Veteran of Korea re-lives experience

The Korean War is often referred to as the “Forgotten War” or the “Unknown War” because it was smaller in scale than its predecessor, World War II, and less controversial than its successor, Vietnam. To the men who served in Korea, however, it is anything but forgotten.

“That’s part of being an American citizen,” Plains resident Gerald Larson, who served in the Army during the Korean War, said of his time in the service.

After graduating with a degree in music from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, Larson was drafted into the Army on Oct. 15 1952 and served until Aug. 21 1954.

Larson’s wife, Doris, who was pregnant with their first child when he shipped out, would raise young David for nearly 18 months before his father could finally see him in person upon arriving home.

It was a trying time for both of them.

“I lived with my parents in North Dakota,” explained Mrs. Larson. After I had David, I went back to work. I worked six days a week from three to eleven. By the time Gerry got home, he [our son David] was more like my little brother than my son, because he was asleep when I went to work and asleep when I got home.”

“I took movies all the time and I’d send them to him and he’d get to see him,” Mrs. Larson said of the three minute long, eight millimeter films she would send her husband. “We didn’t have email of Skype or anything then. It was like every two weeks you got a bunch of letters.”

Mr. Larson, who grew up in Glendive Montana, graduated from basic training at Camp Roberts before serving overseas in Inchon, Taegu, and Pusan in Korea.

Although much of his time in the service was not directly combat oriented, Larson’s time in the Army was not uneventful.

Larson played in the band at Camp Roberts, but because the army didn’t have a military occupation specialty (m.o.s.) for bandsmen, he was officially labeled a clerk typist upon landing in Inchon.

He did, however have a stint in the 56th Army band, before being assigned to a lieutenant colonel in the G-4 section of the plans division, requiring a top-secret clearance.

“I rotated home before he did, and he tried to talk me into re-enlisting and he’d have me re-assigned to wherever he was,” Larson said. Larson declined because he wanted to come home to his family.

“That’s the only time in my life I counted the days,” he said.

While in Pusan, Larson recalled a fire, which burned much of the army headquarters down. The Army built a “tent city” as a temporary replacement before eventually consolidating with k-com-z headquarters in Taegu.

“The story goes this woman had kicked over her hibachi pot,” Larson said of the fire. “It was something else.”

Larson recalled that although most of the command quarters, including the general’s quarters, were burned to the ground, his building which had a slate roof, was left standing.

Even Larson’s trip home and brief stint in Fort Lewis were five thousands troops and dependants comfortably is no easy task.

“The bunks were pipe with canvas strung between them,” Larson said. “They were probably five or six bunks high. If you got in on your stomach, that’s where you stayed unless you got out. There wasn’t room to turn over.”

Upon arriving in Fort Lewis, a base which had, at the time, the largest parade ground in the world, Larson recalled seeing a divisional parade.

“I remember the seargent saying this will probably be the only divisional parade you ever saw,” Larson said, although he was lucky enough to see several during his service. “That was something to see.”

After leaving the Army Larson and his wife moved to plains in 1956, as he accepting a job teaching music. Larson would become the Elementary School Principal before he retired in 1983.

“I figured on staying a year or two and here it is fifty-some years later,” Larson said. “I’ve tried getting out of here two or three times and it hasn’t worked. I haven’t tried lately.”

Since retiring, the Larsons have remained active members of the Plains community. After stints in both the VFW and Lions Club, the two have spent the last twelve years coordinating the crossing guard program. They have also volunteer in activities for their church.