THE WAR DUNGEON
THE UNITED STATES
IN
THE KOREAN WAR
We didn’t do much talking,
We didn’t raise a fuss.
But Korea really happened
So please – remember us.
We all just did our duty
But we didn’t win or lose.
A victory was denied us
But we didn’t get to choose.
We all roasted in the summer
In winter, we damn near froze.
Walking back from near the Yalu
With our blackened frozen toes.
Like the surf the Chinese kept coming
With their bugles in the night.
We fired into their masses
Praying for the morning light.
All of us just had to be there
And so many of us died.
But now we’re all but half forgotten
No one remembers how we tried.
We grow fewer with the years now
And we still don’t raise a fuss.
But Korea really happened
So please – remember us.
LCDR Roberto J. Prinselaar
Sgt. Howard Dale Elliot
M Battery, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
Howard Elliott served during WW2 with the 4th Armoured Division, he would fight through Normandy, The Battle of the Bulge, Germany and more then reenlist to serve in the Korean War in 1950.
He would serve with the regiment through the whole early campaign in Korea. Even surviving the brutal hell of Chosin as a Truck Driver along those sheer cliffs and frozen roads.
Cpl. Charles Nyte
F Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
Charles “Ed” Nyte came from a small mining town in Utah. He joined the United States Marine Corps on July 11th 1950.
He arrived in Korea in late December 1951, and served with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
During his time in Korea he would fight in the Battle for the outposts until January 1953, even being wounded by shrapnel.
Pfc. George Waselinko
C Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
Private 1st Class George Waselinko joined the Marines in 1950 to do his part in Korea, originally hailing from the Bronx in New York. He served with C Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. His first taste of action would come on September 1950 just after participating in the naval invasion at Inchon. Coincidentally, it would also be his last.
Though he would spend only seven days fighting in Korea, they would result in several months in hospital.
Private WIlliam J. Stokely
H Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
William J. Stokely joined up as soon as he turned 16 with his parents consent in June 1946.
By October the same year , he would find himself sailing to China to serve with the “China Marines” at Peiping, Tangku, Tsingtao, Guam, and Shanghai. He would spend the next 3 years in these postings finally returning home in June 1949.
He landed in Korea with H Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines and fought at nearly every battle the marine corps was in. During the hellish retreat from Chosin he would earn the Silver Star and be wounded while manning a machine gun on a tank. That wouldn't be all, as he returned shortly after to fight again.
Pfc. Robert Paxton
H Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
Robert Paxton would join the Marines in 1943 and during the war, he served as a Mortarman and Machine Gunner the 4th Marine Division, fighting on Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima.
After reenlisting in April 1951. He would find himself serving with H Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment in Korea. During the closing stages of the 1951 U.N. Offensive, Pfc. Paxton was badly wounded and he would spend months in a hospital in Japan before returning home.
Colonel Thomas G. Rosell
187th Regimental Combat Team HQ, Japan.
Colonel Rosell would get his first taste of comabt in Italy in 1944, he would earn the Silver Star for bravery during the fighting on the Gothic Line. During Korea he worked closely with the 187th RCT in Japan but doesn't appear to have jumped.
He did 3 tours in Vietnam, serving with a variety of units eventually earning a second Silver Star for Bravery while serving with the 4th ID.
Lt. Colonel Neville Mcnerney
HQ Company, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division.
Lt. Col Mcnerney would enlist in November 1941 and train as an air gunner, deploying overseas in 1944. During his 36 mission tour as an Air Gunner he would be awarded 4 Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After the war he would transfer to the Infantry and serve in Korea with the HQ Company, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He would earn the Bronze Star on September 22nd 1950 for Courage under fire and go on to serve tours in Vietnam, earning further decorations for bravery.
Seaman Edward Dunn
1st Amphibious Construction Battalion, United States Navy.
Edward Dunn was from Yerington Nevada. When he was in Highschool one of the famous Japanese balloon bombs landed in his home town!
In September 1950 he enlisted in the US Navy. After completing his training he shipped out for Korea and posted to the 1st Amphibious Construction Battalion. During his in time in Korea he would work to build runways, roads, bridges and all sorts of critical infrastructure vital to the war effort.
Colonel Charles H. Brown
Headquarters, 245th Tank Battalion, 45th Infantry Division.
Colonel Charles Brown would deploy to mainland Europe in September 1944. His first taste of combat came in October near Wurm, Germany. Shortly thereafter he would earn the Silver Star for incredible bravery clearing a town nearly alone.
He would fight in Korea with the famous 245th Tank Battalion, attached to the 45th ID. After Korea he would do some tours in Vietnam as an adviser in the mid 60s.
Captain Frank Quinn
USS Gunason DE-795
Captain Quinn would serve aboard the USS Gunason in WW2 doing convoy duty in the Atlantic and Pacific. He would spend many years at sea afterwards, Serving as Gunnery Officer onboard the USS St. Paul during the Korean War.
It would be onboard this ship he would fire the last Naval shot of that war 1 minute before the cease fire. During Vietnam he would break several records as the captain of a fleet oiler.
Staff Sergeant Victor W. Smith
Marine Air Group 12, 1st Marine Air Wing, 1st Marine Division.
Staff Sgt. Smith would serve as a demolitions Expert with the 1st Division starting in March 1944. During his time in the Pacific he would fight in many battles including The Battle of New Britain, Battle of Peleliu, and the nightmarish Battle of Okinawa.
After some time on occupation duty in China he transferred to the 1st Marine Airwing for the Korean War, he served with MAG-12 during this conflict and would stay in the air force working on airplanes until 1969.
