More About Bob Reichard...
- Served as an Officer in The Army of the United States and as a Non-commissioned Officer in the United States Army.
WORLD WAR II
- 456 Bomb Group, 745th Bomb Squadron 15th Air Force
- Flew 24 missions from Italy as a bombardier and one as a navigator on a B-24 Liberator. Hit targets in: Italy, Poland, Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia.
- Four Campaigns: North Appenines, Rhineland, Po Valley Air Combat (Balkans)
- KOREAN CONFLICT
- 88th Military Police Company
- Five Campaigns:
- Chinese Communist Forces Intervention
- First UN Counter Offensive
- Chinese Communist Forces Spring Offensive
- UN Summer-Fall Offensive
- Second Korean Winter
- COLD WAR SERVICE
- Berlin Command, Germany
- 11th Airborne Division Augsburg, Germany
- I Corps Artillery, North of the 38th, Korea
- The Underground Pentagon
- Missile Support Command, Italy
- DECORATIONS
- Legion of Merit
- Air Medal w/2 Oak Leaf Clusters
- Army Commendation Medal w/ Oak Leaf Cluster
- Service Medals and Awards: Good conduct medal w/silver knot, American Campaign Medal, ETO Medal w/4 campaign stars, WWII Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal w/Germany clasp, National Defense Medal w/olc, Korean Service Medal w/5 campaign stars, Armed Forces Reserve Medal and the United Nations Service Medal. 18 Sept 1956, Berlin, Germany, received commendation from the Police President of that city. Feb 1962, Pochon County, Korea, received letter of appreciation from the Chief of Pochon County for my help in the administrative development there. 31 May 1968, Hq 5th Allied Tactical Air Force, Vicenza, Italy, I was awarded the title of Honorary First Sergeant, 5th Allied Tactical Air Force. (Service #'s: 0-777934 & RA/RO 13 113 730).
- Member of the following Veteran's organizations: The Chosin Few, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Retired Officer's Association, and the IWSA Group.
TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION
I attended the monthly meeting of our fliers group this month. My good friend Harry had read my book and said he couldn't discuss parts of it to others, because, when he did, they didn't believe some of the stories.
Two days later I thought about the conversation with Harry and realized he had a point. I had lived it and didn't question it because it had been my life and that was the way it happened. Looking back I can now realize how ridiculous it might seem to someone else. What were some of those out of the ordinary experiences?
Flew a plane solo at the age of 16 or was it 17? It was 17.
On board the Liberty ship, the Felix Grundy (troopship), headed to Italy, in WWII, I was the provost marshal and the hot shellman on a 4 inch 50 surface gun, with the naval gun crew during a submarine attack. Two ships in the convoy were sunk.
Flew 24 missions as a bombardier and one as a navigator, on a B-24, in World War II with the rank of 1Lt and was the squadron assistant intelligence officer and trained as a B-24 radar (Mickey) operator. I dropped bombs on 6 countries.
I was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross as the result of my actions during a mission, but the war was over and the country already full of heroes. Read it here.
I left the Army Air Force in 1945 and returned to civilian life. In 1950 I enlisted in the Army.
Was trained as a counter-intelligence corps agent.
Entered the Korean conflict as a regular army corporal.
Was assigned to the 1st Marine Div at Hamhung, North Korea, Dec 1950. for about a week under Lt Landrum, USMC. I am one of the "Chosin Few".
Was selected as a guard for General MacArthur when he visited Wonju, Korea in 1951.
Was probably the only military policeman to fly over the North Korean capitol, then to the Yalu river, on a photo recon mission in 1951.
Cut the co-pilot from a crashed C-47, near Bowling Green, Va with a fire axe in the 50's.
Was assigned to the staff of a general officer in 1955.
I was given a personal tour of the highly classified radar/control center at the Tempelhof Airdrome, which was instrumental in breaking the Russian blockade of Berlin.
Developed information which helped in the capture of a traitor wanted by West German intelligence.
Received a commendation from the Police President of Berlin in 1956.
My departure from West Berlin was carried in three of the newspapers.
Became a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne, at Augsburg, Germany 1957.
In 1957 I met Prince Henry of Bavaria in his Kaltenberg Castle and he gave me a hand written fishing permit to trout fish in the stream there.
Received training as a criminal investigator at Oberammergau, Germany.
In 1962 ran a military police detachment in Korea north of the 38th parallel composed of 25 US army MP's and 25 Korean MP's.
Received a letter from the Chief of Pochon county, Korea for my assistance in helping with the administrative development and rural prosperity of his county.
Almost ended my career again when I traveled over a road, twice within an hour, in which two tank mines had been planted by the North Koreans. And that was peacetime Korea.
Successfully penetrated the underground Pentagon twice in one day.
Was the noncommissioned officer in charge of security at the underground Pentagon.
Returned to Italy in 1965 and became a first sergeant (ISG) of military police. Then I took over the position of ISG at the 69th Ordnance Company, a slot previously filled by a nuclear technician.
In Italy, prior to retirement, I was awarded the title of honorary first sergeant of the 5th Allied Tactical Air Force by that unit.
During my time in service I held top secret, cosmic, and cryptic security clearances.
I was awarded the Legion of Merit for service as a non-commissioned officer.
As a Police Officer (1946-1950) I attended 3 schools conducted by the FBI. As an MP I attended an FBI seminar at Quantico, Va, May 1961.
In civilian life I was accepted into the American Institute of Industrial Engineers without a degree.
As a hobby I fixed a scrapped printer and then a broken computer and that started my story writing.
I have written because the computer has made it a simple task. I have no living children, so it wasn't for that reason. My writing has given me a lift and I am glad I started writing when I did because with time my mind is ridding itself of the lesser happenings of that period. I hope that some of the stories I have given out will resurface from someone's attic about 50 years from now to counter those who have worked so hard to bury the truth about this period in our history.
You are right, Harry, it does sound like the "Secret Life of Walter Mitty" or some other movie turned out by Hollywood, but the truth is that I am stuck with it. Your friend, Bob. 29 Feb 96. (Rev - 20 Sept 2000) -RWR-
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To see the 1999 Veteran's Day article from the local newspaper about Bob in Korea, click here.
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