It was the first week of August 1953 in Korea. The shooting came to a complete halt on the 27 of July. Fourteen months since I joined andstill an E2. A golden opportunity was presented and I jumped.

A group was formed to put up a test site 1/2 mile from the DMZ and I was lucky enough to be chosen. Mainly because of my fine Chinese language ability. I had learned to count to ten in seven differentdialects during my three months at Arlington Hall Station. Also learned how to say thank you, hshia hshia ni.

We left with the 329th with a convoy of six duece-n-halfs and two jeeps loaded with equipment at 4 AM in the morning. Included was our chief of station, Mr. Lewis, a cwo, 9 enlisted men, one being the radio and generator maintenance guy, 3 highly educated Taiwan Chinese Department of Army Civilians (DACs) and two Koreans, a cooks and a houseboy.

We finished just before dusk. The layout of the site was two
eleven-man tents back to back, one for the enlisted men and the other as a mess tent and quarters for the two Koreans. In front was a four man tent for the DACs. To the right front was the engine generator. Just along the right side of the main tent was our gasoline supply.To the left front was our operations truck and hut. In the rear was a two man tent for Mr. Lewis.

Mr. Lewis was career army having joined in 1931. He was a small manabout 5' 4" and 120 pounds. However he made up for his size by actinglike Godzilla. Godzilla or if you prefer Mr. Lewis had a real tommy-gun that he brought back from his duty in Europe during the second war. This tommy-gun looked like the type used by Al Capone in Chicago for the Valentines massacre.

The normal weapon that we carried at all times was the semi-automatic M2. The two men assigned to the operations hut were to take turns pulling guard duty after dark each night. Godzilla, or Mr. Lewis if you prefer, did not think an M2 had sufficient fire power for this dangerous guard duty so close to the DMZ so he gave fifteen minutes ofinstructions to all us peons on the use of his personal tommy gun. The thing was old and kinna rusty looking. Unfortunately we were too close to the DMZ to do any live target practice with the old rusty
looking tommy gun. That old rusty looking tommy gun appeared to be more of danger to the shooter than the shootee.

Now that very first night me and another lowly E2 drew the midshift. Things were scary because of the blackout conditions although it was a night with a bright moon. Who knew but the shooting might start again at any time with thousands of Chinese crossing the DMZ. Awful scary for a non-combatment. A young one at that. Even more scary since itwas 42 hours since sleep. It was my turn to take the 2AM guard shift.

My buddy came into the operations hut and turned that old rusty
looking heavy tommy gun over to me for my two hour turn at protectingour test site against the commies or other intruders. I left the hut armed with that old rusty looking tommy gun that I was scared of pulling the trigger for my own safety's sake. I would have felt much safer armed with just a knife. Or even a sling shot. I went aroundthe DACs' tent and as I was rounding the engine generator I heard a
little noise.

Sure enough in front of my eyes was a man standing in our gas dump.

I immediately yelled "PUT YOUR HANDS UP" and then started shaking.

The man started backing away and I yelled "STOP OR I WILL SHOOT" and continued shaking harder and more.

The man continued backing away and I yelled "PLEASE STOP OR I WILL SHOOT".

At that point Godzilla, or Mr. Lewis if you choose, came out of histent dressed in his shorts, all skinny 120 pounds of him, yelling in his best command voice "SHOOT THE SONA A BITCH! SHOOT THE SONA ABITCH! SHOOT THE SONA A BITCH!.

Now what a quandry. Here I am with a rusty old tommy gun that mightblow me up if I pull the trigger, might send me to the stockaid if Ipull the trigger and kill the guy stealing our gas, or might end of going to the stockaid for not obeying a direct order from Godzilla, orMr. Lewis if you chose, under wartime conditions.

Furthermore, it came to me that pulling the trigger of that old rusty looking tommy gun might have caused Korean War II.

About this time all the commotion caused the other 8 EM, the 3 DACs,and 2 Koreans to come out and witness Godzilla, or Mr. Lewis if youwish, ordering me to execute the intruder who was still backing away.

Godzilla, or Mr. Lewis if you wish, took that old rusty tommy gun awayfrom me and yelled "STOP YOU BASTARD OR I WILL SHOOT". Now, it waspretty evident that the intruder did not understand a word of english because he kept backing away.

To this day I don't know whether that old looking rusty tommy gunjammed or Godzilla, Mr. Lewis if you wish, had second thoughts about shooting the intruder because he didn't and thus Korean War II was averted.

The intruder backed away into the night.

The next day Godzilla, Mr. Lewis if you wish, went looking and found the intruder who was a ROK sergent in an artillery outfit 1/2 mile south of us. The intruders CO, a Lt. Colonel told Godzilla, Mr Lewis if you wish, that the sergent would receive proper punishment for attempting to steal our gas.

I never did receive any type of reconition or medal for preventing Korean War II. Thought it should have been at least worth a Silver Star.

That was the story of "The Warrant Officer". A true story so help me.

As an aside that was the last of guard duty for that old rusty looking tommy gun.

Roger

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