Encoded for the Experiencing War web site for the Veterans History Project.
The recording of the interview with Donald Stone was digitized.
This transcription was encoded with minimal changes to the original text in an effort to preserve original content and idiosyncrasies of the person interviewed. Period language and terminology are also retained. Encoding is literal with regard to the transcriptionist's capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Spelling errors are indicated with [sic]; however, recurring errors in spelling within a single document have been marked the first time and not subsequently.
Donald Dean Stone who lives at 1900 Old Evansville Road, New Harmony, Indiana 47631. Telephone number: [telephone number deleted]. Place of birth in White County, Illinois on 6-30-31. Branch of service was the U.S. Army. He was with the Fifth RCT Regimental Combat Team. His highest rank was private. His serial number was U.S. 55232623. Date of enlistment: He was drafted on January 4, 1952 and was out on October of '53 and was 20 years drafted. He was in the Korean War. He took basic at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was injured, and he received the Purple Heart. Do you remember anything about being drafted?
Well, yes, they just send you a paper and say that your friends and neighbors want you in the service, and then you have a physical, and you get to go home; and if you pass the physical then, at a later date, then you're inducted into the service.
Where were you living at the time?
I was living in New Harmony.
Okay. (Pause.) Do you recall your first days in the service?
Yes. We went to Fort Custer, Michigan, and the snow was about a foot and a half deep, and we had pea soup. I remember those very well.
What's it feel like leaving home and going to some place you never been?
Terrible
Can you tell me about your boot camp training and your experiences?
Well, the only thing I can say about boot camp is that if a civilian will work as hard as you have to work in boot camp, you'd be a millionaire in about 10 years because it's nothing but work.
Do you remember your instructors?
No, not by name.
And how'd you put yourself through that?
You mean, how do you force yourself through that?
(Laughter.) Yeah.
Well, it just -- of course I was -- I was afraid not to do what they told me. So, I did it.
Do you remember exactly where you went in Korea?
(Pause.) I can't think of the mountain we were on. No.
Do you remember any jobs or assignments?
I remember going out on a patrol in front of the lines one night, and that -- that was a scary situation, but, unfortunately, we didn't get any prisoners. That's what we were sent out to do, but we didn't get any, and that was the only patrol I was ever on.
Did you see any combat?
The only combat I saw was we were on the outpost out in front of the lines, and you're put out there so if the enemy comes over, why you will notice them, and then you can call back to the line and tell them, and that's where I got wounded. They kill -- there was four of us down there, and they killed on of them; they captured one of them; the other guy ran back to the lines; and they shot me; and I just laid down and hid until they left.
Where were you shot?
Well, I had a hand grenade went in the left side of my chest, and I was shot through the leg.
How long were you in the hospital?
Well, months, but in the army, you're in the hospital until you're well. _________+
The location?
_______+
You can say it. Did you stay in touch with your family?
Yes, I wrote a few letters.
Anyone special?
Well, Mrs. Stone, (Laughter) and she wasn't Mrs. Stone then.
What was the food like?
Actually the food was pretty good. We had -- they would serve breakfast. They would fix our breakfast down away from the front lines, and they would deliver that up there. See, when I was in Korea, most of the fighting was over with. If the line was stationary, we didn't do much fighting. We just -- we'd go try and get one of them for prisoners, and they'd come and try to get one of us.
Did you have plenty of supplies?
Yes, but I was just over there 30 days.
That's not bad. Did you have anything that you used for good luck?
Not really.
How did you entertain yourself?
Well, really, there just wasn't anything to entertain yourself.
Do you remember any particularly humorous or unusual event?
Not there, no.
What did you think of your fellow officers or soldiers?
They're all wonderful people.
Do you remember the day that you were sent home?
Yes.
What was it like?
It was a great feeling. I went to the doctor. He had control of whether you stayed or came home. I went and talked to him, and he looked at my records and what had happened to me. He said, "See yah." _______+ That means you're going home. That means you're happy. (Laughter.)
Where were you at the time when you first got back to the United States?
I was in California for about four days, but then I went to Camp Atterbury, Minneapolis.
Did you go back to work or to school afterwards?
After I got out of the service?
Yeah.
I went back to work. I didn't go to school.
Did you join any veteran organizations?
I joined the American Legion and the VFW.
Did you military experience influence your thinking about war or about the military in general?
Well, it influenced me that I don't like war, and I don't think we ought to have another one. (Pause.) Little boys don't need to be fighting.
How did your service affect your life?
Well, it taught -- I learned a lot in the service. I learned to hang my clothes up. How to clean house. But other -- that's the main thing that I learned.
Is there anything that we left out that you would like to add?
Well, it was a very enjoyable time. I met a lot of good friends from basic training the whole way, and it was a very learning experience.
Did you have any special friends that you made?
Well, I haven't been in contact -- the only one I tried to get in contact with, he died. So, no, I have not been in contact with anyone else.
Well, thank you for doing _____+ While in Korea he was in Huntsville and thank you for allowing me to do this interview. I am sure the Library of Congress will appreciate it.