3:34 | When The Korean War ended, Ben Gross had to leave Japan and move to Korea to guard Chinese prisoners. On a Navy ship taking him there, he remarked to the sailors that they “had it made…bacon and eggs for breakfast.” Infantry had to make do.
Keywords : Ben Gross Dwight D. Eisenhower President Syngman Rhee South Korea Chinese Army prisoner Navy frostbite
North Dakota native Ben Gross volunteered in 1952 and headed for Ft. Bliss to train in anti-aircraft artillery. He always wondered if the live fire he crawled under in basic was really live.
With a big envelope holding his orders, Ben Gross went to Ft. Lawton in Seattle. His orders said “FECOM.” He didn’t know that it meant Far East Command and he was headed to Korea.
Shipping out across the Pacific, Ben Gross was assigned a latrine to keep clean. Luckily, he knew how to cut hair and when the call went out for a barber, he was set for the rest of the trip.
After the Korean truce, there were many Chinese prisoners in the hands of Allied forces. Ben Gross was sent to Cheju-do to help guard thousands awaiting repatriation.
Despite hearing about a prisoner riot during which Chinese POWs captured an American general, Ben Gross never felt afraid while guarding a POW camp for Chinese soldiers at the end of the Korean War. They were mostly just young and eager to please. When the duty was complete, he faced a stark, miserable ride to Inchon to ship home.