Do We Take Veterans and People in America's Military for Granted??

I hope this Veteran's Day we all found at least one veteran to thank for their service.  We don't thank them enough. We are usually to "busy"....in our own little worlds.....well...instead of taking time to smell the roses....why don't we take the time to thank a veteran who has done more for this country than anybody else.

My Favorite War Hero

By:

Reagan Braker

     North Korea and South Korea are located right off China and close to the Japanese island.  The Korean War started in 1950. The South wanted to be free from North Korea’s communist’s rule. The South wanted to start its own nation. The North started attacking the South Korea. This is what started the Cold War.  The United States of America wanted to help South Korea remain free. President Truman was in office at the time.

    Helicopters or ‘choppers’ dropped approximately ¼ million pounds of bombs each day.  The pilots were called MiG’s.  Sometimes choppers also were used to remove wounded soldiers from the battlefield.  Different guns were used-varying in weight to be carried by the soldiers. The basic gun weighed about 9.5 pounds, the Browning automatic rifle weighed 16 pounds. A light machine gun was 32 pounds. These were used along with hand grenades. It was intense fighting. There were mostly American soldiers who were in the 1^st Marine Division. Those soldiers were surrounded by Chinese who were helping North Korea.  About 1,000 men died at the Chosin Reservoir.

     The Marines were surrounded by the enemy at Chosin Reservoir.  This battle began November 27, 1950. U. S. soldiers fighting there knew little of the extreme cold --it was bitter. The temperature at times was 15 degrees below zero, and there was a wind-chill making it, at times, 50 degrees below zero.  The weather was so cold, that even wearing their issued woolen garments of underwear, socks, scarf, pants, and flannel shirt as well as mittens and inserts, and field jackets and overcoats, some men still froze to death. In this weather, it was impossible to stay warm; even though they were wearing several layers of clothing! Can you imagine trying to carry a heavy weapon and march and fight in all those clothes?

    There had been talk of peace for two years. No one was winning.  North Korea and South Korea reached an agreement. An armistice was signed on July 27^th, 1953. There would be a 150 mile zone where there would be no fighting. No one would cross the zone. Korea was still not one country, but there would be no more fighting.

I have not done this report without having a greater respect for Pa, and other veterans. I never realized how much soldiers go through during war. 

   Pa was not only my grandpa, he was my fellow dessert eater.  We enjoyed eating sweets every time we were together. He is my favorite hero and we will all miss him dearly. Although he survived the Chosin Reservoir and Korean War, Alzheimer’s is a disease that he could not defeat.  We will remember that Pa answered the call of duty and how he put his life on the line to help South Korea. Pa is my special hero!