The Graybeards - KWVA - Korean War Veterans Association

Letters
A well deserved award
At Veteran’s
Memorial Hall in
Columbus, Ohio on
November 9, 2000
Joel C. Davis was
inducted into the
Ohio Veteran’s Hall
of Fame, Class of
2000 by Governor
Robert Taft. The Hall
of Fame was established
in 1992 by then
Governor George
Voinovich to honor
honorably discharged
military veterans, not
for valor in line of duty but instead the hall recognizes people who
made significant contributions to their state and their communities.
May 23, 2001 there will be a Class Enshrinement at the Ohio
Veterans Home in Sandusky, Ohio where a bronze plaque with
names of inductees will be hung. Davis is a Charter member of the
National Korean War Veterans and Ohio Chapter later transferring
to the newly organized Northwest Ohio Chapter. There he is a past
president and now serving as treasurer. While in Korea he served
with the 772nd MP Bn.
A wife never forgot
Col. Christine M. Cook, Joel C. Davis and
Governor Bob Taft of Ohio.
In memory of Robert L. Onstott, 5th Regimental Combat Team
I am the widow of Robert L. Onstott who was a medic with the
5th Regimental Combat Team in Korea. This is a picture of him
along with the flag presented to me. The medals are his, I received
them on Veteran’s Day.
Robert’s Widow
Joann Onstott
Wall-hanging:
Depicting the service
of the 51st Signal
Battalion Corp in
Korea. It was presented
to me by Clarence
(Woozie) Wagoner after
the second 51st Bn.
Reunion held in
Wapakonete, Ohio. I
met Clarence Wagoner
August 17, 1951, when
I was assigned to the 1st
Republic of Korea Inf.
Div. Clarence Wagoner
was the first friend I
made in Korea.
The wall-hanging
Wall hanging Depicting the service of the 51st
Signal Battalion Corp in Korea.
was hand stitched by his
step-daughter. Also enclosed is a page from the Fort Ord Panorana.
It is what I would call of “great interest.” The Pvt. who wrote the
letter is Earl Roberts. Earl is alive and well in Eureka, CA. David
A. Bradburn, P.O. Box 1, Willow Creek, CA 95573.
Former trainee writes from Korea
“Tell that Sarg he isn’t the bad Guy we thought he was at Ord”
(The following letter from Pvt. Earl Roberts, recently a trainee in
Co. B of the 63rd Inf. at Fort Ord, received here last week is printed-as
a matter of general interest to Post Personnel —Ed..)
June 4, 1951
38th Parallel
Dear Sarge:
Here I am sitting in Korea. Some of the old Company B boys
and I were talking about the old times we had back at Basic. I didn’t
realize it then, but now I know that some of the happiest days of
my army career was spent in the Fifth Platoon. There are only two
of us still together, and we are going to be split when we go up to
our .companies. He is going to D Company, I believe, and I am
going to Heavy Mortars. Harry Vowinkle is the one I am still with.
Rochback from the sixth platoon, and Sam Lewis, from the third
platoon, are going in my company.
It took me 23 days to get here since we went by way of’ Guam,
then to Camp Drake in Japan, then to Inchon. For the last week we
have been with Headquarters Co., of the Fifth Cav. Regt. We have
just been sitting around and waiting with the artillery banging night
and day.
If some of your boys are bitching about the hard going, just tell
them, from one who knows, that no matter how hard it gets or
seems, someday they will be glad they got the knowledge and
endurance to face combat with some self-confidence. And when
they bitch because it is too hot or too cold, remind them that in
Korea, every day is bivouac. It is either very hot or very wet, and
while they can return to nice warm barracks and their bunks, we
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The Graybeards