Book Review: The Last Parade
by Carl V. "Sam" Lamb
Review by JAMES BAXTER - A Comrade in Arms
Dear Sam:
I'll take a little time now to talk about your wonderful contribution to Literature and History! No joke - it's a great book! I do not have a single criticism. Obviously, everybody out there had a slightly different view from where they were - even people side-by-side still often have a different perspective, etc.
But, your book could well become a Korean War Classic. I've read a few on the subject of Korea, but none have the breadth and depth of your treatise. It would make a great multi-part TV series - or a movie script. But, we'll see - its future may surprise even you, Sam.
Your attention to idealism, respect for the lives of prisoners, the regard for the values of the American Way, etc. is a value lacking in most Korean War stories, or other war stories in general. But, it is the fundamental, often unspoken, reason men are willing to go through the hell of war and the risk of life and limb. You said it for me, Sam Lamb.
I regret that you were not present [apparently] when I confronted Casey when he said he was going over and "kick the **** out of Goggins." It would have strengthened your case for our values as Humans, Christians, Americans, Marines, etc., if it were a part of your experiences in the book.
I told Big Jim, " If you're going to try that, you'll have to go through me to get to him. I may lose, but I guarantee you, I will make it very expensive for you to get to him. I'm willing to give my life for a Country that values each individual - if that isn't true, I don't want to fight for that Country - but, it is true, so I am willing to risk it all. I'm not going to let you rob me of the very good reason I may lose my life tomorrow or next week. You become my enemy. Let me know what you decide."
He got up from our card game and said, "I'll have to think about it." I said, "Let me know. I'll be here." He came back a little later and said, "You're right. I was wrong." I thanked him for his manliness. [He had previously talked about driving through New Orleans as a police officer and leaning out to hit a black man in the head and laughing as he spun into the street.]
Later, he told me I had changed his life. And, later, Joe came to me privately and thanked me. I said, " Joe, it's the reason we are all out here doing this dirty work. We can't allow anyone to make Our Side like the enemy and his ways. And, you are worthy." He shook my hand with wet eyes.
It would have been a good support in the book for your stated and repeated position on prisoners, etc. Idealism is very very practical in the very real world. I recall that the Company that killed all those prisoners in the swimming pool in the hotel in downtown Seoul had more casualties than any other Company in our Battalion...or the Regiment.
I vaguely recall your reference to being on liberty in Masan and my correcting Vale regarding his mistreatment of the local natives. The one incident I remember even more was the time Casey and I went into town to drink beer and eat peanuts - we were walking down the street when out in front of us we saw a Marine go up behind a native gook who was carrying a flat basket of several large fish on his head.
The Marine grabbed one and started beating the gook with the fish. I grabbed the Marine and threw him to the ground. He jumped up and he and I went at it for a couple of minutes. He yelled at me that he was angry because he lost a lot of buddies over here. Where was I when they were fighting alone at the Perimeter.
I said, "Where were you during WW II?" "It's idiots like you that will cause my [future] sons to have to come back here again in 20 years and do it all over again." He was drunk and crying. I tossed him into a curb and beckoned a passing weapons carrier to take him back to camp. They did.
Casey said, "Why didn't you flatten him?" I said, he's not my enemy - He just needs correction. [More idealism that would have fit well in your book; wish you had been present and had that experience for your book.]
In the book, you had me leaving for home before Vale was killed: Sorry, I was still there. He stacked 'em up with his BAR that night on the nose of that hill. Those Chinese troops were all wearing skirts of grenades...remember? I know he was recommended for the Silver Star...did his family ever get it? He was from New Mexico is all I knew.
When we were on our way from Kobe to Inchon, Malen came to me and said he had put me in for Sgt. stripes, but they wouldn't allow it because I had a different spec. number. He said, "What was that?" I told him my last assignment in the Corps in '45 was Intelligence. He asked who I would recommend. I said, "Give it to John Carpenter. He's a good man, a career Marine." He was my buddy; the best friend I made when we reported to Fox 1st at Pendleton. He didn't live long enough to get it. [Do you remember the speech Chesty made to us - standing on a jeep?]
Sam, yes, I do remember several shots I made from a kneeling position - perhaps, up to 500 yards. But, the one I really remember was the second or third day: We had raced over three hills in a row. The whole second battalion was strung out in a skirmish line from the Inchon-Seoul Highway on the left to the top of high ground on the right. Our platoon was on the extreme right with only our machine gunners on our right. We reached the crest of the fourth hill and everyone flopped on their faces, worn out!
I knew someone had to sit up and watch. A valley extended out in front of us with a flat-topped hill in the distance. I noticed what appeared to be a stick - no other shape - on top of the hill. It did not move. I asked the machine gunners to put their glasses on it. They looked and started yelling, "It's a gook! It's a gook! Get 'em! Get 'em!" I swung my rifle [M-1] up and put the front blade on the stick, raised it slowly until I couldn't see the "stick" and squeezed it off.
I dropped my piece and looked. Wham! It was a man, hit in the stomach, - he came tumbling down the hill! The whole battalion let out a roar like I had kicked a field goal against Notre Dame! All that, after they had spent the morning killing many North Koreans! The machine gunners said their range-finder glasses put that target at OVER a thousand yards! Yikes! I never made such a shot in my whole life. They thought he may have been a Russian advisor...Who knows?
The night we finished the fight in Yong Dong Po, there was 'a word' out that Graff had killed a prisoner that evening. I don't know. It may have been true. The thing I didn't like about the Captain was his little card-board shack with the young Korean girl - all in a combat area. I thought he was a pretty fair field officer in combat, but his morals/ethics and example left much to be desired. I never heard him rant and rave. He was usually pretty quiet when I was around him. But, I tended to avoid officers. Most were a pain in the rear and not always knowledgeable - and often ignorantly put men at risk unnecessarily.
I was surprised you did not mention the field kitchen that was brought to us by General Lowe [Truman's Military aide] over- looking Hoengsong while we waited for the ROKs to clear on our left flank. Stepped into the galley-tent, turkey, mashed-potatoes, gravy, peas, corn, pie, etc. Stepped out of the tent: Frozen. Good try!!! HA!!!
Sam, I think you were the only one I said good-bye to. And, I was happy to leave the .45 with you, but, you gave me $25 bucks for it! Remember? Four books that I have about the Korean War are excellent. Perhaps you can locate them through a local library. I highly recommend them. They are as follows:
1. U.S. Marine Operations in Korea 1950-1953 Volume II The Inchon-Seoul Operation by Lynn Montross & Captain Nicholas A. Canzona, USMC
2. U.S. Marine Operations in Korea 1950-1953 Volume IV The East-Central Front by Lynn Montross, Major Hubard D. Kuokka, USMC, and Major Norman W. Hicks, USMC [Also, there is a Volume 1 regarding The Pusan Perimeter, Vol. 3 regarding the Chosin Reservoir Campaign and a Volume 5 regarding the Operations in Western Korea.
3. Victory at High Tide; The Inchon-Seoul Campaign by Robert Debs Heinl, Jr., Colonel, USMC
4. The New Breed: The Story of the U.S. Marines in Korea by Andrew Geer
These are excellent resources and wonderful texts to leave with your children.
After your book (The Last Parade) comes out this Spring, I'm sure I'll have more to say. More in the way of reminders - not criticism. You have done very well without any additional input. As usual, my friend, I'm very proud of you.
God bless.
Straight ahead, squad leader.
R.W.Gaines
GySgt USMC (Ret.)
1952-'72
|
