LAVACHEK, HAROLD

 

 

VETERAN OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES

 

HAROLD LAVACHEK

 

U. S. Army

Corporal

 

1953-1955          Combat

 

Served in Korea

 

Honors and Awards:

Good Conduct Medal

Honorable Discharge 

 

 

 

 

                                                Harold Lavachek

 

I received my greeting from Uncle Sam on June 10, 1953, twelve days before I turned 26 years old.  On June 20, 1953, I was to report to Indianapolis for a physical.  Needless to say, I was mad at the world for receiving this notice, but as it turned out, it was a great experience.  It was my responsibility and I never felt like running from that call of duty.  I met many good people from this experience.  As it turned out, I was the oldest in my company.  (I was the “Old Man”.)

 

To me that meant I had the most experience!  Basic training turned out to not be too bad.  I was bussed from Fort Wayne to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for 16 weeks of basic training.  After 8 weeks of training, we were told to take 14 days off and then to report to Chicago for active duty.  Evidently they needed more troops so our training was shortened to 8 weeks.  My best friend, Ed Myers, took me to the Chicago train station, and it took 3 days to arrive in San Francisco.  We boarded a ship and left for Tokyo, Japan.  It took us 14 days and a lot of guys got sick, but I didn’t.  From Japan I was shipped to the Sunburst 40th Division in Pungsan, Korea.   I was with the 40th Division approximately 3 months.  It was time for them to go back to home base in California.  I didn’t have enough time in so I was assigned to the 25th Lightning Division and spent the rest of my duty with them. 

 

After 12 ˝ months we were shipped to Hawaii.  It was a hard job, driving jeep for the commander, but somebody had to do it.  By that time I was made Cpl. & got to go home 2 months early.  I was discharged May 13, 1955.