Honored to serve, lucky to survive

Johnson drove

tank during

the Korean War

By GUY PRIEL

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Veteran Les Johnson of New Ulm retains vivid memories of the Korean War, and his three years of service.

A native of Morgan, Johnson, now 81, was drafted in late1950 and sent to Fort Knox, Ky., for training. He was 30 and held the rank of staff sergeant in the Army.

"I spent about a year at Fort Knox before heading for Korea," he said. "My mother took it really hard when she heard I had been drafted. She really worried about me."

In Korea, Johnson was a member of the Third and Fifth Armored Division, the Second Division, and the 72nd Tank Division.

"My main duty was driving a tank, although there were other things we were called to do as needed," Johnson said. "I sat up front, where I had three feet of steel protecting me."

Often, enemy shells would penetrate the outer hull of the tank, causing shrapnel to fly around inside, causing a lot of injuries, he said.

"One thing the enemy would do was attack the biggest thing available, which would be the tank," Johnson said. "They also tried to destroy the tracks. Once the tracks were gone, the tank couldn't move. Then, they would move in to attack personnel."

In one case, the tank Johnson was driving ran over a landmine. The tank was destroyed and some of the men in the unit were killed.

"I am fortunate to be here today," he said. "I almost died in that incident. I am not bragging about what I did and the medals I received. I was honored to serve my country."

Because Korea is a hilly country with lots of valleys and rivers, Johnson faced many challenges in driving a tank.

"One fun part about it was when we would hold road marches," he said. "That is when we would line up about 30 deep and drive at night with no lights. It is amazing how much you can see at night when you're driving a tank."

Despite the fighting, "there were always fun things that go on, despite the fact that it was a war," Johnson said.

For example, some men in the unit emptied out the artillery shells inside the tank and filled them with beer. They would then store them in the river so they could have cold beer to drink.

In another experience, One day, a South Korean came over and stole a five-gallon can of gasoline from the back of one of the supply trucks. Johnson was given an order by his commander to shoot the man.

"I told him 'no,'" he said. "A can of gas is not worth a man's life. I told him I know these people and I would get the gas can back. These people had families at home, too. I went over and talked to him and got the can back. I disobeyed a direct command, but the commander was glad I didn't kill the man."

Although 50 years have passed since the beginning of the Korean War, veterans just recently received some of their medals.

The medals, authorized by the United States Government in 2000, were sent to veterans by Korean officials, along with a letter of thanks for their efforts. The medals had been created by the South Korean government in 1951.

Johnson's collection includes service patches, his sergeant patch, a Korean War medal with four battle stars, the Good Conduct medal, and a medal indicating that he had served in Korea. His daughter framed all his medals, with the exception of the one he recently received from the Korean government.

"I was invited to Korea a few years ago for a service honoring those of us who served," Johnson said. "The service was paid for by the Korean government. I missed that one. I plan on going to the one later this year."

He plans on visiting the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., during his first-ever visit in February.

"I don't know if I can see the monument without losing control, but I want to see that," he said. "I have never talked to my children about my war experiences. I am glad I served, but I don't like talking about it."