1945 I was on APA Bandera going to Inchon,Korea.

What is APA ?

cadetat6

It's only a guess (and i've not asked Google honest) does it stand for Amphibious Personnel Assault, like some sort of landing craft?

In the navy (oh my gosh I hear a song coming on...) Oh shoot, now I can't stop giggling...

Okay, let's start again. I asked hubby (he's the naval expert of the family) and the said that the AP stands for troop carrier. It's a tac(tical) transport, one that carries Marines and Army (personnel).

BTW, here's your ship! Now you can reminisce.

USN Bandera

Having been only in the ETO, and not a historian by any means, I am interested in

landings in Korea during WW 2. This is he first I have heard about them. Sounds interesting. Probably a little known fact for some of of us. Just like the battles on

the Aletuen (? sp.) islands off Alaska which has few accounts in history and not much

publicity.

AKA is the Navy acronym for Attack Cargo Ship. the kind that carries the troops and landing craft with heavy cargo nets for the disembarkment of troops in to the landing craft.

AK is the acronym for General cargo ship, such as the USS Reluctant in the play and movie, Mr. Roberts.

AP - Troop transport ship (non-landing)

Here are some WWII naval sites that give their history and explain their terminology, etc.

http://www.battlebelow.com/glossary.htm

http://users.swing.be/navbat/edito/navires...ypesnavires.htm

http://www.microworks.net/pacific/

http://troopships.pier90.org/

http://users.swing.be/naveditoen/edito/9855.html

Joe,

Here is story not in any book. V-J day was Aug. 14,1945. We were training to invade Japan on Nov. 1,1945 on Panay Island. Sept. 8,1945 We arrived at Korea as advance occupation force, the Korean s had not seen Americans.

WWII Unknown Stories

This is what I remember. If it helps good, if not it's something different.

July 8, 1945 I arrived at Leyte Island, July 25, 1945 arrived at Panay Island.

Japan surrendered August 14, 1945.

Sept. 8 or 15, 1945 we arrived at Inchon, Korea and took a train to Taegu, Korea. We were the first Americans the Koreans ever saw. We marched into the Japanese compound past the Japanese guard and stopped in front of a 2-story building we were to use as our barracks. Being in the first squad we marched to each guard post, the Japanese soldier fell in the rear of our column and one of our men took over the guard post. I took guard of the ammo dump and it was raining very hard. The Japanese soldiers were very cordial and bowed to each of us as we replaced them. When we got back from guard duty the Japanese were gone. The following night we were just getting in bed and the C.O. came in and told our squad to make a full field pack (with rations), get our rifles and ammunition, because of some trouble in town. We packed up (13 in our squad) and were taken to the city hall. We just got there and were standing at the gate when up from three directions came three Japanese soldiers running at us. To us it looked like the whole Japanese army was coming at us. Those rifles of our got loaded really quick and ready. The Japanese just came up to surrender to us Americans. They were afraid of the Korean Police. We were to guard some important criminal and political papers. My guard post was two vaults and it was pitch black. Here comes the kicker!! We were the regular army troops, but the only ones there so we were given M.P. helmets, M.P. arm bands and 45 caliber revolvers and we worked with the Korean Police. We set up our radios in police stations to talk to our jeep. There was a city block of houses, built side by side, no back door, and facing the courtyard. Only one way to get in and we were there to keep G.I.'s out from this whorehouse district. I don't know how they would get in but a Korean madam would come out saying American, American and we would have to go in and check each room and kick them out. Four of us were put at an out-post many miles from town at bottom of some mountains. Every morning a jeep with a hot stove would come and make us hot breakfast, the rest of the day k-rations or one time two of us took our rifles and got a few ducks. We were guarding a large barn. One day we looked in the barn and it was full of rice bowls. Many miles away another 4-man post was guarding parachutes. The Korean toilets were oblong holes in the floor and they had Honey dippers who would take away the human waste and spread it on their food gardens, everything grew twice as large as ours. We were not aloud to eat anything that came from the ground. We did not destroy any arms; I assumed the Japanese took them home with them. There was a room that had a few things we could have, I brought back a sword. We did turn in our rifles and they dunked in some preservation gook. I left Korea Feb. 26, 1946 and was dis-charged March 20, 1946. When I was at Taegu, we (GI's) had no problems with the Korean people and knew nothing about political problems, we just wanted to go back to the states. I was in the 40th Division, 185th Infantry, Company E, 1st Platoon, 1st Squad. I have a few pictures of farmers, Korean Police, and our M.P.'s if you need them.

cadetat6 Art

Very interesting Art. This is the first thing I have read about Korea in that era.