Page 2 • Veterans Salute • Sublette Examiner & Pinedale Roundup
Salute to Korean War veteran Dennis Thorson
PINEDALE – The Korean War is often
referred to as the “Forgotten War,” overshad-
owed by the “greatest generation” who served
in World War II and the political divisiveness
that tore the country apart during the Vietnam
War. This is tragic, because the nearly two
million men and women who served on the
Korean Peninsula from 1950 to 1953 showed
the same courage, strength and determination
exhibited by soldiers in other wars.
Dennis Thorson of Pinedale served as a
truck driver in the 69th Truck Battalion in
Korea in 1953. Thorson did not see combat
and he does not think of his story as “heroic.”
Yet Thorson’s contribution to the war effort,
like the war he fought in, deserves not to be
forgotten.
Thorson and his battalion played a crucial
role in the war effort by delivering food and
supplies to troops. Thorson’s battalion was
also used to evacuate troops from the front
lines and his truck was the first leg in a sol-
dier’s safe journey home to his family.
Thorson was finishing up a semester in
college in 1953 when he decided to enlist. He
was sent to train at Fort Ord near Monterey,
Calif. Thorson worked as a bus driver to pay
his way through college and had obtained a
CDL before he enlisted. Few recruits had this
valuable piece of paper, so Thorson was im-
mediately placed in the transportation corps.
He spent eight weeks in basic training and an-
other eight weeks in driving school before he
was shipped off to Korea.
Thorson’s battalion was stationed near
the community of Uijeongbu, about 35 miles
north of Seoul. The 69th Battalion consisted
of five companies of light trucks the soldiers
called a “deuce and a half.” The trucks were
sturdy, Thorson said, but not immune to
breaking down.
When Thorson and his unit arrived in
Korea, they were tasked with driving to rail-
VETERANS DAY
November 11, 2018
We thank you
On this day, we would like to take
a moment to honor the men and women
who have sacrificed to ensure
our safety and our freedom.
www.sweetwatermemorial.com
By Robert Galbreath, rgalbreath@subletteexaminer.com
heads to pick up food supplies and deliver
them to all of the companies in the battalion
spread across 20 miles.
The supply railheads were cosmopolitan
places. The U.S. armed forces fought along-
side allies from 21 different countries. Thor-
son recalls driving in convoys with soldiers
from the United Kingdom, Greece and Tur-
key. His unit also ate at mess halls with people
from different nationalities.
“The food at the British mess halls was ter-
rible,” Thorson said. The Turks had “interest-
ing” table manners, he added. They would all
stand politely and wait until everyone else was
seated before seating themselves.
Greek units had a violent game they liked
to play during downtime, Thorson recalls.
They gathered in a circle and one soldier
would punch another. If the soldier receiving
Photo courtesy Dennis Thorson
the blow fell out of the circle, he was out. If
the soldier managed to hold his ground, he got Thorson poses in front of the truck he drove as part of the 69th Truck Battalion
to pick another soldier to punch. during the Korean War in 1953.
“Thankfully, they never invited the Ameri- Thorson’s unit used
cans to play,” Thorson said. 50-gallon tanks to store
Winters in Korea were harsh and long. food waste. Every eve-
“The cold was terrible,” Thorson said. He ning, groups of 50 to
remembered getting an assignment to put 60 Korean women ma-
up signs in the dead of winter. The men had terialized to fight over
to burn a bonfire for three days to thaw the the scraps. One night, a
ground out enough to dig holes for the posts. woman found a whole
Trucks were left running all night so the unit steak. Another woman
did not have to worry whether they would rushed over, raised her
start in the morning. bucket and smashed it
The troops in Korea were well supplied, down on the first wom-
Thorson said. They had gloves, scarves an’s head, “splitting her
and fully insulated boots he called “Mickey head open,” Thorson re-
Mouse boots.” But the biting cold still man- calls. The injured woman
aged to find some exposed skin. was left there, lying un-
Today, South Korea is an ultra-modern, conscious by the others.
wealthy nation that exports cars, technology The Korean War
and pop stars. But when Thorson served, the never officially ended,
Korean Peninsula was impoverished after but on July 27, 1953,
years of Japanese occupation and war. an armistice was signed Robert Galbreath photo
between all the nations Ambassador for Peace
involved. Thorson and Robert Galbreath photo medals were presented
his unit were assigned Dennis Thorson is at his to Thorson from the South
to drive deep into enemy home near Pinedale in Korean government for his
territory, above the 38th
parallel, now known as
October 2018. service in the Korean War.
the Demilitarized Zone, to evacuate the 1st that he was a good typist. Since he couldn’t
Marines and 21st Infantry from the front lines. drive a truck due to his banged-up foot, the
The operation was massive. officer sent Thorson to typing school at a base
‘We were playing hopscotch with the com- in Japan.
panies – rotating them out of the frontlines,” Thorson was reassigned as a typist at the
Thorson said. “I can’t even tell you how many headquarters of the 60th Light Truck Battal-
trucks were involved – too many to count. A ion. He was able to type 90 words per minute
lot of the companies we evacuated were way and worked 12-hour shifts typing up marching
above the 38th parallel.” orders for trucks in addition to preparing news
A sense of danger still pervaded. briefs.
“We were in a convoy one day when a Many years later, Thorson was finally rec-
plane flew over,” Thorson said. “We leapt out ognized for his service. A delegation from
of the truck and all of us hit the dirt.” South Korea traveled to Wyoming in 2017
Partway into his tour, Thorson fractured his to present Thorson and other Korean veter-
foot when a 50-gallon fuel tank rolled over it. ans with an “Ambassador for Peace” medal.
He was sent to the field hospital to recuper- The South Koreans recognized Thorson for
ate. He got bored lying around and started “preserving our freedom and democracy.”
to wander around headquarters. During a Thorson also received medals from Gov. Matt
conversation with an officer, Thorson let slip Mead and Sen. John Barrasso for his service.
On this day we
remember those
brave men &
women who
sacrifice to ensure
our freedom!
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