Korean War Veterans Archives - TogetherWeServed Blog

Colder Than Hell by Joseph Owen

Joe Owen enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943. He deployed shortly afterward with a forward observer squad during World War II. If you talked to the man, however, you would quickly learn it was the Korean War that defined his service to the country. In 1997, he would literally write a book about his experiences in Korea, an experience that culminated with the infamous Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. By the time North Korean tanks rolled into South Korea in June 1950, Owen was a...

LCDR Curtis Smothers, U.S. Navy (1962-1986)

VA Military Memories Competition, Vietnam War

Which individual(s) from your time in the military stand out as having had the most positive impact on you and why?:

Of the 24 years, 6 months I spent on active duty in the U.S. Navy, the leader who was the most positive influence on me was my commanding officer, Captain Jeremy (“Bear”) Taylor. He skippered the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (CV-43) during my time as Administrative Department head (1981-1983). In early 1983, our ship was preparing for an around-the-world voyage and a home port change from Alameda, California, to Norfolk, Virginia. The Coral Sea was an aging aircraft carrier commissioned just before the Korean War. Taking this ship around the world was like getting a ’57 Chevy ready for a cross-country trip. Our main propulsion and auxiliary plants were stretched to the limit. They had to stay online, support a crew of over 5,000, and launch aircraft in climates that ranged from the frigid northern coast of Alaska to the tropical extremes of the Indian Ocean.

Korean War – Night Fighter Team

Battlefield Chronicles, Korean War

On January 21, 1953, during Korea’s Winter War. Night fighter team "George" of composite squadron three (VC-3) was operating from USS Oriskany (CVA-34) in the Sea of Japan. Excerpt from combat report: Saw 75-100 trucks on G-3, seven trucks seen damaged. Meager to intense AA, much rifle fire was seen. The plane hit by 30 cal. Item - Lt. James L. Brown, USNR assigned F4U-5N #124713. One-night landing aboard without incident. 2.6 combat hours. Combat strike report comments, like that above, were...

Michael Caine’s Service In The Korean War (1952-1954)

Celebrities Who Served, Korean War

Michael Caine is one of the most well-known and highly-regarded British actors of the 20th and 21st centuries. He is famous for roles in movies like Zulu, Get Carter, The Eagle Has Landed, The Italian Job, Austin Powers in Goldmember, Christopher Nolan's Batman films, and a host of others spanning an acting career of 70 years. While he has become a household name across the globe, many people don't know about Michael Caine because he served in the British Army and saw combat in the Korean War....

Military Associations: Veterans of Foreign Wars

Useful Military Information

There are many notable US veterans organizations, but one of the most notable is surely the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The VFW organization is over 100 years old, founded in 1913 in Denver, Colorado. Multiple veterans organizations founded in 1899 on returning to the country after the Spanish-American War consolidated to form the VFW. It currently counts its membership at over 1.15 million. The only way of obtaining membership in the VFW is by being an American citizen, served in the United...

World War II Veterans

Useful Military Information, World War II

How Many World War II Veterans are Still Alive Today? According to Pew Research, the number of living WWII veterans dropped to under 300,000 in 2020 from over 930,000 in 2015. The oldest of these veterans is Lawrence Brooks, an Army veteran born in Louisiana in September 1909, drafted at the age of 31, and sent to the Pacific front with the 91st Engineers. One of the 1.2 million African-Americans served during the war, PFC Brooks mainly cooked and cleaned for his superior officers. The...

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