Assigned: Fifth Army, 461st Ordnance Ammunition Company
Highest Rank: Private First Class
Foreign Service Length: 9 months and 22 days
Continental Service Length: 4 years 10 months
Location of Service: Korea, U.S.
Gender: male
Basic Training: Camp Atterbury, IN
Service Related Injury: None
Place of Separation: Camp Carson, CO
From City: Chicago
From State: Illinois
Current State: Illinois
Date of Birth: 10/1928
|
Awards and Citations
- Army Good Conduct Medal
- Korea Defense Service Medal
- Korean Service Medal (With one Bronze Star)
- National Defense Service Medal
- Presidential Unit Citation (Republic of Korea)
- Republic of Korea (ROK) Korean War Service Medal
- Sharpshooter Badge (Carbine, Machine Gun and Grenade)
- United Nations (UN) Korean Service Medal
|
|
|
Bill Haaland was drafted into the Korean War, active service 28 Oct 1950 Chicago. He started at Ft. Leonard, Missouri. Troop training was at Camp Carson, Colorado. He then took a troop train to Indiana.
At Ft. Atterbury, IN, where he began basic infantry training. Bill was trained in carbine, physical fitness, field marches, drills, night training and wartime maneuvers. Marches were sometimes with rock filled backpacks for 25 miles.They slept on bunks in the barracks. There were also bivouacs in the field and camping overnight in pup tents.
Basic training took place at Camp Attenbury, IN and advanced ordnance training at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Aberdeen, MD. The soldiers were then transported to Korea in mid 1951 by way of Yokohama and Sasebo, Japan, Then on to Pusan, Korea and by train to Wonju.
The soldiers were stationed at Wonju on the 38th parallel. It was a beautiful area in the mountains of South Korea. They took over a large ammo dump (as they were known), and spent their entire service there. A second ammo dump was established at Inge, Korea just north of the 39th parallel. While not in a combat area, they were really not that far from it. The fighting was and had been moving north.
Duties included handling and loading ammunition. The men loaded trucks for ammunition delivers to the front. They had to be alert for sabotage as the ammo station was a high risk target. The soldiers also would have guard duty and KP duty. They carried a 45 pistol on their person.
Sometimes the men set 50 gallon drums with fuel to keep warm. Often they used their helmets to wash up, or jumped in the river to bathe. The only showers were 20 miles away by truck. The GI's used a crane to dig a large swimming hole, which was greatly enjoyed until the higher up's decided to fill it up with dirt again.
The soldiers had a house boy who ran errands and helped the men. Bob Hope was among the celebrities who came to perform at the USO shows in Korea.
Returning stateside, the entire unit came home together. Many lifelong friendships had been established. 03 Jul 1952, Bill was released from active military service and transferred to ERC- reserve for 5 years at Camp Carson, MO. He mustered out 26 Oct 1956 after 4 years and 10 months of continental service.
Bill earned a Bronze Star Medal, Sharpshooter Badge (carbine, machine gun and grenade), Korean War Medal, National Defense Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Korean (ROK) War Service Medal, and the 50 year Korean War Medal honoring the U.S.veterans.
Bill returned to civilian life, was an active member of the VFW and had a life long career as a Chicago Iron Worker, joining his father and older brother. |
|