Re: National Guard

[<Jwscpd8@aol.com>]

When I was told I was going to be rotated home in the middle of October 1951, I was informed my replacement would be on the truck that I would be leaving on to the rear.

As I was pacing like an animal in a cage, a 2 1/2 pulled up outside the CP tent and about 6 soldiers got off.  One of which was a Sgt. who was calling out my name, which made me think, I was not going home.

He was my replacement and he as well as the 5 were in the NG, who had been called up.  I really did not care if he had been drafted, enlisted or was NG, as I was headed home.  It seemed that we were receiving a lot of replacements that were NG, as a rumor was flying around, that a whole NG unit was in the rear as replacements for the 5th RCT.

Now, as to the famous or well connected, not once did I ever see or meet a son of a congressman or son of some famous person on the front.  They could well have been in the rear, but never heard of one on the MLR.  The actor James Garner was on the front with Able company, but he was not a famous actor then.

Wars are fought by the average young American male/female, not the rich and famous is my belief.  When I joined my unit in January of 51, the men and kids I soldiered with were enlisted from WW II, inactive reserves or enlisted just prior to Korea.   My CO was a Master Sgt. at the end of WWII and was called up as a Capt.  The US serial numbers (Draftees), started arriving  around May or so I believe.

John Sonley Korea 1951