Floyd Courtade (US Army)

Floyd Courtade

FLOYD COURTADE- SARGEANT FIRST CLASS

US NAVY

In 1944, Floyd joined the navy for 2 years. He returned home to NOLA but could not find a job so on April 1946, he joined the army.  After boot camp, he was sent to Berlin, Germany with the 17th Military Intelligence Detachment to monitor the Russians. Floyd says, “…the Major arrived at headquarters, stating it looks like we will be involved in a war. I asked where, he said Korea; I asked where is Korea located, he said I don’t know; so we got the map out. I never thought that I would become so involved in this very short period of time.” The Korean war broke out on June 25, 1950, and in the latter part of September Floyd was ordered to leave Germany to rotate to Fort Dix in New Jersey. 

“I was informed that all leaves were cancelled and to report to my new duty station, the 289th MP Company located in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Upon arrival, they were loading equipment on flat cars. I asked what is happening and they said we’re going overseas. I said, you’re going, not me—I have not been home in over three years.” They gave him a three-day pass see his family, then to return back to base to be sent to Korea. 

After 3 days at home, he went to San Francisco and boarded a Liberty ship. “We departed around the middle of October and arrived in Korea on the third day of November 1950, in Inchon. We were sent North and joined the 2nd Infantry Division.” 

Floyd says, “ Frostbite was the worst brought on by the cold weather.   The first winter of the Korean War, we suffered from frozen rations, icy terrain, jammed weapons, and shortage of cold weather gear.   We wrapped towels around our heads to protect our ears, and doubling or tripling layers of clothing.   We lost good soldiers with the loss of fingers, toes, and ears, as we waited for the cold weather gear.” 

Floyd and his company were stationed in Uijeong-bu, a city south of the 38th Parallel. From there they were moved to Pyongyang, North Korea.  There was fighting by the time Floyd arrived in November, 1950. Then the Chinese joined the battle and U.S. troops were forced to retreat. They were unprepared for the thousands of Chinese who were loudly blowing bugles.   

The army retreated to Seoul, South Korea. Their job was to guard the Han River Bridge as South Korean civilians were leaving Seoul southbound to escape the communists. The troops were to leave open a lane in the bridge so people could pass while the the army moved military equipment. Sometimes they had to order refugees to move out of the way, in order to get jeeps and equipment across the Han river. It was a very bad situation and many local Koreans suffered. The people had no water, they were sick with dysentery. This happened in November 1950.  The 289th guarded the crossing until January 4, 1951, when it was destroyed to keep the Chinese Communist Forces from advancing.

Floyd remembers seeing a little boy crying in one corner of the bridge. Even now, after 70 years, that image of the boy haunts him. “Why didn’t I snatch him and bring him to safety!”  

His group then went to Kimpo air base located on the western edge of Seoul.  Kimpo became an important base for American and UN forces.   Here Floyd’s company stayed for four to five days to recoup. Then his group was sent to Suwon, a city south of Seoul.  

Floyd was moved to Koje-Do prison camp, the largest one for communist POWs, both North Korean and Chinese. There were over 170,000 prisoners, and U.S. and UN troops had to guard and oversea this operation. Koje-do prison is located on a 150-square-mile island 20 miles off the southeastern coast of South Korea. 

With so many prisoners, it was impossible to tell who was there.  So the U.S. decided to fingerprint each prisoner.  Prisoners rebelled at this task and in the course of controlling them, 30 prisoners were killed. Fighting was rampant between prisoners and guards. Beginning March 1952, the prisoners went on a hunger strike and there was a riot. The commanding officer, General Dodd, went into the camps to negotiate but was captured by the prisoners. The American forces could not find the general, since there were many barracks, and the general was moved from one barrack to another to keep his location secret. The prisoners put on a mock trial with General Dodd and later released him. Meanwhile his replacement was General Colson who could only watch, as any military action would have risked killing General Dodd. In the end both generals were reduced in rank to colonel—an embarrassing event in the prison camp. Both General Dodd and General Colson were reduced in rank to Colonel.

Floyd stayed in this POW camp for 11 months, then was sent home to USA in March 1952. 

After the Korean War

Floyd says, “I was to be separated from the military, and my intention was to leave and return to school. [But] President Harry Truman extended everyone’s service for an additional year. After a furlough of 30 days I was assigned to Fort Jackson to serve the remaining time. After a couple of months, I received orders for assignment in France. I could have gone to personnel and had the order revoked because I had less than one year remaining, but I did not, and went to France. There I met my sweetheart of 64 years. So I have to thank the President of the United States for my happiness all of those years, for if he had not extended my service I would not have made the journey to France, and met my wife.”   

Floyd’s wife, Myrim was born in a small city in France, Pompei. After one year of military duty, Floyd wanted to stay in France to be with Myrim, so he enlisted for three more years. They were married there and returned to the States in 1955. Married for 64 years, she passed away in 2016. 

Floyd was a military instructor at a high school for 25 years.
Told to Sun Kim in July 2020.

When I went to Korea I was over 23 which I was consider to be old, the majority were below that number. So you know that we are in our nineties. I am 95 yrs old.

So our generation is leaving the scene, but it is for all generations. One leaves and the new one arrives.

I wish to thank you for your generous time and gifts through out the years. To be honest I was not very happy, I did not understand why we were being sent to a Country and fight there. We who were in WWII were not anxious to be involved in another conflict a few years later.

I came to know the Korean People when were in Kojdo, because there was a couple Korean units were there with us to manage the prisoners' which was approximately 170.000.

I came to recognize the strength of the Korea People, I saw in first hand the hardships that they endured in November and December 1950 .

The reason I am writing this latter is to let you know that at this time we recognize the necessity of that War...

Floyd

Floyd Courtade 2017 at the Korean War Memorial service.

2018 Floyd receives certificate from Jefferson Parish President Mike Yenni &

Korean Consul General, Honorable Hyung Gil Kim.