This interview was conducted on behalf of Charleston County as part of the project: Stories from Historic African American Communities: A Journey to Equal Education, W. Gresham Meggett High School, James Island, SC. Charleston County was awarded a grant from the Department of Interior and National Park Service (NPS) in 2018 to conduct this oral history project aimed to provide insight into the lives of African American students during desegregation. The project is structured by the NPS research framework: Civil Rights in America: A Framework for Identifying Significant Sites (2002, rev. 2008).
This interview was conducted on March 19, 2019, at St. James Presbyterian Church, James Island, Charleston County, South Carolina. David Richardson (a local Meggett graduate working on behalf of New South Associates) was the interviewer; Jenna Tran (New South Associates) was the technical assistant.
David Richardson: My name is David Richardson. And I’m here with Mr. Middleton. We are at the James Island, I mean St. James Educational Building on the premise of St. James Presbyterian Church. Can you, please, sir, give us your full name?
Ronald Middleton: My name is Ronald Middleton, Senior.
DR: And where do you reside now?
RM: I live at 1481 Fortune Lane, Charleston, South Carolina 29412.
DR: And what is your date of birth?
RM: September 3, 1945.
DR: And where were you born?
RM: Charleston, South Carolina.
DR: And is that—What part of Charleston were you born?
RM: James Island.
DR: And that’s where your family lives.
RM: Lives and reside there.
DR: So, you spent your childhood on James Island?
RM: Yes.
DR: Is there a particular section of James Island where you . . .
RM: Yes. It was called [indistinct 00:14:44]
DR: Okay. Tell me about your family. What was your father’s name?
RM: My father was Herbert Middleton, Senior.
DR: And what was his occupation, sir?
RM: He spent—He fought in the second World War. He spent 20-some years in the Navy. He retired in his 60s. And he was an employee of the Charleston Naval Shipyard for I don’t know how many years, but for many years.
DR: And your mother. What was your mother’s name?
RM: My mother was Elizabeth Chisolm Middleton. Her occupation was—She worked at the Naval—Not at the Naval, but at the tobacco plant in Charleston. You had a cigar factory there at which she worked.
DR: You have siblings?
RM: Yes. I have four siblings.
DR: What are their names?
RM: Ronald H. Middleton, Junior. Carmen Middleton. Ina Middleton. Reginald Middleton.
DR: Did your family emphasize the importance of an education when you were coming up?
RM: Yes.
DR: And what are some of the things that you remember hearing from your parents that made you convinced that they wanted you to get an education?
RM: Well, it was the parents telling me that by being educated the sky was the limit. And that it was so important. Now there’s things that—I have the equivalent of an Associate degree. I came about these things on my job and continued my education.
DR: Now, where did you go to school?
RM: I went to W. Gresham Meggett High School. And it was located on Grimball Road.
DR: What about elementary school, sir?
RM: I went to elementary school there, too. But I first started out in first grade on the little building that was called—Oh, I had it in . . .
DR: What road was it on.
RM: It was on [indistinct 00:17:22] section [indistinct 00:17:24] Road.
DR: You talking about Society Corner?
RM: Yes. That’s where I—
DR: And you started out at Society Corner?
RM: Right.
DR: Okay. What years were they? Do you remember?
RM: Yeah. I was approximately six years old. I had to walk to school a mile-and-a-half, two miles.
DR: And, from there, where did you go to school?
RM: W. Gresham Meggett.
DR: And where was that located?
RM: On Grimball and Pruitt [phonetic 00:17:50].
DR: So, distance after you transferred to Gresham Meggett, the distance to cover to get to school was longer or shorter?
RM: It was shorter, a couple of blocks.
DR: Okay. So, you were right down road from the school.
RM: Yes. And, at the time, I could see—Because a lot of people did farming then you—
DR: Hm-hmmm [affirmative].
RM: The trees or the wood hadn’t growed up. So, I could see W. Gresham Meggett from my home. It was that close.
DR: Where did your parents go to school?
RM: Avery.
DR: Oak [phonetic 00:18:25]
RM: Yes.
DR: And where was Avery located?
RM: In Charleston, South Carolina.
DR: Where did your siblings go to school?
RM: My sibling went to James Island High. And that was on Fort Johnson Road.
DR: So, when did you graduate from Gresham Meggett?
RM: 1963.
DR: That was before they—It was still an all-black school.
RM: Yes. ’63.
DR: Now what did you observe different at Gresham Meggett from what you observed that the white schools were like.
RM: Well, right now, the whites had better educational tools than we had.
DR: What do you mean when you say that?
RM: When I say that—There is, the majority of our books, even though we had to pay for it, was used like hand me downs. You understand what I’m saying?
DR: Hm-hmmm [affirmative].
RM: And when I observed these things, even when I went into the military. It was supposed to be that way because we were supposed to be second-class people. And we didn’t get—Case in point. I married a lovely woman from Anderson, South Carolina. She’s black. But in certain things they were ahead of us with the equipment they had. But one thing that my wife and them never—They never even thought that in—And I’m not off base or anything. They never even thought or knew anything about black soldiers. You hear me?
DR: So, are you saying the history was not taught in her school about blacks?
RM: No. And it was very limited in our school.
DR: Hm-hmmm [affirmative]. Were your parents active in ya’ll’s education?
RM: Well, yes. But I have—I see at my age right now—I see these one or two teachers and I shake their hand because if you had a problem or teacher sent a note home, you was almost guilty before that note came. But and then but I recognize other things, you know [indistinct 00:21:15]
DR: Why do you say was almost guilty [indistinct 00:21:17]
RM: I said almost—
DR: I know, but what did that mean?
RM: What that mean is, you—The teachers back then, they took care. They took—They were interested, or they wanted you to succeed.
DR: So, you felt that the teachers at that Gresham Meggett cared about you getting an education?
RM: Yes, yes. 199%.
DR: What convinced you about that?
RM: Because of the way they taught. The way they tried to instill this motivation inside of you. And the thing about it, it prepared me for my life when I went out. Now, I was not educated in a greatest school. But soon I hit the Army. It was like a brick wall. What? I started looking around. And I started looking at these supernatural human beings. And they were less than me.
DR: Who is that supernatural human beings referring to?
RM: The whites.
DR: What do you mean that they were less than you?
RM: Well, I’m saying that I could out-perform them. It was a myth.
DR: But you told me earlier that equipment and information that ya’ll received at Gresham Meggett was second hand and not up to par with what the whites received.
RM: Yeah. But the idea was the training. The training from my parents, my teachers and all. They prepared me to say that I was a human being and I could compete with anyone. And the idea of that was great because my grandmother and all of them, which I knew them less, they came under more scrutiny than I did.
DR: All right, now, when did you attend Gresham Meggett? Do you remember?
RM: Yes. I would—Okay, we want to go back to 10, 9 years old. So, when we moved from Society Corner. Now Gresham Meggett—I think over—Was it ’55?
DR: ’52.
RM: ’52.
DR: Yeah.
RM: Okay. So, I was in the third grade. At ’52, I probably was in the third grade.
DR: Who were some of your teachers that you remember?
RM: Oh yeah, Miss Blunt. You smiled. Miss Baxter. I can name, you know, those were the main two.
DR: And who was the principal then?
RM: Not Leroy. He still was it. Yeah, he was.
DR: What do you remember about Mr. Anderson?
RM: Well, he was strict. And the idea, he wanted you to succeed. And in today’s world, there wouldn’t be [indistinct 00:29:03] as a great principal. Because he wanted [indistinct 00:29:06] children and everything else, and their parents. I don’t know if they agreed. I’m just telling you the truth. And the fact is—But I think that, in my heart, I saw this big tall man. And I wanted to do what is right. And to be like him and some of the teachers. That’s all.
DR: Did he ever have the occasion to whip you?
RM: No. So, this was all hearsay. Okay [indistinct 00:29:39] got out of there quick.
DR: Do you remember Lash LaRue?
RM: Yeah. The Whip. I heard. But I was—
DR: You never seen it?
RM: Yes, when I—I saw it, right there. That big long whip.
DR: Okay.
RM: And as a child, you know, you were terrified of it, right?
DR: Do you believe the community was supportive of the school as a whole?
RM: Yeah. Because, the fact is that in this area for the whole community, this was something great for us. To have our school where, when we became a certain age, we didn’t have to go to [indistinct 00:30:26]
DR: So, Gresham Meggett was the first black high school on the island.
RM: Yes. Yeah, the fact is that you could graduate all the way up to 12th grade.
DR: Did you participate in any sports?
RM: No and not [indistinct 00:30:44] But I played sports, you know what I mean. I played sports, but not for the school.
DR: No.
RM: Like, I was good in baseball. And we didn’t have a baseball team. Or I can outrun just about anybody round the school. And a young man came up to me eight years ago and told me that. But we didn’t have a track team.
DR: Now, when you transferred from Society Corner to Gresham Meggett, how many students, classes were in the same room?
RM: Well, there were only one for my grade. And I know what you saying. But being in elementary school, we were not really that active in everything that was going on down the hall in other classrooms, if you understand me. We went to that one class. We went to the lunch room. We went out to play, and that was it.
DR: Now this is at Gresham Meggett or this is at—
RM: No.
DR: . . . Society Corner.
RM: No. Now Society Corner we had all kind of school [indistinct 00:32:05] wooden structure. We even had a wood stove.
DR: Do you remember whether there were one or two class in the same room at the same teacher have to—
RM: Yeah. Because Society Corner didn’t have that much room. Didn’t even have a bathroom. If you want me to be honest with you, you know, in the early ‘50s. We talking ’51, ’50.
DR: So, when you transferred to Gresham Meggett, there were more than one class in a room, within a teacher’s room, or just one class?
RM: In my elementary part, there were one class. But you gotta remember, I was in either the 4th or 5th grade, to tell you the truth. Okay?
DR: And you mentioned Miss Blunt?
RM: Yeah.
DR: You mentioned Miss Baxter?
RM: Yes.
DR: Who was the principal at Society Corner at the time?
RM: At the time, I believe that it was either Miss Blunt or Miss Baxter, you know? You know, listen, and you know these things. What would a 6th grader really knows about the carrying on of the school? They would see the teachers. All A, B, C’s. How to talk. How to walk. How to read silently. You know?
DR: How to do what? Read silently?
RM: Yeah.
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RM: Well, for hours, or for an hour, we would have our little book, right? And we had to read four or five pages. But they didn’t want the whole class saying, reading this like that. They now, “We want you to read this.” And we were taught to read silently. Okay?
DR: With your eyes and not your mouth?
RM: Not with your mouth. You exactly right.
DR: Hm-hmmm [affirmative]. Did your parents attend the PTA?
RM: Yes. They [indistinct 00:34:20]
DR: Both parents or just one?
RM: Well, daddy was always off because he was in the Navy, still in the Navy, okay? And he didn’t come home till mostly every two years or three years. His ship was gone. But he got lucky in that he was based in Charleston. But it’s just like what it is mostly war ships today. They’re gone six month. Then they come back and another crew takes over. And, you know what I mean? Then, the sailors would be on land for six months. The ship would come back to port, and then a new crew would take it out.
DR: Let me direct your attention to the furniture that you had at the elementary school, compared to when you moved to Gresham Meggett. Was there a difference?
RM: A big difference. The furniture we had was all new, and I would say clean. It wasn’t no hand me down like what we had there. And, the thing about it, we had no central air condition, but we had heat. Central heat. And that was better than trying to get, people trying to stoke a stove.
DR: Oh, central heat was at the Gresham Meggett.
RM: Yes.
DR: And there was internal heating system.
RM: Right.
DR: And not a fire that students have to make.
RM: Right. A 100%.
DR: So, the school was more comfortable?
RM: It was. The books were ragged, you know.
DR: The books were still ragged?
RM: The books were ragged because it seemed like they were—You know, I wouldn’t know the difference as a 10 and 5-year-old. But I don’t think I ever received a new book.
DR: Okay. While you were at Gresham Meggett, it was at the time when the civil right movement got started?
RM: Yes.
DR: What do you remember about that?
RM: Well, the most thing I remember about it is upper classroom, or a classmate that had—Not classmate, but people from the school that had graduated, or they was still there. And we were very interested in the civil right movement. This wasn’t a teacher thing. This was a community thing. And my first civil right leader was David Richardson. I could say David Richardson, Junior or David Richardson. That’s all I can think.
DR: What do you mean when you say he was your civil rights leader? What do you remember?
RM: Well, what I remember, going down to my lodge hall. We would stoke a fire. And I would join the NAACP. And we would sit down and my upper classmen, or one of my friends that had graduate, was telling us about the civil right movement. And one thing that was installed in me and I know it, was that I was just as good as anyone else.
DR: So, you participated in the movement yourself?
RM: Yes.
DR: What was the goal and objective?
RM: The goal and objective was to have a better life. To have more education. And to walk as proud as we could. And the thing about it, be an American citizen. I wanted to have the same thing all these other white citizen had. [indistinct 00:38:08] to put that in me.
DR: So, there were no—Before you graduated, or by the time you graduated from Gresham Meggett, there were no white students attending there? It was still a segregated school?
RM: Yes.
DR: Did you want to go to the white school?
RM: No. Because, the fact that I was entangled in—Or I feel like I was just as good or better as anyone. And I respect the teachers. I respect my upper classroom. I was really in a comfort [indistinct 00:38:50]. The reason I was in a comfort [indistinct 00:38:52] is the fact that I started attending these civil right movement. And they would tell me the fact, whatever the rest of this country had I was entitled to it, too.
DR: So, the goal of the civil rights movement was to get equal access and be treated equally?
RM: Amen. That’s a 199%.
DR: Was that goal achieved, do you think?
RM: No. It wasn’t. But it was a beginning.
DR: And you hope that’ll happen.
RM: Right now, we have taken a back step. And the worst thing that bothers me now—Listen, no one in James Island or South Carolina have seen the combat that I have seen. My record proves it. I bust people every day. And when they see me they go out of their way. They ain’t never heard a gun fire. And lying about all the combat you’ve been in. But let me get back to this. My biggest problem is having Russia interfere in my election. When I walked out on that battlefield after the battle and I pick up an AK-47 that had killed so many in my unit. It had Made in Russia. And, in my heart, in my heart, this guy that is the President, he was put there as a puppet for Putin. Now, being a combat soldier, I feel that way and ain’t nobody can change me from that.
DR: Let’s go back to the difference in the teachers that you had. You stated earlier that you had confidence in your teachers.
RM: Right.
DR: Now, you also stated that your books were secondhand books.
RM: Right, right.
DR: And you also stated, from you went in the military, you recognized that you were equal to the white students, even though you didn’t go to the same school.
RM: Right.
DR: How to you square that? How do you get from that point, where you have second class books, or used books, but still felt that you measure up to them after you got out of school?
RM: Well, first of all, it was confidence. And it was really when we were put to the test. I could out do them.
DR: So, that have to be related back to your education.
RM: Yes.
DR: And your teachers.
RM: It was back to my education, the teachers, how they taught me to have self-respect and everything else. I can tell you some episode, but I’ll be jumping ahead.
DR: So, even though your books were secondhand books, your making up the difference was because of what your teachers did?
RM: Teachers did it. Yeah. And the way I was pushed into—And another thing I would say, we still had—I had relatives that was living from the 18th century. And they would sit down and tell us [indistinct 00:42:24] things like how the black soldiers—How they served. How they were dressed and everything else. And in some areas of South Carolina, like where my wife come from—
DR: Hm-hmmm [affirmative].
RM: . . . they knew nothing about black soldiers. Until my children were 10 years ahead. What my old relatives have told me about then. And then they made the movie “Glory” about 10 years after I was married. She said, “Oh, you told me that there were all these black solders here.” And “Glory” put Charleston right there. Was black soldiers under Sherman. I’m a nut behind history now.
DR: After you went off to the war, did you see any more educational experiences?
RM: Yes, I did. You had to go through certain courses, right? Now, I want to say, I graduated from the Army culture [indistinct 00:43:42] right. Just like, case in point, I became an expert general fighter. You had to read. You had to go to books. And out of my group, I move up to a sergeant. And in combat I was a sergeant. I was a squad leader. I had 12 Hispanic. They came here to fight. To become citizens. When our great American population were running to Canada so fast, thousand, million of them. And they were running away. But they were the top of the line for to be these great Americans. Some had bone spur. Some had a cough and he couldn’t go in there. If you want me to give you an example, I will tell you who there were.
DR: So, you had Hispanics that were members of your squad?
RM: Yeah. And they could fight. And they came out of the Dominican Republic.
DR: Dominicans.
RM: They came from, just to name it, Mexico. And out of the 12 men, I had seven in there blacker than me. The troop commander put them together, so if they had any last words. You hear me? But they fought. I had a incident where these South Vietnamese rangers met up with us on the battlefield. And there must have been 30 or 40 of us. And, so, when we met up, all of my squad, all of the white soldiers and black were there, right? So, we had Smith. He was big, red-headed, you know, and all—Because we had an elite unit. And Smitty there was a replacement after all the KIAs and the WIAs we had in battle. No unit was in more combat. I don’t know nothing about no Vietcong. We fought 223rd paratroopers. They were the same as us. They were big. They were Chinese advisors. All this—I don’t nothing about know Vietcong. They outgunned us because they AK-47. You could beat it against a tree and thing would fire. We were the one with the first, with the M-16. We had 20 rounds when they had 30. And the tolerance from cold was to close. So, what it did. We didn’t not clean equipment and it would jam. And I liked to got killed four times one night when my weapon jammed. But I don’t know if you want to hear all them stories. But the idea, again, about—And I was giving you an example. So, these Vietnamese in broken English, and with they translator, they went to Smith. And they asked who was in charge when we met up in the jungle. And Smith said, “No, I’m not in charge.” And the whole unit opened up like that. And here it is. I’m 19 and I’m in charge in combat. Those Vietnamese couldn’t stop shaking my hand. They couldn’t stop laughing.
DR: Why?
RM: A black man is in charge of all these troops right here. And there must have been 30 to 40 of us. I’m giving the orders. I’m telling them what to do. They couldn’t stop laugh. They went back and brought some more. They shaking my hand. You telling me—It’s ’66 combat, you know, a little, little man like me is in charge of all that troop. And that was supposed to be one of the best unit in the U.S. military. You understand?
DR: Did you ever receive any medals?
RM: You know this—Let me tell me about that story. First, I received Purple Heart with cluster after the second time being wounded.
DR: What’s that?
RM: A Purple Heart.
DR: [indistinct 00:48:32]
RM: [indistinct 00:48:33]
DR: Yes.
RM: Wounded in combat.
DR: Right.
RM: I got three of those. But the idea—
DR: That means you got wounded three different times.
RM: Yeah, or some—Yeah. Now, what happened. I found out a month-and-a-half ago that I win two Bronze Star. That is the third highest. I was talking to this officer that my unit helped them in clearing the land because we was so advance. And they came out—And they were the 25th, came out of Hawaii. And they came over in ’66. We were already there for a year. And they were pinned down. So, my unit pushed all of these combat people away. But he was an officer. And I just—I didn’t know him. And I saw the hat. And he was talking. He said, “You in com—” I said, “Yes.” And when I saying what unit, he stood up. When people in the military saw my unit, they would jump to attention. I heard one young people today look at it—Them a little young [indistinct 00:49:49] They look as if the right they got walking around. Then one told them, “If you were in that unit there [indistinct 00:49:59] you should be a captain.” But we were picking up our KIAs replacement and WIA. Killed in action and wounded in action.
DR: So, why are—Why was this soldier told that if he were in the unit he would have been a captain.” Because you told me you were only a sergeant.
RM: Yeah, but he was making it on a higher rank for all the kid [phonetic 00:50:21]. No, usually—He was telling them that I, that he would be—You know what I mean. He probably—He wouldn’t be a captain, but he would even be a higher sergeant [indistinct 00:50:33] We—You know that—I don’t have one picture of me in Vietnam. Why? Because I was always out in that rain. Out in that jungle. You know who I had? And you could edit this. Do you know who I had to get [indistinct 00:50:58] and made him quit lying? Was Moose [indistinct 00:51:02]
DR: Big Moose?
RM: Yeah. He made up all them story. He ain’t never seen a gun fight. When four or five years ago, when Jimmy [indistinct 00:51:15] Brother Jimmy William—They relieve us. They were the 101st Airborne. Jimmy and Henry Richardson. Henry Richardson was wounded when I was wounded.
DR: Henry from [indistinct 00:51:28]
RM: Yeah. [indistinct 00:51:30] Henry was wounded two years after when I wounded. That was the toughest place in Vietnam. That was the Ho Chi Minh Trail. That was jungle, out of this world caves. But I—Most people, if I tell them what I’ve been in, they quit talking.
DR: Hm-hmmm [affirmative].
RM: Because most of them are lying. Now, when Jimmy, when Jimmy was buried right here six years ago—He’s another one that was in the VMW [phonetic 00:52:07]. They couldn’t talk over him. Because they didn’t know him that well. I stood up there and I tell them. And every—All other unit would say we were crazy. We didn’t have good sense. That’s why they called me crazy right now.
DR: Because of the risks that ya’ll took?
RM: Because of the risks, the combat. And we was always in something. We were always—Because the Ho Chi Minh Trail was the bloodline of the revolution to keep it going.
DR: That was the supply line.
RM: Yes.
DR: Everything they had from the North right down to the South.
RM: Right, right. The Marines was on the DMZ.
DR: DMZ?
RM: Yeah. But we were—And, see, people don’t know. In Vietnam, you didn’t have all that much jungle. You had a lot of rice paddy.
DR: Ah-hah. But did—
RM: The jungle was in the central highland, near the Cambodian/Laos border. And it was hundreds of miles of jungle. But I can speak to you today about all kind of stuff. I even got up there and tell them what the 75 pounds that we averaged—I was 135 pounds. And it didn’t matter to me. It was 130 degrees, you hear me? But it didn’t bother me. It didn’t bother me. And I stood up there, in this church, and all the lesser soldiers were standing shaking their head. Because they couldn’t compare with us. And one guy made a statement. Said, “You was only 137 pounds. But that 70 pounds you had on your back, you was 200 pounds.” I tell him he’s [indistinct 00:54:02] I had 10 pounds of C4 which is [indistinct 00:54:07]
DR: You were carrying an explosive with you?
RM: Oh yeah, man. We cooked with it. Yeah. It didn’t do nothing until you put a blasting cap. See, I know these things, okay?
DR: [indistinct 00:54:19]
RM: Ten pounds of C4, 2 Claymore mine that average 3 pounds each, 400 rounds of ammunition, 10 M-26 hand grenade explosives.
DR: You carrying that in one—
RM: No, I got it on me. You want me to keep going? Two can of woolly PEAT hand grenade. When anybody get hit with that white phosphorus, you had to run them down. Because you would run, but water didn’t put it out. You have to [indistinct 00:54:56] stop it from having it burn. Because it’ll burn through your hand. It was woolly PEAT that was white phosphorus.
DR: So, the sand will stop—
RM: Oh, the mud.
DR: Would stop the oxidation of the burning.
RM: Right. I had two canteen of water. I don’t drink water now. The wife is on me and the V.A. I have to mix it with something [indistinct 00:55:24] That two canteen last us. Because we had to keep [indistinct 00:55:29] But I had 70 pounds and moved like a cat.
DR: Let me—We going to wrap this up, but let me redirect your attention. What would you like to say that Gresham Meggett helped prepare you for life? What are some of those things?
RM: Well, Gresham Meggett prepared me because even the teachers, the class [indistinct 00:55:52] like, you was ahead of me and, you know, I couldn’t hold on and bully you. Or I couldn’t—You tell me to go get something, back then I had to go get it. True or false?
DR: True.
RM: Okay. You understand. It put me—
DR: You saying that there was discipline and order in the school.
RM: Right.
DR: So, you can’t learn unless you have those basic things.
RM: Right. And then that made me—That prepared me to go further. You understand? And when I look at the situation—And then when I was told that when Johnson got on, Johnson—I’ll never forget one word Johnson say. It was “escalate.” After we had trained for a year. And we had 18,000 in our unit. But we had these—We must have had 400 aircraft. We had the pilot, the copilot, the mechanic. And we had all these combat soldiers. They said, in the war, that one soldier took five men to support him. Okay. Then the fact is that Johnson said when we all hung around—They had four TV. And it was all through our camp, okay? The whole unit. We didn’t know what was going. And they say—And President Johnson said in ’65, “Today I have decided to escalate.” I never forget that word. “To war and to commit the elite—” Elite. You hear me? You know what that mean?
DR: The best fighting troops.
RM: Right. The elite. [indistinct 00:57:52] Sky soldiers. To the war. I had one white marine three months ago, I mean three weeks ago. And he had me—He had me tied up for a half an hour. He said, “Your unit—Ya’ll was the first to come out to do the things, man. I heard about ya’ll.” I said, “Yeah.” And I trying to get away. And he said, “You one of the only one that it alive.” I said, “Yeah. I’m one of those guys that did it.”
DR: You the only survived that.
RM: And, so—Well, I’m one of the few.
DR: Okay.
RM: Now, we still got John [indistinct 00:58:38]
DR: John was in your unit?
RM: He was in my division.
DR: Okay.
RM: Okay?
DR: Theodore and Samuel was also in your unit?
RM: Yes, yes.
DR: So, all you [indistinct 00:58:49]
RM: And I watched Theodore get killed.
DR: All you boys from here—
RM: Hm-hmmm [affirmative].
DR: . . . went to war at the same time then?
RM: Yeah, we served. At 17. After—Excuse me. At 17, after I graduate. Which I was 17. After the training for five months, shoot, I was on the ship going to Korea. That’s a tough place. 17 years old and I’m in Korea. Big old Samuel James Ladd and Robinson was in my [indistinct 00:59:22]
DR: So, you were in the same action that—When Theodore lost his leg.
RM: Yeah, I was there. I saw him, so . . .
RM: There’s a whole lot more.
DR: Thanks for coming
RM: You know you could call on me.
