Sep/Oct 2005 - Korean War Veterans Association

We knew it would no doubt involve
Louis and my cousin, since they were in
Japan already. I remember that day in
June when I was cultivating cotton in
our field, and a rainstorm struck suddenly.
I had to get the tractor out of the field,
and as I drove up to the barn, my sisterin-law
ran out to meet me with news that
the Korean War had started. My hopes
were dashed to the ground, because all I
could think about was the sure delay in
Louis and me getting to see each other in
person. And a new fear gripped my
heart. He might get wounded—or killed.
I’d written 31st Inf. Regiment, 7th
Division at least a thousand times on letters.
Now, it was the words I listened for
in the news and searched for in newspapers.
Yet, what I felt could not compare
to the anxiety and fears of the wives
whose husbands were on the battlefields
of Korea. The fear for the safety of their
men must have been a heavy weight in
the hearts of those women who hoped
and prayed and waited for their loved
ones.
Each letter from Louis became more
precious. When we worked in the field
near our house, I’d instruct my little
brothers to bring the letter from Louis to
me if one came. I can still see how they
looked running across the field, their
heads bobbing up and down in the cotton
stalks with the others in hot pursuit of
the one with the letter.
The year dragged on. I could not have
imagined the terrible winter Louis was
enduring in Korea. He and many others
would be affected for the rest of their
lives by Cold Injury. Mercifully, he survived,
and in late spring of 1951 he was
pulled out and shipped back home.
It was early in June when I got a call
from Illinois and heard His voice for the
first time. A few days later he came. Five
days after that, we got married! He was
on furlough and could not stay in Texas,
and I could not go anywhere with him
without a chaperone. If we were to get
further acquainted, we had to be married.
Our pen-pal relationship ended
abruptly, and a permanent relationship
began on June 10 1951, which has flourished
for 54 years.
Strangely enough, we have none of
the hundreds of letters we wrote. Louis
had to destroy all personal mail before
he left Japan for Korea, and my collection
of the letters he wrote to me were
later lost in a house fire. His letters
would have been a great treasure for our
children-a running account of every day
of his life for over two years.
My first impression of my pen-pal
over 57 years ago was a true one. Louis
Holmes is a unique individual, and I’m
glad that we made that youthful, impulsive
decision to get married with only
the letter “courtship” between us. Life
would not have been complete for either
of us without each other.
Edna Holmes
1302 E. Ninth
Bonham, TX 75418
MEMBERS’ MILESTONES
An Honorable Discharge—52 Years Later
Ishare this information
with my comrades
who participated
in “The
Forgotten War.” Since
1967, I have been trying
to obtain my
Honorable Discharge
Certificate from The
National Personnel
Record Center to no
avail. The last time I
wrote to them was on
Congressman Balart presents George Aubert
his certificate
February 2005—and
I’m still waiting for a reply.
Due to the lack of response to my request, I wrote my
Congressman, Mario Diaz-Balart, to request assistance. In only
six weeks, he got in touch with The National Personnel Record
Center and obtained my certificate—something which is so significant
in my life—and which I should have received almost 52
years ago. After all, I am a Korean War veteran. I served with Co.
A, 180th Regt., 45th Infantry Division, from 1952-1953, at
Heartbreak Ridge and Christmas Hill.
I am grateful to my Congressman for his great efforts, and for
hosting me at his office, where he presented to me the certificate
and an emotionally significant letter.
George A. Aubert, 15060 SW 180th St., Miami, FL 33187
Congressman Aubert’s letter: An added, welcome touch
51
The Graybeards September - October 2005