Join the Army! See Korea...I Mean See Germany!!!

December 19, 2011 5:44 AM

Would the Army have kept my father in Germany if he was supposed to go to Korea? The whole story is inside...

The recent death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, caused me to remember a story that my father related to us about his time in the Army.

He was in the military during the Korean Conflict, and was supposed to have been sent to Korea. However, he somehow got put on the wrong plane(?) and ended up in Germany instead. He told us that when the military realized their error, instead of sending him to Korea they just re-assigned him to a post in Germany!

My father passed away a couple of years ago, and since then the family has come to find out that a few of the stories that he told over the years about his life were, to be kind, "embellished". He definitely was in the Army and was stationed in Germany. We have letters and photos to prove that much.

So my question, Hive Mind, is how likely is it that my father's story about this military snafu is true? Would the military just reassign someone who was sent to the wrong base in the 1950's?

posted by Hanuman1960 to law & government (4 answers total)

It's certainly possible. And, I have to think that it would be far more sensible/efficient to simply re-assign one mis-placed soldier, than to transport him half-way around the world.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:48 AM on December 19, 2011

Was this right after Basic Training? I can imagine that an soldier that hadn't joined a unit or received specialist training would be fairly interchangeable.
posted by atrazine at 6:32 AM on December 19, 2011

My Dad was recalled into the Army when the Korean War started, and we were sent to Germany; there was a large build-up of American soldiers in Germany at that time. He spent the next 20 years in the Army, and my experiences as a Army Brat would support the idea that your Dad may have been given incorrect orders that ended up with him in Germany. However, if he stayed in Germany, I can guarantee you it had nothing to do with any sort of "sensible/efficient" decision, and a lot more to do with his job description. If there was a job open in Germany that fit his MOS, he would definitely be re-assigned.
posted by kestralwing at 6:37 AM on December 19, 2011

Thanks atrazine and kestralwing. I seem to recall it was right after his basic training, so your answers make perfect sense! Thanks everyone! I knew that the Hive would know! :)
posted by Hanuman1960 at 7:25 AM on December 19, 2011