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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJames W. "Jim" Stegall, Korea The Forgotten War Wil q a'A+ n . : f:' A,' who it d ours country du n The or ,:ivir r x, ,a < • g , u .: Oral ) :t,,,, James W. Jim Ste all ```` £ ,. ...... :,,, , N By Bill Youngkin "I was an infantry platoon leader in Company K Special to The Eagle with all my guys being Puerto Rican. They were good soldiers and a lot better soldiers than the replacements James W. "Jim" Stegall is a well known individual in we began receiving who were Puerto Ricans but from Brazos County after having served as an educator in the New York. Their English was better, but they weren't Bryan school system for twenty years and thirty years better soldiers. as trust officer for City National Bank, now Wells Fargo "When you went into the line, one thing you learned Bank. He has a lot of accomplishments to be proud of, quickly was to keep your head down during daylight but one that he is proudest of is his military service hours. Patrols were always the most dangerous thing during the Korean War. we had to do. They were conducted at night, in 'No Stegall was born in Franklin, Texas on June 25, Man's Land' and were never any fun. We were trying 1928. He graduated from Franklin High School in May to capture their soldiers for intelligence purposes and 1945, just as WWII was ending. As recalled by Stegall, they were out trying to capture our guys for the same "With the war ending and the draft slowing down, I was reason. able to enroll at Texas A &M that fall as part of the Class "Korea in the winter may be one of the coldest of'49. When I graduated on June 2, 1949, I received my places on Earth. We had good equipment and you could commission as a 2nd Lieutenant but I was not needed stay warm if you layered up properly. The best piece of in the military at that time so I started teaching school. equipment to keep you warm was the sleeping bag. We During the summer of 1950,1 was working in Hearne at all had two pair of wool socks and you would wash one the Texaco terminal, but on the weekends I worked at pair and hang it over your shoulder under your field Mr. Shaw's Humble station in Hearne. On my birthday, jacket to dry them. That way you always had fresh, June 25, 1950, I heard over the radio about the North clean and dry socks to put on. Koreans invading South Korea. I knew then that I would be called to active duty. I had missed WWII, but Our place in the line was next to a hill called 'Old wouldn't miss my war, Korea. Baldy.' They called it that because nothing could grow on it because it was bombarded constantly with artillery "I was called to active duty in October 1950 and fire from the Chinese. One day I was sent back for a sent to Ft. Chafee, Arkansas for officer basic training in meeting and was traveling to the meeting in a Jeep. artillery. From there I was s,ent to ft. Benning, Georgia, We were the third Jeep traveling down this road with for infantry officer training. Those four months I was in a General in the first Jeep. That is when the Chinese training at Benning was the best training of my life. 1 artillery hit the Jeep in front wounding the General. The knew the Army was going to send me to war, but they Lieutenant in the second Jeep pulled the General into were going to train me to be the best I could be, and his Jeep and took him to an aid station. That Lieutenant they did that. I felt prepared to lead soldiers in a combat received a Silver Star. I tell everyone that I was one Jeep situation. away from being awarded a Silver Star" "While at Benning, I sent my wife, Evelyn, home to Stegall's tour of duty in Korea ended in October give birth to our first child. I wanted the baby to be born 1952. He shipped out of Inchon to Japan, and then to a Texan. After Benning I was sent to Ft. Hood to help San Francisco. After the war ended, Stegall remained in with the ROTC summer camp, which had a lot of Aggies the reserves, reaching the rank of Colonel. He taught in it. One was Lou Jobe who was a Yell Leader at A &M school for 23 years - 20 in the Bryan School District - and who would later be killed in Korea. He was a good before becoming a trust officer at City National Bank, guy and a good leader. now Wells Fargo Bank. According to Stegall, "1 enjoyed "In January, 1952, I was ordered to Japan and then teaching and coaching and I enjoyed being a trust Korea where I joined the 3rd Infantry Division, 65th officer, but of all the things I think about in my life, Regiment. The 65th was from Puerto Rico. I didn't I'm proudest of my military experience. War is a scary know any Spanish but they were well trained soldiers thing, but I am proud of having done my duty." and they knew what halt, attention, fall -out and chow A ceremony commemorating the beginning of the meant, so we didn't have a language problem. construction of the Korean War Memorial Statue at the "My Battalion commander told me when I reported Brazos Veterans Memorial will be held on June 25, 2010, in that he was going to send me into the line with the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean a machine gun squad so I could earn my combat War. All veterans and citizens are invited to attend, but infantryman's badge before the war ended. I thought hopefully all Korean veterans and families can attend. to myself, 'Colonel, you don't need to do me any favors lames W. "Jim "Stegall's name can be found on the like this,' but I didn't say it out loud. That night, I was Brazos Valley Veteran's Memorial. For more information, on the line with the machine gun squad shooting at the to makeacontribution, orifyou knowa WWII orKorea War Chinese on the other side of the line. I guess I earned Veteran whose story needs to be told, contact the Brazos my CIB that night, but I would earn it many times over Valley Veteran's Memorial at www.veteransmemorial. before 1 left Korea. org or Bill Youngkin at (979) 776 -1325.