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Hall of Famer [22127]
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GI Ingenuity
Jan 26, 2018, 9:53 PM
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This story was told to me by one of my company mates during the Korean War. Our Company was composed of five teams of about 25 men each. A team was assigned to a Division or other Army unit. This team was assigned to the 24th Division. This team was working forward and a pretty good battle was in progress. Needless to say, communications were extremely important and land lines were used extensively. The team received word that the telephone switch board was having serious problems. It was a small unit with only eight terminals and only one in working order.
A couple of guys were sent to check on the switch board. Not knowing how long it would take to make the necessary repairs, they took a replacement switch board with them. In addition to the two repairmen, there was a vehicle driver and the ever present machine gun and the operator. Arriving at the communications tent, they noticed in the rear of the tent, sitting on a make-shit bench, were eight North Korean POWs. In each hand they were holing a wire. The switch board operator explained to the repairmen only one terminal was in working order. When a call came in, the charge on the line made the POW jump, thus, he knew which line to connect to the one operating terminal. He would then record the message and connect the proper lines to rely the message to the intended receiver.
To simplify matters, the repairmen decided the best solution was to replace the switch board. After making all of the necessary connections and checking the system for proper operation, the armed guard escorted the POWs from the tent. As they were leaving, every POW had a big smile on their face. When a call came in, the POW holding those two wires got a pretty good jolt. The switch board operator was a pretty smart guy to keep the communication lines open with only one terminal in operating mode. Just another example of good old GI ingenuity.
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110%er [8067]
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I remember the "jolt"!!!
Jan 26, 2018, 10:10 PM
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Good times! Thanks
Go Tigers AND Tiger Nation!
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All-In [27366]
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Yes, I heard that story also a few years ago.***
Jan 26, 2018, 10:30 PM
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Hall of Famer [22127]
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Re: Yes, I heard that story also a few years ago.***
Jan 27, 2018, 11:48 AM
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That was probably the same story I posted several years ago. I recall posting it but don't remember when or what board. The above post is from memory and may be slightly different from the previous post, not the facts, but my description.
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Orange Blooded [3130]
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Re: GI Ingenuity
Jan 26, 2018, 10:35 PM
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Mr. Joe, I wish you had been a history teacher when I was in high school - your stories really come alive when you tell them!
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Hall of Famer [24029]
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I dunno KAT... had an Engineering Prof
Jan 27, 2018, 7:23 AM
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at Clemson (Dr. Poe) who would spend the majority of the class regaling us with his stories of his experiences in the Power industry (course was ECE 320 - Power Production). Which had nothing to do with text books, and VERY little to do with tests. By the time the other students told me you HAD to have his old tests to ‘study by’ (nudge nudge, wink wink...), I was failing, had to withdraw, then retake the following semester.
Don’t get me wrong - I LOVE Joe’s stories and his great talent for passing them on!
But I would have NEVER passed that course with a ‘story teller’ (had it not been for the fact he reused old tests over and over, just changing the values/numbers). Well, I did learn why spacers are required in high tension power lines, etc., etc. ...
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