Jun. 25, 1959

 

CHRISTMAS PRESENT of the men of Hq. and Hq. Co., 1^st Battle Gp., 17^th Inf., 7^th Inf. Div., is being taken away by M/Sgt. William H. Mott, first sergeant.  The "present" is 5-year-old "Needee," a Korean-American orphan girl picked up wandering around the Camp Kaiser gate last Christmas Eve and adopted by the company.  Mott and his wife have adopted Needee.  (S&S Photo)

Korea Unit to Lose Christmas 'Gift'

  By SP4 CHRIS WEINREICH, S&S Korea Bureau

UNCHON-NI, Korea-The Christmas present of an entire company of U.S. soldiers here is being taken away. Men of Hq. and Hq. Co., 1^st Battle Gp., 17^th., 7^th Inf. Div., are losing a gift they obtained last Christmas Eve-and their first sergeant is the culprit stealing it away.  Oddly enough, the entire company is happy about the deal.

The "present" is a 5 year old blond Korean-American orphan girl found by sentry Sgt. James Lutes at the main gate of Camp Kaiser last Christmas and adopted by the 7^th Div. soldiers as their mascot.  M/Sgt. William H. Mott, First Sergeant, fell for the moppet and wrote his wife in the U.S. suggesting legal adoption.

Mrs. Mott met the idea with enthusiasm and adoption wheels were set into motion through the International Social Service.  Meanwhile, the little girl, named "Needee" by her soldier foster fathers, became a pampered mascot around the 17^th Inf. outfit.

She was fixed up with her own room, was taught English by scores of enthusiastic professors, was given the choicest chow from the headquarters mess hall and generally lived high in the company area.

In May her adoption  was realized and Mott became the only soldier on Camp Kaiser with a dependent.  The Korea branch of the Mott family tree will leave Korea for the U.S. next week.

"My wife and three other children are anxious to meet Needee and will be at the airport when we land," Mott said, beaming.  His prediction of the only problem in Needee's adjustment to the U.S. was, "She won't have so many men to make a fuss over her."