European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 11, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday november 11. 1987 the stars and stripes Page 9 master sgt. Jerry Cunningham a ekr a of Korea and Vietnam poses by a weapons display during an interview at the 3rd inf div Marne museum in we Coburg. Duty sacrifice Are hero s watchwords  Bureau Wuerzburg Germany veterans Day was raffling. Master set. Jerry Cunningham sat in the 3rdinf div Marne museum discussing his life duty Honor country. The voice was soft but with the strength of conviction conviction earned fighting in Korea and Viet Nam. I would t say you re crazy if a person is dedicated to his country Cunningham said when asked if he was crazy to go through three combat Tours. You have to sacrifice to have Freedom. I was willing to do that sacrifice my life so alter people have the Freedom they enjoy  Jerry Cunningham entered the army As a 17-year old Volunteer bar Browning automatic Rife Rifleman on aug. A 1952. In january 1953 he was put on a train in Pusan South Korea and Rode it North to where the 3rd in div was in a blocking position. He thought about his Cousin who Dice in Korea after two Days in country. The train was full of Bullet holes. Never knew How my Cousin was killed. I was thinking he got killed while on the train. The North koreans had a guerrilla team that ambushed trains shot pm  a month later Cunningham s unit co a 15th inf went to the Missouri line in the Chowan Valley. He and a korean Soldier were in front of Che command Post in a Foi holc one night about 2 . The korean said chinese coming said he could smell them. 1 said a wow you Don t smell anything " two or three minutes later a head poked up right beside Cunningham. The korean had been right. Chinese soldiers were moving within their reach to the right of the foxhole. Aller they went Down the Hill i told the up com Mand Post the chinese had walked right past our  for i minutes artillery rounds hit 20 Yards away from Cunningham. We crouched in our foxhole dodging shrapnel. It wiped them  june 10, 1957. All hell broke Loose at observation Post Harry on 11 no Man s land of a Hill. Chinese on one Side of the Hill United nations forces on the other fighting 10 control resupply routes. The chinese human wave attack hit Isih inf. The 15th held ground two Days before Relief mine. The chinese started tossing some artillery. My buddy and i were eating a rations. He asked where is that blood coming from on your leg to said what blood i looked and saw a Hole All the Way through my leg and 1 got really weak. Then i got thirsty started passing  he was flown to Japan then to fort Binning a. Alter the War Cunningham left the army but he stayed in the reserves. Eleven years later he was Back on Active duty. I was an e-6 in the reserves came Hack e-2, went to Basic and Ait again. Then i went to the Highlands  Cunningham s battalion made a sweep near cambo Dia. They discovered an underground Viet Cong Hospi Tal. Engineers went to blow up the Hospital with Cun i love my Freedom i love my  master sgt. Jerry Cunningham Gingham s unit along for Security. We were eating lunch saw some fresh Foxholes thought it Wai from our  the Viet Cong and North vietnamese had set up a ambush for his unit. While they were eating he enemy hit. The company commander at the other end started screaming. " who s firing their weapon our squad Leader said sir we re getting attacked he said i Don t believe it you re not jetting attacked meanwhile. I m at the other end. Believe me we were getting attacked. Before we knew it we had pcs up in Trees and All around us. We walked right into their trap. We were trained when they hit us go into a horse shoe. Before we could we were wiped out special forces came in 1 up a Horseshoe position. Air strikes came in then artillery then Cunningham commander called i sown artillery right up on them. The commander told me cover this trait. Don t let anyone come Down unless they bring wounded out " they brought pm out. My platoon Leader was one of them. Brought i Staci Char Down if Trail. One of the Vas up in the Trees i la never forget shot him White he Lay there. Died right there. "1 saw the Guy who shot Pul my weapon on Auto Matic just turned it Loose. Never did see the pc All i saw was blood dripping out of the  mortar came in. Hit close 50 feel. Set me on fire. I had a smoke grenade on. Set that Olf. Had a busted eardrum Hole in my  company tame up lost More people than we did but cleared out a dust Oil area. They Pul me on the floor of the chopper nest to the gunner. The Pilo went up. Did a sleep right Bank. Started sliding. The door gunner was finn his machine gun. I could barely speak. I was just sliding right oui the open door. He finally looked saw me sliding pulled me Back  they put a tube Down his Chest to Drain All the yellow and Green smoke out of his lung. Gen. William c. Westmoreland was giving out purple Means when Cunningham woke up he looked at me and said what color blood do you have?1 he saw the lubes with the smoke Corning out of my lungs Dif Terni Colon Blue red  Cunningham was in the Hospital a week went to Saigon then Japan before going stateside and on id  More tour in Vietnam this Lime Ai a. Supply Depoi. No pc hiding in Trees with death lurking from above. He saw the cease fire come went Back to the United  re More appreciated now than during the War. They did t respect he soldiers did t appreciate what they did at that time. During the korean War when you were in uniform travelling people would buy you a cup of Coffee soda anything try to cheer you up. We did t get that. They called us baby killers we killed ladies and All that. We had no Choice in some eases. Pc disguise themselves with the civilian population. It was them or us so we did a lot of things thai we should t have had to do. We were fighting 3 War and trying to survive. A lol of people hold that against us is ill. We re not looking for everyone to gel Down and Bow to us. The Only thing we re looking Abr is a Little respect. Think about what we went through in order for them to have what they have  it All comes Down to Freedom for Jerry  is finishing up i career where he started with he3fd inf div. If necessary when the Lime comes. I m ready 10 fight again. It s not that i m a hero or trying to be hero but 1 love my free dam. I love my country i know you have to fight have to give in order to have that