The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
On this 70th anniversary of the Korean War, I wish to acknowledge the heroism and sacrifice of the Easy Company Marines of Tucson. Like so many other young men my age, in November of 1949, I joined the Marine Corp Reserve and shortly thereafter, North Korea invaded the South. On July 20, 1950, Gen. Clinton B. Gates, commandant of the Marine Corps, ordered all reserves into active duty. I was now off to Korea.
The Inchon landing was from Sept. 15 to 19. A lot of men and equipment were involved, although I was not. My role was in communications.
In any field war, battlefield communications are very important and that was my job, ensuring communications between combat areas as a wire man.
During the war, many of my Easy Company brothers from Tucson were killed in action. These 12 Marines from Tucson gave the highest and truest form of devotion to their country, the Corps and Easy Company, along with 36,944 U.S. combat soldiers who also made the same devotion.
Two members were killed that I knew very well. Raymond Hubbard, who I had classes with — one during junior high and the other in high school — and another gentleman named Jesus Carrasco. He was my Boy Scout leader when I was 11 or 12 years old.
If medals are a testimony to bravery, E Company had a good share of them, with one Navy Cross, eight Silver Stars, seven Bronze Stars, 47 Purple Hearts and two Letters of Commendation Medals, at last count.
They were all heroes, if you consider that bravery is doing what you do despite your fears. They did better than well.
Maybe the two positive things that came out of the war was that we stopped Russia and China from creating another communist state in South Korea, and the other was we had a very feeble military but now it had been greatly enhanced.
Like my Easy Company brothers, I do not regret for a second that I joined the Marine Reserve. When they took us to Korea, we were given a job to do, and we did what we were told to do. I was just an 18-year-old kid, just out of high school, being in the Corps was a great experience. And, I take great pride in myself for the Marine training that I received. I think I came out a better person over the years. I think about the days of service often, but it recently hit me — all of this happened 70 years ago.
My mother gave me birth in 1932 and now I am in my 88th year, and in that time, I have been blessed in multiple ways.
One blessing came on March 16, 1952, when I was given my discharge papers with $205 in my pocket. I went home to my family, safe and sound. It could have been different.
Thank you, Tucson Easy Company, so very much. Especially for when they call this the “Forgotten War.”
