| THIS IS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF GENEALOGY OF JOHN ELLIS TITLED “THE GOOD OL’ DAYS” BATTERY H 3RD BATTALION 11TH MARINES THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS SENT TO THE 1ST MARINE DIVISION OF SGT. LAUREL GLYNN ELLIS’S ACCOUNT OF HIS EXPERIENCES OF JIS SERVICE IN THE KOREAN WAR. THEY ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A COMPLETE HISTORY OF BATTERY H 3RD BATTALION 11TH MARINES DURING THE KOREAN WAR. “ I WENT TO KOREA WITH THE 14TH DRAFT, ARRIVING 29 JULY 1951, AS A COMBAT INFANTRYMAN. WHILE IN RANKS, UPON ARRIVAL AT PUSAN, A CAPTAIN POINTED HIS FINGER AT THE BOOTS OF MEN AS HE WALKED THROUGH RANKS. THESE MEN, 600 OF THEM, WERE TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE 11TH MARINES AND I WAS ONE OF THEM. IN GIVING THE HISTORY OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN H-3-11, I WILL GIVE IT AS I REMEMBER. DATES AND CIRCUMSTANCES MAY BE IN ERROR. EVENTS MAY NOT BE IN ORDER. H-3-11 GUN 4 WAS MY NEW HOME WITH CAPT. METCALF AS COMMANDING OFFICER AND RUPERT WILSON AS GUNNERY SERGEANT. THEY WERE REGROUPING AFTER THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR LOSSES. SERGEANT NICK NICKERSON FROM NEW YORK WAS CREW CHIEF AND AFTER HIM CAME LOYAL S, BOYLES FROM LONGVIEW, TEXAS. ABOUT THE 10TH OF AUGUST, 1951, WE CAME OUT OF RESERVES TO SUPPORT THE R.O.K. WE WENT TO INJE AND TURNED NORTH TO OUR LOCATION. ON THE 18TH OF AUGUST THE CHINESE ATTACKED THE R.0.K. THE R.O.K. TOOK OFF AND LEFT IT WITH US. MY TRAINING ON 105’S AND BAPTISM OF COMBAT WAS SUDDEN. WE ENTERED A BATTERY TWENTY AND NEVER STOPPED SHOOTING, EXCEPT WHEN THE BARREL GOT TOO HOT, UNTIL AUGUST 23, 1951. THE MOTOR POOL HAD TO BORROW DUMP TRUCKS TO BRING US AMMO. THEY WOULD BACK UP TO THE 105 HOWITZER AND DUMP AMMO LIKE IT WAS CORDWOOD. WHEN WE GOT SO EXHAUSTED WE COULD NOT STAND. SOMEONE WOULD TAKE OUR PLACES AND WE WOULD SLEEP FOR A FEW MINUTES IN THE GUN PIT. THE F.O.’S REPORTED THAT HUNDREDS OF CHINESE WERE KILLED. AUGUST 25, WAS MY 20TH BIRTHDAY AND BY THAT TIME THINGS HAD RETURNED TO NORMAL. BY SEPTEMBER 1, 1951, WE WENT ON THE ATTACK SUPPORTING THE 7TH MARINES. WE LEAPFROGGED IN AND OUT OF POSITION GOING NORTH. ABOUT OCTOBER 1ST WE WERE IN OUR POSITION. OUTPOSTS WERE BEING SET UP ON TOP OF A HIGH HILL WHEN TWO EXPERIENCED MARINES WERE KILLED BY A LAND MINE AS THEY WERE PROBING THE GROUND WITH BAYONETS. ABOUT OCTOBER 10THWE SET UP 43 MILES NORTH OF THE 38TH PARALLEL, WHICH PROVED TO BE THE LOCATION WE WERE TO SPEND THE WINTER. G-3-11 WAS SETTING UP ACROSS THE ROAD AND I SPOTTED LOPEZ, A BOOT CAMP PLATOON FRIEND. HE WAS FRYING CHICKEN. WE HAD BEEN EATING OUT OF CANS FOR SEVERAL DAYS SO I BEGGED HIM FOR A PIECE. HE WOULD NOT GIVE IT TO ME – SAID HIS MEN HAD TO COME FIRST. THIRTY MINUTES LATER HE SLIPPED OVER TO ME AND GAVE ME A BEAUTIFUL CHICKEN BREAST, WHICH I’LL NEVER FORGET. I PROMISEDHIM THE BEST STEW AVAILABLE IF AND WHEN WE GOT HOME. IF I COULD FIND HIM, THE PROMISE WOULD STILL BE GOOD. OCTOBER 17, 1951, FIRST INCOMING MAIL CAUGHT ME OUT IN THE OPEN; HOWEVER I HAD AN ENTRENCHING TOOL. BEFORE THE ATTACK WAS OVER I HAD DUG A HOLE IN THE CLAY GROUND LARGE ENOUGH TO GET MY BODY FLUSH WITH THE GROUND. WAS I SCARED? YOU BET! WE LOST SOME THAT DAY BUT I DON’T REMEMBER THE DETAILS. NOVEMBER 1, 1951, 5 O’CLOCK A.M. GUNNERY RUPERT WILSON HAD AN EMERGENCY AND THE RED CROSS ‘TOOK HIM HOME. AT 9 O’CLOCK P.M. THE CHINESE LET US HAVE IT HARD ALL DAY LONG UNTIL 5 O’CLOCK P.M. I WENT ON THE GUN AT 3 O’CLOCK P.M. WHEN WE DID NOT HAVE A FIRE MISSION, I WOULD GET UNDER THE 105 FOR PROTECTION. EVERYTHING GOT BACK TO NORMAL BY 5:30. THE MEN WERE MILLING AROUND SURVEYING THE DAMAGE. SGT. DOUGLAS FAIRHURST AND I WERE ON THE GUN WHEN ONE LONE ROUND CAME IN AND KILLED 5 KOREAN MARINES STANDING ON OUR GUN EMBANKMENT. LATER I LEARNED THE KOREAN MARINE CORP DISBANDED THE OPERATIONS OF US TRAINING THE KOREANS BECAUSE OF SUCH HEAVY LOSES. SEVERAL OF H-3-11 WERE HIT THAT DAY. SGT NICK NICKERSIN WENT HOME AND LOYAL S. BOYLES TOOK OVER AS GUN 4 CREW CHIEF. WE TOOK INCOMING ARTILLERY QUITE OFTEN IN THAT LOCATION-USUALLY LOSING ONE OR TWO. CPL. KNEESE GOT HIT ABOUT THAT TIME AND WENT HOME. HE WAS THE LAST OF THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR VETS THAT I REMEMBER. IN THE EARLY DECEMBER, 1951, I WATCHED FOUR U.S.A. CORVAIRS POP OVER THE MOUNTAIN EAST OF US. THREE OF THEM PEELED TO THE LEFT, ONE PEELED TO THE RIGHT, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS UNUSUAL. AS I LEANED AGAINST THE TIRE OF THE 105 AND WATCHED TOWARD THE EAST, THAT LONE CORVAIR SUDDENLY POPPED OVER THE MOUNTAIN AND LET LOOSE TWO WING BOMBS AND HIS 50 CALIBER MACHINE GUNS. HE HIT THE OIL DUMP KILLING TWO. ANOTHER MAN LOST HIS LEG. HIS MACHINE GUNS PEPPERED US RIGHT UP THE MIDDLE OF THE BATTERY BUT NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS DONE. WE WERE TOLD THE YOUNG PILOT WAS SHOT DOWN BEFORE HE RETURNED TO HIS HSIP, BUT WE NEVER BELIEVED IT. IN MID DECEMBER, CPL. ROBERT DIERDORF, THE MEN ON GUN 3 AND I WERE SETTING A TARGET FOR THE FORWARD OBSERVERS WHEN A SUDDEN CEASE FIRE CAME OVER THE PHONES. THE GUNNEY CAME SCREAMING OVER TO THE GUN PITS SAYING, “ YOU S.O.B.’S HAVE KILLED SEVERAL ARMY PERSONNEL WITH THAT LAST MISSION.” HE CHECKED OUR DOPE ON THE GUNS AND LEFT. A FEW MINUTES LATER HE CAME BACK AND APOLOGIZED FOR HIS ACTIONS. HEADQUARTERS HAD FIGURED THE WRONG GRID-SQUARE AND IT WAS THEIR MISTAKE. SGT. LOYAL BOLES LEFT US FOR HOME AND SGT. DOUGLAS FAIRHURST TOOK OVER THE GUN. DURING DECEMBER OF 1951, SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT HEADQUARTERS HAD A SHOTGUN. I CHECKED IT OUT FOR A LITTLE PHEASANT HUNT. TO GET AWAY FROM ALL THE ACTIVITY, I WALKED A COUPLE OF MILES INTO A VALLEY WHERE FIELDS OF RICE AND GRAIN WERE STILL INTACT. SURE ENOUGH, I HEARD A “THUMP”, “THUMP” AND UP CAME THE BIGGEST PHEASANT I HAD EVER SEEN, STEADY, AIM, AND BANG!, BANG!. I MISSED THAT PHEASANT! I WAS LITERALLY AMAZED THAT I HAD MISSED THAT BIG BIRD. A FEW MINUTES LATER I HEARD ANOTHER “THUMP”, “THUMP” AND UP CAME ANOTHER ONE! BANG! BANG! A CLEAN MISS. AS I WAS STANDING IN DISBELIEF, A CHINESE ARTILLERY ROUND CAME SCREAMING IN ABOUT 100 YARDS FROM ME. I HEADED FOR H-3-11 AS FAST AS MY LONG LEGS WOULD GO. RIGHT BEHIND ME CAME ANOTHER ARTILLERY EXPLOSION, ONLY TO MAKE ME RUN FASTER. THEN CAME ANOTHER ROUND ABOUT 75 YARDS BEHIND ME. THIS TIME I HAD GOTTEN OUT OF SIGHT OF THE CHINESE INFILTRATOR THAT HAD SPOTTED ME, WHO NO DOUBT WASJUST HAVING SOME FUN AT MY EXPENSE. I’VE OFTEN WONDERED WHERE HE WAS HIDING? HOW MUCH DID HE LAUGH? DID HE EVER GET HOME? IN JANUARY OF 1952, SGT. DOUG FAIRHURST WENT HOME AND I BECAME SERGEANT OVER THE GUN. THE WINTER WAS COLD, 37 BELOW ZERO, BUT IT DID NOT SEEM TO HURT LIKE THE COLD IN TEXAS. WE HAD GOOD EQUIPMENT DURING THE WINTER OF 1951 AND 1952.WE STARTED RUNNING PATROLS TO OUR EAST. THESE WERE ALWAYS TOUGH TO ME BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNWE WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT. OUR POSITION WAS 16 MILES FROM THE EAST COAST AND 43 MILES NORTH OF THE 38TH PARALLEL. (THE BEST I CAN REMEMBER) INFILTRATORS SLIPPING THROUGH NO MAN’S LAND WAS THE REASON WE STARTED FOOT PATROLS EACH DAY. WE STARTED AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING OF LOADING THE GUNS ON DUCKS. THE RUMOR WAS WE WERE GOING IN AT HUNGNAM, KOREA, AND CUT THE CHINESE OFF. THIS NEVER TRANSPIRED. FEBRUARY, I RECEIVED WORD THAT GUN 4 WAS GOING ON A SPECIAL MISSION, WHICH WAS EXCITING TO ME. WE MOVED THE GUN AND CREW SEVERAL MILES TOWARD THE COASTLINE, SET UP OUTPOSTS AND FIRED THE GUN FOR FOUR OR FIVE DAYS. I NEVER FIGURED OUT IF WE WERE CHOSEN FOR THIS MISSION BECAUSE WE WERE THE BEST GUN OR IF WE WERE PICKED BECAUSE WE WERE THE LOSIEST AND IF LOST, IT WOULD NOT MATTER. THE FO’S WERE ELATED WHEN WE SHOT OUR FIRST ROUND FOR ZEROING IN THE GUN AND ONLY MISSED THE TARGET (A HUT) BY JUST 6 FEET. MARCH 17, 1952-C.S.M.O THE STORY WE GOT WAS WE WERE GOING TO THE WEST COAST TO SUPPORT MARINE COMBAT UNITS IN AN ATTACK TO PUSH THE LINE UP EVEN WITH THE 38TH PARALLEL. WE WENT SEOL, TURNED NORTH AND QUICKLY PUSHED ABOVE THE IMJIN RIVER. MY FRIEND, DIETRICK, CAME BY LATE ONE EVENING TO TRADE FOR SOME AMMO THAT I HAD THAT HE NEEDED. WE GOT HIT HARD THAT NIGHT BY CHINESE ARTILLERY. DIETRICK WAS KILLED AND SEVERAL WERE WOUNDED. WE WERE UNDER FIRE SO MUCH ON THE WEST COAST THAT I DO NOT REMEMBER DATES AND TIMES. AS I THINK BACK, IT WAS JUST LIKE ONE LONG DAY. THE DATE IS MAY. 1952, OUR TENT CAUGHT ON FIRE AT 2 O’CLOCK A.M. EVERYONE GOT OUT BUT LOU WITHERS FROM YAKIMA, WASHINGTON, HE WAS BURNED SEVERELLY AND EVACUATED TO JAPAN FOR MEDICAL HELP. WE’RE NEVER HEARD FROM LOU SINCE. DURING MAY WE RECEIVED OUR FIRST DRAFTEE MARINE, PFC. ELWOOD HUME, FROM IDAHO. WE THOUGHT WE WOULD NOT LIKE A DRAFTEE; HOWEVER, OL’ ED SOON WON EVERYONE TO HIS SIDE. HE WAS EASY GOING AND A HARD WORKED. JUNE 24TH, 1952. THE 5TH MARINES WERE JUMPING OFF FOR A NIGHT RAID AND H-3-11 WAS TO LAY DOWN A PROTECTIVE BARRAGE IN FRONT OF THE LINE. WE HAD VT, DELAYED FUSE, AND REGULAR FUSE (160 ROUNDS). HUME AND I PRE-CUT THE AMMO AND CHARGES. WE HAD EVERYTHING READY FOR THE 10 O’CLOCK RAID EXCEPT THE DELAYED FUSES. I WAS BEHIND THE GUN LOOKING FOR A FUSE WRENCH WHEN ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE. THE CHINESE HIT US FIRST AT 5’ TILL 10’ O’CLOCK P.M. THEY HAD OUR BATTERY ZEROED IN. I TOOK A ROUND WITHIN THE LENGTH OF A COT, WHICH KNOCKED ME UNCONSIOUS FOR 30 MINUTES, ACCORDING TO ROBERT DIERDORF. WHEN I WOKE UP, DIERDORF WAS CALLING FOR ME. I TOLD HIM THAT I COULD NOT FEEL MY LEGS. HE CAME TO ME AND SAID, “YOU’VE GOT YOUR LEGS. LET ME HELP YOU TO A CAVE.” HUME AND DIERDORF FIRED ALL THE AMMO WE HAD, MOST WITHOUT AIMING STAKES. TWO DAYS BEFORE THE 24TH OUR CORPSMAN, KIRKPATRICK, WENT FOR R & R JUST BEHIND THE LINES. HE WAS SITTING IN A TENT WITH HIS C.O. AND SEVERAL OF HIS FRIENDS WHEN HE HEARD ON THE SHORTWAVE RADIO THATH-3-11 WAS TAKING HEAVY ARTILLERY. KIRKPATRICK GRABBED HIS MEDICINE BAG AND STARTED FOR HIS JEEP WHEN HIS C.O. STOPPED HIM. “WHY DO YOU WANT TO GO?” INQUIRED HIS C.O. “THERE IS A CORPSMAN THER UP THERE!” KIRKPATRICK TOLD HIM THE CORPSMAN HAD NEVER BEEN UNDER FIRE BEFORE AND HE MIGHT PANIC. “THESE ARE MY FRIENDS AND I’M GOING.” KIRKPATRICK ARRIVED ABOUT 11:30 P.M. THE CORPSMAN WITH US HAD STOOD THE PRESSURE; HOWEVER WE NEEDED KIRKPATRICK BECAUSE WE HAD MANY LOSSES. GUN 1 AND GUN 2 BOTH TOOK DIRECT HITS. SEVERAL MEN WERE KILLED OR WOUNDED. (IT COULD BE THAT OTHER GUNS ALSO TOOK DIRECT HITS, I DON’T REMEMBER.) WE WERE HIT WITH RUSSIAN 126 HOWITZERS. SOMEONE DIRECTED KIRKPATRICK TO ME IN A CAVE. I LOST BOTH OF MY EARDRUMS. ONE GREW BACK THE OTHER NEVER DID. KIRKPATRICK TOLD ME TO GET IN THE JEEP BECAUSE HE WAS TAKING ME TO THE HOSPITAL. I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD BE ALL RIGHT IN A LITTLE BIT. HE RETORTED, “I’M GIVING THE ORDERS.” SO AWAY WE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL. FOX FROM GUN 2 WAS LYING NEXT TO ME IN THE HOSPITAL. HE LOST HIS LEG. THE BOY ON MY RIGHT DIED ABOUT 3 A.M. I STAYED IN THE HOSPITAL FOR WEEK OR SO AND ROTATED WITH THE 11TH DRAFT. I NEVER WENT BACK TO H-3-11, EXCEPT TO GET MY GEAR AND CATCH THE TRUCK HEADED FOR INCHON, KOREA. SGT. LAUREL GLYNN ELLIS 1171637 USMC WILLS POINT, TEXAS |
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| Korea by Glynn |
| Korea by Glynn |