Near-fatal injuries, uplifting experiences, fear at night, bitter cold, searing heat, grim humor, and service to country – all were memories shared by a panel of veterans on Nov. 3 at a meeting of the Polk County Historical Association.

Howard Green and Frank Smith, World War II veterans, Jack Sauve and John Albree, both of whom served in Korea and Vietnam, and Adam Palmer, who was severely wounded on his third tour of duty in the Iraq War, shared their experiences from basic training, to food, fighting conditions and wartime humor.

The meeting was moderated by association chief docent James Metcalf, who read from letters by an American Revolutionary War veteran and a Confederate veteran of the Civil War.

Metcalf noted that for the past five years, the association’s November meeting featured service veterans.

“We can never forget sacrifices made,” Metcalf said solemnly.

Metcalf first read from a letter written by Warner Metcalf, his many times great uncle, who served as a volunteer for the colonists in the American Revolution, including as a volunteer at the Battle of Kings Mountain.

Warner Metcalf, who wrote the letter in 1833, at the age of 70, explained, “Our sufferings were, I think, more severe than those that was in the regular army, we had to find our own firearms, and ammunition, our clothing and often our provisions . . . but very few was capable of getting them.” He continued in words that have lost none of their pain nearly 200 years later:

“I am now old and infirm, not able to work to support myself and family, and spent the prime of my life in defense of my country, and now, for the first time, call on them for a small pittance to support myself and my companion.”

Martin Corwalls’ account was written to his niece Amrie Burgess in 1828. Cornwalls, who served the Confederacy, lived to be 99.

He related to Ms. Burgess, “Now my dear niece, you may think war is nothing but right. In the field, I saw hundreds of men tore all to pieces. Just to stand and see your best friends tore to pieces with cannon balls it too bad and no chance to do(d)ge them.”

Corwalls also described some of the fighting, and his swim across a river, with some fellow soldiers, to avoid capture.

WWII veteran Frank Smith recalled that he was from Jackson County, but that, in 1943, his family had bought a large amount of land in Polk County. Smith Dairy Road, he remarked, was named after his family’s dairy farm.

“I’m still a Polk County boy,” Smith asserted.

Smith related that he did not join the service, noting that he was “a handcuff volunteer.”

John Albree, a career military man, was born in Boston, attended Norwich (Vermont) Military Academy, and joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1946.

Sauve, who grew up in Texas, joined the U.S. Air Force in 1951, to keep from going into the Army.

Palmer, a 2003 graduate of Landrum High School, joined the Army soon after graduating.

Howard Green, raised in Polk County, somehow saw seven tours of duty in basic training. Once into real action, Green earned 22 commendations for his valor.

Palmer related that he took field artillery training.

Describing first impressions overseas, Smith told of taking a ship to England’s Omaha Beach, and also traveled to Utah Beach. Walking up a hill took him to a “beautiful green valley, filled with crosses,” marking the deaths of service members. He also experienced Europe’s coldest winter in 75 years, with great amounts of ice, snow and sleet.

Albree, who went to Marine Corps basic training, but who entered the Army in 1951, explained, “What I learned as a Marine, kept me in good stead (in the Army).”

He described Koreans as “unbelievably fine people. They were great fighters,” he said, with whom he was proud to fight. He also praised the Vietnamese, and noted also that both countries have cold winters and hot summers.

Sauve noted that the Vietnamese feared and hated the Koreans.

In Kuwait, Palmer was greeted by severe sandstorms. In Iraq, he witnessed trash, and “shoeless, clothesless children. Their life was worse than anybody we know in this country.” When he saw these children begging for military MREs (meals ready to eat), “We realized why we were there.”

Green explained that he found himself in Army Ranger School and was sent to British commando training, to learn how to kill enemy soldiers silently.

In a forest battle, severe cold (- 40 degrees), he and his companions took shirts from dead soldiers to help keep warm. He endured 154 consecutive days of combat, and 251 days of combat all told.

“Five minutes is long enough in combat,” he advised.

From the bitter cold, Green suffered loss of toes.

Though he eventually received two Silver Stars, a Bronze Star and other commendations, “Every day, all I wanted to do was come home.”

Asked what they missed most overseas, Howard Green led off by stating the food. He also worried about his parents. “They couldn’t get salt; they couldn’t get sugar.” He gave his shoes to his father.

Palmer noted that he missed rain. While they had plenty of water, daytime temperatures often soared above a blistering 130 degrees.

“Fighting in that intense heat was really awful,” Palmer related.

Green, who fought on D-Day, said people have asked him if he ever killed a German soldier.

“I don’t know how many hundred I killed,” he said.

Jack Sauve noted, “Agent Orange is my biggest problem now,” stating that his exposure to the chemical came in both Vietnam and Thailand.

Albree, said his first combat took place in Korea, where he was badly wounded as a tank commander.

The men explained their lives after their respective tours of duty.

Smith remembers telling an officer, ”Captain, I’m going home.”

Albree said, “When people see my (veteran’s) hat, they don’t realize what a privilege it was for me to serve them.”

Palmer, nearly killed by shrapnel, noted “That was the day I gave my life to Christ. I was always the most dominant, capable dude, even in a group of dominant, capable dudes,” he recalled.

Now, “I kind of dedicated my life to helping others, trying to physically, mentally and spiritually prepare individuals before they enter the service. Earlier this year, Palmer and another soldier went on a 48 day religious mission across the U.S., and ministered to many homeless people (including veterans).