Arthur L. Morneweck Korean Duty WW2 Occupation
NOTE: These dates could be off a day or two.
Sept. 6,1945 left Panay Island, of Philippine Islands. On APA-131, USS Bandera troop ship. First one to see floating mine, receives 25 Dollar war bond, sharpshooters on deck in case one is spotted. Arrive Inchon, Korea Sept. 8. Set up our cots in large factory that made mattresses. We were not allowed to sleep on these mattresses. Machines looked like Singer sewing machines. During the day we un-loaded metal boxes of 50 cal. ammunition. I needed something to hold my personal things so I took a box and disposed of the ammunition. We boarded a old train and went to Taegu, Korea arriving Sept. 8, 1945 (Officially Open Oct. 1,1945.) The train ride was very cold and someone built a fire on floor of one of the Pullman cars. It burned a hole in middle of the walkway. . 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 was 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.
Armbands and 45 caliber revolvers and we worked with the Korean Police. They had a way with prisoners; they would lay a bamboo stick on the ground and make the prisoner kneel on it for hours. 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. Every Saturday a doctor would examine each girl and give his approval. One night I had to find a G.I. and when I found him, he said not to turn him in because he had enough points to go back home. I never turned him in but a month later he was still in Korea , so I don’t know how many points he had. One day one of our Sergeants was shipped back to the states and our company sergeant called about six of us up-stairs and told us about it. He said he was sending my name in to be a sergeant. The next day our squad had clean up duty around the building. Weall went out side and started picking up paper, cigarette buts. The company sergeant came by and said Art you are to be behind the men and make sure every thing is picked up. That night I was called in and they said there were too many sergeants so I was back to G.I. status again. When we were not on duty, we played touch football, read books, sleep, or go to town. In town if you had to use the bathroom, you went to the toilet that had many oblong holes in the floor. You would stand or squat over one. A woman may come and use the hole next to you. At our barracks it was cold so we poured gun-cleaning oil in the stove to keep warm. There was a curfew at night. One night we chased some one down the street and then thought what are we doing, acting like Tom Mix . We were the first Americans they ever saw. I told you about their toilets, a small hole in the floor and you squat on the floor. Four of us were picked to to guard a very large barn, and our out-post was an old 2 room building. We built a shower with wood and a barrel with a hole in bottom and a toilet seat to sit on over a hole in the ground. Every morning we found human waste on the seat, so one night we watched for a couple of hours. A Korean came and instead of sitting down he would squat on the toilet seat and miss the hole.
I don't know how far we were from our company camp but every morning a jeep would come with a stove and cook and we would have a hot breakfast. The rest of the day was K-rations. One day two of us went duck hunting with M-1 and a Carbine, and got 4 ducks.
Now if you are wondering what was in the barn so valuable that they kept four men there, we were too. So we broke the lock and went in side and found the barn full of "RICE BOWLS. WHY -----.I don't know he's on second. Later we found that an other out-post had a barn full of 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. Here are some names of men in our company—Kaiser,,,Gregory,,,Calvert,,,Avery,,,Kaiser,,,Gansen,,,Averett,,,Grave
s,
,,Combs,,,Lewis,,,Fitzgerald,,,Fitzpatric,,,Edson,,,Cannon,,,Morneweck,,,