coast let me know and I’ll have a foxhole dug by the time you get to Korea, for you.
Well I’ll have to end now. I need a little sleep because we usually have to stay awake all night. If you ever get time drop me a line and let me know why you joined the Marines. And also tell me how tough training is.
Your Pal,
Eddie
PS You’ll have to excuse the writing. I’m in a chink bunker. Those bastards don’t make them big enough for a GI. And I’ll be damned if I’ll make it any bigger.
Yours,
Eddie
PS I hear you write to Jean all the time. Anything happen between you & her or is it that you are just good friends?
Eddie
