Losing Friends

Heroes Remember

Losing Friends

Transcript

You got close to people and just after we got to Korea, I dug a bunker with three other radio operators and we were barely in it and got comfortable. If you can get comfortable in a bunker, and they were called up to repair some telephone lines up to the OP and one of them stepped on a mine. It killed him. It killed the fellow behind and it blew the heel off the fellow in front and I guess I had been on, I just got up in the morning. That was it, and I went up to the command post because I was on duty then and they were awful quiet in the command post and I said, kind of a dumb thing to say, but I said, “What happened, did somebody die?” And then I noticed the dog tags on the plotting board and there was a letter that I helped this fellow from Newfoundland write and it was covered with blood. Then I realized somebody had died. He was going to become engaged. He bought a ring for his girlfriend and then they decided that maybe this wasn't a smart thing to do. So they, he gave the ring to his mother to keep until he got back and then when he got over there I guess he kind of got lonesome and he wanted to write a letter to his girlfriend but he didn't know, I don't think he had much of an education either. Anyways, I wrote the letter for him. He told me what he wanted in the letter and I wrote it for him and she was to go over to his mom and get the ring and they'd be officially engaged and would get married when he come home. This letter never got mailed. So, I had a big bunker and I was by myself and I think after that you make a point of not getting real close anymore.

Description

Mr. McKinney describes losing two friends who had stepped on a land mine, one of whom he'd just helped write a marriage proposal letter to his girlfriend. After that, he distanced himself from any close friendships.

James McKinney

James McKinney was born on August 17, 1932 in Winnipegosis, Manitoba. Eventually his family settled in Gladstone, where he finished high school. Along with a brother and two friends, he enlisted in the army at Winnipeg. Mr. McKinney joined the artillery, took a jumper's course, and transferred to the airborne artillery. He also studied logarithms at night school during his basic training, and went to Korea as a Tech Able with the 1st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Heavy Artillery. In this capacity, he ranged guns on enemy positions and acted as an observer in the observation post trench.

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