Video Log Howard Edward Baker Korea U.S. Army Born: 03/09/1933 Interview Date: 09/14/2011 Interviewed By: Robert Mastroni 00:01:10 senior in Harding High School, when you turned 18 you were automatically eligible for the draft; graduated high school in 1951; drafted into service in 1953, re-enlisted into Army, in for 3+years 00:02:03 went to Fort Devens, MA first for short time, then to Fort Dix, NJ for basic training, then to Fort Monmouth, NJ for photography school, then to Fort Lewis, WA, then off to Korea; first to Japan, landed at Yokohama; then to Busan, Korea, then North to his outfit, the 25th Infantry Division, signal Company, Photo Section 00:03:19 routine in Korea; get up 5:30am, slept in tents, mess tent for breakfast, went to different photo sections for daily assignments; had portable photo lab on truck used to develop and print films, etc 00:04:57 photos used for anything that was needed, various uses; maintained film library; did not make training films but provided them to soldiers 00:06:38 after war the company went to Hawaii, then shipped to 2nd Signal Platoon, Long Island, NY where Paramount Studios made training films; Baker made few films there 00:07:40 Baker got to Korea in August, few weeks after war had ended; remembers mine fields being cleared, air raids “Bed Check Charlie” – use to fly over to harass soldiers, would throw out hand grenade; Bake didn’t do too much in Korea 00:08:57 did more in Hawaii; had to go to hospital to get physical for flight training; was in Bell Helicopter with L-19s; photographed contingency plans for evacuation because of Pearl Harbor attack 00:10:43 in Korea, Baker was 40 miles north of 38 parallel; stationed at Dongducheon, Korea, 50 miles north of Seoul, Korea ; mine fields all around them; had Turkish Brigade stationed on other side of mine field; guys didn’t know mine field was there, guys would walk to Turkish camp to get food 00:12:30 Dongducheon was near town of Uijeongbu, people lived in huts and stole from Army at nights; Baker remembers towns people stole generator from British once, commander threatened to run tank through town if generator not returned 00:13:45 Baker describes Christmas dinner menu in 1953; turkey, mashed potatoes, etc; also remembers breakfast at NCO tent where he had cereal, him and many others got sick from spoiled milk, whole company got food poising from milk; meat locker was block of ice and sawdust floor 00:16:22 didn’t go into town or interact with people much; people would come to perimeter of company; woman would come to sow on patches; also paid boy to sweep out tent and do laundry; people would bring wooden footlockers to buy 00:17:50 R&R in Tokyo, Japan to Camp Drake for new uniforms, then toured Tokyo, remembers Rocker 4 club with food you couldn’t get in Korea, club to see shows; went with Fred Rossi from NY and Bob Corrello from CT 00:19:41 had lot USO Shows, especially when war ended; saw Terry Moore; met Marilyn Monroe in December, 1953 with Lefty O’Doul’s wife, O’Doul and Joe DiMaggio stayed in Japan 00:21:00 whole outfit home base was Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, whole division was shipped there; Baker then shipped to 2nd Signal Platoon in Long Island, NY where Paramount Studios was; made training films there; Baker would watch them make films, occasionally made them (e.g. how to clean rifle, how to deal with snake bite); then discharged from Fort Hamilton, NY; was going to go to helicopter school in GA, First Sergeant told him to leave and come back Thursday morning; when Baker came back Captain told him he was AWOL, but 1st Sergeant stuck up for him, but Captain giving him hard time motivated Baker to quit and accept full discharge 00:24:45 both his brothers were in service, youngest in Navy aboard USS Roosevelt, other in 1st Marine Division in Korea; both got out safe 00:26:00 photographers from unit kept in touch over years; 1999 had reunion in Washington, DC, hosted by Korean Embassy; had another reunion in Tucson, Arizona; others around U.S.; Baker hosted one in Hartford, CT 00:28:00 Connecticut Post article interviewed Baker about experiences in Korean War 00:28:48 in service you are regimented to point where life is controlled, that aspect stays with you after service, you have respect for regimentation; Baker believes children today should spend at least a year in the service to learn what its like, learn responsibility of service 00:30:29 Baker goes to high schools to talk to students, hard to say what students take from it; Baker tells them to ask questions to jog his memory; lot of students don’t know where or what Korea is 00:32:49 in Japan, their history books do not mention Pearl Harbor; Baker tells history classes that Japanese history books do not mention Pearl Harbor, but mention the US dropping atomic bombs; Baker tells students they know the real facts about what happened, they should be thankful they learn the facts .