Refugees, Snyder, Key, and a Goat

MK note: This page was constructed by J. C. Poe (Entry #2) as a page in his (to be published later) personal history. The original of the photo was furnished to him by Fred Hofheinz (Entry #14) who, as Poe says, is not into computers. I did the best I could with my scan of Poe's page and posted his page. Then, I asked Poe to send me the original. He gave his usual "Can Do" and the photo is now about as good as it's going to get until I learn photo painting better.

After you have seen the photo and read Poe's (unedited) words, you may read below them the reason that Poe's page was of special interest and meaning to me. MK.

"Fred Hofheinz Pages

                                                                     J. C. Poe"

MK add-on: When Poe sent me this page, I remembered the refugees and their goat very well. I'm glad that other people can't make out the goat either; I thought my eyes were completely gone.

Richard Snyder, the brother if the "Sgt" Snyder in the photo, had sent me (about 1989) a video tape that included some scenes of the happy event and that had spurred my memory before I saw this photo. But, I was not sure that it was "my" Snyder (like me, a lowly Corporal) in the photo even though I thought I recalled that, on the day of the photo, we were clowning around with a Sgt's helmet liner - and, I guess, I couldn't soak in the luck of viewing, in 2000 and for the first time, a 1952 photo of my best foxhole buddy. Then, recently, Poe told me to look at this photo against another that I knew to be of Snyder and BINGO. It's Snyder.

Not only that, I am forced now to admit that the guy in the middle, and enjoying the goat the most, is, most probably, first person singular. See how nice I was in giving up my clown's prop to my buddy.

Now for the refugee part of the story: The bunker which was home for Snyder and me was directly across the Imjin from where, the night before, we heard noises and faint voices. Using unusual restraint, we asked questions of a much higher-up in the chain of command, meaning our Platoon Sgt, before blasting away.

At dawn, about ten distraught refugees, consisting of men, women, children and a goat, could be clearly seen across the river. They were rescued with a dory, fed, and put on a truck headed to the rear. Scenes of that appear not only in the video tape sent to me be Richard Snyder, but also in a video CD recently sent to me by Dudley Snyder, Richard Snyder's son and namesake of "Sgt" Snyder. MK.

MK late add-on (05 Aug 2003) You may now see the front end of the "refugee parade" and read more about it on the Don't Carry Me Back page. MK.

3rd Division Page     IBB Map and Photo Index
Fall to Winter      Refugees Plus - Again
"Can Do" Photo Index