Marvin Dunn
Bio
Marvin Dunn was born on May 4, 1931 in Wichita Falls, Texas. He was a freshman in Paris Junior College when he enlisted in January of 1951. He arrived in Pusan in July of that year and was stationed as a corporal in the Punchbowl area serving in the 1st Marine Division, 1st Regiment, 1st Battalion, Able Company, specializing in Infantry. He participated in two separate campaigns in the Punchbowl area. Upon returning from his rotation, he spent 7 months in a hospital in California recovering from his extensive injuries. After being discharged from military service, he graduated from college and became a teacher and an administrator with the Dallas Independent School District.
Video Clips
Wounded in Battle
Marvin Dunn describes being hit by a mortar while building bunkers. He explains that his unit was collecting small trees to use for the construction of the bunkers when he heard the very distinct sound of a mortar approaching. He yelled for the men to get down and all of them took cover, except for him. The mortar blast was so close to him that the blast destroyed his left leg, eye, and eardrum. He goes on to describe being evacuated to a MASH unit in the floor of the Punchbowl.
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Talking About the War
Marvin Dunn explains that it took him many years to talk about his experiences in the Korean War. He describes feeling as though nobody who wasn't there could possibly be able understand; thus, he refrained from recounting his experiences. He goes on to explain that only upon joining a local KWVA chapter was he able to share what happened to him with friends, family, and students.
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I Would Do It Again
Marvin Dunn explains he would have done it all over again (serve in the Korean War) despite having lost his left leg and left eye in combat. He describes the great accomplishment of attaining both a Bachelor's as well as a Master's degree in four years. He goes on to describe his professional life, future academic pursuits and his family. He explains that he would not change anything about his time in Korea because if he had to live his life all over again he would probably "foul it up."
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Video Transcript
0:00
Marvin Dunn and I was born Witchita Falls Texas
0:05
and when i was about
0:07
two-year-old uh… marker moved to prayer section
0:13
outward more not interim one
0:15
may the fourth
0:18
and uh… when i was
0:20
two years old uh…
0:22
land per tech
0:24
and my dad was a former corner upon form fill i was fifteen years old
0:31
and uh…
0:33
what uh… golden arm or hospital
0:37
which were of country whom
0:40
analog
0:44
out work
0:45
after agrarian posco are op i didn’t have the money go to college so i’m
0:50
i want police
0:51
uh… westeck unit olga subjective
0:54
work in all for your for a year
0:57
are and
0:58
in nineteen fifty and start to college i was freshman in college
1:02
when the war broke out
1:04
or
1:07
occur here your college
1:10
war
1:10
well so
1:12
uh…
1:13
outward
1:14
going to be a pharmacist
1:16
but i think my mind uh… well good luck
1:19
mile
1:20
soccer augmentation doctor hatcher
1:24
toppling undergoing and education so i i spent their careers with alternative
1:29
good history
1:30
as a teacher performance short
1:33
sir
1:35
looked
1:37
i thought
1:38
english
1:39
my ass
1:41
insulted
1:44
views
1:45
well i went from lots a lot of great trip
1:49
pascagoula involved college i thought mark texas uh…
1:53
uh… talk via la recourse their people
1:57
meyer
1:59
you work na blues
2:01
when war broke out
2:03
unicorn fails i’ll
2:05
students
2:06
knowledge there’s place right here so up uh…
2:09
enrolling in the perceived collars in august
2:13
and by november the war growing up my own and uh…
2:18
are talking to him about it
2:20
and
2:23
i asked him if they would uh…
2:26
lockheed join the marines with me because it would get stay together
2:31
and so through our city on the marines in your your
2:35
here you were a lot
2:36
they uh…
2:38
talking a bit too warm you’re relaxing
2:42
and uh…
2:44
we want to go to camp
2:46
an advanced training together but
2:50
and two of us
2:52
weren’t korea together
2:55
that the other one got hurt
2:57
wanted and uh… combat training in ankit california
3:02
and uh… but wine and uh…
3:06
are not the first person i a m
3:07
he got in a second because
3:10
people
3:14
or
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are you know we’re all
3:17
r_-rated
3:19
i look over my house
3:22
visions our news for three million
3:26
welfare for a moment storeroom or
3:29
and not all and uh… korean war or two in marry him
3:34
and uh…
3:35
he was gonna rome all for many uh…
3:39
that’s the minor read we joined the marines that and we stay together
3:43
off
3:45
golfers him
3:49
all it was on the radio
3:52
radio we inhabit
3:54
we didn’t have joey mcintyre
3:59
piece
4:01
they were talking about difficult
4:04
first were in the region
4:06
was having
4:08
trying to get out of the children of war
4:10
and uh…
4:11
three oh
4:12
uh… chinese had surrounded them and and and uh…
4:19
and some of the papers head
4:22
some things in there about
4:23
newspaper
4:25
about the war
4:27
happen go once a week we join
4:30
we didn’t wait for the girl even though the drop a lonely we joined in
4:34
and we thought we could container educating we got back
4:42
or
4:43
are you reading up green area
4:46
and uh…
4:50
it was really
4:52
in bad shape when i got older means your life if you want
4:56
it
4:58
right
4:59
hu song
5:07
i was in uh…
5:08
my unit was in restore
5:11
hospital reserve for four days
5:14
and uh…
5:18
minority
5:20
which involves trying to do with a mark a lawnmower
5:25
and
5:26
and marine corps you go in as replacements
5:30
and uh…
5:31
so when i got
5:32
slams in my unit there in reserve
5:35
and uh…
5:37
uh… mop
5:40
but earlier estimated done what your melissa russian and uh… anymore
5:44
and he said will be a gun
5:47
martyr figure
5:49
he he gave me a b_a_ are
5:53
browning allah akbar awful
5:56
and uh…
5:58
turned out it was will most effective weapon inquiry of the building could for
6:03
about four five around that
6:05
between four and five
6:08
and uh…
6:10
and far far
6:12
uh… you could you don’t know
6:14
quite a few around
6:18
old
6:21
a punch bowl
6:22
how was in the punch bowl police department
6:26
uh… all-time modeler
6:29
uh… real seven
6:31
fourteen and
6:33
uh… heels
6:34
tilton
6:36
but failed
6:39
and the first marine
6:41
regime
6:42
uh… three days to take that he’ll
6:45
animal
6:46
and once we we lost
6:49
manage them
6:51
three-day not killed or wounded are or killed
6:54
and and
6:56
we’ll enter a day before from there
7:01
to tell you know and and and uh…
7:06
and send back in reserve
7:08
hospital riverboat got way
7:12
we were
7:13
we need to me and so
7:14
uh… electrified diaries and worked back couple he’ll like twelve
7:19
all in the parking lot where
7:22
and i got warning light oracle hiked well
7:26
birthdate
7:27
polio
7:28
october twenty fail nineteen peter wong
7:33
uh…
7:34
uh…
7:35
harem order out there and one more
7:38
collected
7:39
uh…
7:40
i think they have down all mom job record
7:44
problem one
7:47
man general here
7:51
when they go off by this
7:54
come up while the ground
7:56
doing damage
7:58
but i heard uh… i was in charge and me and we were billed monthly for the
8:02
winery getting kind of cool accompli
8:05
twenty fails and and
8:09
mom did not know how much of trees and we were
8:12
picking up some old all around
8:15
built in public
8:17
and uh…
8:18
our detectives more coming in a hurry
8:22
head of state
8:23
style
8:25
and not
8:27
so an ideal ahead team and uh…
8:32
uh… you l for them
8:34
they did
8:35
i didn’t i didn’t like it
8:38
and it’s done
8:40
felt like a hit my back pocket but i don’t know if it’s twelve ba
8:47
at lol mollified
8:50
and uh…
8:51
uh… i lost my laptop
8:54
and rabble and well cya mumbai
8:58
battles
9:00
uh… on
9:09
me
9:11
i’ll never forget it
9:13
they didn’t even knock me out
9:17
i remember
9:18
coming and getting me on my own
9:21
and moves helicopter
9:22
the lowest nashville reside
9:26
came and got me into me tula max unit
9:30
floral if possible
9:32
and i stayed there
9:35
to three days and they need to do seoul korea
9:39
and then they flew me to tokyo
9:42
and uh…
9:45
i got all my endorsement to into uh… you ’cause could you pam
9:50
walk
9:53
record
9:59
i don’t know i mean even
10:01
tropical my friends at worldnet
10:06
they couldn’t tell me
10:09
uh…
10:10
in combat
10:12
sometime light they will
10:15
they will slave thing like that
10:17
you make it up on a lot
10:20
ideas knowledge fell free of ah… you’ll
10:22
even more recovery coming in
10:25
you you know here my bob
10:28
i mean i’m
10:29
sing yes temple mind
10:31
you never hear than usual
10:34
you’ll
10:37
sir
10:42
at all
10:44
ac happy l two what one idea is charged me and and
10:49
and gave me a disability
10:52
hotpot told leon but
10:55
at and did
10:56
i felt that they will
10:58
it was uh… mortar
11:00
and uh… later that month uh… who would later
11:06
wanted this chart
11:09
here’s a little
11:10
purple heart
11:14
this shows the memorial in washington d_c_
11:18
instead of chapter
11:24
i’d you on
11:25
uh… the first time they organized
11:28
and two thousand
11:31
and i was
11:32
president chapter for two years
11:35
and then i’ll
11:38
we had the golden state department
11:41
and i was president state department for three years
11:44
uh…
11:46
leftover worksheet
11:50
i was twenty years old when that happens so our guest
11:55
overtime
11:56
household evenly on them
11:58
uh… i got my natural or crack
12:01
but
12:02
through the years i’ve gotten careless not workin
12:07
but they’re not trying to reading it
12:09
not natural walk by
12:12
when i got over there
12:15
the japanese
12:17
by hand
12:19
they had moved
12:21
almost everyone down to the
12:23
puts on
12:25
the ocean
12:27
and and and with uh…
12:30
we find out some troops over there
12:33
they they had the uh…
12:36
for remuneration minded in general and the
12:39
which cut off their supplies
12:42
and i had to
12:44
te calvin roland and get back to you
12:49
the north korea
12:51
and uh…
12:53
it was
12:55
you know it’s just
12:58
had to give our country
12:59
that’s what my you know is farm for imported though
13:10
above first country that would follow right uh… and you know
13:17
it really paid off
13:19
at really it
13:20
uh… of so many others with
13:24
that come through
13:26
and delhi
13:29
the people
13:30
orders extremely
13:34
grateful
13:35
and thankful
13:36
i mean every time you
13:40
argyll
13:44
i’ve got up
13:45
technol tag
13:46
lama carving out purple heart
13:50
and uh…
13:52
at the longer book remember alot
13:55
works for
13:56
and every time
13:58
cargo there
14:00
kiki bathroom hereby are go there
14:03
so grateful that
14:05
she wasn’t she was monitored by their parent for
14:12
he knows
14:13
what took place
14:19
word alliance
14:21
joanne
14:23
jail capital body and and
14:28
and we’ve been married six years
14:31
december
14:34
only
14:37
we want the same scuba gear in the first one i want singer
14:43
mark and back
14:46
she graduated when she received any so if you’ve been working couple years when
14:50
i came back
14:53
and t_v_ ratings
14:55
huge shine so
15:00
com bonner roared
15:05
it seems that occurs
15:08
who now
15:10
i didn’t even go will you know i came back
15:13
ice they are going with her in june
15:16
after i got there sure are night borel
15:19
and by september with sizing him here
15:22
birds condo d
15:28
not just your pussy willows
15:34
light
15:35
you have we used to step on the bus together
15:40
and i used to kidder about hack keeps you aware of
15:43
indian berkshire video
15:46
because you have a lot of younger three years younger
15:50
but uh…
15:52
you have mahler
15:54
basically
15:55
arora
15:57
or
15:59
she rejected sector headband for two years debate in europe
16:05
he’s ready sector for national hardware it’s a very holds little
16:12
and she have to get through college
16:15
besieged all yeah i i i have little
16:21
through this very our own lol
16:23
i mean i i would have a have to leave the case
16:27
when we got there
16:28
that’s all ahead
16:30
user
16:33
for
16:36
uh… i’ve always thought
16:40
parlour what dialogue
16:43
now ameen
16:46
i had all these problems emotionally and physically
16:51
but she seemed on the plane
16:57
it’s a beautiful part of uh… and any relationship got on the stand
17:02
mahmoud
17:05
we have to go
17:07
audio absolutely
17:12
oh yes
17:14
arm
17:15
uh… or began to q committee
17:20
he’s a great way
17:24
consume the sample
17:27
one him
17:30
perhaps for yeah she
17:35
jiske
17:38
not really
17:45
all up
17:46
first
17:48
i had dreams about
17:51
combat
17:52
and loud wake-up
17:55
and uh…
18:00
are unusual rain and that uh…
18:03
obey and fire five and
18:06
not welcome
18:08
would uh…
18:09
wouldn’t far or something
18:12
but i’d wake up
18:14
as far
18:15
p_d_a_s d uh…
18:18
allelic of really head-on
18:21
uh…
18:23
and you are on the day
18:25
and you don’t want to
18:26
no
18:27
and give me a creation
18:30
and uh…
18:32
contrary on that
18:39
yours
18:40
had to dock
18:50
tumor twenty-five orange twenty eight
18:53
and then
18:54
uh…
18:55
one is a dean ones feasting
18:59
and it
19:01
unlike most
19:02
gadgets all
19:04
that warm argues in the war
19:07
are colin powell
19:10
poorly forty-year uh… connell
19:12
no project
19:14
mccollum our guest because i didn’t think they were understanding
19:19
or talking about called
19:21
unless you’re there you know spam
19:24
but you had wanted
19:26
and not
19:29
but what do your own destructor
19:32
in two thousand
19:34
he would use
19:36
that’s when it was a stamberg i went to the first meeting ngo on
19:43
these guys were there
19:45
debut what i want to remind you what they want to know
19:48
and we started talking
19:51
that’s first-timer root out about it
19:54
and
19:57
cannot start talking about to migrate yet because i i want him to the nao
20:02
about the war
20:04
or fault
20:06
result
20:08
and all that
20:09
cargo
20:10
how schools as
20:12
king here and when you hear
20:15
would go out to
20:17
here
20:19
tell america program area
20:21
i have developed out here and our chapter
20:24
lehrer counter
20:28
order prints
20:32
yet
20:33
do you know that they’re locked most
20:37
when we go i have to first thing in it
20:40
did you kill anyone
20:42
you know that serving mentality
20:45
there were few killzone and uh…
20:49
artist tel aviv all year round
20:52
urinal adl and you know you know users
20:56
utero
20:58
a lot
21:00
some of the universities
21:02
our study machine
21:06
aural
21:06
history
21:08
department
21:10
north texas
21:12
has started one that came out then interviewed me and i wrote a book
21:17
you strongly and i wonder if there are only
21:19
first loyalists in their library in people it will allow
21:24
uh… pot
21:25
manner and and and and now
21:30
or or history of of
21:32
of war
21:33
they can do so
21:35
that that warm water and and people writing books that the mother
21:40
and um…
21:41
and things like
21:42
we’re doing here i think barack for
21:45
telemar program is a good one
21:48
uh… we have a lot
21:49
problem and anarchy abt ur ideas joan about four months ago
21:55
and he was captain and the uh… ninety
21:59
and
22:01
he
22:03
before you retire from one ninety
22:05
page so i mean the
22:07
four they actually was
22:09
he was in my view during the korean war
22:13
hero
22:16
peach steadied
22:18
the reason we weren’t there
22:21
what we accomplished
22:23
and and
22:24
and what’s going on now and career
22:26
and he goes around
22:28
sa leader is
22:33
two people
22:35
the calcula groups what
22:38
i’ll talk to any the uh…
22:43
purveying
22:44
heritage society
22:48
sega ni rather than a chapter they want someone comes face too
22:52
they only had about a hundred people adult
22:55
and not will want
23:02
things like that can spread the word
23:05
was we we re re
23:07
here was that will go
23:09
history
23:11
they’re not deliver good job with the dual textbooks
23:16
quits tells the story of
23:18
of a war
23:21
or to one
23:24
viet nam correa
23:27
korea business known this for got more
23:31
and uh…
23:34
with a company so much further
23:37
and lol so many people
23:41
and uh…
23:42
so many
23:44
nations
23:45
tonight bill payment
23:51
either
23:55
what’s that either
23:57
are train the on so
24:00
what section no olympics
24:03
uh… i couldn’t believe it
24:05
i could not believe uh… mccollum
24:08
blues song was
24:11
just that thing
24:12
we were there and fifty one
24:14
and um… i think it’s a
24:17
uh…
24:18
soulless
24:19
uh… no straight to her yet
24:23
uh…
24:25
but not out he had seen it
24:27
final
24:28
the people rarely
24:30
we had some
24:32
some of the south koreans have been of karyam on food
24:37
for saying it is a
24:40
i’ve spent all my time in the in the uh…
24:44
much more
24:49
but iraq
24:50
you know i would do it again uh… a promising on bob dole native people
24:56
so long bike i’m crazy and
24:58
after all a brown through book
25:00
uh… but
25:03
if you think about
25:06
me since i was twenty years all
25:10
having to get up every morning
25:13
and phone this
25:15
prostate tissue
25:16
for our cargo bathroom
25:24
known to the shower
25:31
billed to the shower
25:34
stayin
25:36
all one way
25:38
to take a shower
25:40
not done that farm
25:43
polly’s ear
25:47
it will be
25:51
orders argument
25:52
it’s needed
25:53
uh… it was fifty one
25:56
prompting pete walker who feel
26:00
an ob
26:04
it film
26:06
admin these days
26:08
i didn’t
26:09
one one when i was
26:13
in college
26:16
when you first hit
26:18
get a prosthesis
26:22
bruises
26:24
own your style
26:25
macaws your stump risky used to it like you’re for it when you’re walking
26:30
and i’ll
26:31
so revenues
26:34
clashes
26:36
i want the clashes on crutches
26:41
and the reason i got my bachelor’s degree in three years ago about
26:45
detective portion
26:48
and acting in
26:50
uh… of the year you yet
26:52
your magic that takes to but
26:55
the immune
26:56
and and i got all my love for years
27:00
yes
27:02
houdini moreau and
27:04
for about a year
27:06
one one dario
27:08
with thinking about it
27:12
or went through in college
27:14
and i said you know uh…
27:17
i got all my degrees in four years
27:20
and i worked on the locker duck duck down well-liked through the course of
27:24
their mother
27:25
an education but
27:27
uh… i was a mom
27:28
like forty not salad
27:31
uh… undeveloped migraine headaches
27:34
and i won’t spend time with a girl before iran are screwing
27:39
derailed train and all that so
27:43
but i have had a great life i wouldn’t change
27:47
would change and i’m covered for up to throw it out
27:54
mrs
27:57
yahoo it we’ve got some great
28:01
great people
28:02
uh… i think our soldiers come back from afghanistan
28:06
uh… uh… i’m so proud of them because thy
28:11
day uh… really had had uh…
28:16
but through
28:18
all kinds of stuff over there it’s summary all
28:23
remember
28:26
what this country was built on
28:30
and it would
28:31
we came over
28:33
they came over are pilgrim camo over
28:37
so we get out for you know
28:40
and uh…
28:43
and and so pop pa site to young people
28:46
you know
28:48
it network
28:49
freedom humphrey
28:50
never has been
28:53
since then
28:54
since the revolutionary war
28:58
and to always be paid to rally
29:01
alway be page right
29:03
you may like to go through war hope you don’t know
29:06
if you do
29:08
big hydraulic too
29:10
the country in the flyer
29:13
orchard
Photos
Marvin Dunn June 1951
Marvin Dunn 1951
