This is unbelievable - you have got to read this
I belong to a Cav forum that is for Post War Korea Cavalry Vets. This is a post made today by the Daughter of a Korea DMZ Vet who recently passed away. She is trying to find someone who knew him. What this guy said is unbelievable. I have edited out some of her blather, it was a long post.
My father, William Dale (Bill; W.D.) Bowles, 71 years old, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly this past June, 2011. About five years ago, I learned from one of his life-long friends that my dad, unbeknownst to his parents or siblings, enlisted in the army in March or April of 1958, went through six weeks of basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri and was then immediately sent to Korea and stationed somewhere in the DMZ, in an area referred to as the Iron Triangle, to serve as an M.P. My dad told his friend about this quite some time ago but insisted that he not share it with anyone - especially family. My dad and I were always close, even so, I didn't hear this story until recently. According to my dad's friend, when he got to Korea, my dad quickly learned that Korean snipers were coming in at night and taking out American soldiers. After watching this happen for a few weeks, my dad supposedly went to his C.O., a man he called, The Colonel, and told him he could help solve the problem. Because the situation had become so severe, The Colonel essentially told dad to do whatever he thought he could. Dad said American soldiers were quickly and easily tracked, found and killed because of their heavy boots while the snipers were like ghosts. They knew the woods, went bare-footed and were difficult to track. My dad said that in order to find them, he had to stay in the woods, silent and bare-foot for days/weeks at a time. Apparently, he became quite successful at stalking and taking out snipers. His friend said that with only a knife and a pistol, my dad decommissioned between 15 and 20 snipers per night. After a few months, the problem was basically eradicated, The Colonel got a promotion and my dad had a good sized bounty on his head. The Colonel called dad in, thanked him for all he'd done and said he was going to save dad's life by transferring him out of Korea. The Colonel told dad he could go wherever he wanted and offered him the opportunity to train other soldiers in Europe, Hawaii or anyplace more hospitable than Korea. Dad surprised him by telling him that he wanted out... wanted to go home. The Colonel was unable to convince him to stay so after telling my dad that there would be absolutely no record of his existence in the military, the Colonel sent my dad home. Until.... On a really good day, five months before he died, Dad and I were sitting in a little cafe, drinking coffee and having breakfast together. Things were going so well that I thought o.k... it's now or never. I asked Dad if he'd ever been in the military. Without saying yes or no, he looked down at the table and started talking. He was right about there being no records. Several years ago, he was told that any of his existing records were destroyed in a fire in St. Louis. His friend who knew the story has, on more than one occasion, called him a hero. My dad did not think of himself that way. He was, in fact, deeply ashamed, saddened and horrified by his experience. He was disturbed and haunted by the memories throughout his life. In a time of unofficial war, he took the lives of many men in order to save hundreds of his fellow soldiers. He was only 18 years old.,
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Originally Posted by JP43
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