The Dead Rose

[187thAirborne]

On 23 March 1951, I participated in a combat jump with the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat team at Munsan-ni, Korea. We were supposed to be relieved in about 3 days or so. Don't remember exactly how many days we were there, but we were relieved. We were instructed to find room on a fleet of vehicles going to the rear. I found a 2 1/2 ton truck that had a number of litters many blankets and the door off a 3/4 ton truck leaning on the guard rail. So I jumped on board, opened a litter, and put a number of blankets on the litter, thinking to get some shut-eye on the trip back. At that time Korean roads were dirt, pot-marked and very bumpy. Needless to say, there was no sleep. I just laid there with a blanket over my face hoping for some rest. After a number of mile down the bumpy road the truck door fell over on me. I laid there thinking should I get up or just let it lie on me. Then the truck stopped. I figured I might as well get the truck door off me while the truck was stopped. As I sat up, the blanket covering my face fell down. Looking at the rear of the truck I saw a BIG burly 2d Lt with an MP arm band hanging on to the tail gate. He had a frozen expression of awe, and made no move. I pushed the truck door off me and laid down again, pulling the blanket back over my face. The truck moved off. I started to wonder why that BIG burly MP 2Lt was standing on the back truck bumper looking at me. I realized then that he must have thought I was a 'corpse' on the litter and when the truck stopped he was going to move the fallen door off me. I did not think the incident was funny as I realized I gave the MP 2 Lt and awful fright sitting up as I did, and he probably thinking a 'corpse' was rising from the dead. But I still laid on the litter, blanket covering my face, hoping for some rest..............

[nix284]

That's a great story. Thanks for the laugh.

[BEAST]

Excellent story! Did you make the Sunchon drop?

 

Picked up a photo of it awhile back if you'd like to take a look. http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/115173-187th-rct-korean-war-combat-jump/

[Andrei]

Great story ! Thanks for sharing with us.