Feb 2, 1998 Hi Jim, S/Sgt Jessie R. Harper, Okinawa battle from start to finish. Served with the 4th provisional Rocket Platoon, Tientsin, (French Arsenal) outside Tientsin, China. Played basketball, softball, volleyball and main duty. Graduated from the university of Houston, 1946-June 1950. Played basketball for the university. Married my present bride the day after I graduated on June the 5th. The Korean War started on June 25th. I was flown to Korea and landed at Kimpo Airfield. I was a Sgt. at the time and joined the  5th Regiment during the battle for Seoul. I taught physical education and coached all sports in junior high school for 17 years. I was a high school administrator for 18 years in the Houston independent school district. * MY STORY * On about the second night after leaving Hagaru the lieutenant yelled back to me, "fire a round at my voice , 60mm mortar at 200 yards"; A machine gun was giving him hell, plus the machine gun was spraying our position every few minutes. I had the Lt. tell me what he wanted as I used my compass to zero in on him. I told him I would yell when to get down  as soon as my gunner  and I set the 60 tube up. Then I yelled to the Lieutenant , "get your men down! here it comes." Thunk, then BLAM. The Lt. yelled back, "come down 50 yards, go to the right 50 yards and fire a willie peter (white phosphorus) round soon as possible." We reset the sights and fired the W. P. with the bullets spraying our position. The rest of my group was under the hill. The W. P. hit the machine gun position and wiped it out. * I never did get to tell that Lieutenant that he gave me a perfect firing order. I don't even remember his name. * *ANYONE WHO WAS THERE PLEASE WRITE TO ME. * Semper Fi S/Sgt Jessie R. Harper 60mmMortars

HowCo, 3rdBn, 5th Regiment *

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H-3-5 Newsletter (3-98) Editor: Jim "RATs" Ratliff rats@centuryinter.net

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Some of the things that happened to us knuckleheads in Korea; 17 years of age and still being of small stature, light of weight and muscle even after using the Charles Atlas dynamic tension program, I found myself looking at a Marine Corps poster. On it was this tall muscular handsome devil and the sign read, "join the Marine Corps and see the world," so I did.

* Arriving at Parris Island we were given a physial exam; next they shaved off my hair but not my eyebrows, I looked like Frank Purdue. They then ran us through the showers and then issued clothes and ran us out on the street still buck naked. Standing out there was this short tobacco chewing hard case Gunny with blood shot eyes. Boy what a way to start. * Somehow I made it through the basic training and then asked to be assigned to Embassy duty. The Sgt. looked at me and said, "how about Camp Lejeune?" * My next stop was Quantico where I fell in with a bad bunch of old WWII combat veterans who took me under their wings. They taught me how to drink cheap whisky, play snooker and chase wild women; all this on fifty dollars a month, minus $6.40 for NSI. When the pay went to seventy-five dollars a month , we lived high on the hog. After full pack inspections, drills, field days, nights and days in the boondocks, all this came to an end. The lieutenant said if I re-upped they would make me a corporal. I passed on that. He then asked if I would join the USMCR; well why not! * So I am at home, living the good life, when a letter arrives and it says report to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Next thing I know. it's late October I am back at Camp lejeune. Come January 1951, Bingo, I land in Masan, Korea and man is it ever cold; but at last I'm seeing the world. The people all looked alike: North-South Koreans, even the Chinese and you could not tell males from females, and they spoke in a tongue I knew not. While at Masan I was issued some gear, a sleeping bag, shoe paks, and there were times I was still cold. The shoe paks were fine once the bottom of your feet hardened up and were warm as long as you were moving. If, however, your feet became real cold, you should take off your shoe paks and place your feet in your buddies crotch. I did not try this and you know why.When my parka was issued the guy said the lining was silver fox, but I am sure it was possum because if it was wet and there was a dog about, it would always try to get a nip or two. * Now, as for a weapon, of course I was issued a BAR. All short skinny guys got them. Mine was so old the projectile wobbled  and turned end over end but it worked just fine  and I was only too happy to pull back and let her go. It sure felt good to have it in the hole at night. We left Masan and went North, did some patrols to root out Chinese that were cut off behind the lines, then went back on line. After a few months I had by then worn my skivvies on both sides several times and my sock bottoms were hard from dirt and sweat. They set up a shower point  and boy it sure felt good to was off the residue from that OLD BLUE OINTMENT traetment, and yes, it does kill those little buggers. * We went into reserve to regroup and take on replacements. The company mess was set up, and we spent more time (at night) in the food supply tent than the cooks did. On one night trip to the food tent, you could smell bananas and of course we found them . Next day we were formed up and told we were to have banana cream pie, but no longer. There were some bad feelings, but they passed. In the same area all the five-gallon water cans were busy making raisin jack. Happy days were here again! In my time there I never dug up a previously used cat hole. Strange! All of the previous is true and if you think about your days there you too had crazy things happen along the with the bad ones. * POST SCRIPT At a party this past year I was asked why were Marines so different from other branches. All I said was, In the Marine Corps I had all these brothers that would and did take care of you. When I was wounded by mortar fire they stayed with me until I was carried off the hill.--if you went down for good you would be sent home  and your mom would not have to spend the rest her life wondering where her boy was. I left Korea on the 27th of November, 1951 for japan and then home. While on liberty in Japan one day, this lovely woman, who looked like the Dragon Lady in Terry and the Pirates comic strip, sidled up to me said, "Hi there soldier, is there anything at all  I can do for you?" Ahhh! maybe I should leave it right there. Because of Korea and the reunions, I have met some very fine people and they have become great friends to Helen and myself. If they allow me out of the home we will meet again in Orlando. * God Bless America C. K. Fisher Formally a PFC 1st Platoon, 3rd Squad, 3rd Fire Team. H-3-5 

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H-3-5 Newsletter (3-98) Editor: Jim "RATs" Ratliff rats@centuryinter.net 

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#31 * Gunny Carson's Sweet Voice By Martin A. Kutz Sr. August 5, 1998

February 13, 1998- Dear Jim, I hope you are not too surprised by hearing from me after all this time. This is a little story that I know your  readers ought to get a kick out of. I know I do, because everytime I think about it, laugh, but of course it wasn't funny at the time. * One morning in September, 1951, on the East coast of Korea (near the 38th parallel,) we were having a problem! Each morning after the last watch before daylight, some of the guys would heat water and make coffee and sit on top of their bunkers and visit with the men in the next bunker. Well lately, that wasn't such a good idea. The enemy had put a machine-gun in front of our lines , and would take target practice at our men. It didn't take long for our Company Headquarters to send up word that our platoon ( 1st Plt.) would have the honor of knocking it out. At the time of the jump-off, the weather was terrible, raining and lightning and wind and everything else that could give the element of surprise. So we left out at 0800 hours, (unusual time to jump off), but it worked! As we approached, there were three Koreans sitting around talking, being very unsuspecting. We opened up and they started showering us with hand-grenades, and since they had the high ground, the grenades looked like rain-drops. After the fire-fight was over, and the confusion was gone, Charles K. Fisher and I seemed to be the only two around. So we started to try and find our way back to friendly lines. As we approached a woody area (3 trees), I sensed that we wern't alone. I looked over to my left and saw a Korean soldier  sitting at the base of a tree with his weapon in his lap. and his eyes WIDE open. At this time, both of us hit the ground, but he made no effort to move. Someone had already shot him, (thank God). We continued to move slowly toward what we thought was our lines , and then, we heard two Koreans talking! Had we gone the wrong way? About that time, we heard what was the most beautiful voice in the world. It was Gunny Carson, and he was saying something like this: "I don't care if the ammunition is low, my coffee is getting cold." So we knew we were going the right way. The two Koreans we heard were the two interpreters that were assigned to our company. Needless to say, the interpreters were told to speak English as long as troops were out front. 

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H-3-5 Newsletter (6-98) Editor: Jim "RATs" Ratliff rats@centuryinter.net

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