Replacement Draft Ships
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The KWE has received a request for information about ships that transported replacement drafts to Korea.
If you remember what replacement draft you were on, the name of the ship that took you to Korea, the port
from which you left the States, and the date you left, please help us build this new page of the Korean War
Educator. If you have some, but not all, information, you are encouraged to share what you have with
us.6th Replacement Draft (USMC)
- I departed from San Diego, California, on February 15, 1951 in the 6th Replacement Draft onboard the
USS Randell, arriving in Pusan, Korea on March 5, 1951, assigned to D-2-7, 1st Marine Division. - Ed
Evans, USMC 1152518
10th Replacement Draft (USMC)
- Dale H. Brown of Monson, Maine, left for Korea in the 10th Replacement Draft from San Diego on 18 June
1951 on the USNS General William Wiegel.
11th Replacement Draft (USMC)
- The 11th replacement draft consisted of three ships: the USS General William M Black (TAP135), USS
Cavalier (APA-37), and USS General M.C. Meigs (TAP 116).
We boarded ship (the Black) late at night on 13 July 1951 and sailed from San Diego the following day,
arriving at Sasebo, Japan, 27 July 1951, for fuel and stores. I will never forget a huge sign at the dock
"THROUGH THESE PORTALS PASS THE BEST DAMN FIGHTING MEN IN THE WORLD". This location was primarily a US
Army installation.
Aboard ship we had nothing to do but get in line for breakfast, leave the chow hall and get in line for
lunch, and leave the chow hall and get in line for dinner. No one wanted to go down in the bowels of those
troop ships to the sleeping compartments where narrow canvas cots were hinged to the wall, six high, maybe
two foot apart at most from top to bottom. We slept on deck if we could find a niche and didn't mind
sleeping on steel. We had salt water showers and were provided a special soap that was supposed to make
salt water lather. It didn't lather. Rather, it took off one's top layer of skin.
Most of us were fairly new Marines and had shiny dungarees that hadn't faded much. To make ourselves
appear as "old salts", we tied our dungarees to a length of rope, threw them in the ocean, and let them
flip and flop in the wake of the screws for awhile. They faded with this abuse. At night the sky was a
wonderful sight. I had a friend from Brooklyn (name was Murphy) who was fascinated by the stars. He never
realized the sky was so wide. His concept of the heavens was from a narrow view of the sky between high
rise buildings at 33rd and 3rd Streets, New York City.
We arrived in Pusan Harbor on 5 August 1951. There was an enormous tent city adjacent to a soccer
field/stadium. There were telephone poles with loudspeakers erected at various locations on the playing
field. We milled around on the field all day, listening for our name to be called and which trucks to get
on. I went to the 1st Engineer Battalion.
- Thanks for your time. David F. Goode, SSgt, USMC, Serial Number 1120747.
12th Replacement Draft (USMC)
- Chris E. Sarno embarked onboard USNS Gen. M. C. Meigs at San Diego, California and departed therefrom
on 15 August 1951. Arrived and disembarked at Pusan, Korea 31 August 1951.
36th Replacement Draft (USMC)
- Chris E. Sarno embarked onboard USNS Gen Walker at San Diego, California and departed therefrom 10
September 1953. Arrived and disembarked at Inchon, South Korea 29 September 1953.
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