Freedom’s Voice The Monthly Newsletter of the Military History Center 112 N. Main ST Broken Arrow, OK 74012 http://www.okmhc.org/

“Promoting Patriotism through the Preservation of Military History”

Volume 7, Number 12 December 2020

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Pearl Harbor Day Important Dates At 7:48 a.m. Hawaii time (11:48 a.m. Oklahoma time), on Military History Center Closed Sunday, December 7, 1941, 353 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes launched in two waves from six aircraft December 25 and 26 – January 1 thru January 4 carriers, began their surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and aircraft parked at nearby Happy Hanukkah air fields. President Roosevelt called December 7, 1941, “a date which will live in infamy”.

From the Editor

During this year, we have focused on the 75th anniversary of World War II. We have begun a new series recognizing Okla- homans, who lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. We have told the stories of several of these remarkable men and women. We have also begun a series on the in recognition of the 70th anniversary of the war. We featured one of the museum’s exhibits or artifacts each month. We also presented articles and events that further our mission of “Promoting Patriotism through the Preservation of Military History”, including written history, and which we hope are of interest to our readers. We enjoy bringing you the newsletter. We hope you enjoy reading it, and with each edition, learning something new of One of USS Oklahoma’s anchors at the USS Oklahoma Memorial our nation’s military history and those who made it. Oklahoma City The management and volunteers of the MHC wish each and every one our readers and their families a very “Merry Christ- mas” and a healthy and “Happy New Year”.

Regent Preparatory School at the MHC

Tulsa’s Regent Preparatory School students, Alex Dupree, Lola Webb, and Shepard Mickey, donated their time on Satur- day, November 14, as a service project to clean the front win- dows of the museum and to change out the mural in the Flag Plaza to one depicting the attack on Pearl Harbor. A big “thank you” goes out to these exceptional young people.

Alex Dupree, Lola Webb, and Shepard Mickey

(Contributed by Keith Browne)

MHC Receives New Statue

John Thomas, provided the "No One Left Behind" statue. Carolyn Cur- ry, Head Artist at Hobby Lobby, painted the statue. (L. to R.) Tom Mancino, Carolyn Curry and John Thomas

Remembering Lindsey Donaldson connections all over the world, and she did it the old-fashioned Peter Plank way—through megahertz. On Veterans Day she arranged for our aircraft to broadcast during our flyover of the Tulsa Veterans Day Parade. Her call sign, WW2ADT. Lindsey loved her three dogs, she loved the outdoors, and she loved her favorite holiday, Christmas. We will miss her upbeat quick responses to things like “that’s fabs” and “you're adorbs.” She had her own pop terms for things, and not a one was negative. She didn’t know how to go there. We should all be so lucky. Above all, Lindsey loved Jeeps. Any Jeep. It could have been the WWII Jeeps at our facility or the newest Jeep designs com- ing out of Detroit. It didn’t matter. She was a “Jeeper,” a

“Jeepster”, a “geo tracker.” She loved Jeep culture, and she Today, our jump team is mourning the loss and yet commit- knew that special “Jeep wave” that Jeep owners give each oth- ting ourselves to paying forward the life of Lindsey Don- er. Through the help of her best friend and member of our aldson—teammate, friend to our veterans, and loving soul to team, David Snell, she finally found a red Jeep that became all. Lindsey lost her life in a motor vehicle accident on Wednes- hers, and which she cherished. She named it “Rosie.” Lindsey day (November 11), just after leaving our Veterans Day exhibi- experienced true joy driving her Jeep. She was driving it tion in Tulsa. Wednesday at the time of her accident, doing what she loved, Lindsey was a force multiplier when it came to boosting finishing a day in the presence of the team that she loved. people's morale. She was all about supporting our mission and Lindsey now smiles back at us from a distant shore, walking vision. As a member of our Air Wing, Lindsey quickly found a in a greater light which we cannot fully comprehend and rejoic- place as the unofficial CIC, “Cheerleader in Charge.” She boost- ing with those whose multitude we cannot number. As a Chris- ed people’s spirits with her bubbly personality, and her positive tian, that was her faith. We believe that she would want us to nature rubbed off on everyone as she went about her work. share that. That's invaluable in any organization and never to be discount- As we face the loss of Lindsey—and we are all in shock and ed. dismay—Lindsey’s advice to us would be, “We can do it!” Central to Lindsey’s story is that her grandmother was a re- Those were the words of the famed caricature of Rosie the Riv- al-life Rosie the Riveter. During WWII, her grandmother helped eter, whom Lindsey so admired. As a team and a family, we assemble C-47s at the Douglas plant in Oklahoma City. Her remain steadfast in the face of a loss like this. And, despite our grandmother may have driven the rivets in the very aircraft we grief, we still must hold ourselves accountable to keep Lind- jump from. That was among the reasons Lindsey joined our sey’s spirit alive, in the little things we do and in the big ones. team. We will miss you, Lindsey. We are humbled that you shared All of us here feel a special connection to history when we the gift of your life with us, and we are resolved to pay it for- board our aircraft. But to look at, touch, and even smell those ward. Our thoughts and prayers go out to your family and aircraft—which smell like a classic car—and know that your friends with our deepest sympathies. own grandmother may have helped build them? That’s a bond Yes, Lindsey, “We CAN do it! And, we will. All the Way!” that only Lindsey could boast. She cherished it. Lindsey was a hands-on person. If you got to know her, it was likely because you were working on a project with her. A favorite story of our team is that one day she asked if there was anything she could do to help. One of our ground crew asked if Museum Hours and Admission Fee she would be willing to learn how to drive rivets. She replied, Tuesday – Friday: 10:00 – 4:00; Saturday: 10:00 – 2:00 “Yes!”, and that solidified her connection with her grandmoth- Closed Sunday and Monday and major Federal holidays er.

Lindsey volunteered at the Military History Center in Broken Adults – $5.00 Arrow. Both there, and on our team, she looked for any oppor- Members and Children under 18 – Free tunity to reach out to veterans. When she was paired with one, her sparkling enthusiasm overflowed. She took the time to For more information, call (918) 794-2712 care about our veterans in a way that made them feel respect- ed and cherished, and that’s a gift to them that can never be www.okmhc.org underestimated. Lindsey let friendships within our team happen naturally. But once you got to know her, you discovered that she was outgoing and thrived on maintaining connections. In today’s world that typically means through Facebook and social media. In Lindsey’s world, that meant ham radio. Yes, Lindsey had

In Memoriam In Memoriam

Stephen Jeffery “Steve” Olsen Arles E. Cole

Steve was born on January 19, 1941, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Arles E. Cole was born in December 20, 1923, on a farm near At some point after his birth, his family relocated to Tulsa. Porum (Muskogee County), Oklahoma. He enlisted in the Navy He graduated from Cascia Hall High School in Tulsa in 1959 on December 31, 1940, just after his seventeenth birthday. He and graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a de- received his basic training at San Diego followed by four gree in architecture and a member of Phi Delta Theta Frater- months at the Navigational School. His first posting was on the nity in 1964. He also married Patricia Boerner in 1964. They USS West Virginia, where he went aboard on August 31, 1941. were married for fifty-two years. Steve was a Captain in the West Virginia was sunk during the Pearl Harbor attack, De- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He served two and a half years cember 7, 1941. A bomb, that turned out to be a dud, created during the War in Frankfurt, Germany, and was a hole through which Cole was able to crawl out to the main honorably discharged. deck. Once there, he helped other crew members escape and Steve volunteered throughout his life with Catholic Chari- noticed the flag was down and raised it. Cole was later assigned ties, the Church of Saint Mary, Board Member with Hillcrest to the minesweeper/tugboat, Turkey, to supplement her short Health Systems, Tulsa Regional Medical Center and The Cen- crew. After receiving additional navigational schooling, he was ter for the Physically Limited. Steve was very active in the assigned to the new , USS Prichett. He served aboard Tulsa community as a member of AIA Eastern Oklahoma Pritchett for the remainder of the war participating in naval Chapter, Kiwanis Club, Toast Masters TIP Club, National Trust battles in the Caroline, Mariana, and Philippine islands of National Preservation and the Military History Center, and and Okinawa, where the ship’s crew fended off at where he was one of the MHC’s original board members and least one attack. Cole’s last rating was Quartermaster one of the founders of the MHC. Steve was the co-founder, First Class (equivalent in rank to an Army Sergeant). with Roger Coffey, of Olsen-Coffey Architects. They ran their After the war, Cole returned to Tulsa, where he eventually successful business for forty years. Steve also obtained the gained employment with Southwestern Bell Telephone that National Council of Architectural Boards Registration for Ar- developed into a thirty-five-year career. He was active in his chitecture. church and community. He also participated in veterans’ organ- Steve’s passion was to help people in need any way possi- izations, wrote books and spoke at several Tulsa schools about ble. He loved spending time with his family, grandchildren, his war experiences. He was the past president of the Tulsa Last and pets and visiting with the Niver family, his neighbors of Man’s Club, an organization of Pearl Harbor survivors. He is fifty-two years. recognized as the last Pearl Harbor survivor in the Tulsa area, CPT Stephen Jeffery "Steve" Olsen passed away peacefully and as far as we can determine, in Oklahoma. on Monday, November 30, 2020. Rest in peace. We will QM1 Arles E. Cole shipped out on his final voyage on Friday, miss you. December 4, 2020. Fair winds and following seas.

This Month’s Featured Artifact

CPT Dr. H. Richard Hornberger wrote the novel, MASH, (1970) under the pen name, Richard Hooker, in collaboration with W. C. Heinz. The book was based on Hornberger’s experiences with the 8055th M.A.S.H. during his tour in the Korean War. The book inspired the movie and television series, M*A*S*H, (1972-1983). Except for the anti-war rhet- oric in the television series, Hornberger was the model for Hawkeye Pierce. Above, Hornberger (left) is in front of the original swamp.

Honoring Veterans Peter Plank

There were no veterans’ programs for me to speak at this year due to the coronavirus, but I was asked to be a part of Veterans Appreciation Week at my college alma mater. I set up uniform displays at various buildings on the campus of South- ern Nazarene University (Oklahoma City) to honor military he- roes who have passed. My Jeep was displayed in front of the campus SNU Vets Center to highlight their veteran students.

Over 400 of the current enrolled students are military veterans. This Korean War winter uniform was worn by TSGT Robert Roy “Bob” I was proud to represent the Military History Center by display- Masters, when he served in Korea from April 1951 to February 1952 as ing uniforms of those who have served in the United States a medical/surgery technician with the 8055th Mobile Army Surgical Armed Forces. (Below is one of the uniform displays.) Hospital (M.A.S.H.). TSGT Masters’ artifacts were donated by his daughter, Mrs. Mary Beth Gionta.

Korean winters are brutally cold, with temperatures in often falling to thirty or more degrees below zero, much colder when wind chill is considered. The green wool uniform worn under a lined field jacket was common. A sweat- er and long underwear were also commonly worn under the field jacket. The pile cap was favored because the ear flaps pro- vided warmth and protection from the wind. Most of the med- ical personnel did not wear name tags on their uniforms. There were many different variations of the snowpacs (snow boots). They had felt inserts that had to be removed and replaced pe- riodically. Most of the men fighting in Korea preferred to wear standard issue, rubber galoshes over their combat boots rather than snowpacs. The 8055th M.A.S.H. was attached to the 24th Infantry Divi- sion in Korea. The 8055th was the first such hospital in the U.S. Army and the prototype for future M.A.S.H. hospitals. It was formed on July 1, 1950, at the 155th Station Hospital at Yoko- hama, Japan. Its mission was to “receive non-transportable patients from adjacent division clearing stations and prepare them for evacuation”. (See the October 2019 newsletter for more about TSGT Masters.)

White House Christmas – 1941 Christmas dinner was served at 8:00 p.m. The President and Mrs. Roosevelt invited a total of sixty guests – family and friends. Of course, the Prime Minister was the guest of honor. They dined on classic American dishes, starting with oysters on the half shell with crackers, clear soup with sherry, celery, as- sorted olives and thin toast. The main course featured roast turkey, chestnut dressing, sausage-giblet gravy, beans, cauli- flower, sweet potato casserole, cranberry jelly, grapefruit salad, cheese crescents and rolls. The meal ended with plum pudding and hard sauce, ice cream, coffee, salted nuts and assorted bonbons. Champagne flowed liberally as numerous toasts were made. Churchill asked for Johnnie Walker (Scotch whiskey) in his glass. He probably needed something stronger, as he had heard nothing but bad news all day. He had received word that Hong Kong had surrendered the previous day – Christmas day in the Far East – and the Japanese were making good headway

down the Malay Peninsula toward Singapore. Roosevelt family members in front of the White House Christmas tree – 1941

Two weeks after the United States declared war on Japan and eleven days after the declaration of war on Germany, Brit- ish Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived at the White House to meet with President Roosevelt. Except for a one-day visit to Canada to address the Canadian parliament, Churchill was at the White House for three weeks. The President and Prime Minister and their civilian and military advisors engaged in numerous meetings to discuss, and come to agreement on, how to proceed with the war. The most important agreement reached in those early discussions was the creation of a com- bined joint chiefs of staff to manage the war. The President and Prime Minister held business meetings every day except the day Churchill made his trip to Canada. On the first Christmas morning of World War II, the Presi- The Roosevelts at Foundry Methodist Church – (L. to R.) the dent and Prime Minister traveled up 16th Street to attend President’s mother, Eleanor Roosevelt, the church church at Foundry Methodist, as one of Churchill’s aides rec- pastor, the President and his son, James. orded, “surrounded by a bevy of G-men armed with Tommy- guns and revolvers.” Security was exceptionally tight during After dinner, the guests gathered to watch newsreels and a Churchill’s visit. Members of the British delegation also attend- movie, Oliver Twist. When the reels were being changed, ed, along with General George Marshall and General Henry Churchill excused himself to work on a speech. He would be “Hap” Arnold. The Stars and Stripes and Union Jack hung side addressing a joint session of Congress the next day. by side next to the altar. After hymns were sung and Christmas tidings offered, the British and American delegations headed back to the White House. Before they sat down for Christmas dinner, Churchill and Roosevelt, along with their aides, held more meetings.

Prime Minister Churchill addresses a joint session of Congress, December 26, 1941.

Source:

Weintraub, Stanley, Pearl Harbor Christmas, A World at War, Decem- ber 1941, Da Capo Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2011

Korean War – Disaster Chinese were. Walker had clearly lost control of his army. The retreat continued until Eighth Army was well south of Seoul. When the CCF entered Korea in October 1950, they were In the meantime, in northeast Korea, MG Edward Almond entirely a light infantry force. They had no motorized transpor- ordered X Corps to withdraw to the port city of Hungnam. A st nd tation, no tanks or other armored vehicles, only light artillery task force built around 1 BN, 32 Infantry RGT, commanded (75mm was the largest.), no modern communications system – by LTC Don Carlos Faith, attempted a breakout east of Chosin they used whistles, horns, and flares to communicate on the Reservoir. Task Force Faith began their breakout on December battlefield. Their medical system was primitive; their soldiers 1, but the CCF had control of the hills, and the breakout was were poorly clothed; their rations were what they could carry stopped cold the next day. Faith was killed at the final road- or forage. On the other hand, UN forces were heavily armored, block, and still alive, including many wounded, in had abundant artillery up to 155mm, were well equipped, the convoy was either killed or taken prisoner. Several hundred clothed and fed and had an elaborate medical system including had already abandoned the hopeless breakout and walked field hospitals and a casualty evacuation system. Above all, the across the frozen reservoir to the marine lines. UN had complete control of the air. Although, the UN forces were outnumbered, especially at the points of attack, they held an overwhelming superiority in heavy weapons, transportation, communication, logistics and air. So, how was it that the CCF were able to defeat Eighth Ar- my on the battlefield and force it into a rout? The Army’s de- pendence on motorized vehicles worked against them in northwest Korea in the winter of 1950. It was road bound in a hilly and mountainous country with no roads worthy of the name. MacArthur’s rush to get to the Yalu, and his insistence that there were but few Chinese in Korea, prevented field commanders from occupying the high ground along the roads. That and the lack of sufficient forces to establish a solid front enabled the CCF light infantry to infiltrate the front and flanks, then move deep behind UN forces in overwhelming numbers. The CCF occupied the hills, and with their mortars, light anti- Survivors of Task Force Faith walking across Chosin Reservior tank weapons and abundant machineguns played havoc with UN forces. This caused panic among almost all units and ranks On the west side of Chosin Reservoir, about 14,000 men of within the affected units. the 1st Marine Division and survivors of Task Force Faith fought By November 28, MacArthur began to realize a crisis was their way from Hagaru-ri to Koto-ri, arriving there on December developing on Eighth Army’s right flank. With the collapse of 7. Along the way, a provisional battalion of marines and sol- the ROK I Corps, he realized Eighth Army was in danger of being diers, aided by close air support, cleared enemy roadblocks surrounded. He ordered Walker to retreat to a new line around along the escape route. Air Force, Navy, and Marine cargo Sunchon, thirty miles south of Kunu-ri, a village a few miles planes dropped ammunition, food and medicine to the column. south of the Ch'ongch'on River. Second Infantry Division fared Fighter aircraft bombed and strafed enemy positions and troop worse than any U.S. division in the retreat. It had to remain in concentrations. On December 9, the marines were joined by a place as long as possible to prevent the CCF from breaking column of 7th ID soldiers retreating from east of the reservoir. through on the right flank and surrounding Eighth Army. The withdrawal from Hagaru-ri to Hungnam was a well- On November 29, 2nd ID began its retreat down the Kunu-ri- organized and disciplined fighting withdrawal all the way. Sunchon road, a narrow ribbon with hills on both sides. MG MacArthur had ordered a seaborne evacuation, and most of Laurence B. Keiser, commander of 2nd ID, believed the CCF had X Corps reached the relative safety of Hungnam. About 105,000 created a simple, but strong roadblock just south of Kunu-ri. By troops, 98,000 civilian refugees, 350,000 tons of cargo and the time he realized it was more than that, Chinese riflemen, 17,500 vehicles along with artillery were evacuated between machineguns and mortars were devasting the 2nd ID. The CCF December 11 and 24, while naval gunfire held the Chinese at had created a nine-mile-long fireblock, which the U.S. soldiers bay. Demolition teams blew up the port after the evacuation. later call “the gauntlet”. A third of the 2nd ID had become cas- Sources: ualties by the time the Division got through the fireblock. Rather than trying to establish a defensive line, Walker Appleman, Roy F., Disaster in Korea, Texas A&M University Press, Col- seemed to be concerned only with getting out before being lege Station, Texas, 1989 surrounded. The retreat degenerated into what the soldiers Appleman, Roy F., Escaping the Trap, The US Army in Northeast Korea, called a bugout. Constant fear of being trapped or surrounded, 1950, Texas A&M University Press, College Station, Texas, 1990 and the constant retreat caused morale to sink. Eighth Army Appleman, Roy E., East of Chosin, Entrapment and Breakout in Korea, was bugging out so quickly that it lost contact with the CCF. 1950, Texas A&M University Press, College Station, Texas, 1987 The gap between the opposing forces quickly grew to the point Sides, Hampton, On Desperate Ground, The Marines at the Reservoir, The Korean War’s Greatest Battle, Doubleday, New York, 2018 that corps and division commanders had no idea where the

The General’s Platoon completely routed, and Eighth Army was in danger of being surrounded. Walker ordered his CP relocated back to Seoul. Hurst and another platoon member, a CPL Barns, were ordered to remain behind with a military police platoon, while a team, whom Hurst called “pencil pushers”, made a final clean-out of the file cabinets, desks and other storage areas. As soon as they were finished, Hurst and Barns were to head for the new CP in Seoul. In the early morning of December 5, they mounted their Jeep and left Pyongyang, the last Americans out of the city. Hurst remained with the 502nd Reconniassance Platoon during LTG Matthew Ridgeway’s and part of LTG James Van Fleet’s tours in Korea as successive commanders of Eighth Army. Hurst was discharged on November 15, 1952. Sometime afterwards, he decided he wanted to be a smokejumper (a person who parachutes into forests to fight fires). During 1954- 56 and again in 1958-62, he jumped ftom a base in Missoula,

CPL Randle Hurst in Korea (No. 10) – 1950 Montana. At some point, he jumped into the Gila National Forest in Arizona. In 1969, he wrote a book entitled The Randle Melville “Randy” Hurst was born in Oklahoma City Smokejumpers and dedicated it to the Gila smokejumpers. on June 19, 1929. He enlisted in the Army on June 28, 1949. Smoke jumping is not a fulltime job. Jumpers are called on only After basic training, Hurst was trained as a military policeman. when they are needed. That gave Hurst an opportunity to In October 1949, he was posted to C Co., 519th Military Police pursue a college education. He graduated from the University Battalion in Yokohama, Japan, as a member of “the General’s of Oklahoma in 1959 with a degree in geology and from the Platoon”. The platoon’s mission was to provide security for University of Montana in 1969 with a degree in mathematics. LTG Walton Walker, commander of Eighth Army, and Eighth He taught school in Fresno, , for fifteen years. Upon Army Headquarters located in downtown Yokohama. In the his retirement, Hurst returned to Oklahoma. At the time of his spring of 1950, the platoon was redesignated the 502nd death at age seventy-three, he was working as a security guard Reconniassance Platoon. for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. After the North Korean invasion of the South and America’s CPL Randle Melville Hurst died at his home in Mustang commitment of troops to Korea, Walker had his command post (Canadian County), Oklahoma, on February 23, 2003. He is (CP) setup in Taegu, which would, within a few weeks, be buried in Resthaven Gardens Cemetery in Oklahoma City. within the Pusan Perimeter. There were about forty-five men in the 502nd Reconniassance Platoon. They were responsible for continuously guarding the General as well as his CP. During his time in Korea, Walker was more often than not away from his CP. He was always on the move, either in his small observation plane or racing around to various units in his Jeep. When Walker traveled by Jeep, he, his driver and radioman rode in the lead vehicle, while the guard detail trailed them in a Jeep. Besides the guards’ personal weapons, they had a .50 caliber machine-gun mounted on a pedestal attached to the floor of the Jeep behind the front seats. One of Hurst’s assignments was to man the machinegun when he accompanied the General; otherwise, he remained on guard duty at the CP.

With the initial success of UN forces and the capture of the Randle Hurst – date unknown North Korean capital, Pyongyang, Walker moved his CP to that location. The CP was setup in the capitol building and Walker Editor: Sometime after his tour in Korea, probably in the 1970s or 80s, occupied Kim Il-Sung’s office. Hurst arrived at the new CP on Hurst compiled a ninety-nine-page typewritten manuscript – “The November 11. His guard position was outside Walker’s office History of the 502nd Reconniassance Platoon in Japan and Korea, door, when the General was present. When Walker was away 1950”. In the second volume of his Korean War history series, LTC Roy from his office, Hurst performed his guard duties inside the E. Appleman (U.S. Army, Ret.) quoted extensively from the manuscript office. The men rotated responsibilities at the CP, and when describing in detail Hurst’s and Barn’s experiences during their last days in Pyongyang and their exit from the city. not on guard duty at Walker’s office, Hurst walked a guard patrol around the building grounds or Walker’s residence. Primary source: Two weeks later, the Chinese launched their Second Phase Campaign, and within a few days, Eighth Army was in full re- Appleman, Roy E, Disaster in Korea, Texas A&M University Press, treat. The ROK I Corps on Eighth Army’s right flank had been College Station, Texas, 1989

Christmas Miracle in Korea As they wished their comrades a Happy Christmas, they Craig Bowman, Military History Online boarded the trucks and one man started to sing “I’ll be home for Christmas”. Looking out into the cold, clear sky where the Fifteen years ago, former Army PFC Norman Deptula sat in stars looked close enough to touch, they listened to the voice his warm home in Webster, Massachusetts, and wrote the re- that encapsulated their hopes. The church had war damage, markable story of a Christmas miracle that occurred in 1950. the bullet marks were clearly visible on the outside walls, and Deptula was serving with the United Nations Forces in the windows were broken, but no church could have looked during the campaign that was well underway in more beautiful to these men. They were very surprised to see October of 1950. They were working their way up the Korean that the church had two entrances and that men used the one peninsula and slowly clearing the North Korean forces out, on the left and sat on little wooden chairs set in rows on the when the Chinese entered the war throwing 300,000 men over left-hand side of the church. The women entered through the the Yalu River. It was a bitterly cold winter and the influx of the right-hand door, leaving their shoes in the rear of the church, Chinese fighting force put an end to the UN forces hopes of they covered their heads with white shawls and taking a straw returning home for Christmas as they quickly discovered that mat from a pile at the door they made their way to the right- facing the Chinese was an entirely different kettle of fish to hand side of the church. Many of the women carried infants facing the North Koreans. strapped to their backs with wide bands of colorful cloth. The Deptula was a member of the 581st Signal Radio Relay Com- darkness was kept at bay by a few candles on the altar, and pany. The fact that he was not a frontline soldier made little bright silk banners were suspended from a ceiling that was difference. He saw and experienced the horrors of war as slowly losing its plaster. One banner proudly declared “Mahry much as any infantryman. The UN forces were pummeled as Xmas”, to the amusement of the servicemen, but the senti- they fought their way through the Chinese forces to get to ment was warmly acknowledged by everyone present, and the Hungnam. It took them twenty-six hours to make forty miles to incorrect spelling was glossed over by the warm reception the port city, where a decision had been made to evacuate handed out to the servicemen. The altar was draped in silk and them. In the midst of bitter icy weather, they undertook the decorated with flowers and candles, and it stood between a evacuation of the UN troops, their equipment and some 98,000 beautiful nativity scene, complete in every detail and a proper refugees. The scene at the docks was straight out of hell. A Christmas tree decorated with all the baubles, tinsel and orna- dark, bitter day of utter confusion, noise, anguish and fear with ments. The scene brought a lump to Deptula’s throat as he im- people and equipment being loaded onto anything that float- agined the tree that would have been carefully trimmed in a ed. Deptula climbed aboard a freighter on that grimy, polar day home many thousands of miles away on the other side of the with the cold reaching into his bones as he and his company set world. sail for Pusan, four hundred miles away. Korean nuns dressed in blindingly white wimples escorted When they disembarked at Pusan, it was only to be loaded the local schoolchildren into the church, where they sat on lit- onto a derelict train where they did their best to make them- tle wooden chairs at the front. Deptula could only wonder at selves comfortable in icy, unheated carriages furnished only the difference between the nuns with their scrubbed charges with wooden benches. Nothing could block out the cold wind and the servicemen in their stained and torn uniforms, but the that came in past whatever was stuffed into the holes in the love emanating from all the Korean people instantly put the broken windows, and everyone was chilled to the bone by the servicemen at ease. One of the nuns played the organ, an an- time they had travelled the seventy miles to Kyong-ju (Ed. cient instrument that was seriously out of tune. She was ac- Gyoengju). Unsurprisingly the company was in a dismal frame companied by a girls’ choir singing carols in Korean, and when of mind on arrival and illness abounded. Fevers, chills, septic the servicemen recognized the tunes, which was no easy feat, throats and other injuries plagued the men, but worse were the they joined in singing in English. A cacophony of sound rose up unseen scars that refused to heal; their psyches had been ir- to the heavens from that little church, but nothing could have reparably damaged by the horrendous sights they had seen; sounded sweeter to any of them. The entire mass was said in the frozen bodies dumped into mass graves dug by bulldozers Korean, but at the end, Father Kim, the Korean priest, turned to and the awful wounds suffered by many comrades. the servicemen and gave them a blessing in broken English. He The days passed and their tired, dispirited bodies healed ended by saying, “The Mass is ended; go in Peace”. physically, but Christmas was drawing near, and there was no After his discharge from the Army, Deptula attended Boston hope of being at home with loved ones for this most sacred of University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science de- Christian holidays. Being in a strange land so far away meant gree and taught biology at Bartlett High School in Webster. All that carols, services, turkey and trimmings were all just fanciful his Christmases since then have been observed with his wife dreams. But, strangely enough one of those dreams was about and family, but nothing could ever come close to that aching to come true. They were huddled around trying to keep warm cold Christmas celebrated in a tiny, run-down church with a on Christmas Eve when they were told that there was a Catho- Korean priest saying mass in a language he could not under- lic church in Kyong-ju and the priest was to hold a midnight stand. At that point in his life, he needed the peace offered by Mass. Transport was to be provided, and everyone was invited. his God for all the horrors of war that were threatening to This little miracle meant so much to these men so far from overwhelm not only him but all his comrades as well. home on this cold, Christmas Eve, and the idea of being able to celebrate the birth of Christ was very precious to all of them. Oklahoma’s Fallen Heroes of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars

Derek Anthony Stanley Melvin Leslie Blazer, Jr.

Derek Anthony Stanley was born at Claremore, Oklahoma, Melvin Leslie Blazer, Jr. was born on February 28, 1966. on November 25, 1985. He grew up in Tulsa with his mother (birth location uncertain). He was a 1984 graduate of Moore and brother. He graduated from the Thunderbird Youth Acad- High School in Moore, Oklahoma. He joined the Marine Corps emy, Cycle 21, Alpha Company, Class of January 2003 – Pryor, some years after high school. He was a fifteen-year veteran at Oklahoma. He joined the Army in 2004. He took basic training the time of his death. and advanced training in the 3rd Chemical Brigade, both at Fort On December 12, 2004, SSGT Blazer was assigned to K Co. Leonard Wood, Missouri. After training he was posted to B Co., 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Ma- 710th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team (TF rine Expeditionary Force. On that day, his unit was operating in Spartan), 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York. His Fallujah in Anbar Province in Iraq, when they came under at- unit deployed to Afghanistan on March 15, 2006. tack. SSG Blazer was killed in the fire fight. CPL Stanley died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on June SSG Melvin Leslie Blazer, Jr. was laid to rest in Resthaven 5, 2006. The 3rd BCT was engaged in heavy combat with nu- Gardens Cemetery in Oklahoma City. merous killed and wounded, but we could find no information directly pointing to why this young man took his life. CPL Derek Anthony Stanley was laid to rest in Fort Gibson National Cemetery. He was twenty years old.

The MHC Salutes Iraq War Veterans

Iraq War Service Ribbon

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division March 20, 2003 – December 18, 2011 United States Space Force

LTG Stephen N. Whiting, first commander of the newly re-designated Space Operations Command, receives his first salute as commander from Space Delta and Garrison commanders and senior enlisted advisors during a cetemony at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado – October 21, 2020.

for space power, and organizing space forces to present to the Combatant Commands.” GEN Raymond unfurled the Space Force flag for the first time ever, in the White House Oval Office on May 15, 2020.

Displaying the Space Force flag are (L. to R.) Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett, Chief of Space Force Operations GEN John Raymond, Chief Master Sergeant Roger Towberman, the senior Space Force NCO, and President Trump.

The newest uniformed United States military service is the GEN David D. Thompson, Vice Chief of Space Operations, swore in the Space Force. It was founded on December 20, 2019, within the first four Space Force recruits at the Baltimore Military Entrance Air Force, just as the Marine Corps exists as an independent Processing Station, Fort Meade, Maryland – October 20, 2020. service within the Department of the Navy. The senior officer is the Chief of Space Force Operations. The first, and current, Chief of Space Force Operations is GEN John Raymond, who has a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff equal to the chiefs of the oth- er member services. The mission of the Space Force is to “organize, train, and equip space forces in order to protect U.S. and allied interests in space and to provide space capabilities to the joint force. Its responsibilities include developing military space professionals, acquiring military space systems, maturing the military doctrine Space Force Birthday – December 20, 2019 Christmas During World War II

President Roosevelt addresses the crowd at the Christmas tree lighting from the south portico of the White House – th December 24, 1941. British Prime Minister LTC William E. King, Chaplain of the 45 Infantry Division, Winston Churchill is to his right. conducts Christmas services near Venafro, Italy – 1943.

BG Anthony McAuliffe, deputy commander of 101st Airborne Division, and his staff sat down to a sparse Christmas dinner in besieged Bastogne, Belgium – 1944. Servicemen celebrate Christmas on Guadalcanal – 1942 Third Army broke the siege the next day.

Freedom’s Voice is the voice of MVA, Inc. dba Military History Center, a 501(C)3 private foundation, as a service to its members and supporters. Contents may be reproduced only when in the best interest of the Military History Center. Please direct comments or suggestions to the Editor at [email protected]. Ken Cook, Editor.