The Cook Who Was a Rifleman...from the Korean War

[M1NC]

Its on the back of our shirts - 'Are you a cook or a rifleman?'  Well I came across a story in Bob Drury and Tom Clavin's book "The Last Stand of Fox Company" about a Marine who was a cook and a rifleman.  The book itself is an interesting read, but I'll give you the pertinent excerpt.

Backstory: In November 1950 the 246 Marines of Fox Company, Seventh Marine Regiment endured four days and five nights of unceasing attacks by the communist Chinese forces in North Korea as they tried to hold what was dubbed "Fox Hill" - a strategic overlook of the main service road that the Marines were using to regroup.  If that hill fell to enemy forced the Marines to the north would be cut off. 

In that battle they endured wave attacks by thousands of soldiers in temperatures that raged to twenty below.  In that bitter cold machinery broke down, batteries went dead and lubricating oil froze solid.  Three out of four members of Fox Company were killed wounded or captured. 

One of the Marines on the hill was Phil Bavaro.

Phil Bavaro had enlisted in 1946 and earned his Expert Rifleman Badge.  He attended cook and bakers school at Camp Lejune.  He had been injured in an accident and received a honorable medical discharge in 1947 but when the Korean war started he reenlisted and was assigned to Fox Company.

It was after three days of unceasing battle that his section's squad leader observed a sniper burrowing among the enemy corpses across the road.  Scully tried to fire but his Garand jammed.  He yelled to Bavaro who dropped the sniper.

"Nice shot for a cook" said Scully

"Got my expert marksman's patch long before I knew what a ladle was," Bavaro said.

Definitely a man who knew very much what he was about.

As Bavaro reflected later on his Sergent's comments the authors note:

"OK, so maybe he wasn't the Marine on the recruiting posters.  And maybe he wasn't even very handy in the kitchen.  But he could sure as hell handle an M1.  Nice shot for a cook? F*** that!"

[Fred]

     

[slim]

We still have to eat!