Col. Burns then asked if anyone in the company
knew how to operate a flamethrower and some
idiot raised his hand. Burns then gave us a little
speech telling us how important it was to dig the
Chinese out of their holes and trenches before
sunup or we would be in deep crap.
Just at dusk, we loaded into trucks and were
taken to what was supposed to be our jumping
off point. By this time, it was dark. We hiked up
one hill and down another, only to find that the
trucks had dumped us off one hill too soon. This
occasioned considerable bitching as everyone was
carrying extra ammo and grenades. The SCR 300
radio Thompson was carrying on his back alone
weighed about 45 lbs.
At any rate, we finally started up the valley
leading to the foot of the hill 266-Old Baldy. There
Dr. Salot, right, with a fellow sodier in
was a steep hill on our right and an old rice paddy
Young Salot off duty.
Korea in winter.
on our left. This was supposedly mined making
us hike in the muddy track left by tanks two days
was happening. Mind you, it was dark except for the occasional
earlier. The mud was almost a foot deep and very
flare and tracer fire. I was unable to find out anything, and as the
difficult to slog through. Meanwhile, the artillery barrage began in
mortar fire, rifle and machine gun fire became more intense, I depreparation for our assault. Hundr