{"id":1805,"date":"2014-05-21T11:27:11","date_gmt":"2014-05-21T15:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/?p=1805"},"modified":"2016-01-23T13:01:12","modified_gmt":"2016-01-23T18:01:12","slug":"charley-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/?p=1805","title":{"rendered":"Charley  Korea 1952"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a style=\"font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Charlie-Kaurnekis.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2152\" src=\"http:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Charlie-Kaurnekis.jpg\" alt=\"Charlie Kaurnekis\" width=\"500\" height=\"368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Charlie-Kaurnekis.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Charlie-Kaurnekis-300x220.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<dl id=\"attachment_2152\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 510px;\">\n<dd class=\"wp-caption-dd\">Charlie Kaurneckis<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Chorion Valley, Korea 1952<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSarah, roll the wallpaper off the walls, we\u2019re moving.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This was Charley. He had a negative comment for every ethnic group. Did he know his own? When I told him that I was Jewish and from New York, he exclaimed,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, a New York Irishman! From now on you\u2019re no longer Wolfe, you\u2019re Reilly!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And I was no longer Wolfe, I was Reilly of the 2nd platoon.<\/p>\n<p>He dropped out of school at the age of 17, and then enlisted in the army.\u00a0In spite of a lack of education, he was adept at, and knew all the particulars of anything that exploded. Sgt. Jeffreys, our platoon leader had complete confidence in fearless Charley. He was the point man for the 2nd platoon, Company L, 15th Regt., 3rd Division in Korea. Charley wouldn\u2019t allow anyone to point a patrol or raid. He was best at it and all of us knew it. I was from New York City. Who knew from military ordnance in the Bronx? We were first generation offspring of parents who escaped from\u00a0<i>progroms<\/i>\u00a0(attacks) on their tiny <i>shtetls<\/i> (villages) in Europe.<\/p>\n<p>Charley was the landscape, the landscape was Charley. He could be found anywhere, and everywhere. I first met him when Oscar Konnerth, Charley and I were assigned to Outpost Mary,\u00a0 a small hill about two hundred yards in front of our bunkers on the MLR (Main Line of Resistance). It gave us a broad view of our frontal area therefore; we would be able to alert our company commander, Lt. C. P. Smith (C. P. \u00a0for\u00a0<em>Command Post<\/em>\u00a0because he never left his bunker) if the Chinese were coming.<\/p>\n<p>As soon as we reached Outpost Mary, Charley busied himself with connecting trip wires to flares surrounding our position. He warned Oscar and I,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou see those wires? When a wire is tripped by\u00a0the Gooks, they\u2019ll set off the flares. Don&#8217;t go near them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Apprehension and tension were our constant companions in Korea. Oscar Konnerth was easy to talk to. I left my foxhole and made my way towards his. In the dark, I accidentally kicked a trip wire. As I watched the sky set on fire and the white flare slowly descending from a small parachute, I became enraged at my stupidity. Charley came tearing at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGod damn it Reilly. I showed you the wires! We\u2019ll have to give you some ballet lessons when we get off the line!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After three days on Mary we returned to our bunkers. Charley couldn\u2019t wait to tell our men about my \u201ctrip\u201d. I had recently arrived to Company L. They looked, they laughed, and then forgot about it.<\/p>\n<p>In two weeks Company L was sent in reserve to await replacements.<\/p>\n<p>Each platoon assembled a squad tent, the fifth tent for the offiers was erected by \u201cvolunteers\u201d from our four platoons.<\/p>\n<p>On our first day in reserve, Mess Sgt. Goff, using the excuse that he had to build a mess tent, distributed an entree of C-Rations and slightly brown coffee to the troops. Later, in reserve, we were served the usual basic training food, but it was warm.<\/p>\n<p>Sunday was a day of rest. Organized Athletics, which Charley called <i>Organized Grabass, <\/i>or a rare USO show kept us occupied. On the following days we were served basic training food, but i was warm.<\/p>\n<p>Lt. Sidney, who had replaced Capt. <em>Command Post<\/em> Smith, blew his whistle which was a signal to line up in front of our tents.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re going to a USO show today. The performers came to us from stateside. I expect you to behave like the gentlemen you think you are.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As we were marching towards the show, Charley said he\u2019ll bet that not one of the performers was under fifty and he saw more magicians than an usher at a vaudeville show.<\/p>\n<p>Sgt. Jeffrys heard it all.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShut up Charley. Maybe you\u2019ll get on the stage to entertain us?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A stage was set up on an open field about a mile from our tents.<\/p>\n<p>A comedian came on stage with the most pathetic delivery I had ever heard. The only thing funny about him was that the buttons on his fly were misaligned.<\/p>\n<p>He introduced a buxom singer who was a woman over fifty, but her familiar songs and brassy voice brought us back home. She received a very nice round of applause, and then he went on to introduce the next act.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow for you lovers of classical music; hey you guys up front get your eyes off the violin. I give you Rima Rudina!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Standing on the stage was a beautiful young woman with anthracite black hair, and a shimmering blue gown obediently following every hill and dale of her body.<\/p>\n<p>As expected, most of the GIs hollered, \u201cI\u2019ll take her!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then Charley, who had to dominate the scene took over.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRima Rudina? Hey. I\u2019d like to ream \u2018er!\u201d Of course the boys roared, but Lt. Sidney shouted,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCharley, step out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lt. Sidney had already learned how important Charley was to the platoon. Sid played the role of a disciplinarian, but it was only a role. Charley quickly returned to us.<\/p>\n<p>Next on the program was our chaplain. He said it was Sunday and he had a very short sermon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI accompanied the battalion commander when you had an inspection last Sunday. Tacked to one of your tent poles was a large photo of a movie star. Don\u2019t use a movie star as a measure for your future wives. I stand before many bent lids, and for every bent lid I see, there is a bent pot waiting for you back home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><i>I can\u2019t wait to return stateside<\/i> <em>to<\/em><i> locate my bent pot.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>On the march back to camp Whitefeather zeroed in his arrow,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou palefaces have very strange medicine men.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lt. Sidney knew that Charley and I were very tight. He punished Charley for his remark, and my guilt-by-association by assigning us to build a barbed wire fence between our company area and a nearby village.<\/p>\n<p>While he was pounding the metal stakes and I was stringing barbed wire, Charley noticed a village about a quarter of a mile from our position. He put down his sledge hammer and looked toward this small community.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReilly,\u201d he said, pointing in that direction, \u201cThere are a couple of Mooses (young ladies) over there that want us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you talking about? You haven\u2019t been there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust wait until it gets dark. They need us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Our fence construction was finally finished. Before dinner we lined up and Lt. Sidney had me read this edict:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyone found outside the barbed wire fence without permission would be court martialled.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou heard what I read to the company, Charley. We\u2019ll be court martialled if we go to that village and get caught.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Charley laughed and said, \u201cThe most obvious way is the least suspected. You\u2019ll follow me when it gets dark.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>What ever possessed me to join him at nightfall? I admired his courage, but why should I\u00a0get involved in such a harebrained mission?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Charley appeared with a can of beer in his hand, and who knows how much in his bloodstream.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOK Reilly. We\u2019ll go straight to the village.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was no vegetation in the area. It was flat, and dusty-dry. Few words were exchanged as we made our way towards the thatched huts.<\/p>\n<p><i>What will I do when I get there? Say, \u201cHello, where\u2019s your daughter?\u201d This is ridiculous.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Maybe I could convince Charley to return to our tent? Uh-oh, What\u2019s that?<\/i><\/p>\n<p>A short distance to the left appeared three figures.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHit the dirt, Charley!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I became one with the soil. Through the corner of my eye I saw Charley sitting up and singing \u00a0&#8220;<i>Ahrriang<\/i>, Ahrriang, <i>Ah-Ah Ree Oh&#8221;,\u00a0 a <\/i>Korean folksong.<\/p>\n<p>The-Officer-of-the-Day and two corporals stepped in front of us..<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGet up and march back to camp,\u201d growled the officer. \u201cYou know if you\u2019re caught outside the barbed wire fence you would be court martialled.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After a few steps, Charley spun around and hurled his beer can at the three men then shouted,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLook out! A grenade!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The three were on the ground, flat as a newspaper. Charley stood up, pointed at them, and laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was going to let you guys go, but this calls for a court martial,\u201d snapped the officer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSir,\u201d I said. \u201cI wish you would take into account that we were three months on the line &#8230;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t beg. Don\u2019t beg Reilly. I can\u2019t stand a beggar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s it. March back to your company commander.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lt. Sidney was not there. The officer took our names from our dog tags and left a note describing the heinous crime we had committed.<\/p>\n<p>In a week, we were summoned to the battalion commander\u2019s tent for the court martial.<\/p>\n<p>We waited a while, then I asked his sergeant if the colonel was here.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s here, but he\u2019s drained from the <i>Whistling GIs.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>\u201cWhistling GIs?<\/i> What\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Son, did you ever shit so fast that your asshole whistled? Well, that\u2019s the <i>Whistling GIs.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Who said you can\u2019t use in civilian life what you learned in the army?<\/p>\n<p>We were fined one month\u2019s pay ($110) and we couldn\u2019t change our allotment.<\/p>\n<p>Safe and dry, training went on in reserve. How many times did our platoon \u201cattack a fortified position\u201d? How many times did Company L with the support of tanks \u201cattack a major hill occupied by the Chinese\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>Sgt. Jeffreys rotated stateside. He was replaced by Sgt. Flaherty. Lt. Boatner, direct from West Point became our new platoon leader. Unlike a couple of the other platoon leaders, he was sharp and confident. Although he kept a distance, we respected him. Of course Charley contributed his opinion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll bet he starches and irons his underwear. Wait \u2018till we move up to the MLR (Main Line of Resistance), he\u2019ll bring a houseboy along to polish his boots and iron his socks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lt. Boatner was with us a week-and-a-half when Company L was ordered to move up to act as a buffer for the ROKs (a South Korean company) who were on the frontline.<\/p>\n<p>While deuce-and-a-half trucks were waiting, our men were breaking down the squad tents, assembling their gear and loading them on the trucks. Lt Boatner was already packed.<\/p>\n<p>A helicopter swooped down and settled adjacent to the trucks. A short, stocky, elderly officer stepped out of the helicopter. Lt. Sidney shook hands with him. It was Gen. Haydon Boatner who had just put an end to the Chinese prisoner rebellion on the island of Koje-Do. Lt. Boatner and his father, the General entered the helicopter, and flew south, away from the frontline. As the helicopter faded into horizon I turned to Charley and said,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s good to have a poppa in the business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReilly, that\u2019s all you Jewish guys think of is business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The U.N. wasn\u2019t confident of the ROK&#8217;s performance, so Company L spent two weeks blocking behind them. They carried out their mission extremely well. Now it was time for Company L to replace them.<\/p>\n<p>Lt. Theiss replaced Lt. Boatner as our platoon leader. Although he was from the Bronx, my only contact with him was during the practice runs for a mission. He asked me if I wanted to be a runner for the platoon.<\/p>\n<p>Since I wasn&#8217;t aware of a runner when we were previously on line, I asked Charley what was the mission of a runner.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTake it. You\u2019ll be close to me,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n<p>I gave my BAR and cartridge belt to Gus Chobot, receiving a carbine in exchange. In the blocking position we went through a number of dry runs. I felt as if I could carry the carbine in my pants pocket compared to the 20 lb. BAR.<\/p>\n<p>We replaced a South Korean company which was entrenched slightly west of our previous position in the Chorwon Valley,<\/p>\n<p>The first week on line Ken Brockett\u2019s bunker received a direct hit from a mortar round. The bunker collapsed, but Ken was not hurt. This was a call for Charley. He went to Massey (our armorer) and secured a shape charge. It somewhat resembles a domed oil can. He placed it inside the bunker and wired it to a primer. He yelled \u201cFire in the hole!\u201d and then, set off the blast. Unaware that the earth, the pebbles and rocks would fly so high, I removed my helmet and was soon pelted with a mound of earth. Charley of course, was delighted.<\/p>\n<p>On the second week we were completely oriented to our position. Our squad was sent to patrol a mile into the valley in front of us. It was a damp valley dense with tall reeds. Our squad met Charley at Massey\u2019s bunker where he was strapping the battery for a sniperscope onto his shoulders. A sniperscope sends out infra-red rays, and then transmits whatever is before it to a small screen attached to the carbine.<\/p>\n<p>We crossed the Imjin in jon boats then proceeded to tramp down the reeds in the valley. After fifteen minutes in the patrol, Charley whispered to Sgt. Flaherty,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHold it, my back is burning!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTake off the battery,\u201d Flaherty replied.<\/p>\n<p>Charley\u2019s fatigue shirt was soaking wet. He forgot to screw the caps onto the acid wells of the battery.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHey guys. Empty your canteens onto Charley\u2019s back,\u201d whispered Flaherty.<\/p>\n<p>This was not a high point for Charley.<\/p>\n<p>On August 8, 1952 our platoon\u2019s mission was to raid Hill 117 and take prisoners. \u201cTake prisoners\u201d was a fantasy. Only silhouettes were seen, and they dissolved into the darkness as soon as we saw them. Charley led us along a cliff overlooking the Imjin River. Lt. Sidney was at the center of our patrol. About a mile in our trek he asked me to contact Charley. I crept up to Charley. He was on edge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s kim-chi! Don\u2019t you smell the garlic? They\u2019re breathing heavy!\u00a0They\u2019re shittin\u2019.\u00a0Tell Sid the Gooks are here! \u201d<\/p>\n<p>I returned to Sid. He said to tell Charley to move up ten yards, we\u2019ll move up to him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Upon returning to Charley, burp guns and concussion grenades ripped apart the silence.<\/p>\n<p>Lt. Sidney spread us out then told us to move around while firing our weapons. The exchange of fire and the burst of grenades was deafening.<\/p>\n<p>Camacho, Moen and Sgt. Massingale received deadly burp gun fire.\u00a0Gehrecke, Ed Browne and Philip Dickson were severely wounded. I cannot account for others.<\/p>\n<p>Four days later, on August 12, Company L carried out a raid on Hill 121, a pimple in the middle of the Chorwon Valley. My mission was to fire a flare as a signal for a Centurion tank and the 105 howitzers to cease firing. Where was Charley? Where was anyone in this chaos? I saw Flaherty with a macerated jaw being carried on a litter towards the rear. Ed Heister had a hemorrhaging Truman Bastin on his shoulders. We lost my bunker buddy, \u00a0and medic, Wayne Caton.<\/p>\n<p>Our next mission was to eliminate a bunker on the opposite side of the Imjin. Charley led us up our side of the Imjin River. When we entered, the water was knee-high. As we moved upstream Company I\u2019s bunkers were on the cliff above us. I was carrying a bunker bomb to scorch the sniper and his bunker with napalm. The water became deeper as we approached the sandbar we were to cross. I held the bomb above my shoulders. The water was lapping against my chin. One more step and I would be drinking the Imjin. Fortunately, Charley came running back to Lt. Theiss.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the idiots (Company I) up there threw a grenade at me! Did Sid tell them we were coming?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I realized I would breath tomorrow when Lt. Theiss abandoned this reckless and ill-advised attack.<\/p>\n<p>Arctic chills paid us a visit in mid September. Two weeks ago we were issued field jackets.\u00a0When Charley protested to Lt. Crowe, who had replaced Lt. Theiss, about the new field jacket liners, he was told they would be replaced later. They must have been experimental liners. On one side they resembled white, synthetic toweling, the other side was covered with thin, silky O.D. nylon. It conducted the chill instead of insulating us. We were told to keep them clean. Hah!<\/p>\n<p>On a sunny day in late September, Lt. Crowe called me to his bunker. He asked if I would like to go to Japan and spend the rest of my remaining time there. There was a U.N. plan to invade Korea from the north. Men who had combat experience were needed to integrate with the men who had never left Japan. Three more months on the line and I would have enough points to go stateside. I paused.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you had a son here, what would you tell him?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ll never know when a bullet or piece of shrapnel has your name on it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I am ready to go, I told him.<\/p>\n<p>I hurried to tell Charley.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you doing? I could go too. I\u2019m staying. We\u2019re a team! I never trusted that Lt. Crowe since Lt. Theiss left.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I wasn\u2019t happy about his attitude because I was filled with remorse in leaving my buddies. I said my good-byes, and then left for a waiting truck.<\/p>\n<p>Thirty-five years later, Sgt. Flaherty located seventy men of company L. He sent me their addresses, among them was Lt. Sidney.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWrite a newsletter and we\u2019ll have a reunion of our company.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I wrote a few newsletters, and then I asked if the men would participate in a reunion. I got a resounding, \u201cYes\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Our reunion was at Fort Stewart in Georgia. Forty-nine single men and couples came from as far west as California.<\/p>\n<p>Shoney\u2019s was not a triple star hotel but did that matter? The men we shared the nightmare with in Korea were there.<\/p>\n<p>Sheila went into the diner for coffee. She thought she heard someone ranting about \u201cThose freekin&#8217; Gooks and Chinks&#8230;\u201d She assumed it was Charley.<\/p>\n<p>I didn\u2019t know whether Charley was contacted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sure it was him,\u201d I replied, after she related the conversation in the diner.<\/p>\n<p>The men of Company L gathered in the Hospitality Room. After a number of \u201cHellos\u201d, I went directly to Charley. When I knew him he was as straight as an I-beam, now his 6\u20192\u201d frame was thin and bent like the bow for an arrow.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCharley!\u201d I called out. \u201cHow are you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho are you?\u201d he faintly asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCharley. You were the point man. I was the runner. We were in the same squad. We always kept in touch. Don\u2019t you remember our court martial?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCourt martial? I had a lot of court martials. I don\u2019t remember how many of them. I wasn\u2019t good at math.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This was a fragile, vacuous image of the Charley, the ex-airborne paratrooper I knew.<\/p>\n<p>After the Korean truce, Charley returned stateside. Reluctantly, he was sent to a military motor repair school. Upon completion of the course he volunteered for Vietnam. Unchallenged while repairing motors at the Mekong Delta, he volunteered for a rifle company.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you do in the rifle company?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing much. The Gooks hid, and we had casualties. I was sprayed with Agent Orange twice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I could see that Charley was a reformed alcoholic. He had a can of Coca-Cola (instead of beer) in his hand wherever he went.<\/p>\n<p>The reunion was a triumph. We promised to meet again the following year.<\/p>\n<p>Feeling sorry about Charley\u2019s dramatic change, I called him a few times after the reunion to try and revitalize him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy do you call me so often?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were buddies in Korea. I&#8217;d like to know how you rate managing your life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Why?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t you remember the raids and patrols we went on when we were in Korea? You were there point man and I was the runner.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t remember anything about Korea.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He was bewildered.<\/p>\n<p>I called him again. He told me that he had a pain in his chest and went to the VA to see a doctor. The doctor told him he had stretched a muscle in his chest and the pain will eventually go away. Knowing that he was sprayed with the cancerous Agent Orange, and knowing the VA, I advised him to get a second opinion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, the VA is good enough for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At our second reunion, Sheila bid good-bye to Charley and hoped to see him again the following year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re not going to see me again, Sheila. I have lung cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My wife and I went to Poquoson, VA in December 1998 to attend Charley\u2019s funeral. After a member of the American Legion delivered his eulogy, I spoke about my experience with Charley. Needless to say, there were many laughs. But I learned that his family, two sons, a daughter and his frail wife knew very little about him. I guess after spending 30 years in the army, how much time did he spend at home, or did he want to spend time at home? One son told me he was an alcoholic, another son was married to a Black woman, and Charley\u2019s sickly wife seemed to be unaware of what was happening. His daughter was a personable and a beautiful young married woman who lived in Colorado. She said that Charley was never home; therefore she and the boys had no meaningful relationship with him.<\/p>\n<p>Rest in peace Charley, you never let us.<\/p>\n<p>Heartbroken, we returned to North Carolina.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, my experience with Charley came to an abrupt end.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2148\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2148\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Dan-with-Whitefeather.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2148\" src=\"http:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Dan-with-Whitefeather.jpg\" alt=\"Dan with Whitefeather\" width=\"500\" height=\"755\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Dan-with-Whitefeather.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Dan-with-Whitefeather-198x300.jpg 198w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2148\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dan with Whitefeather<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For the complete story read, <em>Cold Ground&#8217;s Been My Bed: A Korean War Memoir.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Charlie Kaurneckis &nbsp; Chorion Valley, Korea 1952 \u201cSarah, roll the wallpaper off the walls, we\u2019re moving.\u201d This was Charley. He had a negative comment for every ethnic group. Did he know his own? When I told him that I was Jewish and from New York, he exclaimed, \u201cOh, a New York Irishman! From now on&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/?p=1805\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Charley  Korea 1952<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[313,309,192,86,321,310,317,307,312,31,306,138,319,315,230,320,311],"class_list":["post-1805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-30cal-carbine","tag-ahrriang","tag-bunker-bomb","tag-c-rations","tag-charley","tag-court-martial","tag-field-jacket-liners","tag-flares","tag-gen-boatner","tag-imjin-river","tag-mlr-frontline","tag-point-man","tag-reunion-ft-stewart-ga","tag-sniperscope","tag-uso-show","tag-vietnam","tag-whistling-gis","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1805"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3331,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1805\/revisions\/3331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielwolfebooks.com\/danielsblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}