Pacifican Roger G. Spindler : the struggle toreceive military medals

Tag : rolled bronze
Pacifican Roger G. Spindler served in the Korean conflict for just six weeks with the 25thDivision, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion and "L" (Love)Company. His arrival in South Korea on August 13, 1951 wasshort-lived as he sustained many serious physical injuries fromshell fragments in those four days.
He was wounded on his back; right thigh and left foot. Again, onSeptember 10, 1951 he sustained another exploding shell fragmentwound to his right scapular area, right flank and thigh. The mostserious of the wounds occurred when an enemy hand grenade explodedbetween his legs causing severe and life threatening injuries.
He says he doesn't consider himself a hero, just one soldier whowas genuinely lucky to come home alive.
Today, "Spin" as he was then known to his fellow soldiers, and tohis friends today, walks carefully with the help of a cane. He'sretired from Pacific Gas and Electric and a lifetime member of hisSan Francisco Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Post.
He walked into the Pacifica Tribune recently with a copy of theletter he had received from the Department of the Army, RecordsReview Agency and his medals. Spin provided a copy of his ownwritten account of the battle he'd been wounded in.
His military medals still mean a lot to him and the struggle toreceive them has finally brought him closure.
Spin thought our readers might want to hear his remarkable storyand that his own story of survival during the Korean War mightencourage other military veterans who might still be fighting abureaucratic battle to receive overdue awards recognition from thefederal government they had rightly earned to carry on.
"We are pleased to inform you that your records have been correctedin accordance with the findings of the U.S. Army Board of MilitaryRecords," began a letter dated July 14, 2008." Spindler opened apackage from the Army containing his combat medals and carefullylaid each of them out on my desk.
The Korean War was the bloodiest war ever fought by the UnitedStates. American losses included 33,686 killed and 103,284 wounded.United States Army casualties alone totaled 27,728 dead and 77,596wounded. The bulk of these casualties occurred during the firstyear of fighting. The estimate of enemy casualties, includingprisoners, exceeded 1.5 million, of whom 900,000 were Chinese.
Some 1.8 million combat veterans and nearly 6 million men and womenserved during the Korean War.
"Ever see one of these," Spindler asked modestly.
I hadn't.
He opened the cover of a blue Department of the Army medal casecontaining his Purple Heart with three bronze Oak Leaf Clusters.Spindler had received a fourth award of the Purple Heart for woundsreceived during the see-saw battle for Hill 717. Some 149 men outof 200 in Spindler's combat unit were killed during the course ofthe battle.
This particular battle, in the vicinity of Tangwon-ni, Korea, wasso intense during the period of Sept 6 through 8, 1951, that theDepartment of The Army later issued a Distinguished Unit Citation,now known as a Presidential Unit Citation.Spindler was a riflemanwith the 3rd Platoon's First Squad. He had been on patrol in thevalley between Hill 717 and Hill 682 when he heard the sound ofChinese bugles blowing in different directions. In the defense ofHill 682 he was hit in the back by more than two Chinese handgrenades which he threw back at the enemy. One went off, knockinghim briefly unconscious, before he could pick up his rifle andcontinue fighting.
By then, both his legs, and especially his left foot had beenwounded.
"I found a spot, just off the trail and settled down for the night.The U.S. artillery started in, hitting Hill 717 and the ridge I wason. Chinese and North Korean soldiers were on the trail, which wasabout five feet from me all through the night. The next morning Iwas cold, tired, thirsty and hungry. I was awakened by the pull oftelephone wires that I was laying on and saw two North Koreanswalking toward me rolling up the telephone wire."
"They walked right by me not looking down, as I could have reachedout and touched them. Later that day, I had what I think was asniper shooting at me. I tried moving, but the bullets kept poppingaround me. I was hit in the right side, just above my waistline. Iplayed dead, and the sniping stopped."
On Sept. 8, Spindler watched as U.S. artillery pounded Hill 717 andfighter aircraft made napalm and rocket runs on the ridge he wasoccupying. He watched in horror as American fighter aircraftdropped their napalm on U.S. positions preparing to attach thehill. He later learned that over 40 U.S. soldiers were killed in aninstance of friendly fire.
On his last day on the hill, Sept. 10, U.S. artillery andairstrikes again pounded Hill 717 as Spindler struggled to stayalive.
"Our artillery came in like rain," he wrote. I was also hit by alarge piece of artillery shrapnel in my right shoulder. I rolledover on my back and felt this piece of warm metal sticking out."
Again the U.S. artillery barrage of Hill 717 started up again withair strikes, napalm and rockets.
By the end of the fourth day, Spindler made a dash to Hill 717 inbetween incoming and outgoing artillery barrages and made his wayto safety. He was pulled through the barbed wire perimeter andreceived much-needed medical attention. Captured Chinese prisonersserving as stretcher bearers escorted him to the rear.
Military surgeons at a mobile MASH field hospital examined him andgave Spindler a 50-50 chance of losing his legs.
"They shot me full of penicillin and bandaged my legs. I was toldinfection had gotten the best of them," he recalled.
"I've had flashbacks in the years ever since," Spindler said. Helpfrom the Department of Veteran's Affairs and post-traumatic stress(PTSD) support groups have helped him through the years, but cannotblock out the memories, he added. He has continued to participatein VA-sponsored support groups which came to include a sizeablenumber of Vietnam-era combat veterans.
Spindler has also endured six surgeries connected to his combatwounds.
"We struggled to understand one another. Our war, (Korea) was verydifferent than Vietnam."
"I struggled with my anger and my injuries for a very long time."
In the bitter combat in and around the Punchbowl, Bloody Ridge,Heartbreak Ridge, the Nevada Cities complex, Hill 717, the Hook,and others in a long, long list, America had asked its young men toendure some of the fiercest combat in its history. The awareness ofthe continuing truce talks at Panmunjom made it even more difficultfor the soldier to deal with the unremitting danger and hardships.
At this time, every soldier knew that they fought over tiny piecesof nearly vertical real estate while an armistice could be signedat any time. No one wanted to make the list as the last casualty ofthe war.
Spindler's medals and awards packet included: the Purple Heart, 3rdOak Leaf Cluster (4th award); The Army Good Conduct Medal for hishonorable active duty service; the National Defense Service Medal;the United Nations Service Medal; the Republic of Korea-Korean WarService Medal; and of course the Distinguished Unit Citation and 2bronze service stars with his Korean Service Medal. Army awardsincluded his Combat Infantryman Badge and expert and sharpshooterbadges for proficiency with the M-1 Carbine and the BrowningAutomatic Rifle (BAR).
"My original citation from the Army was for a single Purple Heart,which was rescinded when my record was corrected," he said.
Spindler's family moved to San Francisco, California in 1945because his father was then working for the Marine Air Corpsbuilding airstrips throughout the Pacific. He became an avid shortwave listener and learned the Morse Code while in the Sea Scouts asa teenager. He graduated from Lick Wilmerdine High School in SanFrancisco in 1947.
Spindler might never have seen combat in the first place had hisSan Francisco Draft Board not plucked the 17-year-old fromsubmarine duty in the Naval Reserve and included him as one of 35names on a selection list for induction into the U.S. Army.
"I was mad about that for a hell of a long time," he said.
With that, Roger was drafted into the United States Army in Marchof 1951.
Twenty-two year old Army Private Spindler completed his initialbasic infantry training at Fort Ord in Monterey, Calif. He reportedfor duty at Camp Stoneman near Pittsburg, in the East Bay andshipped out from Fort Mason in San Francisco on the troop transportship, President Jefferson.
His next stop toward the Korean conflict was in Yokohama, Japanwhere he picked up winter gear and soon flew on an Army C-47 toInchon, South Korea.
The Army shipped Roger to Osaka, Japan where he spent three monthsin an American-staffed Army Hospital. When he had healed enough tomove, they shipped him to the Army Madigan Hospital at Fort Lewis,Washington where he spent two months before again being moved toCamp Roberts, California for further medical treatment and dentalwork.
He also met a lot of other badly injured, but slowly recoveringservice men at these facilities. While at Camp Roberts, the Armysent him to a variety of schools, including truck driver; movieprojectionist; military instructor, etc. They finally made him theforeman of the electrical shop where he actually had two sergeantsworking under him.
Spindler explained that he was given a choice in 1951 whilerecovering from his wounds to stay in the U.S. Army until hispersonnel record could be corrected or accept his honorabledischarge and return to civilian life.
He received his honorable discharge from the Army in December of1952. He returned to his employment with the Pacific Gas & ElectricCompany in 1953 as a division operator since he could no longerclimb poles due to his extensive leg injuries.
A wonderful young nurse who worked at St. Luke's Hospital on Armyand Valencia in San Francisco soon turned his life around.
On September 9, 1955, Roger married Joy Loretta Blane whom he stilldescribes as the best thing that happened to him. She lost herbattle with ovarian cancer only a few years ago.
Spindler has three grown children, sons Michael and Curtis and adaughter Carol.
Roger's sister is Nancy who was born around Thanksgiving in 1929.She has raised six children over the years and also currently livesin Pacifica. Roger's brother is William who was born in February1932. He worked for United Airlines as a mechanic and raised fourgirls and one son.
CORRECTING YOUR MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS
Veterans need to complete a federal SF 180 Request Pertaining toMilitary Records form which is available through the Department ofVeterans Affairs web site - www.va.gov.
There is no charge for most services provided to former servicemembers or their surviving next of kin. The DD-214 form containsinformation normally needed to verify military service.
Veterans may request an undeleted report of separation whichincludes such sensitive items as the character of separation,authority for separation, reason for separation, reenlistmenteligibility code and date of time lost.
An undeleted version is ordinarily required to determineeligibility for veteran's benefits.
Replacement military medals issued by each branch of the servicecan be obtained by notifying the branch in writing.
In Pacifica, help may be obtained from the membership of AmericanLegion Post 238 or Veterans of Foreign War in our area.