Drew "James" Byrd Supply SGT 24th PsyOps Korea Detachement Oct 1967 to Apr 1969

Note: Drew Contacted me by Email 3/30/2013

KD was by far the best duty I had in my twenty years career.  I was at Ft. Bragg with the 15th MI Bn when I received my order to 7POG.  No one could figure out what that was supposed to be, but the consensus was that it had to a postal unit.  Well, KD was a long way from being a postal unit. 

Our company clerk was PFC Robert M. Parks from Gardnerville, NV.  Soon after I arrived he was promoted to SP4.  Our Detachment SGT was SFC Koger.  I don't remember the name of our CO, but he was an LTC.  Our XO was CPT William R. Brown and he was also my Supply Officer.  We had a Korean born, subsequently adopted by Americans, CPT.  His last name was Kim.  He really kept the Katusa's in line.  When SFC Koger rotated back stateside, we were without a Det SGT for a little while.  The CO took a poll of all the NCO's to determine if Parks should be made the Acting Det SGT.  We all agreed and they pinned SGT stripes on him and he did a really great job of running the detachment. 

As the unit supply SGT I made several supply, moral and welfare trips to both sites A & B.  I even requisitioned a pool table for one of the sites, but I don't remember which one.  I made 2 TDY trips to 7th Gp on Okinawa to appear before the E-6 promotion board.  After the 1st trip, I made a trip back home for 30 days.  When I returned to KD, I found that I was selected, but since I was not there the CO gave the strips to an E-5 in the Signal hooch.  Needless to say, I was not very happy.  I was again selected after the 2nd board, and was promoted in April 1969.

I was assigned one of the NCO quarters in the Orderly Room Bldg.  This proved to be awkward at times, especially the day after pulling CQ.  The detachment carpenter/handyman, Mr. Pak (AKA "Dummy) and I remodeled the back room of the supply hooch into living space and that then became my "home".  We were a 32 man detachment with the Veterinary Clinic and the Veterinary Food Inspectors attached to us for rations and quarters.  The food inspectors would, on a monthly basis, "condemn" enough steaks for the unit to have a really great cook out.  When I rotated back to the states, Ft Knox, Parks was still the Det SGT.

I remember when the USS Pueblo was captured off the coast of N. Korea and the raid on the Blue House.  We also had a small contingency of men go to Vietnam for a 6 month period.  I do not remember who they were.  I tried to go along, but they did not need a supply person.

I am currently the Associate Director of Financial Aid with South University in Columbia, SC.

Thanks, and I hope this helps with the history somewhat.

James