| ASA KOREA - MEMBERS MEMORIES |
| THIS PAGE IS RESERVED FOR PHOTOS OR THOUGHTS SUBMITTED BY YOU. CONTACT THE WEBMASTER HERE TO POST YOUR MEMORIES! |
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| SEOUL, KOREA (today) ...from the files of member Jim Ludwig... |
| A picture of a patch that I wore on the back of a civilian jacket in 1952. The original patch is now in the Duplin County military museum in Kenansville NC submitted by: Joshua Brehm-ASA Korea 329th |
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| THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE - from Bill Pridham Due to the fact that the incident that I am writing about took place almost fifty years ago and the fact also that my memory is not quite as sharp as it was in my youth, some of the dates and circumstances might be a bit sketchy, but as it were, here we go. My tour of duty in Korea was from November of 1951 to July of 1953. During the last eight months of my tour, I was N.C.O.I.C. of D/F Control. One day we were visited by some people from the Air Force who informed us that there was a downed pilot somewhere in North Korea and they needed our help in finding him.... It seems that in most cases pilots were given a small battery operated transmitter that they were to use in case of emergency. They were also given a set schedule as to when they should transmit, and due to the fact that the transmitter was battery operated it was quite limited. D/F Control was supplied with the frequency, the schedule, and the signal that was to be sent...(I think, but am not positive that the signal was a series of W’s......). On the first scheduled time, D/F Control searched for him but he was not heard. The second day of the schedule brought the same results. He was not heard....On the third day, we heard a very weak signal at the scheduled time and immediately sent out a mission on him. They we sat back and waited for the bearing reports.... At that time, we had eight D/F sites across Korea. The signal was heard by four of them. Unfortunately, one of the bearings was way off. But the other three formed a triangle in an area of Eastern North Korea. The information was passed on, and we all went about out regular duties. Back in those days I was not much of a praying person, but I said a few anyway. Days or weeks later, we were told by the Air Force that due to our information, the pilot had been found and brought out safely. For this I believe the 326th was given a Meritorius Unit Citation. I don’t know about the rest of you, but if you felt like I felt, we had a duty to perform. We did it to the best of our ability, and didn’t often see any results. I feel particularly blessed to be able to see the results of one incident, and I and a few dedicated and skilled men were able to be a part of forming a life saving “Golden Triangle”. submitted by, Bill Pridham, ASA Korea Member 326th |
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| A 1953 CHRISTMAS STORY TO SHARE WITH ASA KOREA FRIENDS Along with cheerful memories of the 501st "Santa Claus" treating our very special Korean War orphans, I shall NEVER forget CHRISTMAS EVE in Seoul, 1953!! It was truly a time to be thankful, for at long last, the guns had fallen silent in the Land of the Morning Calm! I had the privilege of attending Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at the Catholic Archdiocesan Cathedral in Seoul. Although I did not know it at the time, ASA Korea President, Andy Kavalecs, a new arrival at the 501st, was among those GI's who joined in worship with a multitude of Koreans at the Cathedral at Seoul! (See Autumn 2002 ASA COMMUNICATOR (mailed version). There was no electricity to illuminate the vaulted interior of the Cathedral - only 1500 candles! A Korean tenor sang Bach-Gounod's "Ave Maria," along with the ever-inspiring "Panus Angelicus," which echoed from the balcony in the rear of the sanctuary. Holy Communion was administered to an estimated 1300 Koreans and Americans who knelt in prayer, thanking the Almighty for the blessings of peace and freedom! ASA KOREA MEMBER, Cliff Borden, 501st, 1953-1954 |
| PHOTOS FROM ASA KOREA LIFETIME MEMBER TONY WOOLWINE. Pics made with an Argus C-3 while in Korea late 1956-early 1958. Note photo showing relationship of Necessary, Red Cloud and the MASH hospital. |
| PHOTO MEMORIES FROM BILL BYRNES. He served 1951-52 with 329th at a forward low level Chinese Voice intercept bunker near Punch Bowl Central. His groups (5ASA, 2DAC and 3 Chinese Nat'l) |
| STORIES FROM MEMBERS |
| PHOTOS FROM MEMBERS |
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| I was with the 326th CRC as a CPL from Aug 52 to Dec 53 and I was in the Comm Ctr and I showed movies to the troops. I later went to work for NSA and retired Dec 89. Since 1990s was working the Girl Scouts as a range for one of their camps.Hopefully, I will try get to some of the ASA events now that I am fully retired. The application to join is in the mail. P.S. I still have several promotion orders for the Group/Companies personnel, which might begin back some rememberies. Also, I took note of the 1953, 501st Christmas article on this web site, at least some enjoyed Christmas that year. I boarded a troop ship at Inchon on Christmas eve - not much of a fan ware on that occasion. My folks in Minnesota held Christmas until Mid-January until I got home. New Member Dennis Thornton |
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| Korean Children, Seoul 1953 Photo recently published in the KWVA magazine submitted by Cliff Borden, ASAK Member |
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| I arrived in Seoul in April of 1953, when somebody in personnel found out that I could type, they asked me if I would like to stay at the 501st and work in the personnel office. Believe it or not, I pondered the question because everything was new and my Mother always told me not to volunteer for anything. The good Lord was looking out for me because that decision was a blessing. Don't know if any of you remember, but I ran the bingo games at the NCO club. Too bad I was and am honest, I made so much money that I had to quit having bingo, I couldn't give away as fast as it came in. One of my other memories is of that 1953 Christmas Eve. I went into the Colonel and suggested that the NCO club should be closed on Christmas Eve, he agreed, and I'm not sure, but I think there was a bounty out on me for quite a while. My best bud while there was Harry Taylor, but some of the other great guys were, John Ahnemiller, Louie Bednark,Ray Lammers, Mike Colombo, Ralph Crowley, Maj. Don Steinwachs, Ed Thompson, Chuck Luna, Doyle Baer, and Bill Collins. I have been very lucky, I still live in the city I was born in 75 years ago. So if any of you "old" duffers remember me, please let me hear from you. My best wishes to all for the Holidays, PVT George Frommel, 1637 No 4th St., Montevideo, MN. 56265, 320 269 9883, gpfrommel@msn.com |