Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
2:26 | Albert Cianfichi was partial to taping two Banana clips together for a quick swap in combat. On Old Baldy, his unit ran out of ammo and water and, unlike in a Hollywood movie, there was no one to tell.
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When a night patrol leader was needed, Albert Cianfichi got the call more than any other officer manning the line In Korea. One memorable patrol included a Chinese grenade bouncing off his chest.
His unit was on the move, sent to counter attack at Pork Chop Hill, and Albert Cianfichi recalls a huge Mass and an overwhelmed priest. The decision was made to pull off Pork Chop.
Albert Cianfichi couldn't believe what he heard. The order came to fix bayonets as they charged up Old Baldy. UN troops had lost the hill and when Cianfichi heard what happened, he never used a sleeping bag again.
Any combat veteran will tell you that you can get used to the bodies, but when Albert Cianfichi stepped on one, what happened made him run so fast that his "feet didn't touch the ground."
Expecting thirteen replacements, Albert Cianfichi worked his way down the steep hill to meet them, and when he got there, the first saluting soldier gave him quite a surprise. He would need to call on some non-combat leadership skills.
When a man dropped to his knees and begged not to be sent on patrol, Albert Cianfichi had to make a decision. He drew on his training, which taught him that one soldier can panic an entire unit.
