Re: list members

[<Jwscpd8@aol.com>]

How well I remember those surrender leaflets that were either dropped or left 
behind when we vacated a hill top.

On March 25, 1951, it was Easter Sunday morning, chow was being brought up to 
our positions when a lone Chinese soldier was observed walking towards our 
position.  Since we could see he was unarmed (no rifle), one of the men walk 
off the hill to meet him so that he would not be setting off our trip flares.

As soon as he was approached, he started waving a Good Conduct Pass at us as 
he was brought up to the hill top.  One of the men standing around, punched 
the prisoner square in the face, almost knocking him to the ground.  Again, 
he started waving the Pass at us, when one of the Sgt.'s came up and ordered 
the prisoner taken down to the chow line and fed, as that was one of the 
items on the Pass.  He was to receive a meal.  After he was fed, that was the 
last we saw of him.

While he was being searched, I got a good look at the enemy soldier and I saw 
the neighborhood Chinese laundry man,  round face, pot belly and short in 
height.  As I looked at him, all I could think of is, if they are all like 
him, this war is over with, but come 22 April 51, I found out how they really 
were, when they over ran the line.

As to the Chinese leaflets left behind for us, I picked up two of them, which 
I sent home.  One set to my dad, one to my mother.  My dad worked for the 
Chicago Tribune newspaper and when he brought them to work, the newspaper 
printed them as that was the first they had ever saw.  Later, my dad wrote me 
that the FBI had paid a visit to the offices of the paper, wanting to know 
how they obtained the leaflets, but the editor said they arrived in the mail 
one day.

It was a Court Martial offense to pick up the Chinese leaflets, but I still 
have one set, the Surrender Pass and a letter type leaflet telling me why I 
was there, killing Chinese soldiers when I should not be.

The one American leaflet I see missing from the set of leaflets is the one in 
color, with the tiger painted on the front of a tank.  It was said that the 
tiger was feared by the Chinese.

The above are just my memories of the leaflets.  I do remember a C-46 with 
loud speakers mounted on that flew over the Chinese side as a female would 
play music or speak to the troops.  I think all they ever got for their 
effort was a fuselage full of bullet holes.

     John Sonley Korea 1951