Encoded for the Veterans History Project, January 7, 2021.
All letters in the Robert L. Barber collection were digitized.
The following letters were transcribed from the handwritten originals by Veterans History Project staff. No alterations to this transcription has been made, although spelling errors are indicated with [sic]. Any special emphasis (i.e. underlining) is presented *between asterisks*.
[5/1951]
Dear Mom,
Just a few lines to say I’m fine and that some [?] change has taken place. How long it will last I don’t know but we haven’t made contact with the gooks for about three days now. And as you probably read; they were preparing for a big counter attack. We even had to pull back some twenty miles because they hit us so hard last Sunday. And now they can’t be found. So we don’t know what to expect or think. They might have pulled back over the 38 degree and are going to stay there. Now if we won’t go back up there again every thing will be fine, but you know the U.N.- We wouldn’t have lost all the men last week we lost if we hadn’t went across the 38 degree.
I still have some hope left of being home the later part of the Summer. As you know I’ll be going into my seventh month here in Korea soon. I know one thing for certain I won’t be here another winter, I’ll shoot my self in the head first.
As you know Mom I’m one of the very few guys that came over in the 2nd draft that hasn’t been at least wounded. Most of the guys have been back to Japan with wounds for two or three months. But I’ve been here all the time. And these mountains and this constant being in combat kinda wears a man down.
In the last was the longest Company never lasted over 15 days and the Island was taken and they got a rest. But over here don’t ever get out of it you just keep going.
I’ve been over here longer than almost every one in this Platoon. The men we are getting now aren’t worth a damn. They can’t keep up. After you [?] for so long you just forget yourself and make like a zombie. I don’t weigh very much Mom but I’m hard as a brick. Every thing you own is on your back 16 hours or more a day. We haven’t rode trucks since Wonju but one time and that was only for a couple miles. We are lucky to see the road.
All I can say is that hope it won’t be long cause I’m really getting tired.
Well mom I’ll close for now.
Love
Bobby
P.S. Write soon!
They gave us these cards for Mothers Day. [Morale] builders.
Love
Bobby