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From My Service in Korea, I Learned – Lawrence Hooser

I was part of the amphibious force of the U.S. Navy during the early part of the war. I served on a Landing Ship Tank (LST) 840. I worked my way up as a medic on the ship. We were based in Sasebo, Japan, but docked at other ports in Japan. Our purpose in the amphibious operations was to reach & land on North Korean enemy locations & board North Korean and Chinese Communist POW’s. We were always at our battle stations. The POW’s were guarded by ROK soldiers and these soldiers were very strict and had a heavy hand with the POW’s. That was one of the events I learned in Korea. Another, was the fact that many of POW’s were father& son, perhaps more than one son, but definitely families realizing a subsistence. I will never forget witnessing the young teenagers. After loading up all the POW’s on topside and also the tank deck, we transported them to an island off the south coast of Korea. I believe it was called Komodo Island, but not sure of the spelling, but we had POW camps there. We actually were part of this operation for months and made dozens of trips. It was quite the operation.

What did you learn from serving in Korea? Let us know –

Sharing your experiences from serving in Korea can be a powerful way to connect with others who have had similar experiences. By sharing your story, you may be able to help others who are currently serving in Korea or who are preparing to do so. You can share insights about the culture, the people, and the challenges you faced while serving. Your story can also help to shed light on the sacrifices that service members and their families make in order to protect our freedoms. So, if you have a story to share, we encourage you to take the time to put it down in writing and send it to KDVA.MyServiceInKorea@gmail.com along with any photos that help to tell your story.

Your contribution may be just what someone needs to hear in order to feel connected and supported.