Veteran Interview with Bill Gober (A)
(7:28) Mr. Bill Gober discusses joining the Marine Corps and his experience during the landing at Inchon during the Korean War.Florence-Lauderdale Public Library Digital Archive Interview with Bill Gober June 23, 2011 Florence, Alabama Conducted by Clint Alley and Rhonda Haygood Clip 1 Clint Alley:...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic |
| Published: |
Florence-Lauderdale County Public Library
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://cdm15947.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/war/id/146 |
| format |
Electronic |
|---|---|
| collection |
War Years at Home and Abroad Collection |
| building |
Florence-Lauderdale County Public Library |
| publisher |
Florence-Lauderdale County Public Library |
| topic |
Military life |
| spellingShingle |
Military life Veteran Interview with Bill Gober (A) Florence-Lauderdale Public Library |
| fulltopic |
Military life Military maneuvers; Campaigns & battles; Korean War, 1950-1953 |
| description |
(7:28) Mr. Bill Gober discusses joining the Marine Corps and his experience during the landing at Inchon during the Korean War.Florence-Lauderdale Public Library Digital Archive
Interview with Bill Gober
June 23, 2011
Florence, Alabama
Conducted by Clint Alley and Rhonda Haygood
Clip 1
Clint Alley: Okay, well today's June 23, 2011. I'm Clint Alley with Rhonda Haygood and we are here with Mr. Bill Gober in Sheffield in his home and he's gonna to tell us about his Korean War experience. So, Mr. Gober would, let’s just start out, could you tell us when and where were you born?
Bill Gober: I was born in Franklin County, down close to Red Bay in 6-7-28.
CA: Would you tell us were you drafted into the service or did you volunteer?
BG: I was drafted and I volunteered.
CA: Okay.
BG: I, I was drafted for the Army and one of my classmates had joined the Marine Corps and he talked me into joining the Marine Corps with him.
CA: Okay.
BG: And we went in the— September 9, 1948.
CA: 1948. Did they give you any trouble about wanting to swap or was it pretty easy to swap over?
BG: Oh, I didn't have any trouble, I just went and volunteered and then called the draft board and told them I’d, I was on my way to Parris Island. So there was no problem.
CA: Okay, okay, that's good. So you, you did that in September and you went to Parris Island for your basic training.
BG: Boot camp.
CA: Boot camp. Okay, well could tell us a little bit about that?
BG: Well, boot camp is a transition time for right out of high school and you go there and you learn what the Marine Corps is all about real quick. Course, I was in good physical condition, I'd played football and basketball at Vina High School. And it was right after the, we completed and I was in good shape. And I didn't have no problem much with boot camp. I just sailed right through.
CA: Okay, okay. How long did that take?
BG: Thirteen weeks.
CA: Thirteen weeks. What, what was your specialty after boot camp?
BG: I was amphibious, landing troops from ship to shore. And Amtracs.
CA: Where were you stationed after you finished boot camp?
BG: Guam. The island of Guam. I was there one year.
CA: In Guam?
BG: Um-hm.
CA: Okay.
BG: Went straight out of boot camp to Guam.
CA: Did you like Guam?
BG: Well, it wasn’t nothing there. You had to like it; you couldn't get off.
CA: It was just sort of a rock, huh?
BG: It was just, it was just a rock and you, we trained five and a half days a week so we didn't have time to worry much about where we were at.
CA: Yeah, yeah. All right. So that was in, you went to Guam in '49?
BG: In, got there in '49.
CA: Okay.
BG: And stayed the whole year of '49.
CA: Okay. Well where did you go from there?
BG: From there I went to Yokosuka, Japan, the marine barracks.
CA: And did you do more training there?
BG: No, well we was on guard duty there all time. You know, we just, we’d done completed our – had got our MOS and everything on the island of Guam and that was just a sort of a pleasure trip there.
CA: Oh, okay.
BG: Everybody was trying to go to Yokosuka, Japan at that time.
CA: Oh, okay, okay. Did they have real nice weather or something?
BG: Oh yeah, it was just about like Alabama. Just practically the same thing.
CA: Okay.
BG: But, Guam was hot, you know, year around.
CA: All right. Well how long were you in Yokosuka?
BG: Ah, nearly a year. It lacked just a little bit when the Korean War broke out.
CA: Okay. And that was June of '50 when that broke out. Is that right?
BG: Um-hm. June 25th. Um-hm.
CA: Okay.
BG: And I stayed till September in Yokosuka.
CA: And then you were deployed to Korea after that?
BG: Yeah, um-hm.
CA: Okay. Where did you land in Korea?
BG: Inchon.
CA: Inchon.
BG: Korea, in the amphibious landing. When the war started there in June they mobilized the First Marine Division at Camp Pendleton. And ah, as they came across, they was taking the seventeen years old out and dropping them off in the barracks and picking us old guys that was eighteen and above. I happened to be twenty-one.
CA: Okay, okay. So were, were you there at the first landing then?
BG: Yeah, I was, I was in the landing at Inchon. CA: Inchon. Okay. Were y'all taking enemy fire when you landed at Inchon?
BG: Oh yeah, you was getting fire. Of course, you know the Navy softened things up for you before you'd get there with heavy artill—ships, you know, have got big guns, like the Missouri and them with the 16 inchers. So they was pounding it big time and, and when we went, went under, went in on, under fire from them and that's, that's where it was at, where that arrow is there, Inchon. [Mr. Gober points to the position on a map]
CA: Okay.
BG: Right there.
CA: Okay.
BG: And then we, when we went to, when we established the beach head there at Inchon then the next goal was Kimpo Airfield, was a few miles inland and we captured it very quick. And then the next one was crossing Hun River going into the city of Seoul and that's when it got rough.
CA: Capturing Seoul?
BG: Yeah.
CA: Okay. How long did it take you to capture Seoul?
BG: We had it in our hands on the 29th and put Syngman Rhee back in as president.
CA: Oh, okay.
BG: See, he had to exit when the, see the, when the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel in this area here in August, they were all the way down here. This was all left to South Korea. That's all we was holding. And the First Marine Brigade was holding, was part of that. Then they took us up and we met the division coming in at Inchon and we went aboard ship there. Well, we got on at Kobe, Japan and, and they, then we landed at Inchon.
CA: Okay, okay, and then you, you went and liberated Seoul?
BG: Then we captured the city of Seoul and turned it―put Syngman Rhee back as president on the 29th of September.
CA: Okay, did you ever see him?
BG: Oh yeah, I had seen him several times. Him and McArthur rode up the boulevard in the convertible.
CA: Oh yeah, did you ever get to meet either one of those?
BG: I'd just see them.
CA: Just see them?
BG: Yeah, I didn't shake hands or nothing like that.
CA: Okay, okay.
BG: But, McArthur never missed a show, you know, he, he―
CA: He liked to be right in the middle of it, didn't he?
BG: Yeah. Well that was a big deal for him you see, that everything went so good in a short time there see, with, this is all they were holding, the North Koreans. And then we landed there behind them, see, and we cut them off. And we trapped them, we just practically annihilated the North Korean army when we crossed here and went into the city of Seoul.
CA: Okay, so it took about, about a month, you'd say?
BG: About a month.
CA: To―okay, okay. |
| title |
Veteran Interview with Bill Gober (A) |
| titleStr |
Veteran Interview with Bill Gober (A) |
| author |
Florence-Lauderdale Public Library |
| author_facet |
Florence-Lauderdale Public Library |
| id |
FLCPLwar146 |
| url |
https://cdm15947.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/war/id/146 |
| thumbnail |
http://cdm15947.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getthumbnail/collection/war/id/146 |
| _version_ |
1705462192840638464 |
| spelling |
Veteran Interview with Bill Gober (A)Military maneuvers; Campaigns & battles; Korean War, 1950-1953(7:28) Mr. Bill Gober discusses joining the Marine Corps and his experience during the landing at Inchon during the Korean War.Florence-Lauderdale Public LibraryFlorence-Lauderdale Public LibraryBill Gober2011-06-23sound; textaudio/mp3; text/pdfEnglishPart of the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library CollectionMay be protected under U.S. Copyright laws. Contact the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library for permission to use.Florence-Lauderdale Public Library Digital Archive
Interview with Bill Gober
June 23, 2011
Florence, Alabama
Conducted by Clint Alley and Rhonda Haygood
Clip 1
Clint Alley: Okay, well today's June 23, 2011. I'm Clint Alley with Rhonda Haygood and we are here with Mr. Bill Gober in Sheffield in his home and he's gonna to tell us about his Korean War experience. So, Mr. Gober would, let’s just start out, could you tell us when and where were you born?
Bill Gober: I was born in Franklin County, down close to Red Bay in 6-7-28.
CA: Would you tell us were you drafted into the service or did you volunteer?
BG: I was drafted and I volunteered.
CA: Okay.
BG: I, I was drafted for the Army and one of my classmates had joined the Marine Corps and he talked me into joining the Marine Corps with him.
CA: Okay.
BG: And we went in the— September 9, 1948.
CA: 1948. Did they give you any trouble about wanting to swap or was it pretty easy to swap over?
BG: Oh, I didn't have any trouble, I just went and volunteered and then called the draft board and told them I’d, I was on my way to Parris Island. So there was no problem.
CA: Okay, okay, that's good. So you, you did that in September and you went to Parris Island for your basic training.
BG: Boot camp.
CA: Boot camp. Okay, well could tell us a little bit about that?
BG: Well, boot camp is a transition time for right out of high school and you go there and you learn what the Marine Corps is all about real quick. Course, I was in good physical condition, I'd played football and basketball at Vina High School. And it was right after the, we completed and I was in good shape. And I didn't have no problem much with boot camp. I just sailed right through.
CA: Okay, okay. How long did that take?
BG: Thirteen weeks.
CA: Thirteen weeks. What, what was your specialty after boot camp?
BG: I was amphibious, landing troops from ship to shore. And Amtracs.
CA: Where were you stationed after you finished boot camp?
BG: Guam. The island of Guam. I was there one year.
CA: In Guam?
BG: Um-hm.
CA: Okay.
BG: Went straight out of boot camp to Guam.
CA: Did you like Guam?
BG: Well, it wasn’t nothing there. You had to like it; you couldn't get off.
CA: It was just sort of a rock, huh?
BG: It was just, it was just a rock and you, we trained five and a half days a week so we didn't have time to worry much about where we were at.
CA: Yeah, yeah. All right. So that was in, you went to Guam in '49?
BG: In, got there in '49.
CA: Okay.
BG: And stayed the whole year of '49.
CA: Okay. Well where did you go from there?
BG: From there I went to Yokosuka, Japan, the marine barracks.
CA: And did you do more training there?
BG: No, well we was on guard duty there all time. You know, we just, we’d done completed our – had got our MOS and everything on the island of Guam and that was just a sort of a pleasure trip there.
CA: Oh, okay.
BG: Everybody was trying to go to Yokosuka, Japan at that time.
CA: Oh, okay, okay. Did they have real nice weather or something?
BG: Oh yeah, it was just about like Alabama. Just practically the same thing.
CA: Okay.
BG: But, Guam was hot, you know, year around.
CA: All right. Well how long were you in Yokosuka?
BG: Ah, nearly a year. It lacked just a little bit when the Korean War broke out.
CA: Okay. And that was June of '50 when that broke out. Is that right?
BG: Um-hm. June 25th. Um-hm.
CA: Okay.
BG: And I stayed till September in Yokosuka.
CA: And then you were deployed to Korea after that?
BG: Yeah, um-hm.
CA: Okay. Where did you land in Korea?
BG: Inchon.
CA: Inchon.
BG: Korea, in the amphibious landing. When the war started there in June they mobilized the First Marine Division at Camp Pendleton. And ah, as they came across, they was taking the seventeen years old out and dropping them off in the barracks and picking us old guys that was eighteen and above. I happened to be twenty-one.
CA: Okay, okay. So were, were you there at the first landing then?
BG: Yeah, I was, I was in the landing at Inchon. CA: Inchon. Okay. Were y'all taking enemy fire when you landed at Inchon?
BG: Oh yeah, you was getting fire. Of course, you know the Navy softened things up for you before you'd get there with heavy artill—ships, you know, have got big guns, like the Missouri and them with the 16 inchers. So they was pounding it big time and, and when we went, went under, went in on, under fire from them and that's, that's where it was at, where that arrow is there, Inchon. [Mr. Gober points to the position on a map]
CA: Okay.
BG: Right there.
CA: Okay.
BG: And then we, when we went to, when we established the beach head there at Inchon then the next goal was Kimpo Airfield, was a few miles inland and we captured it very quick. And then the next one was crossing Hun River going into the city of Seoul and that's when it got rough.
CA: Capturing Seoul?
BG: Yeah.
CA: Okay. How long did it take you to capture Seoul?
BG: We had it in our hands on the 29th and put Syngman Rhee back in as president.
CA: Oh, okay.
BG: See, he had to exit when the, see the, when the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel in this area here in August, they were all the way down here. This was all left to South Korea. That's all we was holding. And the First Marine Brigade was holding, was part of that. Then they took us up and we met the division coming in at Inchon and we went aboard ship there. Well, we got on at Kobe, Japan and, and they, then we landed at Inchon.
CA: Okay, okay, and then you, you went and liberated Seoul?
BG: Then we captured the city of Seoul and turned it―put Syngman Rhee back as president on the 29th of September.
CA: Okay, did you ever see him?
BG: Oh yeah, I had seen him several times. Him and McArthur rode up the boulevard in the convertible.
CA: Oh yeah, did you ever get to meet either one of those?
BG: I'd just see them.
CA: Just see them?
BG: Yeah, I didn't shake hands or nothing like that.
CA: Okay, okay.
BG: But, McArthur never missed a show, you know, he, he―
CA: He liked to be right in the middle of it, didn't he?
BG: Yeah. Well that was a big deal for him you see, that everything went so good in a short time there see, with, this is all they were holding, the North Koreans. And then we landed there behind them, see, and we cut them off. And we trapped them, we just practically annihilated the North Korean army when we crossed here and went into the city of Seoul.
CA: Okay, so it took about, about a month, you'd say?
BG: About a month.
CA: To―okay, okay.http://server15947.contentdm.oclc.org/u?/war,146 |