War Is A Scary Place

PLEASE NOTE:  I apoligize in advance for any offensive language that you see written.  I have mentioned this in other places on this website that there are racial slurs in the letters that make me very uncomfortable.  I debated about changing them but decided to be true to the letters.  My father was not a racist man, but a young man in a war zone face to face with the enemy.  Thank you.

A reader pointed me to the direction of this website: http://vdbilt45.tripod.com/ It is a great source of information.  It lists by month what the 45th US Infantry Division was doing and where they were posted and what battles they participated in.  It also lists the casulites by month.  I have copied each month at the start of my dad's letters.  

BACKGROUND: A National Guard Div from Oklahoma, the 45th US Div was called into active service on 1 Sep 1950. It received fillers and began an intensive training program on 6 Nov 1950 at Camp Polk, LA. Under the command of Brig Gen James C. Styron since activation, the Div arrived overseas in April 1951 with the dual mission of providing security for Hokkaido, Japan, and completing its training. On 18 Nov, the Div was alerted for movement to Korea. The Regts of the Div moved to Korea as follows:

180th Inf Regt 5 Dec

179th Inf Regt 17 Dec

279th Inf Regt 28 Dec

As of 17 Dec 1951, the Div was assigned to Eighth US Army. On 18 Dec, it was attached to I US Corps. By 23 Dec, the Div assumed responsibility for a sector of Line Jamestown (MLR), formerly held by the 3d US Div. As 1951 ended, all elements of the Div were in Korea in a combat status and the Div was performing its mission of defending its sector of Line Jackson (MLR).

Piling up our bags before we left Japan

Miss Rosalie Nash

Box 248 RFD #3

Howell, Michigan

Dec. 3, 1951

Somewhere at Sea

1200 Hours

My Dearest Rosalie

                We’re almost there now.  Another day or so and we’re going to get off this tub.   The sooner we get off of this the better too.  We’ve been having all kinds of classes, P.T. and three inspections a day. It’s enough to drive a guy batty.

                So far the food has been lousy.  We got scrambled eggs for breakfast every morning.  Then to top it off they’re green instead of yellow so they’re not too good.

                It’s been warm here lately, the last couple of days anyhow.   It was really cold when we left Chitose.

                We left Chitose at about six Fri morning.  Rode on a Gook train down to Muroran.  The boat we’re on now was anchored about 2 miles out from shore, so we rode out there in assault barrages.

                We GI’d the barracks Thursday nite before we left and just after we got them real clean, some of the boys rounded up about 8 cases of beer, so we had ourselves a little party.  That barracks was really a mess when we got thru with it.  The party broke up at about 200 and we got up at 330, so we had about an hour and a half of sleep.

                Saw Gus the night before we left.  He still hasn’t heard from Jo, but he hasn’t given up hope yet.  Maybe he’ll have a letter waiting when we land.  I hope so, he’s waited long enough.

                1600 Hours

Hi Sweetheart

                We can see land now.  It is Korea I guess.  It probably is, as we’re supposed to land tomorrow afternoon.  It’s also starting to get colder as we’re headed north now.  We’ve still got a couple of hundred miles to go.

                By the time we get home this division will have spent about 2 months on water.  If we spend much more time out at sea, we’ll be swapping these army fatigues for sailor suits.

                Just got thru with chow, it was terrible.  Stew! I sure hope that you can cook better than what these army cooks can.  But I don’t think I’ve got anything to worry about.

                One of the companies in our battalion is supposed to be on out guard about four days after we land.  In our battalion E Company will probably get it and if E Company gets it, the first platoon will, and I’m in the first platoon.  Out guard is where a platoon goes from 800-2000 yards out in front of the line and watches for the enemy.  It isn’t too bad, you go back to the lines soon as you spot the enemy.  You usually stay out there about a week at a time.

                That’s about all I can think of right now so I’ll close for now and write some more tomorrow.

                Getting rough out now and everyone is starting to get sick including me.  Don’t ever forget that I’m your guy.

                Love

Our first area after we landed. Kitchen and chow area.

Miss Rosalie Nash

Box 248 RFD #3

Howell, Michigan

Dec 6 1951

Somewhere in Korea

Hi Sweetheart

                We landed last night about 6 pm at Inchon.  We loaded onto trains right away and then waited about four hours for it to move.  We rode about three hours on the train then rode about three hours on trucks.  Got here to camp about 5 am this morning. The kind hearted army let us sleep until 800 this morning.

                Haven’t done much yet as all we did is clean our guns today.  I got a new one today.  I like it a lot better than my old one.

                Right now we’re sitting about 39 miles behind the lines.  We’ve got guards walking around here 24 hours a day.  We’re camped down in a valley and there’s machine guns on all the surrounding hills with guards walking between the guns.  Every once in a while we can hear the long toms up at the front (those are those big guns which shoot about twenty miles).

                The weather over here is real nice in the day time and colder than heck at night.

                Well sweetheart it’s getting dark and we don’t have any lights so I’m going to have to close for now.

                Remember always that I love you and miss you awful

                                Bye for now

                                All my love

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill

1713 Maryfield

Ann Arbor, Michigan

 6 Dec

Dear Mom and Dad

                We landed last night at Inchon and traveled quite aways in land by train and truck.  We arrived at our camp at about 5 am this morning.  Right now we’re about 39 miles behind the lines.  We can hear the long toms from where we are here.

                The countryside isn’t shot up to much from what we can see, although all we’ve seen is Inchon.

                The weather here isn’t bad right now.   It’s not too cold in the day time but it really gets cold during the night.

                We don’t have any lights here and its getting dark so I’m going to have to close. It gets dark before five and doesn’t get light til about 730.

                Will try to write more tomorrow

                                Love

Miss Rosalie Nash

Box 248 RFD #3

Howell, Michigan

7 Dec 1951

Korea

My Dearest Rosalie

                We got our first snow today.  It’s a real wet heavy snow.  It still isn’t too cold here now, but if it clears up it will be colder than heck.

                Got another new gun today.  The new one I got yesterday wouldn’t work semi automatic.  This new one is a BAR.  That fires like a machine gun, only a little bit faster.  It’s got one drawback tho, it weighs 2 ½ times as much as my M-1.  I like it a lot better than my old one.

                Haven’t seen Gus since we left Japan.  His Battalion is near us from what I hear.  I’m going to write him a letter tonight or tomorrow.

                We spent the morning at the firing range shooting at tin cans.  We were just testing our guns.  It was kinda fun tho.  But it was snowing all of the time we was there.  All around the firing range there was bunkers dug into the hillside from a previous battle.  There is all kinds of shot up equipment laying all around here. It’s been quite awhile tho since there’s been a big fight here.

                Right now there’s hardly any fighting going on up at the front.  All the guys are doing up there is sitting in their bunkers waiting for the peace talks. Foxholes aren’t used too much over here anymore.

                Well sweetheart there isn’t any news except that I’m still deeply in love without, only more so than ever before.  You’re just like a disease, you keep growing on me, only its not exactly like a disease as I love it and love you for it.

                I’ll say goodbye for now and retire

                                All my love

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill

1713 Maryfield

Ann Arbor, Michigan

7 Dec 1951

Korean

Dear Mom and Dad

                Got our first snow in Korea today.  It’s real wet and heavy and it’s snowing pretty hard right now.  It isn’t too cold now, it’s just around 25 degrees or so.

                We went out to the firing range.  Spent all morning out there and only fired 8 shots.  All we shot at was some tin cans that we hung up on a wire.

                Got a new rifle today.  This one is an automatic, it’s what is called a BAR.  It’s a lot better than the M-1 I had.  We don’t know when we go up front yet but it’ll probably be within a week or so.  There’s no action up there right now, everybody’s just waiting to see how these peace talks come out.

                Haven’t see Gus since we left Japan.  I don’t have any idea where his battalion is right now, but it’s probably pretty close by.

                We’re living in tents again now.  We don’t have beds, we just sleep on the ground, and that’s awful muddy right now.  We got one stove in each tent so that isn’t too bad.

                Over here we don’t have much use for money as there’s nothing we can buy.

                Every noon we get two candy bars and a package of cigarettes.  We can’t go into town, but then we aren’t even near a town.  After a couple of months you start getting R&Rs and you go to Tokyo for five days.                             

                If you can buy some ski socks I’d appreciate it if you’d send me a couple of pairs.  We only get three pairs and you wear those till they’re wore out.  Some of the boys who are staying here with us haven’t changed clothes for over a month now.

                That’s about all I can think of now so I’ll close.

                Love

Miss Rosalie Nash

1023 Crawford

Ft. Myers, Fla

8 Dec 1951

Somewhere in Korea

My Dearest Rosalie

                Didn’t do anything today.  Had chapel today in the field and cleaned my gun in the afternoon.  It’s still pretty chilly here as it probably will be for the next few months.

                By the way, have a good time in Florida and have fun sweetheart.  Don’t get sunstroke rolling around on the beach.

                There isn’t too much news right now.  Got guard duty tonight.  Got to stand out on the road for a few hours and keep the Gooks out of camp.  They can’t come into our areas, and we can’t go into town.  So I guess that it’s about even.

                I gotta go on guard in about fifteen minutes so I’ll close for now and try to finish when I come back in if it’s not too cold.  Just in case it’s too cold, I’ll say goodbye for now.

                Goodnight darling – I love you and miss you.

                                Love

                                                Ken

Miss Rosalie Nash

1023 Crawford

Ft. Myers, Fla

8 Dec 1951

Somewhere in Korea

My Dearest Rosalie

                Got our first mail in 11 days tonight and sure enough there was 2 marked 610 Ardson Rd.  I was really glad to hear from you too.  I had almost given up hope of getting any mail before we moved up, but we got it.

                Went out and fired my BAR today.  It really works good too, but it really takes a lot of ammo to keep it going.

                It’s a trifle chilly here tonight, about 15 degrees or so.  We got some candles here that heat up the tent tho.  I’m afraid our snow is here to stay.  I hope that there is some on the ground when we move up, because the makes the nights a lot brighter, and night is when the gooks make all of their raids.

                Our coming to Korea was supposed to be a secret, but when we got here some Gooks met us at the dock with scarf’s with the T-bird patch on it.  Any time we want to find out what is going to happen to us, all we gotta do is to ask the gooks.

                Well sweetheart, even tho I love you more than anything else in the world I’m going to have to close, cuz this candle don’t give too much heat.

                Bye sweetheart

                I miss you terribly

                All my love

                                Ken

One of the tanks firing across the valley.

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill

1713 Maryfield

Ann Arbor, Michigan

8 Dec 1951

Somewhere in Korea

Dear Mom and Dad

                Got our first mail last night since we left Japan.  I got five letters all together, 2 from you, 2 from Rosalie and 1 from Helen.  Went to chapel this morning or I should say the chaplain came over here.  We had chapel out in the company area.  There’s about three inches of snow on the ground so everyone stood up.  We gotta take our guns with us where ever we go, so everyone there except the chaplain had their guns. 

                We haven’t heard anything about when we move up yet, but we got all our equipment now so that we’re ready to go anytime.  If you don’t hear anything from me for about three weeks you’ll know we’re on line.  When you’re on line you’ve got all the time in the world, but there’s no way to mail any letters and besides it’s too cold to write.

                Right now it’s pretty nice in the day and it gets down to about 10 at night. It hasn’t snowed for a couple of days now.  That’s about all of the news now so I’ll close.

                                Love

Miss Rosalie Nash

1023 Crawford

Ft. Myers, Fla

10 Dec 1981

Somewhere in Korea

My Dearest Rosalie

                We got the word today, tomorrow at eleven am we move up.  We go up to the assembly area.  We may stay there anywhere from 10 minutes to 10 days.  That’s about 5000 yards behind the main line.

                It really warmed up today its up around 25 degrees or so, it’s really kind of nice.  Last night it was cooler than, well it was cold.  I built a little fire by my guard post last night and stood right next to it all the time.

                I’ll bet you really look cute with your new haircut.  I really wish that I could see it, but you can have it the same way when I get back.  When we get married you can wear it anyway you want to.  I’ll be so happy to be with you that I won’t care how it looks.

                Speaking of coming home, I don’t think I’ll get to see Gus til we come back.  The different battalions are pretty well kept apart over here.  He’s about 5 miles up the road from where the second battalion is.  I’ll have to wait for his letter to hear if he has heard from Jo or not.

                The artillery was really giving the Gooks a rough night last night.  The long toms were blasting away at them all night.  It sounds just like thunder, only there’s no pause between blasts.

                Got a box from the Ladies Aid so I’m going to have to write them a thank you note tonight before I forget it.  Then I gotta write mom too, so I’d better close for now sweetheart.

                Bye for now darling I’ll be seeing you in all my dreams.

                                I’m throwing you a kiss

                                                Love     

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill

1713 Maryfield

Ann Arbor, Michigan

10 Dec 1951

Dear Mom and Dad

                Today’s Monday but I’m not sure of the date.  Every day is the same over here.

                I can’t remember if I wrote you that we had church out here or not, any how we did.

                There isn’t too much news right now, all we did all day was to pack up our gear and get ready to move.  So we’ll be moving in a couple of days I guess.

                Just got thru writing the ladies aid a thank you note for the box that I got from them.

                We didn’t get any mail last night and probably won’t get any tonight.  I hope we get some more before we move up tho.

                It’s almost chow time so I’d better close now.

                                Love

Miss Rosalie Nash

1023 Crawford St

Ft. Myers, FL

12 Dec 1951

Somewhere in Korea

My Dearest Rosalie

                No mail today.  Got two packages today.  One from a wonderful girl in Howell and one from Mark and Marilyn.  Thanks loads for sending it sweetheart.  The cookies were really good and everyone in the squad has read the Spartan.  I sure appreciate your sending it.

                Right now we’re camped about 500 yards from the artillery.  It’s shooting all of the time so we don’t get too much sleep.  We’re about 2 miles from the front lines right now.  We can hear the machine guns up at the front from where we are.  We’ll probably be moving up about Sunday or so.

                Had guard duty last night from 10 to 3 in the morning. It was really chilly out last night too.  I’d liked to freeze to death.

                The artillery just opened up.  They’re really raising cane out there now.  Sounds like the fourth of July.

                Well sweet heart that’s about all I can think of for now so I’ll close by telling you you are the dearest person in the world to me.  Goodbye for now honey.

                                All my love

                                                Ken

Thanks again for the box.

View across the valley.

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill

1713 Maryfield

Ann Arbor, Michigan

12 December 1951

Somewhere in Korea

Dear Mom and Dad

                It’s been raining all day today.  Had guard duty last night.  We’re camped about 400 yards from the artillery and they’re shooting constantly so we don’t get too much sleep.  All around our camp is a Chinese mine field so we can’t go too far from the camp.  About 500 yards from us there is the wreckage of a jet plant.  It’s smashed into little pieces.  We passed a lot of tanks and trucks that got shot up on our way up here.  The country side is really shot up.  We’re close enough to the front right now to hear the machine guns and see the flares from the front.  We’re supposed to move up about Sunday.

                We’re supposed to get most of our mail today.  There is supposed to be a truck load of it for our company.

                There isn’t too much news today so I’ll close for now.

                                                Love

                                                Ken

Miss Rosalie Nash

1023 Crawford

Ft. Myers Florida

13 December 1951

Somewhere in Korea

My Dearest Darling

                How I wish I could hold you tight tonight and kiss you and tell you how much I love you.  Then run my fingers thru your hair and mess it up some.  Then just snuggle up close to you and then kiss you some more.

                Its cold over here today but it ain’t snowed as yet.  It warms up slightly during the day slightly tho, so it ain’t too bad, but it’s still cold enough that you have to wear gloves all the time.

                Cleaned my gun most of the time today.  This new gun of mine is a lot harder to clean than my old one.  There is a lot more parts to this one than there was in the old one.

                Not much news today didn’t do anything exciting.  Wheeled off a couple of letters to a couple of relatives.  Haven’t written them since I’ve been in the army so I figured it was about time I did.  I’ll write them again just before next Christmas, if I’m not out of the army and I sure hope I am.

                We’re getting to sleep in til 0615 now.  That’s something new in this company.  We’ve been getting up at 0530 whether we had anything to do or not.

                Got some big money for you.  1000 won.  You can go on a buying spree with it.  That’s what the Gooks use for money over here.  It’s not actually worth too much 6000 won to $1.00.  So this is worth about $.16 or so.

                Also enclosing a leaflet, one of the ones the UN drops to the Gooks telling them to give up.  I don’t know if they do any good or not, but we keep doing it all the time.

                Well sweet heart I’ll close my eyes and kiss you good night and wish you a real nice trip and have a good time.

                                All my Love

                                                Ken

Miss Rosalie Nash

Box 248 RFD #3

Howell, Michigan

13 Dec 1951

Somewhere in Korea

Hi Sweetheart

                By the time you get this you ought to be back from Florida.  I’ll bet that it’s real nice down there.  From what I can remember when I was down there it was really nice.  Only I was just a little brat then so I don’t remember too much.  When we went down there, we drove down in a Model A Ford.  It took about three days, I think.  Anyway I hope you had a real swell time.

                Didn’t do anything today, just played cards all day.  Just a platoon meeting today.  We gotta shave at least every other day.  Whatta low blow.

                Got some stamps to mail on to you.  I got them in a Christmas card from home.  We ain’t got too much use for them as we don’t need them.

                Well sweetheart that’s about all I can think of right now so I’m going to have to close for now.

                Bye for now sweetheart don’t forget that I love you more than anything else in the world.

                                All my love

                                                Ken

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill

1713 Maryfield

Ann Arbor, Michigan

14 December 1951

Somewhere in Korea

Dear Mom and Dad

                Not much news today, haven’t done anything today.  Its rather warm out today, up to about 35 degrees or so.  The nights are really cold out.

                Got a couple of leaflets that the UN drops to the Chinese.  It’s all in Chinese so you probably won’t be able to read it too well.  The mail hasn’t been coming thru at all lately.  I’ve got about 3 letters since we landed.  Also got three Xmas cards.  One from Mrs. Steward, Mr. and Mrs. Hochrein and Mr. and Mrs. Seitz.

                The artillery is still going all of the time and keeping us awake. They seem to like to shoot at nights more than anything else.  The artillery really got it nice over here.  They live in tents, almost like we had in Japan.  You’d never know they were only a couple of miles behind the lines.  Then they get just as much credit toward rotation as we do.

                That’s about all I can think of so I’ll close for now.

                                Love

                                                Ken

Bunker where I lived from Dec. 16 to Jan 2nd. Hill in background is where Chinese are.

Miss Rosalie Nash

Box 248 RFD #3

Howell, Michigan

18 Dec 1951

Dearest

                We’ve been up on the MLR now for 2 days.  We’re sitting on a hill overlooking a real wide valley.  The Gooks are on one side of the valley and we’re on the other side.  It must be about 4000 yards wide or so.  We control the valley in the day time and the Gooks control it by night.  We got here about 6 am Sunday and immediately we go put on a listening post about a quarter of a mile out in front of the lines. We sat there for about 27 hours.  Talking about being scared at night, I was so scared I could hardly talk.  The Gooks hit on both sides of us, but they didn’t hit us.  We could see their machine guns aways off to our right, but we didn’t shoot at it.

                We’re living in bunkers now.  All they are is glorified foxholes, but they keep us pretty warm.  The days are pretty mild and the nights are cold.

                We don’t get much water up here, just enough to drink, not enough to wash in, so I’ve got dirty hands as they haven’t been washed in about 4 days.  So you’ll have to excuse it if this paper is rather dirty.

                I haven’t gotten your Florida address yet as we’re missing a weeks mail.  Maybe I’ll get it tonight.

                Well honey I gotta close now and work come more on my bunker.  Don’t forget honey I love you now and always.  By for now

                                                All my Love

                                                                Ken

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill

1713 Maryfield

Ann Arbor, Michigan

18 December 1951

Somewhere in Korea

Dear Mom and Dad

                Now we’re sitting on the main line.  We’re sitting on a mountain overlooking a big valley.  On the other side is more mountains where the Chinese are.  The only time we see them is at night.  We control the valley in the day and they control it during the night.  It must be about 10 miles long and from 4 to 5 miles wide.  There is about a dozen little hills scattered all over it.

                It’s pretty warm over here in the daytime. And it gets real cold at night.  We ain’t got no snow at all yet, just a little bit in the north slopes of the big hills.

                We’re living in bunkers over here now.  All it is, is a big hole with lots and sandbags laid over the top.  They’re pretty warm tho, as we have fires places dug in them.  So we’re not too bad off.

                That artillery is shooting all the time over here.  We’re getting so we don’t pay any attention to it at all anymore.

                We’re getting a lot of everything except food and water.  We get about ¾ of a canteen a day.  So we don’t have any to wash with at all.  We eat c-rations about half the time.

                We have half the guys awake at all times up here, so you never get a full night’s sleep.  We spend most of the day time fixing up our bunkers and sleeping if we can.

                That’s about all of the new s I can think of so I’ll close.

                                Love

                                                Ken

Miss Rosalie Nash

Box 248 RFD #3

Howell, Michigan

20 December 1951

Somewhere in Korea

My Dearest Darling

                I haven’t gotten your new address yet so I’ll mail this on to Howell and you’ll get it when you get home.  I gotta terrific cold right now with a good case of laryngitis (can’t talk) I haven’t been able to speak above a whisper for a couple of days now.

                Its real warm over here today, everything is real muddy I wish that it would either warm up or get cold and stay cold.

                It gets dark over here about 4:30 and doesn’t get light til about 730, so most of the time it’s dark.            

                We all go to bed real early here, usually about 6:30 or 7 because we have to stand guard every nite for a couple of hours.

                Sorry to hear about Gus and Jo.  He really loved her, but I guess that some things just don’t work out and that’s one of them.

                Had a little scare last night, a couple of Gooks got thru the lines at K company and we were all alerted to look out for them.  Every time a shadow moved, someone would throw a hand grenade or fire a couple of shots.  From what I hear they were finally taken care of.

                The artillery is really raising cane with the Gooks today.  It’s been shooting about twice as much as it has been since we got here.

                We got our beer ration for this month today – one can.  Anna Rosenburg says we can’t fight and drink at the same time so she’s trying to cut it out all together.  Someone ought to wise her up.

                Well sweet heart that’s about all I can think of for now except that you’re the most precious thing in the world to me and I love you more than anything else

                                Bye for now

                                All my Love

                                                Ken

Monday P.M.

(Dec., sometime before the 25^th, 1951)

Dear Mother and Dad,

                The train was three hours late yesterday as we arrived in Miami at 2:30.  We had to wait for a bus to Fort Meyers until 6:00.  Issy hired a cab driver to show us Miami – at $5.00 an hour.  We ate dinner then grabbed the bus – it was a round about route - it took 4 hours to get to Fort Meyers – about 147 miles.  It was dark of course – not very interesting country.  It is cool here now – but their cool is quite warm to me. 

                G’ma and Aunt Lorena met us about 10:45-went home and had a little lunch took baths and got to bed about 12:00.  Oh, was I tired – we didn’t wake up until 11:00 this morning.

                Of course we didn’t have a chance to change our clothes and they just smell!  As did we!  We sat all curled up in the seat to sleep so it was really a treat to get in a bed and stretch out again – even more so because of my long limbs.

                G’ma had an ironing board all set up for us – she sure knows we two! Have our clothes all pressed now just getting ready to go to town that’s why my writing is terrible.

                I’m having a wonderful time.  Issy is just wonderful – won’t even let me pay for anything and did we eat – I probably gained about 20 lbs – all this loafing and eating.

                I still feel like I’m on the train – kinda dizzy – when I bend over to put my shoes on or anything I just about fall over – you get used to that motion and you still wobble and keep rhythm to it long after you’re off the train.

                Well, that’s about all for this time – thanks for everything – you were wonderful and are wonderful – this vacation will do wonders for me.  Hope this weather is not making things too hard for you.

                I love you all.  The chicken sandwiches were so good.  Mrs. Zill gave us a box of candy – real good – pecans and chocolate to eat on the train – we ate some of your candy too and thought we might save some for G’ma because they can’t make it here on account of air pressure.

                I’ll write again – love you muchly –

                                Bye

                                                Love

                                                                Rosalie

Miss Rosalie Nash

Box 248 RFD #3

Howell, Michigan

22 Dec 1951

My Dearest Rosalie

                I finally got your new address today but it’s too late to mail you any letters in Fla. as they won’t get there until you’ve left.

                Got a big box from Mrs. Clague (the bosses’ wife) today.  Also got a lovely box from my mom in Howell.  Also got three precious letters from a wonderful girl name Rosalie (Incidentally I named my BAR after you, even went so far as to carve “Rosalie” into the stock.  Looks pretty good. So now I carry you with me where ever I go.)

                It was pretty warm out all day today, just slightly below freezing.  Real foggy all day tho, couldn’t even see to the bottom of the hill where we are.

                The artillery is real quiet today, hardly even firing at all.  The mortars have taken their place I guess.

                I wish that I could’ve been there for your confirmation sweetheart but it wasn’t possible.  It really makes me proud of you to know that you’re now a member of the Lutheran church.  I’ll be home for your first anniversary.

                There isn’t too much news honey, haven’t done anything real exciting lately.  Also chow time so I’ll have to close, bye for now, don’t forget there’s a soldier over here in Korea who loves you and wants to marry you some day.

                                Bye for now

                                All my Love

                                                Ken

Mrs. Otto Zill

1713 Maryfield

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Dec 22, 1951

Dearest Mom

                This won’t be much of a birthday card, but anyhow I want to wish you a very Happy Birthday.  Maybe next year I can be home with you, but this year it isn’t possible.

                Many times over here I’ve thanked God for giving me a God fearing Mother, because that makes all of this a lot easier.

                I haven’t always been a model son, but Mom, I love you and wish you a very blessed birthday

                                Your loving son

                                                Kenneth

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill

1713 Maryfield

Ann Arbor, Michigan

22 Dec 1951

Dear Mom and Dad

                Got two letters from you today. Got 8 letters altogether and a box from Mrs. Clague.  She really had a lot of stuff packed into her box.  I’ll try and write her tomorrow.

                There isn’t hardly anything going on now.  The artillery is just shooting once in a while.  The 50 cal mgs are shooting all of the time now to take their place.

                It was just a little bit chilly out today, not too bad.  Real foggy tho.  We couldn’t see the bottom of the hill until about 2 this afternoon.

                Last night I got boxes from Dorothy and Al, Geo Couch, and Mrs. Nash.  Getting more stuff right now than I know what to do with.

                We’re about 80 miles Northeast of Inchon, I don’t know if I told you or not.  We’re right between the 3^rd Div and a Div from Siam.

                The general came around yesterday so we all had to shave so we’d look sharp when he came by.

                We’re getting enough water and everything now so we don’t have things too bad now.  We’re just mostly waiting to see how those peace talks come along.  If it comes out OK we’ll probably stay here otherwise we’ll probably push ahead.

                One of your letters today was from the 22^nd of Nov.  We’re still missing about a week’s mail from 20-30 of Nov.

                That’s about all I can think of now so I’ll close

                                Love Ken

Miss Rosalie Nash

218 W. Gd River

East Lansing Mich.

23 Dec 1951

My Dearest Rosalie

                Not too much news today.  About all we did was to change bunkers.  The peace talks are just about over so we’re getting all of the troops we can on line.  I guess tomorrow night is the big night.  It’s the last night for them to settle their talks.  I just hope and pray that it is settled.

                Tonight checked over my BAR Rosalie and cleaned all the magazines and make sure she's in tip top shape. I hope I don't need it, but if I do, I'm sure it's OK .

                Honey, I can’t think of anymore to write so I’d better quit and get busy on my Rosalie.  Bye for now sweetheart, how I wish you was here so I could kiss you good night and tell you that I love you and need you in person, but I guess that I’ll just have to talk to your picture again tonight.

                Bye for now honey

                                All my love

                                                Ken

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill

1713 Maryfield

Ann Arbor, Michigan

23 Dec 1951

Dear Mom and Dad

                Not too much news today.  All we did was to move to a different bunker.  We got more troops on line now as the peace talks are drawing to a close.  From what we’ve heard last they aren’t going too well.

                It’s still pretty warm over here, but it’s not as muddy as it was yesterday.

                Got thirteen letters yesterday plus a box from Mrs Seitz, Mrs. Clague and another marked Goodyears.  The one marked Goodyears was opened so I don’t know if anything was lost or not.

                Anyway don’t send anything more as I don’t know what I can do with anything more.

                It’s been a real quiet day today, hardly any noise at all, all day long.  Somehow it just seems too quiet to make you feel good.  Maybe when it gets dark the artillery will open up again.

                That’s about all the news so I’ll close for now.

                                Love

                                                Ken

Christmas Night

Dear Mother, Dad and Kids,

I’ve just been listening to the News – he had a number of Korean veterans talk – it just got the best of me so I came upstairs to write.  We’ve had a nice Christmas day.  I got up and went to church at 8:00 am at a little Lutheran church that is only about two blocks from here.  Issy and I went there Sunday.  It is very small only 8 rows of pews on a side – each seating only about 5 people.  I got home about 9:30 and finished eating my breakfast with Issy.  I made a molded cranberry salad for dinner, I made the gravy and carved the turkey and washed the dinner dishes.  We had a Mr. and Mrs. Smith as guests today – he is a patient of Uncle Bob’s.  We had turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, all kinds of pickles, jams etc., G’ma made rolls and Christmas nut bread like yours.  We had pumpkin pie like you made for Thanksgiving.  We served some punch – like we had at Barbara’s wedding – a few minutes before dinner.  The temp. was 86 degrees while we were eating dinner – it is hard to imagine isn’t it.  I’m getting more tan every day but I do not stay out long because the sun and I just do not mix too much.  I seem to know when I’ve had too much.  I’ve made friends with a lot of the kids in the neighborhood – after about a  week of “solitary confinement” from any kids I just went out yesterday and picked up the little  boy who lives next door – he’s about half as big as Martha, fat and kinda cute – always dirty as a pig but I just couldn’t resist any longer.  They have a baby next door too – nearly 6 months old.  Yesterday he wouldn’t have anything to do with me but today he was perfectly contented – he wouldn’t even go to his own sister.  He has red hair and is named “Joe.”  Aunt L. took a picture of me holding him to send to Ken.  They seem to think Ken is just O.K. and I am glad. Aunt L. gave me two guest towels for Christmas of course I was delighted, G’ma have me some salt and pepper shakers and some shell pins she’d made.  Issy gave me some darling nylon panties for my trousseau –they belong to a set that she’s going to get me before I get married. She also gave me a sweater – short sleeved, blue, navy and pink, turtle necked.  I do not understand sometimes why people do all the nice things they do for me, including you and daddy.  I hope that I shall always be worthy of all the wonderful things that have been and are being done for me. I’m growing fat like a pig – we go to bed around 11:00-11:30 get up about 8:30.  I’ll be spoiled - but it’s been wonderful.  Betsy gave me a little evening purse and Ed and Helen gave me a darling little pin.  We opened our gifts last night around 11:00.  We all played canasta and drank punch the rest of the evening.  I was tired after we got dishes done this afternoon so I slept for a while.  Just before our guests left we served fruit cake and egg not.  I guess we’re all too full to eat any supper becuz no one’s mentioned eating since then.  G’ma made some fudge we’ve been nibbling on and then of course a lot of people sent candy.  Aunt L. made about a dozen varieties of Christmas cookies.  She enjoys the cooking, she engineers everything but G’ma seems to be able to hold her own.  Anyway, we haven’t been starving and I’ve been eating shrimp till they come out of my ears – literally – I had 18 for dinner last night.

                Mrs. Zill wrote said she’d shoveled snow and had hurt her back so had been out of work 3 days.  Kenny had written them Dec. 9^th and 10^th in his last letter they were packed and ready to leave for the front – they had a mail call – but in 11 days he only had 2 letters from his folks, 2 from me and 1 from Helen.  He should have had more but I guess he was happy to get those.  In the letters you forwarded here he wrote both of them Dec. 8^th.  Not much news – he said in one “say hello to mom for me” – meaning you- must be he heard from you or maybe was just thinking of you.  I’ve written to his Mom a couple or so letters.  Naturally she is very concerned about him – just as I am.  If anything I could write would make things easier for her then I certainly have and will continue to write.  Naturally so far she’s had more real news from him than I have. I wrote Booths a couple of letters - I must write another note telling them what my marks where – I’m certainly pleased as punch about those.  I wrote Gus and I finally got up the necessary courage and inspiration to write Jo.

                I think of you all often and hope that you’ve had a very, very nice Christmas day.  We have some little things for all the kids.  Issy says to tell you she’s just too busy to write, jokingly of course.  We’ll be seeing you a week from today. I’ll write again. Thanks for everything.  I love you all so much.

Lovingly

                                                                                                Daughter Rosalie

                                                                                                                (Formal isn’t it?)

P. S. Everyone was very pleased with our gifts.

Miss Rosalie Nash

218 W. Grand River

East Lansing, Michigan

26 Dec 1951

My Dearest Rosalie

                I hope you had a real nice Christmas.  We had turkey and all the trimmings, but it was all cold when we got it, so it wasn’t too good.

                We spent all Xmas Eve cleaning ammo.  We were alerted for an attack that night but it never came off.

                Celebrated Christmas day by going on a patrol, went about a mile or so out in front of our lines.  Didn’t see Joe Chink out there tho.

                Got some stamps to mail on to you, I got them in a Xmas card and I ain’t got no use for them, so I’ll send them to you.

                We had a white Christmas yesterday.  It really turned cold and has been snowing now for about 24 hours straight.  We’ve got about 6 inches of snow and it’s a trifle below zero today.

                Also am sending your letter from Marcus back to you.  I’m going to mail this up to East Lansing, so it’ll probably be there about the time you get there.

                There isn’t too much news and besides it’s too cold to write, so I’m going to close now by saying that I love you and miss you a lot and am just waiting til we can be together again.

                                All my love

                                                Ken

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill

1713 Maryfield

Ann Arbor, Michigan

26 Dec 1951

Dear Mom and Dad

                We got our White Christmas yesterday.  And it’s really white too.

                We went on patrol yesterday morning, went about a mile out in front of our lines didn’t see anything tho.  Got back just as it started to snow and that was about noon and it’s been snowing ever since.    The weather has turned a lot colder out now and it’s really cold.

                Thank you for your Christmas card, it was real nice to get one from you.

                Spent all Christmas Eve cleaning ammo.  We got all over our bunker now, all ready for use.

                Right out in front of us we got six barbed wire entanglements and four or five mine fields and numerous trip flares and booby traps.

                Then we’ve got all of our artillery and mortars zero’ed in on the valley so the Chinese would have a hard time getting to us, if they were to try.

                That’s about all I can think of now so I’ll close.

                Love

                                Ken

Miss Rosalie Nash

218 W. Grand River

East Lansing, Michigan

28 Dec 1951

Somewhere in Korea

My Dearest Rosalie

                Got two letters last night from Florida.  Sure sounds like you’re having fun.  It won’t hurt you any to have a good time.

                You said something about not being able to change clothes for a couple of days.  You ought to be over here, I ain’t changed clothes now since Nov 27^th. The ones I got on now are starting to get a little dirty tho.

                We’re going back into reserve pretty soon, probably about the first of the year.  We’ll go back into living in tents again.  That’ll be a lot better than living in these darn bunkers.

                Was on listening post last night from 6 to midnight and I’d liked to of froze to death.  It was really cold out there.

                Was going to go see Gus this afternoon, but the CO won’t let me go.  He said that it’s too far to walk and that I should wait until we go into reserve. Got a letter from John the other day, he came over here too, only his outfit is about eight miles behind the lines.

                Not too much news right now as we goofed off in the day time and just stand guard and sleep at night.

                I haven’t heard anything about the peace talk in a couple of days now. We don’t hear too much about them over here it seems.  The folks back home hear about it long before we do.

                Honey that’s about all I can think of now, so I guess I have to close but not before telling a wonderful girl how much I love her and miss and how I’m counting the days until I can return home to her.

                Bye for now

                                All my love

                                Ken

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill

1713 Maryfield

Ann Arbor, Michigan

28 Dec

Dear Mom and Dad

                Not too much news now, about all we do is sleep and stand watch. It’s still cold over here it doesn’t warm up too much during the day, not enough to thaw any anyhow.

                We get back into reserve about the 2^nd of Jan for about 3 weeks or so.  We’ll be living in tents again.  That should be a lot warmer too cuz we’ll have regular stoves and everything back there.

                We haven’t had any mail now for about three days so we should be getting a lot of it one of these days.

                That’s about all the news.

                Love

                                Ken

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill

1713 Maryfield

Ann Arbor, Michigan

28 Dec 1951

Somewhere in Korea

Dear Mom and Dad

                Got your letter number 30 yesterday.  I’m still getting mail postmarked in Nov too.

                It’s still cold here was down around 10 degrees last night.  Last night our squad was on listening post for 6 hours.  Six at night til midnight and we just about froze to death standing out there.  It was really cold.        

                In a couple of days we’re going back into reserve.  The 179^th Inf. Regt. is going to replace us about the first of the year.  We haven’t heard anything yet on the peace talks.  We don’t get the news over here until after it comes out in the States.

                Haven’t seen Gus since we left Japan, I was going to walk over there this afternoon but the CO said that I’d have to wait till we go back into reserve.

                We’ve got about 6 inches of snow now.  The hills really look beautiful with all the snow on them.

                That’s about all I can think of so I’ll close

                Love

                                                Ken

Miss Rosalie Nash

218 W Grand River

East Lansing, Michigan

30 Dec

My Dearest

                This is going to be short as its chow time and that’s the only time we can mail letters.  They’re feeding us at 230 (supper) so I was caught off guard.

                Haven’t done anything today, slept til 11 or so before I got up.  Got 2 hours sleep last night, that’s why I didn’t get up too early.

                It’s a little warmer today, around 30 somewhere.  We got two more days up here then we go back for about 15.  That’s going to be nice to get off the line for awhile.

                Had a little snow last night, just enough so you could say that it snowed is about all.

                We was supposed to go on patrol this morning but it was called off at the last minute.  Maybe we’ll have to go tomorrow, don’t know yet.

                Gotta quit now sweetheart will write another longer one tonight.

                Bye for now darling, don’t ever forget there’s a soldier over here who loves you and misses you

                                All my love

                                                Ken

30 Dec 1951

Dear Mom and Dad

                Not much going on today.  All we’re doing is working on our bugout ditches.  Those are the trenches which go from bunker to bunker.

                It isn’t too cold today, just a little bit under freezing I guess.  Just cold enough so you gotta wear a coat and gloves.  Outside of that we’re not doing much of anything.

                I see Hochrein everyday up here. He’s just a couple of hundred yards down the line from me. He’s in the same platoon as I am, and we do everything by platoon, so we stay pretty close together over here.

                Got a 45^th News today, we happened to get a couple from Japan.  The other two regiments were still there until about 2 weeks ago and now they’re all over here now, so we won’t be getting anymore at all.

                By the way have you ever got the book on the history of the 45^th?  I ordered it a couple of months ago and it was supposed to be there by now.  Let me know when it comes.

                Bye for now

                                Love

                                Ken

Copyright © 2013 Mary Elizabeth Zill VandenBerghe