aka: more than you ever wanted to know about my background

Dad turns 98 today. Still healthy … for a 98yo – still mobile, still not as dumb as I thought he was when I was 16, not in a nursing home. Hearing not so good … eyes not far behind. Still does yard work.

God willin’ and the crik don’t rise, I’ll see him on my trip back east come August.

A 1st Lt in the Army Field Artillery, a forward observer, Daddy played boom-boom games with the Chinese in Korea within an area known as “The Iron Triangle”. Never talked much about his time there; except one time he mentioned his camp was over-run by the Chinese – his dog was killed. Mentioned that just sort of as an aside. He didn’t talk about others but I can guess. I think he mentioned one time receiving a Purple Heart. Once. Long ago. Even now, he doesn’t answer questions.

Loved to watch MASH. Spent much of his Korea time in itty-bitty unarmed kites with propellers, or for a change, sometimes in forward observation posts.

Since he doesn’t talk about it, I search the history files. This one was interesting:

https://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/Korea/ForwardObserverArtillery

Apparently, he was one of the artillery participants in the Battles of White Horse and Pork Chop Hill. I never knew which battery he was assigned to but his brigade fired the last artillery shell of the war at the time he was there.

He was home in time for my first Christmas … barely.
A few years later, he got me hooked on trains – a lifelong addiction.

He won’t read this but Happy Birthday, Dad.