Earl A. House
Bio
Earl A. House was born in Baltimore, MD, on August 30, 1931. After leaving high school early and enlisting in the U.S. Naval Reserves, he decided that he wanted to enlist in the military full-time upon hearing about the beginning of the Korean War. He then enlisted in the U.S. Army, underwent basic training, and was sent to Korea. The reality of war quickly subdued his initial excitement for fighting in the war. After being injured in the shoulder, he drove a truck and jeep that transported military personnel. He is proud of his service and sees his service as stopping the spread of Communism.
Video Clips
Stopping Communism and the Most Difficult Moment in the War
Earl House describes why he felt the U.S. intervened in Korea and believes it was to stop the spread of Communism. He recalls one of the most difficult times was when there was an accidental discharge of an allied weapon in the trenches. He remembers being physically and mentally distraught and being moved to a jeep patrol to drive officials up to the front lines.
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Living Conditions on a Troop Ship and at the Front Lines
Earl House recalls how he was excited to join the Korean War and shares he was even more excited to leave Korea. He remembers enjoying ice cream, milkshakes, pie, and sweets on the ship home after the war. He comments on how these conditions were much better than the living conditions in Korea which included sleeping in a tent.
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Bravery and the Forgotten War
Earl House believes that the Korean War made him into a man. He remembers wanting to get away from everyone in his family to prove that he was not afraid and to seem brave. He shares his thoughts on why the Korean War was called the Forgotten War, noting that people did not want the U.S. fighting in a foreign war.
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Knowledge of Korea and Arriving in Korea
Earl House shares he knew little about Korea prior to arriving as a soldier. He recalls the first time learning anything about Korea was in the Naval Reserves. He mentions he was excited to travel to Korea and fight in the war as he had never traveled outside the U.S. except for visiting Canada.
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Video Transcript
0:00my name is earl house i was born in
0:02baltimore maryland large the 30th 1931
0:06my mother worked for a department store
0:09downtown Baltimore a father worked for a
0:12company called credit court and seal
0:13they made machinery for coca-cola Pepsi
0:17Cola stuff like that they also made tops
0:22for the bottles when I was growing up I
0:26lived in east baltimore then we moved to
0:29West Baltimore that we moved in North
0:31Baltimore we live n she moved to
0:34Parkville parkville maryland which is
0:36one of the thing here and i went to
0:39school at the other two schools the
0:42other place I lived I went to school and
0:44I was in the fourth grade and I failed I
0:48was in the sixth grade I failed I wasn’t
0:51pay attention to the teacher which I do
0:52now I do it up very much and my mother
0:56and father took me out of that school
0:58put me in vocational school uh-huh I
1:00went to the wilbur wright general
1:03vocational school in Baltimore City
1:05mm-hmm but living in the county I had to
1:09pay a tuition because it’s a city school
1:12so what I did I live with my grandmother
1:16in South Baltimore so I could go to
1:19school which is up the road i graduated
1:22in the eighth grade from the eighth
1:25grade and then I was and went to high
1:27school or what the high school was in a
1:29third week of high school I said he’d
1:32enough said enough I got up and walked
1:33out never went back when was that I quit
1:36high school in nineteen forty eight 48
1:38so what did what were you doing when the
1:41criminal broke up I was in a neighbor
1:43reserve I’ll bake Great Lakes Illinois
1:45as we went for two weeks summer
1:48encampment and when the name when two
1:51korean war broke out and we came back
1:54when a train I always take I took a
1:56pencil and put on the paper where a fix
1:59it inside the paper out on our way to
2:01Korea but we did I didn’t go to Korea
2:05then I went back to the neighbor went
2:07back home went to the neighbors
2:09on weekends but they took our regular
2:12daily personnel for world war two and
2:15they ship them overseas we had never
2:18deserts teaching us knew I didn’t like
2:21it anymore I wanted the real McCoy burn
2:23at the real thing no weren’t the real
2:25person mm-hmm so I said I’m going to go
2:28into another branch of service you want
2:31at all ok I was working downtown I went
2:36to the Coast Guard and I took the Coast
2:38Guard written test I passed the written
2:40test a failed two physical too many
2:43cavities oh I am I have something else
2:45now so I didn’t pass so I walked across
2:49the street to the air force without a
2:52high school diploma I went to the third
2:55page of the sub detest I could not do
2:58the math right I couldn’t figure out it
2:59had to figure it out how to do it in
3:01algebra I did not make it
3:04so I got my papers
3:06put them together walked from here to
3:09that door
3:10and I went in the army army takes
3:13anybody they took me they took me I went in the
3:15army I enlisted I got sworn in on a one
3:20day 1 30 p.m. on saturday December the
3:2430th 1950 at four-thirty and afternoon i
3:30was involved in an appeal accident where
3:33it put me in Fort Meade hospital for one
3:35week I was all puffed demise pumped up I
3:38lost some teeth which I later got a
3:40partial mm-hmm he had to one week in
3:42hospital on what I reported to Fort
3:45Meade stated Fort Meade got uniforms
3:48needles everything else testing blood
3:51tests take you what they did is
3:53there were pushed for time they gave us
3:55a piece of glass and you suck your
3:58finger and you put your finger on the
3:59glass you just patch someone else i get
4:01your blood type so when did you leave
4:03for korea we didn’t live freely we had
4:06to go take back what we are going to
4:09take basic training at Camp Breckinridge
4:10Kentucky and that was january through
4:16may of nineteen fifty-one so i always
4:18say we left basically turning around
4:20beta third
4:21of 51 and on the twenty-third about 51
4:24we were a troopship go on the weight of
4:27receipt safaris farias and you went to
4:30Japan or went to to pay in first we
4:33docked at night time are we got to Tokyo
4:36Yokohama at night time we couldn’t dock
4:38until next morning so we talked and a
4:40lotus / no buses took us to camp tricked
4:43all over campus rape was the first cat
4:46the yellow patch the big yellow patch of
4:49Lord smokestacks everything we stayed
4:52there probably three days they took it
4:55to the rifle range because he issued us
4:57rifles will we left California we had to
5:00clean the rifles but born overseas clean
5:03the rifles and then camp Drake took a
5:06stone rifle range gave us five shots I
5:08got three bull’s-eyes out of fire so I
5:11was honest qualified how long did you
5:13stay when did you leave for korea I was
5:1519 years old still how old normal how long did
5:19you stay in Japan expand that we love we
5:21left Rick about three days later and
5:23went down to Sasebo to a replacement
5:25center they gave us a pass we went into
5:28into into sat in the town of Sasebo
5:31first time in a foreign country but on
5:35the way down on the train from Yokohama
5:37to Sasebo we had change in our pocket
5:40they’re probably millionaires
5:42hae and we threw pennies off the back of
5:44the train you know if I couldn’t trick
5:46we got decisive oh we stayed there baby
5:48maybe a week and then they personally
5:52took us down to the pier put us on a
5:55Japanese luxury liner and we slept on a
5:58mat about that long it remind you to con
6:01you put it in front you how to wipe your
6:02feet off one and we stayed on there and
6:04detectives overnight the Pusan busan
6:06busan we got a Poussin fade when when
6:10did you all right uh wrap around a 70
6:14thought saying something like a it’s on
6:16here edwin is oh go to George all 19
6:221950 1951 50 51 yeah right we stayed
6:26well we got off the ship they gave us
6:29breakfast we had SOS another bundle to
6:32SOS
6:33is creamed chipped beef on toast we had
6:36cold cereal hot coffee they put us into
6:39a compound that are all around the
6:42compound not to keep us going out but to
6:44keep people coming in okay before you
6:48left for Korea have you heard about
6:51career before or did you honey we’re at
6:54real motel I was in the neighbor be
6:56served and they said the cream worked at
6:59the North Korea’s attacked in South
7:01Korea that’s the first I’ve heard about
7:02it hmm and we had nothing we did enough
7:04about it to remind everyone else so what
7:07was your feeling when you came to know
7:09that you have to go to a place where you
7:12never heard of it and you have to fight
7:14for our new people that you never be you
7:17know what I knew I knew when I enlisted
7:19in the army I knew I was aware i do
7:22outside come here I knew I was gonna go
7:24to create what was your feeling that you
7:26have to fight this excitement I guess
7:27excited I going to Korea you were
7:29excited yeah in a way the way I don’t
7:31wait go into a foreign country here
7:32because I or any other touch up and bid
7:35to when I was a kid was canada that’s as
7:38far as we got but back getting it back
7:40then you can strive across the border
7:42and no no papers were needed now you
7:44know you need papers today and passports
7:47up like all we have the identification
7:49court mmm but we are we all knew we were
7:53going to go to Korea when we finished
7:55basic training because we got a company
7:57formation I think it was raining I think
7:59it was raining senator was stuff and the
8:03company commander gave out the orders
8:05and he said for east on everybody he
8:09called a hd- a career he said hatred is
8:12not supposed to say that I saw what we
8:14do we’re going to create but so many
8:15guys stayed in Japan they need go to
8:19create they picked up out for maybe
8:21secretary or something like that who’s
8:23he had the brains to do this look but
8:25then we got to crib um we sort of
8:29excitement died off what we found out
8:32when we went to replacement center the
8:357th division replacement center in nth
8:37Catalan Deuce and a half two and Hampton
8:39army trucks
8:40we were issued three rounds of four
8:43rounds to put the m1 and they we were
8:46told there were snipers in the area so
8:48um what was your specialty and what unit
8:55that you were in a daily specialty was a
8:57rifleman infantry infantry when I Jenna
9:01I was assigned to Company B Company B
9:04first Battalion 31st infantry regiment
9:07of the 7th Infantry Division after a
9:11month or two months in that company they
9:16had a formation and they need a
9:18following ad to volunteer for the 30
9:20caliber machine gun so I raised by hand
9:23I carried a steel pot I carried a pack
9:27and I carried two containers a 30
9:29caliber evident one in each hand plus a
9:31carbine I had a carbine rifle m1 I lost
9:35that went to someone else and then we
9:38stayed we went to different location we
9:41take up on the front line yet and then
9:44one day we went to this very large Hill
9:47where in the 190 Valley so after you
9:55arrived in the Sun moose on jun 19 5191
10:00yeah what happened did you go right into
10:03the 38th parallel arianna now whatever
10:07we stay we took the train and one of the
10:10chin shine and then they trucked us to
10:13the subdivision replacement center and
10:14we stayed there and then we know
10:17eventually we got went up in the company
10:19we do eventually took us a couple you
10:21beat and we stayed here baby we’re
10:24shootin no not notice above as but you
10:27said goose on no it’s above them above
10:31chinch on it’s above shin chon dudes it
10:33wasn’t at the 38th parallel yet I know
10:35what do you remember you’re the the name
10:37old though uniface little bit no one new
10:40Campton and wondering
10:41just an area okay yep we have Attica
10:44permitir we were in soviet guards ward
10:46around us you so north oak shoots under
10:48the chin chun yeah but once we got there
10:52and then we got today signs of
10:54scientific company and then eventually
10:57we went up on a large hill we stand on
11:00that large Hill for 30 days we did not
11:04go forward we didn’t go back but while
11:07there our artillery was firing over iron
11:11hill but hitting the back of the hill
11:13they call it a short round and he we
11:15heard explosions to hitting the back of
11:17our hill in order to go take a shower we
11:21had to go all the way back down the hill
11:23again it’s like when his roof of this
11:24building go down the hill and come back
11:27up again and walk back up like I said we
11:29stay here 30 days we saw a couple of
11:32army tanks get knocked out American
11:34tanks get knocked out and about four or
11:39five miles in front of us we saw for
11:42airplane for or Air Force planes but
11:45powers come down and dive and bomb the
11:48fourth we came down one up it rolled
11:50over what about delegate got hit that
11:52hit okay so who was the enemy there
11:55North Koreans or technology North
11:57Koreans no degree of ransom that they
11:59had in front of us was old balding pork
12:04chop hill honey get the fort’s he’ll
12:05kill Old Baldy was in front of us they
12:07raped at eight they bombed it raked it
12:09shell to everything everything to it but
12:11they still cannot got us thinking Bank
12:13goddess yeah and you engage in combat
12:16everything now we want to gaze you
12:17combat at all about that not that 30
12:20days no at the end of that point I just
12:23turned 20 years old and we went into
12:26enemy territory we won up one hill and
12:28down one we want we must have walked ten
12:31miles on the thought is all to blow away
12:33we found he got the one hill and we
12:36stated we went with California’s they
12:38don’t touch anything there was bodies
12:40laying there black boys and white boys
12:44of the 24th Infantry Division had to
12:47patch on or we’re
12:49great registration had picked them up
12:51yet and they might in the North Koreans
12:54North Koreans are that they’re real
12:56American American American American GIs
12:58American GIs American GI so what
13:01happened it was located a note that we
13:05do you see any dead moister end no but
13:08you said that after the US Air Force
13:11bombed that area you ran up there and
13:13you find the American so I say that was
13:15one area we went to another area we were
13:17always hated I was one area here Oh
13:19bodies over here one every second we
13:21have to another area of an eval young
13:22but we got to that one Hill and we took
13:26we took that hill over we set up
13:29defensive positions it’s a t-bone
13:32there’s a t-bone like Tesla t-bone yeah
13:34machine gun went down desk corner the
13:373.5 rocket lots of went to this corner
13:39and I was I was like I was back here so
13:42I was back in here we had a trench that
13:44we stay we dug in and we’ve dug down
13:46deeper so we could stay in that trench
13:49and one thirty in the morning if they
13:53did get all the bodies out of there they
13:55picked them up talking about they took
13:57the watch and rings I’ll put him in the
13:58back they got them all at one-thirty the
14:01next morning we can hit by mortar fire
14:04no one got killed GIS are done a yellow
14:07hou okay Bobby okay billion we were okay
14:11backorder 22 you hear that we heard
14:14Louise with her gunfire and the two men
14:18who had the 30 caliber machine gun they
14:21got overrun and they come running past
14:23us I said what happened they said they
14:25overrun our position and we started
14:27shooting I had one hangar date and I’ll
14:31pull the pin let it go away did not
14:34force it to where I thought the epic so
14:36I kill anybody I do not know main
14:38upstairs does I don’t know I don’t know
14:40or was there any moment that you or
14:43really close to enemies are you guys
14:46able to consume you couldn’t say you
14:48interesting the noise or always the only
14:50one who’s gone far Woods wizard by a
14:52blink and we kept shooting until someone
14:56says move back so dick but to move back
14:59and we kept moving back to we’re back
15:01with the company
15:03he we are like custard we were in a area
15:06we were all together shooting people say
15:10what were you doing behind a tree I said
15:12I was used up for protection I was
15:14behind a tree next to another guy and
15:17the other guy said im hit im hit he’s
15:20later I found that he later died when I
15:22one time then I got hit and then someone
15:26yelled out did these wounded over the
15:29hill and they got like eight or nine I
15:31was off to hill we went down this hill
15:33and and we went into a bunker but the
15:37enemies had me so she does mm-hmm I did
15:39not see the enemy oh I saw was drugged
15:43whole service in Korea during the pro i
15:46saw i saw him later when i drove the
15:48Jeep I saw my prisoners I saw us on to
15:50his friends yeah i saw that’s all when
15:52did you leave Korea when do you depart
15:54from clear I left Korea April the twenty
16:02first of april nineteen fifty-two i came
16:06back home again so you’ve been there
16:09more like two years a year less than a
16:12year last thing i got there in june june
16:15he won’t have one he really loved it in
16:17april but with us being on the line we
16:23got four points we’re in a bottle aerial
16:25because when emptied a hill and after i
16:29got hit went to the hospital came back
16:31with a back in combat again morning and
16:36then we eventually want we went to the
16:38events and went to watch on reservoir we
16:40left there and we came back to off a
16:44couple very well I think ng we had
16:46Thanksgiving their Thanksgiving there we
16:49had Thanksgiving dinner to there and
16:51another guy another guy I met all the
16:54ways I in headquarters company they had
16:57chow and like a total fuck our company
17:00didn’t have challenged holding two or
17:01three o’clock in the afternoon so we
17:04went into his place in that chat we want
17:05to our place that you had to Clifford
17:07dinners three days after thanksgiving
17:101951 we went back on the line
17:14we were here and the enemy was dependent
17:16on that’s how close we were to it every
17:19day someone got killed every day we lost
17:23somebody could you describe the most
17:26dangerous moment in your service when I
17:28got it when I was in in combat shooting
17:31the carbine and never knowing what to
17:34expect we shoot a rake towards the enemy
17:37there was a fire at the end of the hill
17:38oh let’s start of day I’m gonna but I
17:41couldn’t have see the enemy somebody got
17:44so many guys probably did I did not I
17:45didn’t I didn’t see the enemy until I
17:48start driving and cheap in October or
17:51November of 51 when I came back from the
17:55hospital in October I started trying to
17:57achieve and then we picked up prisoners
18:00and I saw him do we have them in the
18:02chief when were you hit where I like I
18:04hit my left shoulder in my left shoulder
18:07a hole that size of dime and when I got
18:09hit and the medics went to get our guys
18:13went to get two medics it wouldn’t come
18:15up and get us because we kept getting
18:16smaller on fire from the enemy so they
18:19brought two types up two times monday
18:22came up goddess and they say can you
18:25walk us I can walk I must a waffle here
18:27haunted Pentagon and I’ll walk back when
18:30I got back to where the aid station was
18:33one of the guys that took basic training
18:35with come running up to him he says
18:38where are you hit I said left shoulder
18:40he said you going to Japan and then he
18:43yelled out he says we’re hoping that
18:44another boy we took basic with I said
18:47he’s still up on the hill he never got a
18:49stretch he never got a scratch hmm
18:51because I met him if I came back the
18:53hospital did you get medal for that one
18:56I got it from our poor poor what I got a
18:59purple but it never bothered me only in
19:03the rain when he got damp it bothered me
19:05and then years later about 10 years ago
19:09I’m getting gasoline in my car and I
19:13doubled up in pain like I had a real bad
19:15side to side my side hurt you told me in
19:19the beginning of this interview that you
19:20were excited to know that you are what
19:22is going to work
19:23you have a lineman for Korea I was a
19:25excited I had not scared out of me like
19:29scared and so will you I mean just tell
19:32me about your overall thought about the
19:35war and especially the Korean War where
19:37why we were there I think we were there
19:39for one reason to stop them and they
19:41kept emphasizing this the whole time we
19:45took basic and get decree on the ship
19:48and it took free wearier you were ever a
19:51communist where you’re very calming I
19:53saw you know what the word was anything
19:55what the word was and then I found out
19:57what what we did we stopped it we
20:01stopped a right there in Korea but you
20:04know okay we don’t play we aren’t later
20:06went because I did something right I did
20:08come back I feel sorry for the guys that
20:11didn’t come back yeah you get upset
20:13about some time you know you think about
20:14it oh yeah yeah what was the most
20:18difficult difficult moments in your
20:20service can you give me one or two I had
20:27I had something happen at watch I’m I’m
20:30not trying to forget about that
20:33something happening watch on reservoir
20:35Roy reservoir at watchung we were up on
20:39the hill we took pokes from one side to
20:42the other side what is the naval watch
20:45on Reservoir righteous and watch on ok
20:47nine what time ok and so one fired a
20:50rifle and up till cut off or I started
20:52crying and shivering shaking of property
20:54up again and I stayed with the exact
20:57that night in that area stay with that
21:00area I started a high 26 and I think
21:02it’s caught he caught up to me what did
21:05you do did you pray or what wobble no I
21:07guess I did for Ellen what I did I can’t
21:09remember but I just broke the outbreak
21:11that’s what crying yeah all right well
21:13the guy shot the right for all
21:14accidental you want you that the enemy
21:16he just the one own safety he pulled the
21:18trigger on a hot dog for undercover
21:20operator but we’re not broke they got me
21:24off the line it gave me any cheap
21:26driving charge also I trying to cheat
21:27but every time the first song called me
21:32it was a new
21:34first lieutenant out of West Point who
21:37wanted to see the front line I said oh
21:39she’s real bullets up there I want to
21:41see the front line I took him up to
21:43frontline and what did he sold a
21:46frontline I say he’s up there maybe an
21:48hour and i sat in the cheap he went up
21:51the hill went with the position when I
21:53can I came back don’t we go back now
21:54thank you point Mike was there was
21:57always artillery coming in plus with the
22:02guerrillas were shooting at us
22:04everyone’s when they shoot us and we had
22:06that that was that plain cold they have
22:11a plane fly over drop bombs I can’t take
22:13his name they had a name for him I can’t
22:16think of that but the most it was it
22:20wasn’t scary what happened what would
22:22say you know what was it puts up with
22:24something to happen I was worsening my
22:27cheap someone else’s worst in their
22:29truck in this stream you got to
22:33visualize it’s a stream a bank a bridge
22:36and up on a hill the 3rd battalion of
22:42the 31st infantry regiment were giving
22:44out medals and they played the national
22:47anthem as far as you can see in out here
22:50we came out of the word we went to
22:52rezone arms the guy everybody came out
22:54of the water the guys want to bridge the
22:56tried to travel when going that fast
22:57they stop they got out and they saluted
22:59to until the national anthem stopped and
23:01then when it stopped and went back to
23:03worsen cheap again Orson cheap and with
23:05rags where we could find we support
23:08loyal one there to keep it shiny don’t
23:10know it shout me too crazy we want to
23:12give you shiny up and then I went back
23:16to the company area the company sent me
23:19to get water dr. back to water point I
23:22went back to get water that’s five to
23:24secure his point I want about to give
23:26water I had a trailer I had a full water
23:29and I’m going back up the MV stop mini
23:31said where are you going is it to the
23:3331st we got snipers shooting at that
23:36vehicles that old thanks a lot so I
23:39called I call my I called the motor
23:41motor pool swords I say sorry
23:44I got sniper standard shooting at us
23:46he’s all come down so he drove the Jeep
23:50I dm1 safety all figure on the trigger
23:53and ignorant side by side poof they’re
23:55dead or more shoot up on feet up yeah i
23:57think i was curious other than getting
23:59hit that was what i was hard I’m so
24:01sniper was more fearful than just they
24:05want any in massive combat right they
24:08wanted us actually we did I didn’t do no
24:10hand-to-hand I need no none of that no
24:12it was one so we got once we kept moving
24:14back on that hill and we kept firing is
24:17who we got it we eat a couple about
24:19least eight or nine guys got hit and we
24:22went up going the hospital in Japan we
24:25lost 15 listed men my company say my
24:29company commander put on one hell of a
24:31fight he musta did hand-to-hand so you
24:34continue to drive the gym after that I
24:37truly achieved from October the end of
24:39October until I rotated home yep and
24:42when I was in the 10 we’re in reserve in
24:46ng and he they said the first saw would
24:49show up oh another second lieutenant or
24:51firstly time what’s the deal in front of
24:53line but that wasn’t it or you want to
24:55go home my see ya is it morrow morning
24:58turn all your clothes I taught him in
24:59that light turn all your clothes and
25:01turn your rifle one toward everything
25:03again you’re carving and you get on with
25:06it when they come to pick you up killing
25:08truck and go home that’s okay what did
25:10you feel oh it exciting I’m very excited
25:13but when I gotta you excited to be in
25:16Korea yeah i did cuz i be accorded real
25:19now excited by didna how our career but
25:22every should we’ll both of them he had
25:24all that career this division went to
25:28pork chop hill the division lost men so
25:34many men they went down to regiment
25:36strength the regiment lost so many men
25:39they went down the company strengthen
25:41the company lost any money he went down
25:43to battery strength they got hit very
25:46very very hard was i was stationed at
25:50Camp picked Virginia we got all the
25:53information
25:54the army paper with every army times
25:56what we were reading as we were lucky to
25:58get out of there hmm except your
26:01departure okay what was the most
26:03rewarding moments author are your
26:05service when done we love to pain when
26:09they threw confetti itís and singing no
26:12California here we come to band playing
26:14California here we come I got seasick
26:18going over of a sea sick for three days
26:20but coming back we went over a small
26:23ship we come back on a big ship to
26:25sniper pick truth like a queen mary it
26:28did more they didn’t let much and then
26:30roll them well I did say go ahead ice
26:31cream ice cream nice powder some ice
26:35cream no shakes hot coffee Bobby pie
26:40like mom made we took us 14 days to get
26:47to Seattle and when we got to Seattle
26:52Seattle Washington we were going to talk
26:55on the starboard side we’re going to
26:58talk on the porch they could make up
26:59their mind that everybody’s running back
27:01the ship’s going like this it’s going
27:03back forth like this all the people
27:04running back and forth we found it doc
27:07many a soldier ran down a gangplank he
27:09kissed us a to grant us all that the
27:13histogram good glad to get home what was
27:16the living condition what living
27:19condition doing over there yeah horrible
27:22living in a pup tent we slept in a pup
27:25tent or we slip in a tent like mash head
27:29like animal mash yep and many time we
27:33took a bath either steel pot many a time
27:36you shaved in it too many a time I think
27:39we shade list yeah what any weekend with
27:41whipped cream and there at cremated yeah
27:42we shave list at one point had kat young
27:50someone said that start a fire in the
27:55stove that was in the tent i did not
27:59know that someone had already put
28:02something in there
28:03and I took a seat rashi can of gasoline
28:06in there and I dumped it and he got me
28:09it went down my arm like my uniform and
28:11they rushed me outside I number went to
28:13the H I just pressed it all up Russell
28:15off yeah but forget about it but we went
28:21swimming with the yellow green orange
28:23pink frogs frogs outside frogs and 190
28:32had movies and I missed the truck and I
28:36walked I must have walked I must have
28:40walked a mile with a steel rifle I mean
28:43a steel helmet and a rifle no am edition
28:45by myself pitch black pitch black is
28:50would you walk us out what are you crazy
28:52it could be anybody out there to get you
28:54I thought I had a wife I hit him with
28:55the rifle I couldn’t I couldn’t shoot
28:57out an end no I’m mission we went to the
28:59movies but later they brought the movies
29:03to our area where did you watch movie
29:08during the therapy i watch movies
29:10hollywood movie watch movies yeah how it
29:12would maybe shall we watch them yeah how
29:14simply had a movie which on the end up
29:16there on a projector in i’ll give you
29:17projector 16 millimeter but i like a
29:19picked a great big thing if partly we
29:21had movies and just like it in in the
29:24mash sometimes a film broke or it was
29:27pornero raining and attended a tent and
29:32then okemos then another 10 sometimes it
29:35cameras would leap the word would come
29:36down on top of this we gotta straighten
29:38out my back watching a movie how many
29:41movies did you watch always couple of
29:43min reserved yeah real cow Moos how was
29:45your throat I girls and Williams we
29:47haven’t worn a girl where we were one of
29:49the girls all know what was your
29:50favorite movie do you remember know of
29:55him yeah
29:57so when you come back what people say to
30:02you glad to see me come back but go back
30:06to Korea when I got a hit and I was in
30:09hospital in Japan I could not break with
30:13this hand or this you know I had to take
30:15I had to go through therapy and walk
30:18steps of my hands my orange will hurt so
30:20bad both arms are hurt so bad I director
30:24us wrote my next-door neighbor a letter
30:26and telling mrs. right I was wounded in
30:30action in order to tell my mother my
30:34letter got there first the army talker
30:37have got their second hmm my brother was
30:40at the school where we both went playing
30:43baseball they went up and got him said
30:45you weren’t home your mother’s upset
30:47your brother’s has hit me was just
30:49wounded in action that’s when they found
30:51out as I was wounded in action in Korea
30:55and then when we were in seattle
30:59washington everybody got out of the post
31:02except us we flew home from seattle but
31:07that plane had engine trouble so we had
31:10to wait overnight then we flew home the
31:14next day but we flew from seattle to
31:18denver colorado we all got off the plane
31:20they had to feel it stuff like that
31:22there was civilian people in there and
31:25they want to know what we did where we
31:27came from I think he probably bought his
31:30drinks was I I would know many cases
31:33like I am now older over and we involved
31:37with the time we had the same two story
31:39had the same flight crew from Seattle to
31:43Denver to Chicago we lost a flight crew
31:45and we lost our power and then we flew
31:49from Chicago to palomar to bwi and then
31:54the army picked us up and am I picked us
31:57up on a bus and they took us into Fort
31:59Meade and we were in this barracks and I
32:02said I’m hungry and the other guys are
32:05hungry he said we go again formation
32:07also care how we do it
32:09you’re too sergeant your but you’re too
32:11sergeant I have a PFC let’s get cracking
32:14let’s go for this informational march
32:16down the mess hall at Fort Meade
32:19Maryland fed 5,000 men and a meal mm-hmm
32:24that’s a big that mess hall was we went
32:27to that chow line but a trade they saw
32:29her ribbon saw the pats all the stripes
32:31they do they had to go over there too
32:34but eventually that mess all came down
32:37but years later in the when I got I got
32:42married know and my next-door neighbor I
32:46was telling about Fort Meade Maryland
32:48and the consolidated missile he wanted
32:51to see it so I took it down before he
32:54was in the service in World War two so I
32:56took it down to see the mess hall and
32:58ce4 to eat while I 40 well we got to
33:00Fort Meade finished dinner or finished
33:03breakfast went back process it takes
33:05forever this has got to be done not
33:08gonna be but the most important thing is
33:11when I got back from Korea had to am
33:14oasis what is that with is that’s your
33:17job qualification for what you could do
33:20and then 1745 was infantry 43-45 was
33:25truck driver and I was asked at that
33:28time by this sergeant do you want to go
33:31to Fort Meyers Virginia or you will
33:34become a truck to us what’s at Fort
33:36Myers for jenny’s an infantry at that
33:38time I did not know it was the unknown I
33:41did not know I didn’t didn’t know it had
33:43been an honor to go dere well at Fort
33:46Dix New Jersey the personnel called me
33:50up yo for sergeant that’s what I’ll take
33:52it no you come yeah I’d to go talk to
33:54the guy in personnel and he says you’re
33:58up for sergeant and I made on 86 I’m 86
34:03I said not get me out of here I went to
34:06Iceland to country poisoning for one
34:10year and we pulled guard to be up there
34:13recorded the ammo dump the radio towers
34:17and the fuel depot for the US
34:19horse yeah so military service was big
34:23part of your whole life yeah yeah yeah
34:25so like you’re like you’re me I liked
34:27although I just like it why did I stay I
34:29don’t know thank you or the back side
34:31kick in rear end what do you think the
34:34impact of korean war upon your life
34:38they’re probably maybe you told me and I
34:41guess scared the daylights out of me Oh
34:43John Wayne I was not John going to do
34:47anything a lot of i’m not i’m not doing
34:49what was secured we were all secured we
34:50were all anywhere to get hit anybody get
34:52killed and I mean could you be honest
34:57with me about when you were scared in
35:00the foreign country you’ve never heard
35:01of before what I mean how did you feel
35:04about it why do you have to sacrifice I
35:07just wanted to get away from everybody
35:11in the family to prove I could do
35:13something that I wasn’t free in there
35:17and their eyes but I was afraid in their
35:20eyes it’s always great but what we went
35:23we might we were kids we were 19 years
35:25old 18 years old 17 years old even 16
35:29years old and they found them kids and
35:31they sent it back to a mother and father
35:34they lied about their age and went into
35:36service they were in our company we have
35:38in our company and they got an answer my
35:41q ese why did they do that you said that
35:47because of the war with iraq and
35:50afghanistan i think the Korean War
35:52veterans now getting Moshe get letter I
35:55get wherever on that I’m in the bathroom
35:57a guy companies all 733 he said thank
35:59you would do what you did wish I get
36:01done work yeah why do you think that the
36:04Korean War has been called forgotten why
36:08while I know why was it so unpopular
36:11selfish fine I’ll tell you right now
36:13okay we went to our army show at Largo
36:17one year they introduced they said
36:20anybody here world war one wins what’s
36:22that yep army show when we’re go a place
36:26called Margo but when was that oh that’s
36:28a
36:29like what the gathering except we were
36:31association that risen no it was about
36:36about 15 5 15 years ago okay but 15
36:40years we went to all worship all men no
36:43women old men they introduced they said
36:46well anybody here world war one world
36:48war two vets on this kid they skipped
36:52better a top while our color guard
36:57captain went up to the guy and let the
36:59microphone and say you forgot the Korean
37:02War veterans plus we have a little Honor
37:05winner sitting with us that was a
37:08colonel sitter I think was Colonel
37:11sitters it was my honor winner from from
37:14from Korea he got a standing ovation we
37:17got a standing ovation we got standing
37:19ovations I mean my question is why was
37:21it so unpopular so that they have to
37:25stay act like we weave shoulda been
37:28there we should have been there we
37:29should not winter I mean there are many
37:31many word that you shouldn’t be there
37:33yeah we take the Americans you know
37:35today about that that fed non the guys
37:37going AWOL diff Monica will you do that
37:39we we raise that right hand we wanted a
37:42service within we were folded them we
37:44went with the army to Korea we refer to
37:47help people as we did that’s what the
37:49army does help people right I don’t kill
37:51people for or my question is why was it
37:54so unpopular why people didn’t recognize
37:57you why because i went two for you I
38:02don’t know we got a lot of respect in
38:06his career what they did for us was
38:10wonderful wonderful why can’t I gave him
38:12a TED start but our Glenn’s thought we
38:14loved it they treat us like we were gods
38:17they were could be trained but the
38:20interpreters were wonderful they were
38:21wonderful they stayed right with us I
38:24don’t think it’s pumpable tio sacrifice
38:26Americans young Americans men and women
38:30but I thirty three thousand men we lost
38:32I still say the mountains we sold the
38:36hills we saw I made a comment somewhere
38:39up here to gie gie up ever
38:41we’re not ever funny no never funny have
38:44you ever imagined a young excited boy
38:48okay come to came to Korea without
38:53knowing anything about Korea and you
38:56were scared yeah excited you’re excited
39:00did not want to happen to us and then
39:03you are excited to depart Korea a little
39:06in your head gather yeah and when you
39:08revisit Korea yep what a dramatic we’re
39:13amazed we were made we’re all be Jenny
39:15trees trees grants buildings what no
39:18building over there everything was black
39:20and I should not say this but to me when
39:27we were in Korea they remind you of
39:31desolate horrible place that they went
39:36through when they lost the people and
39:39the North Korean what the North Korean
39:41Chinese did to you people it’s horrible
39:43I mean thousands and thousands of people
39:45little kid why do you kill a little kid
39:48who can I go dude on to you mm-hmm but
39:50they showed pictures of that on top we I
39:53seen our history channel CTI two hands
39:56tied behind her back shot in the head or
39:58one I want the hostilities hostilities
40:00the wind between to stop between South
40:03Korea and North Korea let it be one
40:05career but the family for the North
40:07visit to the Fed near south south of the
40:08door we went to pay me in John and we
40:14were told what to do no gestures and
40:18what he said this is to his career
40:20that’s not in North Korea this is North
40:22Korea we did the same thing we could
40:24just we didn’t do it then to do it now
40:28we went into that barracks that what and
40:3150 others went around the table the
40:35interpret says you are now that corporal
40:38said you are now in North Korea us was
40:41first time we went back in North Korea
40:43since nineteen fifty-one
Photos
Pictures of Earl House
Left picture: posing in uniform and "Eisenhower jacket" at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky in 1951. Right picture: In work clothes called fatigues in Camp Breckinridge, 1951
![Pictures of Earl House](https://koreanwarlegacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/EHouse_001-scaled.jpg)
House's Location of Fighting
Circled in the map is where House was fighting in August of 1951 to September 2, 1951
![House's Location of Fighting](https://koreanwarlegacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/EHouse_002-scaled.jpg)
Christmas of 1951
House posing for a picture on Christmas Day, 1951 in North Korea.
![Christmas of 1951](https://koreanwarlegacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/EHouse_003-scaled.jpg)
House in Kapyong
House in Kapyong wearing a civilian belt and baggy pocket pants. Behind him is the Jeep he rode. On the Jeep is written 7-31-I (division-regiment-infantry). Also behind is the tent where Earl slept. Taken in 1952.
![House in Kapyong](https://koreanwarlegacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/EHouse_004-scaled.jpg)
Purple Heart Letter
Letter awarding him the Purple Heart from fighting in Chundong, North Korea on Feb 17, 1952.
![Purple Heart Letter](https://koreanwarlegacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/EHouse_005-scaled.jpg)
Letter to grandmother and mother
House's letter to his grandmother and mother written on April 15, 1952 letting them know he's coming home from Inje Korea.
![Letter to grandmother and mother](https://koreanwarlegacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/EHouse_006-scaled.jpg)