Happy veterans Day to all who served, especially in
World War II.

My late mother served at a US Marine Air Base in Santa Barbara, California. She went there via a troop train. How long would it have taken to travel across the country, via those reportedly slow moving trains?

Later they transferred her to North Carolina and she went by plane. The trip was much faster!

Ted Miles

Thank you

I'm watching the last MASH episode.

I was on the same compound as the 121st Evacuation Hospital, which was mentioned in MASH, but was real and still in Korea in 1969-1970. We were some 20 miles South of the DMZ. We did have helicopters coming in at all hours.

Phil Mulligan
Formerly of
US Army Ascom Depot
Bupyeong Korea

Both of my grandfathers served, as did my maternal great uncle. Paternal grandfather was a naval aviator in the United States Naval Reserve. He flew stateside as an instructor and flew Avengers in the South Pacific. He was assigned to Special Tactical Air Group One (STAG One) and flew the mother ship for armed radio controlled drones. Maternal grandfather was in the United States Army as a mess officer. He died of pneumonia shortly before his unit was to deploy.

Great uncle was a United States Army Air Corps mechanic, working on B-17s in the UK. After he separated from the service, he went to work for Trans World Airlines as an airframe and powerplant mechanic. First airplane he worked on was the DC-3. Last airplane he went to school on was the MD-80.

My friend, Les Jacoby, passed away recently. Entering the Army just after the end of WW II, he was part of the post-war occupation of Korea, arriving at the end of 1946 and serving as a 19-year-old steam locomotive engineer at the port of Pusan. He left in early 1948 was recalled from the inactive Reserve in 1950, trained on the B&O with other Army railroaders, and sent back to Korea in early 1951, arriving in Seoul at HQ 3d Transportation Military Railway Service during the Chinese Spring Offensive attempting to retake the city. You'll find more about him here:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thest ... fhid=29895

https://militaryrailwayservice.blogspot ... d-3rd.html

Les kept himself in shape with daily rigorous walks and working out with hand weights, living to the ripe old age of 92. He was a great fellow and he'll be missed.