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Eldon Yetter - Korean War
Eldon Yetter, a farmer, was drafted for Korea, joined the Marines in 1951 and was assigned to a Graves Registration unit in the 1st Marine Division. He served near Panmunjom at U.S. and enemy cemeteries. He returned to Illinois, established an insurance business and remains active in VFW parades and military rites.
Interview Links
Abstract
Interview (Audio)
Transcript
Photos
Caption
Sergeant Eldon Yetter on Lieutenant MacAvoy’s Jeep.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1951-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Sergeant Yetter proudly stands in front of a sign for the 5th Regiment (Marines) near his unit’s Command Post.
Where:
South Korea
When:
Circa 1951-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Sergeant Yetter and Sergeant Kenneth DeWhitte cooking pheasant in a field-rigged fryer.
Where:
South Korea
When:
Circa 1951-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Sergeant Yetter – summer in Korea.
Where:
Korea
When:
Summer 1952 or 1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Sergeant Yetter strikes a pose while also illustrating the rugged terrain in Korea.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1951-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Graves Reg’n teammates: Cpl. Linwood McNeil “Mac”, Sergeant Kenneth DeWhitte, Sergeant Claude Crandall.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1951-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Easter Sunday. Returning to their tent (arrow) from watching an air strike. Sergeant Yetter in front, then Sergeant Crandall and Cpl. McNeil.
Where:
Korea
When:
Easter Sunday, 1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
The team’s tent. Home Sweet Home for a year. The large cans hold their water supply which was hauled from a central tank and made potable with halogen tablets.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1952-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Sergeant Yetter in a bunker.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1951-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
“An ambulance helicopter that brought in the only KIA since we have been in reserve,” wrote Yetter for this photo he sent home.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1951-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Freedom Gate Bridge, a railway bridge across the Imjin River, as it looked after being bombed.
Where:
Korea
When:
Unknown
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Randall, Mac, Van, Coutts and DeWhitte in the body retrieval truck.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1951-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Plot A was used for enemy dead. Note that the Americans treated the enemy dead with respect. The Main Service Road to the front is in the background. Just beyond is the Imjin River.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1951-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Humorously known as the “Meat Wagon”.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1951-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Korean children in front of their homes, which the Americans called hootches.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1952-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Dee, one of the Koreans attached to Yetter’s unit, gets a ride on his back. Dee did washing in return for food, candy or spare clothing.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1952-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
The sign tells the story. Sergeant Yetter standing.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1952-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
(To Rosalyn) “What do you think of my little girls? These are some of the kids at the place where we get the truck washed sometimes. Most of them are 5 or 6 years old.”
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1952-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Sergeant Yetter with two Korean girls. The Korean children and American G.I.s were drawn to each other.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1952-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Sergeant Yetter, this time with boys. Note the different hair cuts.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1952-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Foreground: Sergeant Yetter with Lee, a KSC who dug the individual graves for the enemy. Cpl. McNeil and Sergeant DeWhitte in the background.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1952-1953
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Enemy propaganda leaflet – dropped from planes by the thousands on the Allied troops.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1952-1953
Ownership:
This image is considered to be in the public domain
Caption
The back side of the enemy propaganda leaflet shown in photo 24.
Where:
Korea
When:
Circa 1952-1953
Ownership:
This image is considered to be in the public domain
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Caption
Eldon Yetter’s official Marine Corps photo, taken while he was in training, circa 1952.
Where:
Unknown
When:
2009
Ownership:
This image is considered to be in the public domain
Caption
Yetter shows the colors at home; Old Glory with the Marine Corps flag. Semper Fidelis
Where:
Havana Illinois
When:
04/12/2009
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Eldon proudly stands next to the U.S. and Marine Corps flag in displayed in front of his Havana home in 2009.
Where:
Havana, Illinois
When:
2009
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Eldon and Roslyn Yetter, taken in their home in Havana in 2009.
Where:
Havana, Illinois
When:
2009
Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo