Dear Folks, I Will Probably Leave The Company Next Monday, August 1958, 38th Parallel South Korea, Love, Robert

Dear Folks,
  Well I don't know
how to explain this.
The army is something
else. If have 5 days
left in this company
before I rotate. Just
about everybody has gone
home and I am next,
but instead of going
home for discharge like
everybody else I go for
reassignment. I think
at first when they cut
this to a 13 month tour
they knocked some time
off of your tour, but
you couldn't leave Korea
and when you reach the
states if you had less
than 90 day to do,
that is from the day
you hit the states until
your Enlisted Time served
when you first come into
the army.
  OK so I extended until
Aug 16, so I would have
less that 90 days and
go back for discharge.
Well when I leave I
will have less that 90
days, but with something
new. They say you must
have 30 days or less to
go back for discharge.
In other words they haven't
any replacements over here
they want us guys to
either extend over here
until 30 prior which
would give me about 18
months in Korea 5 months
over the tour, or leave now
for reassignment in
the States. Well just
as soon as they ask me I
am going back to the States.
I may get reassigned
but it will be less that
two months because
I will take 30 day leave.
  I will probably leave the
company next Monday
so I will write you when
I leave Korea.
  I don't know whether
all of this is clear to
you in a way it's not
clear to me. I will
just have to wait and
see what happens, but
I will leave in about a
week.

                 Love, Robert

Dear Folks, I Have Paid A Debt, August 3, 1958, 38th Parallel South Korea, Love, Robert

Dear Folks,         3 Aug 58

  Today is the third
of Aug, this is the month
I leave Korea, Saynora,
goodbye. Even with
just 13 days left it
it tough. We have
our annual big inspection
the sixth of Aug. We
have been working pretty
hard for it, but I don't
mind because the
harder I work the faster
the day goes by. My arms
and hands, my clothes
stay dirty with dust
oil and whatever you have.
You have to change clothes
at least once a day.
This army is great
you work all week long
for about 14 hours to
get ready for some
goofball to just walk
by and just look at
your equipment for
about 5 seconds.
  The hutch where I
live has a capacity
for about 25 people there
are four of us who
stay in there. I feel
good though we got two
brand new recruits
in just fresh out of
basic training and
they walk around like
they don't know what
in the hell's coming off.
  I listen to a good
joke the other day. My
platoon sergeant came
up and told me that
I would make corporal
this month. I just
about laughed in his
face. In this company
you just don't make
rank unless you
bow down and that
is something to me
which is beyond the
call of duty.
  I think the boat
which I will catch
will probably go
to Seattle, Washington
which is OK with me
just as long as it's
one of the 49 States.
I think that we will
probably stop off in
Japan. If we do and
the sun is shinning
I am going to take a
lot of pictures. You
know what I want
when I get back, a
good steak, about 3 or
four good cold beers
and my bed. I want
to sleep in that nice
bed without having
to get up and go on
guard or out into the
field during the middle
of the night. It might
not sound like much
to you but it seems
like a luxury to me.
For Twenty months now
I have had to wake
up about 5:30 and
be out in a formation
at 6 o'clock. Did you
know that every night
at 11:30 some officer
comes through my hutch
and check to see if
everybody is in bed. Did
you know my platoon
Sergeant has a 6th
grade education, did
you know that the medical
corps guarantees your
health over here for
12 months. There is
one thing that I have
learned to do since
being in the Army
and I think it is an
important lesson, that
is to survive and live
wherever you may
be. I have met and
become good friends
with a lot of guys
in the army over here.
I have seen guys so
drunk worst that you
have really seen, and I
have seen the same guys
from all walks of life
get woke up at about
2 o'clock Sunday morning
saying theres an alert
on, moving out during
the black of the night
over rugged mountain
roads which are either
icy or muddy and
setting up 80 4.2 mile
mortars capable of
killing hundreds of
people in one barrage.
  Guys who hate the
army, would never
stay one minute past
their time. This to me
is the backbone of the
US Army. I have just
about finished my
service to my country,
but it is not to the
army. I have perhaps
lost 2 years of valuable
time to a person of
my age, but I have
paid a debt, and
maybe later on I may
be called upon to
fight a war. I hope
not, but I will
stand up to anybody,
anybody who thinks
different about guys like
me who were drafted.
  I got drafted into
the army which
might have been a
mistake, I cannot
say yes or no, But
I do know this
whenever you receive
this letter from
that day forth do not write
a letter after it because
I will be on my
way home. You
probably will get maybe
one or two more letters
from me, but they will
not be from this company.
my port of of departure.
                    Love, Robert

Dear Folks, It's Real Lonely Over Here Now, July 28, 1958, 38th Parallel South Korea, Love, Robert

Small Town USA

  I was in Eva, Alabama the other day. I was startled when I pulled up to the gas pump of the local convenience store and a lady came out and asked, "Can I help you?"  I said, "Uhuh, we were going to get some gas." She replied, "Oh, we pump gas if we aren't busy in the store." I was in shock, as well as my Niece Gabrielle as she rounded the front of my truck with the money for gas.

  Later as we ordered our lunch at the local Wagon Wheel restaurant- a grilled chicken sandwich and a patty melt. I pondered small town America.

  They call it The Little Town With A Big Heart. I saw men sitting on the benches in front of that same convenience store with I was through there last. I wonder what they were talking about.

  They say that the heart of America is on Main Street USA and it's being lost to perfect instant subdivisions and shopping malls. That would be a shame. I don't think you will find many grey haired ladies pumping gas for you there.

  It's nice to have a pleasant shock now and then.

  America hasn't lost her heart as long as there are some Eva, Alabamas' that have a beat.

Love,
Cheryl

Dear Folks, I Have Never Spent A More Miserable Time Than In This Place, July 20, 1958, 38th Parallel South Korea, Love, Robert

Dear Folks,              20 July 58
  Here it is past one
week after I cam back
from R & R and I am
feeling mighty low.
  After this week I probably
will be the longest person
in this company, by that
I mean to be here longer,
but after that lookout
because I shall soon be
sailing. I hope a little
less than 9 weeks
before I leave Korea,
and I pray to God that
I don't go from Korea
to Lebanon. I think
that during all of my
life time I have never
spent a more miserable
time than in this place.
I believe that it is worst
now than during the
Korean War because
everybody takes advantage
of the Americans. I
agree whole heart-idly for
President Eke sending troops
to the Middle East because
I think that if we don't
start now everybody will
try to take everything we
have got. Maybe I am
wrong in saying this but
I don't think we should
bend over backwards anymore.
  Well pretty soon
I will be starting
for home but
don't quit writing
until I tell you so.
                Love, Robert

Dear Folks, As Clean As I Got In Japan It Took One Day To Get Dirty Again Over Here, July 14, 1958, 38th Parallel South Korea, Love, Robertl

Dear Folks,     14 July 58
  Well I am back in
this rotten hole. As
clean as I got in Japan
it took one day to
get dirty again over
here. It never did
sun shine in Japan
so I didn't get
in pictures which
made me disappointed.
I hated to ask for
the money but
was practically out
of money. I had a
couple of beers that
night but I didn't
call just for the money.
I was having a good
time. I spent every
last cent but I
don't regret. I didn't
get around to buying
the China but I will
at the end of the month.
  In Japan you can
spend money, but it's
not because you are
unwise, it's just
because you have
seven beautiful days
in which to crowd
a lot of living in. I
don't regret one
second that I spend
over there. You have
so much to see and
do that you forget
yourself. And In
seven days it's hard
to do everything because
I tell it is just a
blessing to leave this
unforsaken hole.
When you get back
over here it's like
hell. It's hot as hell
over here, they have
millions of mosquitoes
and flys. Oh well enough
of that.
  Well here I am
broke, 16 days to payday
32 days before I kiss
this place goodbye. Keep
writing and sending that
paper until that
day comes when you
will get that letter
saying send no more.
I am on the way
home. It's down the
block and around the
corner. Breaking off
now expecting to go
to the field early in
the morning.
       Love Wayfaring Son,
           Robert


 
                              

Dear Folks, The Time Is Getting Shorter, June 22, 1958, 38th Parallel, South Korea, Love, Robert

Dear Folks,                  22 June 58

  In one more week
and a couple of days that
will be all for June
then July and August is
it. The Dept of Army
came down with a
new tour of duty for
Korea, 13 months instead
of sixteen. But I rather
stay over here an extra
couple of months
here than in the States.
  Well I don't know
for sure but I think
I might be going to
Japan the 27th of this
month. If I do look
for a telephone call from
5 o'clock to 10 o'clock between
July 1 through July 3. I
have done took one
reel on my camera and
sent it off to be developed
and then to you. It is
Mostly where I live
and stay at, just experimenting.
I hope some parts turn
out fair at least. I hope
you can see it and write
me about it. I have another
reel about half finished.
It is all of the Demilitarized
zone scenes. I hope
the one does turn out good.
There is only one
thing I don't like about
going home is that boat
ride, they are pitiful.
I have about 55 days
left but I don't know
for sure. It's been
hot over here. I will
be glad when the
rainy season comes
the time is getting shorter.

      Love, Robert