Thompson setting the tone, began gathering the dead and wounded, even body parts, for the trek down the steep slopes of that murderous hill.
During the height of the recovery effort by Able Company, Eddie's luck ran out and he was severely injured by an exploding mortar round that literally landed in his back pocket. The concussion stunned Eddie so severely that he was still moving forward, but was in a minefield. It is unclear which of two Marines, Gene Guay or Doug Barnes, assisted Eddie out of the mine field, but what we have been able to piece together is one initially saw Eddie at risk and coaxed him out of the mine field and set him on a course down the hill, where the second Marine took charge and made certain he got to the aid station. Even in this condition I was told by Catholic Chaplain Father Guillome that Eddie refused to give up his rifle at the aid station and only did so when the good father convinced him that the battle was completed. For a long time Eddie did not recognize anyone in the platoon when he returned to the Company temporarily. Over time his memory was completely restored and Eddie had a brilliant career with the Federal Government. He is now retired with his wife of almost 50 years, Lillian B. Martinez Arechiga. His love of Able Company and his squad is second only to his love for his devoted wife. What makes Eddie's performance on Hill Yoke so outstanding was the fact that Eddie had been told by Lt. Jules Gherding just prior to the Hill Yoke encounter that he would be leaving Korea about July 12, 1952. That tells you the measure of a man |
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who, knowing that he was scheduled to leave Korea shortly, directed his squad as effectively as he had on Hill 104.
So from those of us who had the honor to serve with you, Eddie, all we can say is that you still personify what "Semper Fidelis" always meant. George Desha and Alf and the men of the First Platoon." Thanks Alf for this great article about one of our own Marines who continues to write about others! Semper Fi! "Shifty" MORE FROM ALF: "Shifty: I wanted to wait until you returned from your trip to reply to your email. The story and the picture were terrific. I have a copy of the picture with Eddie, Mr. D. (Donahue) and myself just to the left of my computer and I often glance at it while I am at my computer. And it always brings a smile to my face. I also have a copy of the picture we took at the second or third reunion in Ocean City. As I read about events in Iraq, especially actions involving Marines, I cannot help but think how lucky I was to serve with Marines of this caliber. I was especially moved with the recent e-mail from "Mac" McKeller forwarding the email from the nurse who took care of Marines. It brought to mind my witnessing this caring attitude of Marines for each other. It was shortly after Hill 104. I was at Easy Med. There were wounded everywhere. But as a nurse or doctor would approach a Marine on a stretcher the Marines would say: |
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"I am OK, Doc, take care of my buddy. He is hurt worse than I am." The nurses and doctors were dumbfounded because in many instances the Marine asking that a buddy be taken care of first was in worse shape than the buddy. As a doctor approached me I told him what he must have heard a hundred times before: "I am OK, Doc, take care of that Marine over there." The guy went ballistic. He literally screamed at me. "What is wrong with you Marines? That is all I have heard today "take care of my buddy first" Don't you feel pain?" Don't you hurt? Aren't you human? I looked at him and told him: "Yes, Doctor, we do feel pain and we sure as hell are hurting, and believe me we are human, but we are Marines and we take care of each other. Now go take care of that Marine on the other stretcher, please." He looked at me for a moment, shook his head and headed toward the other Marine.
I have a card on my desk that I received from a fellow Marine who I admire to no end. It says: "Civilians cannot and will not understand us because they are not one of us. The Corps, we love it, live it and shall die for it. If you have never been in it, you shall never understand it." And now it appears our "new breed" Marines have the same love for each other, and the Corps that we of the "old breed" have. Our beloved Corps is in good hands. 229 years of loyal service to our nation. And we are a part of it. Semper Fidelis! Alf "From: Shifty To: Aurelio S. Alfeo |
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Semper Fi |