And so, the great experiment begins. I will put up six books as a start for the public to read for free. The topics cover a wide range of interests. The cast of characters is, I think, remarkably large. I never worry about running out of characters. I have dozens of them just waiting for a chance to come to life in print.

The Korean War memoir has one central character, and that is me.  I had a hard time writing the book. I spent a lot of time searching about in my memories of actions that happened a long time ago. Most old soldiers easily remember the moments of serious action. I think we have a habit of rehearsing those moments, perhaps too frequently. How accurate are those well-rehearsed memories?

I tested and re-tested the memories. I linked the memories in an effort to find differences. Nevertheless, all memoirs need the proverbial grain or two of salt close at hand.

As in all wars, there are multiple wars. The Korean War can easily be separated into three periods, or three different wars. There was the war of advances and retreats, the sit-down war, and the outposts war. In most cases, very few Americans participated in all three wars.

I did not let the main character in the memoir have knowledge of what was to come next. There is very little grasping of the meaning of the events. At the time, however, I really did understand the meaning of what was called “R & R.” I devoted a whole chapter to the event. My mother read it. She said she was not surprised.

After I finally got a book that I thought was good, I decided to add a section of notes. These were not footnotes. These were commentaries on certain parts of the book. I did get into an area that really needs more exploration. Men come back from war with a different mind-set. Sometimes they have problems. There is no one answer that solves all. Each problem is different, and it is entirely possible that there are no real cures.

I do follow the news about Korea very closely. I fear for the future of South Korea. Some of the news is pure baloney. I particularly take offense at the frequent media claims that there are 10,000 cannons capable of hitting Seoul. That is quite unlikely. From the North Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone to Seoul, the distance is over 30 miles. Very few cannons have such a range. The North Korean cannons, even the large 152-millimeter guns, are hidden away in areas several miles behind the front line. These cannons cannot hit Seoul unless they are moved forward south of the DMZ. They would need trucks or other prime movers to pull them forward. There would also be the need to transport several hundred thousand shells which would require quite an operation.