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Mike, when I stepped off the USNS Gen. Weigel in
late June, 52, at a San Francisco pier into a warehouse we received a cuppa Joe
and a donut and we were marched out a side door
where we were required to pay for the RC "Goodies" before we left the
building. I still haven't forgiven the *#+^%## s for that.From there we
boarded a big ferry boat and they transported us to Camp Stoneman Repple-Depple
where we were confined for three days. From there, those from the SW (OK,
TX, NM, KS, etc) boarded an Army Troop Train destined for Ft. Sill, OK.
Being close to home they gave most of us Okie NGs a week's furlough and I
returned back to receive my re-classification from NG-Active Duty to NG-State
Control (still under my original NG enlistment). Of course I received my
muster-out pay, combat pay, OK Bonus pay, ,etc. all totalled $350-400.
Man, I thought I was RICH! However, as for Parades, Welcome Home Banners,
etc. I saw none other than my immediate family & a couple of friends who met
the train at Ft. Sill. Of course, all I wanted was to be back home in one
piece...that was good enough for me. I felt that I had given what Uncle
Sam had asked and I was ready to get on with my life. The first thing I
did was enroll in High School to pick up my Senior year as I had went to
the Army between my Jr/Sr years. What a hellava way for a kid to grow up
huh? That's what ya can really call the School of Hard Knocks!
LOL
Bill Scott
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2003 6:37
PM
Subject: Re: Vets, "Where Ya Been?"
In the Fall of 1952,
An army buddy and I went from Fort Devins,
Massachusetts to New York city
on a three day pass. We hitchhiked along
the expressway and the fellow who
picked us up went out of his way to
drop us off in the middle of the city.
We shared a room at the YMCA for
some small amount like 75 cents each. We
wore our army uniforms and were
treated well by the citizens.
We were given free tickets to a
Broadway play. I don't remember
the name of the play but it was first rate
as Henry Fonda played the lead
role. We were never allowed to buy a beer in
the local taverns. The house
always bought the first beer then some
customer would buy the second
beer. A USO recreation hall furnished us free
food and soft drinks.
Everyone we met were friendly to us. It was a
pleasant experience.
John C.
On Wed, 30 Jul 2003 12:37:35 -0700
(PDT) Mike Davino <mdavino@yahoo.com>
writes:
>
Speaking about Seattle, oddly enough that is one town
> that did host a
welcome home parade for one unit of
> Vietnam veterans. It was a
battalion from the 9th
> Infantry Division (the 3rd Bn, 60th Infantry,
I
> think).
>
> That is one of the few units that
redeployed as a unit
> instead of individuals. What I think
happened is when
> Nixon announced his drawdown, they picked
that
> battalion to leave en mass to show he was making good
> on
his promise of "Vietnamization." What the Army did
> was probably
transfer most of the soldiers who had a
> long time left on their tours
out of that battalion
> and transfer a bunch of "short-timers" into
that
> battalion. The unit was paraded thru downtown and
got
> a salmon dinner.
>
> Did anything similar happen for
any Korean War units?
>
> Mike Davino
>
> --- John C
Cheek <johncheek1@juno.com>
wrote:
> > When I
returned from Korea in April of 1954
> > a small band greeted
>
> our ship as it docked in Seattle. I don't know who
> > organized
that
> > greeting. However, I don't recall any special
> >
greeting from friends and
> > acquaintances in my home town.
Some might have said
> > welcome home but if
> > someone
would have made a big deal out of thanking
> > me I surely
would
> > remember it. However, it was not a issue with me. I
>
> was just happy to
> > have survived and returned home.
>
> My mustering out pay was
somewhere around
> > $800+. It was the first
> > time in my
life that I saw a one-hundred dollar bill
> > and they handed
me
> > eight of them. Then the State of Washington gave me
>
> a Veteran's Bonus of
> > $200. In total, that was over three
months pay at
> > the job I left behind
> > when I went into
the Army in 1952.
> >
I am grateful that the GI Bill allowed me to
> > obtain a
college
> > education. I could not have done it solely with
my
> > own finances. I had a
> > pregnant wife and one child
when I started
> > engineering school at
> > Washington
State in 1956. Four and one-half years
> > later I had a BS
degree
> > in Civil Engineering, a wife and four children -
the
> > winters are very
> > cold in Pullman,
Washington.
>
> I bought my first house
in 1961 with GI Bill
> > backing for $50 down
> > and a 25
year mortgage at 5%.
>
> In summary, there was no
ticker parades for
> > returning Korean
> > Veterans but I
don't think we were ignored. I think
> > my fellow citizens
>
> were grateful and rewarded us (via their elected
> >
representatives) with
> > generous benefits available only to
military
> > veterans of the Korean War.
>
>
>
> How many of you used
mustering out pay to
> > get a new start in
> > civilian
life, purchase a home on the GI Bill, or
> > obtain training on
the
> > GI Bill?
> >
>
> Stay safe, buddy.
>
> J. Charles
Cheek (John)
>
> Author of "Stay Safe,
Buddy"
> > A Novel
about Humor & Horror during the
> > Korean War
>
> www.authorsden.com/jcharlescheek
>
>
> >
> >
> >
> > On Tue, 29 Jul
2003 18:56:09 -0700 (PDT) Mike Davino
> > <mdavino@yahoo.com>
> >
writes:
> > > I lived in Puyallup for about a year when I
was
> > > stationed at Fort Lewis. It seemed like a
nice
> > place.
> > >
> > > Mike
Davino
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > I can tell you with certainty that it happened
> > in
a
> > > > restaurant in Puyallup
> > > >
Washington about 30 years ago along with getting
> > the
> >
> > finger a few times. I know
> > > > it
happened, as I was the soldier it was
> > directed
> > >
> at. I also may be a rarity
> > > > as I have gotten
superb care from the VA (Iowa
> > City
> > > >
hospital) along with an
> > > > offer for an all expense paid
trip to Johns
> > Hopkins
> > > > for Gulf War
syndrome
> > > > tests. Congress and the various
administrations
> > may
> > > > have been less than
willing to
> > > > fund the VA, but I can't knock the medical
and
> > > > support staff at the VA, they
> > >
> are first class people.
> > > > Glen
> > >
>
> > >
> > >
> > >
__________________________________
> > > Do you Yahoo!?
>
> > Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site
> > design
software
> > > http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com
>
> >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > Stay safe,
buddy.
> > J. Charles
Cheek (John)
>
> Author of "Stay Safe,
Buddy"
> > A Novel
about Humor & Horror during the
> > Korean War
>
> www.authorsden.com/jcharlescheek
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you
Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design
software
> http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com
>
>
>
Stay
safe, buddy.
J. Charles
Cheek (John)
Author
of "Stay Safe, Buddy"
A Novel
about Humor & Horror during the Korean
War
www.authorsden.com/jcharlescheek
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