Veteran's History Project: J. Joseph Hargreaves

J. Joseph Hargreaves

Specialist 4

U.S. Army

1958-1961

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is one of many American Veteran accounts published in The Sidney Sun-Telegraph. The writer, who is from Sidney, is conducting the interviews as part of the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project.

For more than 60 years, the Selective Service System and its registration requirement for our country's young men have served as a backup system to provide manpower to U.S. Armed Forces. From 1948 until 1971, in peacetime and during periods of conflict, men were drafted to fill vacancies, which could not be filled through voluntary means.

J. Joseph Hargreaves (Joe) was minding his own business and a lumberyard in western Kansas. He was 22, soon to be 23 years old. In another six months, he would be a lesser priority for the draft... and then: "Greetings..." the letter said.

Joe was to report to the Military Enlistment Processing Station in Denver. He was receive a good physical examination and if he passed, would be moving on to a nearby training center...probably Fort Carson, Colo.

Fort Carson was full at the time and not taking any more recruits. He and many others rode a bus to Fort Riley, Kan. Here, they had room, and, here, he trained in the basic elements of soldiering. Fort Riley is and was an old Army installation. It was a formidable place for staging soldiers during the westward expansion years before and after the Civil War. There are still stables of the Buffalo Soldiers there. Many of the command buildings and homes are of built from sandstone mined from the nearby hills. It is also on the plains. It is subject to harsh winters.

Joe arrived there in late September 1958. The greeters were there when the bus arrived. Joe's glasses had been broken earlier. When he got to Fort Riley, they had to make provisions for the man so he could see!

Soon, he was issued "birth control" glasses... (No ladies would date a guy wearing those glasses!) Haircuts, new clothes, new friends and he is 22 years old, in the presence of 17 and 18 year old kids. But Joe was an athlete from a school that had won state championship football contests and wrestling events, etc. He wasn't that far out of shape.

By early November, he and his fellow soldiers are marching back and forth to the rifle ranges, conducting drill and ceremony practices, learning about first aid, general orders and KP duty. Pay was about $68 a month.

One piece of the training involved training with the hand grenade. This item is to be thrown over-handed...only. Joe was a sidearm thrower. After throwing it his way, he was provided a full 20-minute briefing on the proper way of doing it, not necessarily Joe's way. This was not exactly a discussion. He speaks, Joe listens...

When time came for the final physical fitness test, the weather did not co-operate. This day, it was raining so hard, the instructors and test team took the platoon to an indoor facility. The "PT test" was taken in the uniform of the day. No sneakers and gym clothes. There were several events one had to pass to meet the proficiency standards. Many events involved stop and go and jumping. After nearly 50 men stomped on the tile floor, the boots left a load of black marks. Yes, they were next told to make the floor look new before they could leave.

In time, graduation was at hand and he was ready for his next bit of training, clerk school.

The school was held at Fort Knox, Ky. This was a long train ride through Missouri into Illinois and on to Kentucky. Although Fort Knox is the home of the armor branch (Hoo-aah!) of the U.S. Army, other things were learned there as well.

While learning essential tasks of office administration, Joe said that there was constant movement of tanks and armored personnel carriers around the installation. The crackling of the treads on the road surfaces weren't so interesting as the loud percussions of the 105mm tank guns and machine guns being fired on nearby ranges...day and night.

Since Joe excelled in pre-class testing, he was advised that he didn't need the training so much. Instead, how about helping the cooks? DANG!

Joe spent most of the next several weeks in a dining facility (mess hall) preparing food menus and inventories for the food service personnel. The typing was done on a typewriter but instead of paper on the roller, a wax paper set-up was used. Once a document was completed, the stencil was removed from its paper backing and placed into a hand-operated machine that could produce multiple copies. In time, one could develop good skills with these.

Clerk school lasted about eight weeks and soon another graduation was at hand and soon, more movement. He and two other soldiers were slated for their next stop: Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), MD. They flew there. It was Joe's first time in a plane.

At APG, he was advised that he was headed for his next duty assignment in Korea. He got some time away before having to deploy overseas. He reported in to a base near San Francisco, and soon boarded a plane for Korea.

On arrival at the Korean airfield, near Kumarie, the facility tower was still shot up. A machine gun nest protected it. (It was manned by U.S. forces).

He was sent to the 36th Ordnance Company area. There wasn't exactly a place to live as yet, as things were still under construction. The people around him were new as well. The man assigned to the bunk next to Joe's bunk was a soldier who Joe had played football against in high school days. After a three-month delay, the company area was established. Joe was named to be a supply clerk initially. Soon, Joe's skills stood out and he was named company clerk...closer to the flagpole and a soldier at the hub of the company's activities.

In Korea, many of the rice paddies were fertilized with human waste. Joe said it may be good for the crops, but sure didn't smell so good.

The combat was over now. Tragedy still existed though. One morning, a soldier had not reported for work. Joe was sent to find him and was first to see that the man had hung himself in the barracks.

As it happened, there were many senior soldiers who were at the edge of having served 20 years in the Army. To fill out their time, some had to deploy yet again and many were discouraged about that. Joe thought that that might have contributed to the situation with the troubled man.

The food was good. He didn't have to report for Kitchen Police (KP) duty. He did have to maintain proficiency with weapons. At a nearby rifle range, he and others were firing bazookas into the side of a hill while a Korean Army unit was firing at the same hill, only with mortars...could be bad. The mortar rounds were coming in close so he and his guys had to get away quickly. The next stop was at the range control office where the discussion was heated, to say the least.

American Forces in Korea did possess have in its arsenal the "Atomic Cannon." This was the largest ground-based munitions launcher in the U.S. inventory. Joe watched it fire several times. This was the M-65 (Atomic Annie) which fired a 280mm round. It could launch conventional weapons or nuclear weapons. "Awesome"

Contact with family was by postal service. Included was a "Dear John" letter. While in Korea, most of one's pay was held and sent back home with the exception of some walking around money. Cash there was called "script." It was also highly sought by local national people and therefore a fine opportunity for criminal activity to happen.

There was stress on the company clerk. The main thing was keeping track of where all the personnel were. The people are tracked by a military form called the "Morning Report." Many were sent to work on new equipment, others working with their inventory. Joe did befriend a couple of other soldiers - one of who had access to a company vehicle. This allowed them the opportunity to conduct forward observation missions (sightseeing) in the local area. This access proved to be a great benefit!

There was the Armed Forces Network that a small radio could pick up. The men could keep up with U.S. news that way. Joe and four others were champions of a bowling league there.

In time, it was time to re-deploy to the U.S. He and his fellow soldiers boarded a huge ship and were fortunate to have calm seas for the 28 days on the trip to San Francisco, Calif.

Once off the ship, events in the world had changed. The President (JFK) had ordered that no personnel currently on active duty could leave the Armed Forces. This was most likely the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Joe and over 300 others were ordered to a separate building. A senior officer addressed the group and told them that since all the paperwork was already done to discharge them, could they quietly leave? How long would it take for you to disappear? Done, sir!

Joe returned to the Midwest by bus. He had been in Korea for over 20 months. He went back into the lumber business.

Joe is a member of the Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Good Job, Specialist Joe Hargreaves! Thank you for your service!