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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


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



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