Korean War

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11 years 11 months ago - 11 years 11 months ago #13251 by VTIT
Korean War was created by VTIT
This is a story my father always told us. I am one of 7 kids and I don't think there is one of that can't quote it.

My dad was in Korea during the war. Stationed there as a tank mechanic and was always busy. Most of his job was going out with the tank retriever picking up broken down tanks and bringing them back to be repaired. During his off time he told us as we got older of how he used to mix the alcohol they used for cleaning lenses with O.J. because there wasn't any other booze around.

One time his best friend (was up until the day he died) and he had to go out and pick up a tank that had broken down. The two of them and another guy hopped in the retriever headed out. They got about an hour from where they were and broke down. Since the motor pool only had two tank retrievers and the other one was busy for a while they were stuck.

It started to rain...hard. Since they had a dry place inside the retriever they decided to stay inside, finding it was getting a little cramped my dad and his buddy Les decided to sleep under the tank. It wasn't as dry but at least they could stretch out. They finally fell asleep.

When they woke up the next day the sun was out and it had stopped raining somewhere during the night. They both rolled up their sleeping bags and packed things up. Neither one of them noticing that the tank retriever was gone...GONE. Until they thought about going back.

They started hoofing it back to the motor pool and finally caught a ride. When they got back they saw their retriever safe and sound being worked on. It seems when the other retriever showed up in the middle of the night and neither one of them heard a thing. The other guy didn't know where they had gone. They yelled a couple times but heard no answer and couldn't find them. Whether or not any of that "lens cleaner" was involved he wouldn't say.

Now I have been around a few tanks in my life and to me they are loud as hell! Les and my dad tell the same story. Whether they made it up together and just told it so many times they had it down pat I don't know. I also don't know how they could sleep through a tank retriever getting towed from above them but they swear to it.
Last edit: 11 years 11 months ago by mlotziii.

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11 years 11 months ago #13252 by mlotziii
Replied by mlotziii on topic Korean War
That is a good one and definitely worth retelling.

Not quite as loud as a tank retriever but I was on a backpacking trip in Maine on a boy scout trip. We had hiked about 25 miles to our first camp area. The next morning my friend and I woke up and looked outside to see the entire group had broke camp and set off on the trail.

Didn't take us more than 3 hours to catch and pass the group. The 5,000 vertical feet in the first mile of the hike helped us tremendously.

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