RE: cold nights and bayonets

["Borge, Toby R" <toby.r.borge@intel.com>]

My Uncle who was in the Navy during WWII and joined the Army just prior to
Korea used to tell a fairly interesting story. He was a truck driver and
would deliver supplies up to the front. He always said he tried to spend as
little time possible in the combat zone. On one trip he arrived dropped of
his supplies and hopped into his truck to boogie on back to wherever he was
based out of. As he was getting ready to start the engine, the door pops
open and he gets pulled out of the vehicle. Trying to figure out what is
going on, some Sergeant drags him away shouting that they are expecting an
attack and every spare hand is needed. My uncle before this had never fired
a weapon at anyone and would be lucky to hit the broad side of a barn. He
said he tried pleading that he was merely a truck driver but all that got
him was a smack on the side of his head.

Anyway he was given a rifle and tossed into a trench with a couple other
guys who had no sympathy for him. Next thing he knows he hears a bugle and
looks over the sand bags to see a Chinese officer on a white horse blowing a
bugle and leading a charge of what he said were thousands of Chinese
soldiers. Amazed at what he saw he just stood there until one of the other
guys knocked him on his side and yelled at him to start shooting. He doesn't
remember how long the charge lasted but at the first letup he got back to
his truck and tore out of there.

I always found that story amazing. I can picture my uncle in a state of
shock, because he always seemed to get out of everything. He had a nice
cushy job, and got a rude awakening.


 
Toby