William Allen lived through one of the worst experiences ever faced by an American soldier then spent the latter part of his life trying to convince the U.S. Postal Service to dedicate a stamp in commemoration.
Just 19, Allen was of the first U.S. troops sent over to Korea after South Korea was invaded by the North in June 1950, He was captured by the Chinese on Jan. 1, 1951 and spent nearly three years in a prison camp, experiencing extreme brutality as nearly 2,000 died of disease, starvation and mistreatment. Years later, he tried, unsuccessfully, to have the U.S. Postal Service dedicate a stamp to prisoners and those missing in action.
Saturday, Allen, who was living in Tierra Verde and serving the local veteran community, passed away.
He was 83.
Allen was born on Sept. 11, 1931 in Detroit, Michigan, according to his obituary.
He attended Lincoln Park High School in Lincoln Park, Michigan, where he was a member of the track team. He entered the Army shortly after graduating in 1949 and about a year later, the 24th Infantry Division he was part of was sent over to Korea.
Years later, he wrote about his experiences in a book, “My Old Box of Memories,” in which he describes his 31 months as a prisoner of war. All proceeds from the book sales have been used to give back to the community either in the form of college scholarships or donation’s to causes championed by Rolling Thunder and Heaven on Earth for Veterans. according to the obituary. The book is currently available at the Armed Forces History Museum in Largo, Florida.
Aside from speaking frequently about his experience, Allen was very involved in working with men and women returning from combat in a program called “Out Reach” at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, a program which supports and educates those coping with the lifelong effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Allen, according to the obituary, was a past-president of the Florida Chapter of American Ex-POWs, co-founder and past president of the Veterans of Tierra Verde, a member of VFW Post 4256, member of the Korean War Veterans Association Suncoast Chapter, an honorary member of Rolling Thunder Florida Chapter 11, an original team member who introduced the Shuttle Program to Bay Pines Veteran’s Hospital, as well as an avid supporter of Heaven on Earth for Veterans, a non-profit organization which provides housing for veterans who could not otherwise afford housing and the Armed Forces History Museum’s Operation Education.
During one of his last interviews, held at the Armed Forces History Museum in November, Allen talked with the Tribune about being a prisoner.
“Everything was fine until July 1 of 1951,” said Allen. “That’s when I got captured.”
A sergeant at the time, he was north of Seoul, the South Korean capital.
The Chinese then marched him and about 40 fellow soldiers he was with to a prison camp on the Yalu River, on the China-North Korean border.
The distance, he said, was “like walking from Tampa to Georgia.”
It was the start of unimaginable horrors, he said.
“It took two months,” said Allen. “We were strafed and bombed by day by American aircraft. They didn’t know where we were.” He paused and recalled what it was like.
“You never lived until you had a jet flying over you at 600 miles, firing 50-caliber machine guns and dropping napalm,” he said.
Eventually, Allen made it to the infamous Camp 5.
“The first winter, we had about 3,000 prisoners,” he said. “We buried over 1,600 from starvation and no medicine.”
Being in the camp pushed the limits of human depravation, he said.
“You do what you got to do to survive,” he said. “It was day to day death and misery with the North Koreans.”
Later, the Chinese took over the camp.
“They started with the brainwashing,” he said. “We sat down to listen to lectures and things like that, all pro-communist.”
The idea was to get prisoners to make statements in favor of their captors.
“It didn’t work very well on me,” said Allen.
Another big difference between the Chinese and North Koreans was that the North Koreans were more flagrant, said Allen.
“The Chinese, if you stepped out of line, they handled things in a more secretive way. They didn’t do things up front like the North Koreans. They didn’t care. They would shoot you. The Chinese did more things behind the buildings.”
In May 1953, Allen was finally released.
“They argued for over a year-and-a-half about what to do with the prisoners,” he said.
It was ultimately decided that for every prisoner released by the North, they would receive nine of their own in return.
Allen doesn’t remember much about crossing the Bridge of No Return back into the south.
“It was a great day,” he said. “It was the same way when we were captured. Things were happening, but we did not realize they were happening.”
For his service, Allen received the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Badge, the Army of Occupation Medal with the Japanese Clasp, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal (with 3 Bronze Service Stars), the Combat Infantry Badge, and the United Nations Service Medal.
While he accomplished much in his life, Allen was unable to get the stamp.
For more information go to the Armed Forces Museum website.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, two children, and five grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life and an Irish Wake are scheduled for 6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 2, at the Armed Forces Military Museum, 2050 34th Way North, Largo.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his honor to Armed Forces History Museum’s Operation Education, or to Heaven on Earth for Veterans, Inc.
PHOTO: Army veteran Bill Allen, 78, of Tierra Verde spent three and a half years in an internment camp in North Korea. TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO