Edward John Jankowski

Bio

Edward Jankowski was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1931. Prior to being drafted on his twenty-first birthday, he was an electrician with the Carrier Corporation. While in Korea, he served as a machinist with the United States Army’s 79th Engineer Construction Battalion. Among many projects during his service in Korea, his unit was part of reconstructing the Freedom Gate Bridge. After returning from Korea, he married his high school sweetheart, Noreen. The memories his wife recalls him sharing include details about the cold winters, the “house boy” who lived with his unit, and the comments made to American soldiers while serving in Korea. He came back grateful that he lived in America and for the opportunities in the United States. According to his wife, he would have liked to return to Korea on one of the tours with his buddies that he served with, but his health at that time did not permit it.

Video Clips

Personal Connection with the People

Edward Jankowski shared details with his family about a "house boy" who was with his unit in Korea. Noreen recalls her husband sharing how he stayed mostly with them, worked for them, and would take what money he made home to his family. She mentions how she would send the boy toy guns through the mail. Noreen reads a letter from 1954 that the "house boy" sent to Edward after he left Korea.

Tags: Civilians,Letters,Living conditions

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Rededication of the Bridge

Noreen Jankowski recounts how her husband, Edward, would write her letters every day, and she would receive them in bulk. Along with these letters, she reviews some of the husband's photographs of construction projects. Among these photographs, she shares images of the reconstruction and rededication of the bridge over the Han River. In a few of the photographs, she identifies General Taylor and the President of the Korean National Assembly.

Tags: Hangang (River),Home front,Letters

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Reminders from M.A.S.H

Noreen Jankowski recalls her husband, Edward Jankowski, was not the type of veteran who would complain about his military service. According to his wife, the sitcom MASH reminded him of his outfit. Noreen shares one story from Edward involving the commander encouraging the soldiers to improve their attire and they did not have the resources to dress up.

Tags: Home front,Letters,Living conditions

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Photos

Personal Letter

Edward Jankowski wrote a letter to family.

Edward's personal letter (2)

Standing at Palace

Edward Jankowski was standing at a palace during Korean War.

Civilian carrying hay

A old man carying a load of hay on his A frame

Soldier's Jeep

Edward Jankowski was standing by a jeep.

Land during Korean War

Edward Jankowski stood near the mountains in Korea during the war.

Korean Soldiers During Korean War

Edward Jankowski took this photo of Lee, a Korean soldier during the Korean War.

300 year old Bridge

Edward Jankowski is standing on a 300 year old bridge that was blown up during the Korean War.

PX at Yong San

Edward Jankowski took a picture by the PX at Yong San.

The Prince's home

Edward Jankowski took a picture of the Prince's home.

Prince's Home with fountain

Edward Jankowski took a picture of the fountain by the Prince's home.

Prince's Palace

Edward Jankowski took a picture by the prince's palace.

Korean kids During the war

Edward Jankowski took pictures of two Korean kids during the Korean War.

Landscape during Korean War

Edward Jankowski took pictures of the landscape during the Korean War near the Han River and Yeongdeungpo.

Physical Destruction during Korean War

Edward Jankowski took a picture of a Korean girl picking up popcorn off the ground surrounded by destruction.

North Korean POWs

Edward Jankowski took pictures of North Korean POWs.

Seoul City Hospital

Edward Jankowski took pictures of a Seoul City Hospital.

Korean currency

Dedication schedule flyer

AFAK-Built Bridge Opens To Aid Seoul

Report of separation form

Enrollment in more than two USAFI courses

Aberdeen Proving Ground

To Noreen

Order to report for induction

Announcement on Military Leave Payment

Edward's letter to Miss Noreen Smith

Army Reserve Qualification and Availability Questionnaire, DA Form 1140

Army Reserve Qualification and Availability Questionnaire, DA Form 1140 (page 2)

Army Reserve Qualification and Availability Questionnaire, DA Form 1140 (page 1)

Machine

On a truck

Heavy equipment area

Cat pulling a pan

Heavy equipment shack

Truck, the day we worked on old area

Work place

Rack washer

On truck

Taking a picture of Edward

The garage area

Part of heavy equipment area and 573 area

A crain

Edward wokring on the cat

Rack washer

Repairing the heavy equipment

Washing the digger

A concrete grounding

Military truck

Looking at camera

Heavy equipment

Smoke generation

In battalion headquarters building

Taken from the main road to the palace

Gen. Taylor talking to the person of Korean national assembly

School kids, coming in through the gate

Part of maintainance area

Soldiers and crane

A view of street, demonstration

A view of street, parading

All Korean kids they sang for the guys

Two Korean woman doing the laundry

A R.R. bridge on the way Chuncheon

A R.R. bridge on the way to Chuncheon

A plane on air field K16

A Korean boy, skoshi

Korean students walking with national flags on the street

Seoul city command P.X

Koreans carrying A-frames

Seoul city command P.X

Korean students walking on the street

A picture of 24th group

Old Korean weaving hay

A Korean boy, skoshi

A view of steel frame remained

A view of town

A view of steel frame

Truck going away

Machine shops

Two soldiers in front of machine shops

Standing by truck

Trucks

Basket and radar between cars

In front of radar

Tanks going down the road

In front of radar

Repairing, getting on wheels

Trucks

Repairing

Machine shops

Old sgt. In front of the crane

Taking parts from the old machine

Sitting in crane

Other view of posing with a gun

Posing with a gun

A picture of Skoshi

With A Korea boy, Skoshi

Xmas Eve 1953

The Han river bridge

Hong chon Bridge

Gen. Taylor just got out of his car

Two soldiers on a horse wagon

Tank going down the road

Maintaining equipment

Old shack

With a Korean house boy

570th area near the Han

Some ROK leaders talking

Talking on dedication for the bridge

Walking across the bridge

Explanation board for Duk Soo palace

Deoksu Palace

A Korean boy, Skoshi

Korean village

A soldier in 79th

Two Korean boys

Gen. Taylor walking away

The construction field for bridge

Koreans taken at the dedication

ROK army band

The theater at Yongsan near 8th Army Headquarter

Edward and some Korean kids

Duck soo Palace

Duck soo Palace - Deoksu Palace

Some damaged buildings in Seoul

Korean labor repairing bridge at Chuncheon

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (1)

79th Engineer Construction BN Unit History (cover)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (2)

Shot from arm rest

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (3)

Application for correspondence or self-teaching course

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (3)

Applicant's previous enrollment declaration

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (4)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (cover)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (6)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (7)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (8)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (9)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (10)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (11)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (12)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (13)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (14)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (15)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (16)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (17)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (18)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (19)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (20)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (21)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (23)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (24)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (25)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (26)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (27)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (30)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (28)

24th Engineer Construction Group booklet (29)

The old capital building near Seoul city hall

Another Japanese Shine

Church building

P.X. at Yong San, 8th army

Pw's walking across worked-out bridge to the train on the aother side for Munsan-ri

Japanese buildings

Walking and marching with flags

Bike-riding

Appication for correspondence or self-teaching course

Giving a speech

Mess Hall # 3 A.P.G

A Korean woman and a boy

Exploding explosives

A view of pier from a ship

At 38th parallel with friends

Edward in front of military band

A soldier digging

Aftermath of attack

Before training

Kids washing in a rice paddy

Weaving factory

Carrying away something with cow

With Korean boy

Military tent

Exploding explosives

Military tents

Military tent camp

P.W's on the railway

Beds in a tent

Inside of a chapel

Three soldiers in front of a straw-thatched cottage

Edward in parked trucks

Edward and Toney

Part of the air camp

A veiw of tents in military base

Edward and chun cheon river bridge

ROK army band

Building up the guard tent in the background

ROK army band

A Korean weaving factory

Taylor making his speech,

A military base

Korean boys playing basket ball

P.X. in the battalion

A view of 79th Engr. Const. area

A group of K.S.C's going to work

A view of 79th Engr. Const. area

Korean house and woman carrying something on her head

Part of a village

Koreans picking up something

79th Engr. Const. area

Korean picking and carrying timber

A view of 79th Chapel

The bridge we were working at the rail load

Mountains near Yonchon

Naggong

Taylor shaking hands with the SGT

A helicopter flying over the base

the village around co. area

With a Korean soldier

Military band and soldiers

Plane taking off at K16

Main gate to head quarters and co. area

The bridge construction completion

a field of construction

Battalion commander Cal Matteu making a speech

Guard on the rail line

Heavy equipments for construction

Korean school

Poles at 62nd

Taken on the way to mountain

Plane and an aviation shed

Some Korean kids

Near hill of 62nd

The chapal at Yong san

A little girl wearing Korean traditional outfit, Hanbok

Rear of our building

Ridge beside river

Korean boy in our place

Taken at Yokohama

62nd Eng. Tapa Co.

Tents in our base

38th Parallel

Taken on downtown

The gate of prince's home

Road to a Korean village

Our chapel

Korean Cemetery

Edward, in front of the plane

Taken in co. area

The plane at K-16

The door of our co. area

A village taken from a hill

Trucks

Smoke generation

Taken on the road near Hwacheon

62nd Eng. Const. B. Headquaters

24th Eng. Const. groups. Headquaters

Two kids were waching in the gutter

Taken north of Soyang river

Smoke generation

Han river

Our new area and building

Koreans taking a group photo

Communist P.W's walking across to get on another train for Munsan-ni

Rhee, shaking hands

A view of Palace

Seoul city swimming pool

One of the demonstration for unification of Korea

Rear of the Prince's house

A mountain passage

Edward, in front of the sign near the main P.X in Tokyo

Two Korean kids

Soldiers sitting in a line

A horse and wagon

A trolley

Great gate in Seoul

Entrance to the South gate of the Palace

A couple of Korean boys taken on the hill

Edward standing near p.x. sign

Boys in the hill, gathering hay

Taken at K 16 in Korea

With a Korean boy

American embassy in Seoul, Korea

P.W's getting off train to get on another for mountain

The bridge construction

On the way bridge chunchon built by the 79th

Kapyong High School, on the way to Chun chon

Flyer for saying unification

Letter from Skoshi, a Korean boy (front)

Letter from Skoshi, a Korean boy (back)

Two Korean woman washing clothes in the gutter

General Taylor coming for bridge completion

The bridge

After ribbon cutting, General Taylor crossed the bridge

Dedication by the chang-chon bridge

Edward at Gen. Taylor's invitation

Some of the audience at the dedication

Tank guarding Freedom Gate bridge

The Han river

One side of the Han River

Seoul city command Theatre

An old ox

Some old papa carrying hay on the A-frame

Tents P.W's taken place at Munsan-ni

Gate bridge Munsan-ni

Near by pass 13 to the 78th

Main Street in Seoul

Some Korean woman cleaning the vegetables they got out of this garden

Taken at Duck Soo Palace

Sign near national palace

Revisit Korea Program, KWVA