Feature column in the Minneapolis
Morning Tribune, 1 April, 1953 by columnist George Grim. This is a
follow-up on an earlier column responding to a letter by Andy ---------,
326th CRC. KOC-109
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George Grim
Minneapolis Morning Tribune
1 April 1953
This is a letter from a corporal in
Korea.
It's in the spirit of hope and
faith of this Easter week-end. In the midst of a frustrating war, the
corporal and his buddies looked up and saw a child.
"Andy asked me to get this letter out about
this extra little job of ours.
"Our company started supporting 30 children
in a poor and until then government supported orphanage. Their rice
ration was meager. Living conditions weren't just poor - they were
terrible. The men of our company, the 326th Communication Reconnaissance
Company, built an orphanage building near our company area and moved
the children there. That was in January of 1952. We supplied the full
support of the original 30 children and acquired 24 more homeless kids
before we gave up in our efforts to furnish everything the children
needed.
"We couldn't get competent administrators.
Trustworthiness seemed to be lacking in the people we hired. Secondly,
the sanitation and water problem was always present. So on December
8, last, we moved the children, the works, to the Seoul Sanitorium and
Hospital Orphanage.
"Our orphanage committee is composed of about
ten men in the company especially interested in the welfare of these
children and able to put time into the project. We run raffles, game
nights, solicit donations at pay call for the financial support of the
youngsters. Over the past 12-month period the men of this company have
donated more than $4,000!
"Through newspaper articles and personal requests,
such as one you ran in your column, over 200 boxes of clothes and food
have come during a four month period.
"The committee has pitched in to help two American
women, Miss Robson and Mrs. Rue with the orphanage as a whole, 270 children.
These two women have a fantastic amount of work running the hospital
and nursing school. They rarely get a chance to write letters pertaining
to the orphanage. We keep up with all the packages and letters for
them. We're going further - we're starting a campaign called 'Project
Schoolroom.'
"This is an effort to enable these children
to take care of themselves and not need to remain on public welfare
all their lives. We intend to given them vocational training. Some
of the girls probably will enter the nursing school.
"Hope your readers may be able to give us a
hand."
So says the corporal - George F. Drake.
I've checked further, and found that 30 percent of
the youngsters have tuberculosis. Two have had legs amputated. The
children go to school in the same rooms in which hey sleep. The U.N.Korean
relief service has just given money for a modest, but adequate school
building.
Needed are paper, pencils, erasers, maps, rulers,
pains, dress patterns, needles, thread, yarn, barber scissors and more.
Desks can be built in Seoul, but money is needed.
I can't think of a better project for a club - than
to help the corporal and his men in Korea. It will prove that we haven't
forgotten them - as we help them with these homeless Korean youngsters.
The corporal's address is Cpl. George Drake, RA 12344689,
326 CRC, APO 301, c/o Postmaster, San Francisco, Calif. Or you may
address Seoul Sanitorium and Hospital Orphanage, APO 72, c/o Postmaster,
San Francisco. Domestic postage rates apply.
What better gift this Easter time?
Korea doc. 109
