This Memorial Day, a small percentage of Americans will attend programs and parades to remember those veterans who are no longer with us, especially those who gave their lives fighting for their country.
Too often they’re just names on a memorial or tombstone. We don’t know anything about their short lives. I’d like to tell you about one of those heroes.
Pfc Ernest Simonson
Ernest Vilas Simonson was born on October 27, 1928 near Viroqua, Wisconsin. He was raised on a farm west of Viroqua, located along Highway 56. His family later moved to Viroqua where he attended high school. He loved fishing in the local creeks along the Bad Axe River. After they moved to town, he helped the Gerhard Birkelo family as a farmhand. At the time, a young teacher who taught at the Sag City country school, also lived at the Birkelo’s. One evening while they were eating supper, Ernie asked her if she would go to a comedy movie with him at the Temple Theatre in Viroqua. She accepted. He was going to buy them each a bag of popcorn, but she thought it was too much money, so they shared one instead. She said later that he was a real gentleman. Others said he was easy going and had a nice personality.
In 1948 he enlisted in the army and spent time in Japan with the occupation troops. He received a hardship discharge in May, 1950. Six months later he was recalled when the Korean War began. His sister, Beverly Aspenson, who lives in Westby, remembers the day the family took him to the train station in La Crosse. It was a very difficult and sad time for all of them, knowing he was headed off to war. It was the last time they saw him.
He soon found himself on a troop ship headed for Korea as a member of K Company, 3rd Battalion., 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. On January 29, 1951, he wrote the following (edited) letter to Beverly.
“Dearest Sis, Received your most welcome letter yesterday. I just heated up some water and took a bath and shave. Of course it was a chilly job. Sure feel better. It’s rather nice out today. I’ve got a chest cold now. Some of the boys went out and butchered a young heifer yesterday. The mess hall is going to fix it up so we’ll really eat good today.
“Yes, I bet you are lonesome now. I am too. I’m a couple hundred miles from Puson and I think 30 or 40 miles south of Wonju. I’ve been up around Wonju and Check Chon. I was on the front lines, but never did get into a fight.
“Sure wish I would get some packages. Hope you all are sending some. I sure like candy now. Never used to like it at home. I’d like to have some Planter’s Peanuts too. I don’t need cigarettes. I can always get them one way or the other.”
The next day he continued the letter. “I will tell you about my good deed from yesterday. I was here at the CP and I was mad at everything. So I took a little walk to cool off. About 200 yards from here I found a little Korean girl about 10 years old. Well she couldn’t walk. She was crawling along backwards. She was half froze and half starved. The cruelty of war sure causes the innocent to suffer. She was in pain. Well all I could do was to carry her back here to the CP. I got some C-rations and fed her. I don’t think she’ll live without medical care and I doubt if she’ll ever walk again.
When are you going to send some pictures? What’s the new songs out now? Hit parade or hillbilly? Signing off for now. Much love as always, Ernie.”
Fourteen days later, on February 12, 1951, Ernie was captured when the 2nd Division suffered severe losses during the Massacre at Hoengsong. They were attacked by more than 25,000 Chinese and North Korean troops.
Robert Dyer of Fresno, California was also captured. After his release from a POW camp, he wrote a letter to the family of their friend, Francis Stutlien from Wisconsin, and told about their capture and imprisonment. After being captured they were marched for 47 days to what was called the Bean POW Camp, because that’s about all they got to eat. They arrived April 1st. Many men died or were killed during the march. By the time they reached the camp most were very weak and sick. Malnutrition, dysentery, beatings by the guards, and death were a daily occurrence. Stutlien died on April 24th.
On May 25, 1951, 102 days after being captured, Ernest Simonson died from dysentery and starvation at the age of 22. After that battle in February, his family received notice that he was Missing In Action as of February 12, 1951. From that time until August, 1953, his family, and the girl he hoped would wait for him, didn’t know if he was alive or dead. That’s when they finally received notice that he had died in captivity. In 1955 his body was recovered and returned to Wisconsin where he was buried with military honors in the Viroqua Cemetery.
This Memorial Day, I’d like us all to take a moment and remember all those who lost their lives in Korea, and all the other wars we’ve been involved in. Like Ernie, so many lost lives and lost potential. They are not forgotten.
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