In 1984 during a business trip visit back to Pennsylvania from Texas I had the good fortune to attend a favorite Aunt and Uncle's 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration, Aunt Catherine and Uncle Fritz …….Michael Francis Aloysius Mc Bride. Uncle Fritz had been a Golden Gloves Boxing Champion and a National Amateur Lightweight Boxing Champion in the 1930s, later installed in the National Boxing Hall of Fame.

During the party, their local Priest who had performed their Vow Renewal Mass, came out dressed as a boxer with a Satin Robe with McBride embroidered on the back……and with HUGE clown like sneakers as part of the boxing garb that Fritz might have worn 50 years before……..but on the soles of the shoes were printed advertisements promoting sundry items and of course implying that Fritz had spent a LOT of time flat on his back in the ring and had sold advertising space for a large public that would see his ads!

This family reunion had brought a great part of my family together that had not seen each other collectively in up to 33 years, particularly several cousins that had all gone off to the Korean War in 1950, '51 and '52! The last time we had seen each other all together was at a family picnic in the summer of 1950 when the kids got in a huge team wrestling match with a few of the Dads, two of which were my Dad and Uncle Fritz, both ironworkers and nail tough and strong! It wasn't very long before they had all of us young cocky types, hog tied and in a pile, much to the hysterical laughter of all the other relatives! The pile included Bob Palmer who was an Army Airborne Ranger, the TOUGHEST of the tough and headed for Korea and a behind the lines jump with the 187th Regimental Combat Team after the September 15th, 1950 Inchon Landing; Vick Dunn (who shortly later became a 1st Div Marine Infantryman on the front lines of Korea for over a year and wounded late in his tour) , and me, Bud Farrell, just out of High School and shortly to be on my way to the Air Force and a combat tour as a gunner in B-29s.

The mood of the reunion had been set through a great deal of fun and joking. I brought out several letters that my Mom had written to each of the cousins during their Korean War service, and some that they had written to her in return. I promised them at that time that I would write someday of them….their letters …. and use a few of these in some musings about Aunt Anna and her great good hearted humor…..and naiveté! I would like to excerpt and share some of these thoughts …..after my eyes clear a li'l more! For the sake of accuracy, I will quote some of the actual comments that the cousins wrote back to their Aunt Anna, and then describe what had prompted their seemingly outlandish answers.

Monday Oct 27 52 Korea

Dear Aunt Anna,

Last week I received a couple of your letters and I also got one from Bud. I have already answered his letter. I'll bet he has been right over my head, Boy I sure was glad to hear from him.

I guess you know I am up on the front line. As far as the Chinese go it's not too bad. Nothing happens during the day but they sure do liven it up at night.

It's pretty rough living over here also. We have to eat out of a little tin can and it's very hard to keep clean. We shave about every 4 or 5 days. The water is so cold it's hard to wash or shave. It has been below freezing already. It gets very cold during the night and we have to stay up six hours every night. We do most of our sleeping during the day. That's why the days are so short.

I am on the west coast of Korea about 4 miles from the site of Panmunjom where the peace talks are being held. Buddy said he has been near the light that marks the city at night. So he must have been near me. Well that's about all I have to say for now.

Love Vic

Dec 2 1952 Korea

Korea I got a kick out of the letter I got today .You said I should get a dog and train it to sleep by my feet. Boy I really got a laugh out of that. I hope you were only kidding. I haven't seen a dog since I've been in Korea. One day there were about 10 of us standing in back of a hill , and an odd animal came up to us. Well we always have our rifles with us and we all shot him. I don't know what kind of an animal he was. It had feet like a dog and a face like a fox and a tail like a coon. Anyway there aren't any dogs around here.

Boy last night I wrote Dad a letter and it was first starting to rain. I told him I thought it would turn to snow and it sure did. There is really a lot of snow around here now. Dad sent me a thermometer and it's now 11 degrees. The snow didn't melt at all today as it was pretty cold all day long. I wasn't too cold 'til I saw that it was only 11.

Love,
Vic

March 14 1953 Korea

Dear Aunt Anna,

I guess you are wondering what happened to me. Well I am sorry I haven't written but we have been very busy. Once again we are up on the front line and it is a bit harder to write now than it was two months ago.

The weather over here has gotten warmer but it rains almost every day. Right now it is snowing and it will probably keep up for a while. We couldn't eat last night because our trucks couldn't get through the mud.

I saw one of our planes shot down this week. It was only a G.O.[ground observer] plane and it was a Marine Corps plane. The two fly boys jumped but they landed in Gook land. So I guess they are in a prison camp by now.

Well that's about all the time I have for now. I'll write again when I have a chance.

Love,
Vic

June 12 1953 Korea

Dear Aunt Anna,

Sorry I couldn't get you the clock you wanted from Japan but I had already gotten back from Japan when I got your letter. Well it's getting dark now and about time to hit the rack. So I'll say so long for now.

Love,
Vic

Oh my, poor Vic. He's in a bunker on the front lines getting shot at by the Chinese and North Koreans….the Gooks……freezin' his ass off, and Aunt Anna tells him to get a dog… and teach it to sleep on his feet to keep him warm. And if that were not enough, his Father, Vic Senior, sends him a THERMOMETER just to assure that if he already THOUGHT he was cold, he can now know just HOW cold! And although Vic did not say anything about it in his June 14 letter -- he had been wounded, sent to Japan for medical treatment and recovery, and was BACK in Korea on the front lines again in the " comfort " …..and darkness of his bunker! And he's sorry he couldn't get Aunt Anna's clock! I don't have the original letter to quote precisely but my Mom, Aunt Anna, wrote to Vic once and sent him a dollar…..to buy himself an ice cream cone!… He's still in that bunker, still freezin' cause he has no dog to keep him warm….and Aunt Anna tells him to buy himself an ice cream cone ……at 11 degrees……miles from any town that isn't destroyed or under siege……Chocorate or Vanirra???

And now to cousin Charlie Palmer, just retired from a long 20 some year career in the Air Force, just a little longer than that of his brother, Frank, recently discharged from the Air Force…..and HIS letter. After reading Vic's letters and the cousins almost doubling up in laughter…..about dogs and dollars, and ice cream cones, and thermometers at 11 degrees, it was time for Charlie's!

Selfridge Field, Michigan

Dear Aunt Anna,

Well things are REALLY getting rough around here! One of the guys that is supposed to take over duty in the orderly room after me was in a car accident and I have to carry a double shift tonight so I won't be able to go to the movies!

Love,
Charles

So these were the cousins…and their Aunt, a "Rosie the Riveter" during World War II, working in the Army Tank Shop of Baldwin -Lima- Hamilton Locomotive Works in Eddystone, Pennsylvania, and for which I still have, and treasure, her World War II Army Tank Shop Photo I.D. Badge!

God Bless you Mom…. Aunt Anna !

Love,
Bud