February 2, 1951
Pohang
My Dearest Girls,
I have a story to tell in lue of any news in this routine life we are having here.
The Story of Kim Ho Min
Kim came to us when we were in a very low state of moral. We had just completed one of the largest successful evacuations in Marine Corps history and had arrived in Masan at night in the rain. Nothing had been prepared for us and no arrangement made for cover or personal comfort. We five N.C.O.’s in the Ord. Section, having no one to look after but ourselves, scouted a half demolished building with intentions of living quarters looked hopeless. Far from the main parts of camp but was close to what guns we had left that would require our time to recondition. So a home and also a shop was imperative.
As we looked at the dirt and human filth it didn’t look good until a small boy about 16 years old came to the barbed wire fence and with a sad smile, much waving of hands & arms & a limited vocabulary---told us he was number 1 house boy and could be of any help. So that day Kim took over the Ord. Section and has been with us since. In fact he has made himself one of us. As time has passed we have found out more of his background. Born of a Jap father & Korean mother, raised in Japan, deported from Japan after the war---his mother and father stayed in Japan. Kim is a Christian & anti Communist. Studies his Korean/ English dictionary steady. Has learned our customs, how to wear our clothes, how to eat our food, use our toilets, clean our weapons & run our tents. Takes care of our laundry. And woe be unto any Korean who over charges us for any thing or who is caught stealing, for Kim is right there. He is very respectful and very polite but insists on our getting haircuts & shaving, both twice a week. Washes all mess gear and without exception putting each knife fork & spoon in it’s place but loses his temper at times. Such as this morning he changed the radio to a Korean station. Some one yelled at him and with a very bland look walked out of the tent---but returned to say “Allie time Merican music---just one time Korean music me. Sgts. Make Hell of big noise next time clean pistol---spring hav no” Meaning he would lose part of our weapons. We all laughed and when he came back he took all our bunks outside to air bedding but really so we couldn’t rack off at noon time.
Well that should give you some idea of our boy. We have fun out of him every day with his doing and his sayings but we wouldn’t be without him and he has each of us numbered. I am no. 1, Street no. 2, etc. and if any of us are gone for a day or night, he gets up, comes over to who ever is left, wakes him up & he has to make a report of where the others are. He will do any thing any of us tell him but if some one else tells him to do anything he comes to one of us & says “Sgt. Speak” Ah! Yes no. 1 boy am cleaning fish too.
Well I got work to do so will close this chatter with a real long sincere—I love you both.
Your Bill
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