Larry Gittleson, a Cambridge, Wisconsin resident, discusses his service as a dog handler in the 26th Infantry Scout Dog Platoon during the Korean War. Gittleson was born in Brooklyn, New York and moved to Chicago at the age of eighteen. He describes being drafted by the Army in 1952 and initially seeking to be classed as a conscientious objector. Gittleson reveals he was opposed to killing, especially "after the carnage and the Holocaust of World War II." He explains, however, that the Army required conscientious objectors to list what religious faiths or specific religious leaders had influenced their thinking. Gittleson listed Emerson, Thoreau and Gandhi--which was not met with approval from the Army. Succumbing to the Army's pressure, Gittleson joined but requested a post as a medic or typist. Again, the Army did not oblige. Gittleson describes at length both his basic training and his Advanced Infantry Training at Camp Atterbury (Indiana) with the "Dixie Division" from Mississippi. He touches upon regional differences among Northeastern, Southern, and Midwestern soldiers. Gittleson describes training tactics which included waking soldiers repeatedly throughout the night and forcing them to change into different uniforms. Gittleson comments that he "barely qualified" with an M-1 rifle but that his marksmanship improved later with mortars and .45s. Next, Gittleson describes his embarkation to Korea. After a delay in Seattle (the Army lost his papers and immunization records), Gittleson was sent to Korea by ship. He describes cramped conditions, getting seasick, and finally landing at Inchon (South Korea). Gittleson reveals how the infantry lounged on the docks, waiting for their orders, while nearby a group of Marines staged a water landing for television cameras; an event Gittleson calls a "farce." Gittleson goes on to describe his introduction to war: he passed a troop car full of wounded Korean soldiers and survived an air strike at Kimpo airport. Gittleson portrays himself as outwardly maintaining his cool but being terrified under the surface. After a stay in a replacement depot, Gittleson was reassigned to a dog training unit, the 26th Infantry Scout Dog Platoon, because he had prior experience training dogs as a hobby and had attended some pre-veterinary school classes. He says he decided to join the Dog Platoon when a recruiter told him he would be saving lives instead of killing. Gittleson describes in detail training and patrolling with German Shepherds in the "Iron Triangle" between the Chorwon and Kumwha valleys (North Korea). He states the handlers had the dogs sniff out Korean houseboys for practice. Dog patrollers were often engaged in intelligence operations, seeking out the location of the enemy, and ambushes in which dogs looked for openings in the enemy line for the infantry to penetrate. Gittleson explains that because the patrols were at night, he had to rely on physical signs from the dog (such as his ears twitching or the direction he turned his head) in order not to get lost or captured. Gittleson characterizes his fellow dog handlers as farm boys and hunters. Gittleson reports that the missions were usually top secret and dog handlers often were not told why they had to go on certain patrols. Gittleson tells a story of a bungled top secret mission in which he mistook some of Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist fighters (allied with the U.S.) for Communist Chinese and dropped his gun while trying to fire at them. His mission was eventually revealed: he had to take the Nationalists out with the dog to track down Communists. However, when the trail took the party off the map, they found themselves in a minefield. Thanks to Gittleson's dog, who could smell the mines, they managed to navigate safely through the minefield. Gittleson remarks how dogs were able to sniff out people and hear noises imperceptible to humans such as a safety of a gun clicking off. He describes in detail the techniques used by the dog handlers to gauge the direction of the enemy based on the dogs' cues. Gittleson states that using scout dogs is like "walking with radar." Gittleson next discusses in some detail working and socializing with Belgian and Thai troops whom he characterizes as good soldiers. Gittleson touches upon the social life of troops in Korea, comparing it to the TV series "MASH." He briefly talks about a house of prostitution in Seoul called Ruby's and the beer ration allowed each soldier by the Army. He felt dog handlers received special privileges that were somewhat similar to those received by surgeons on "MASH." This was because dog handlers went on patrols every four or five days and in between had to keep training their dogs. One antic Gittleson describes was ordering women's clothing from Sears Roebuck with a buddy because Sears advertised that they would ship "anywhere in the world." The articles were delivered and Gittleson sold them to Korean women in Seoul. In addition, Gittleson discusses at length racist incidents that occurred in his platoon, mostly perpetrated by a new lieutenant from Alabama who arrived near the end of the war. Gittleson provides examples of the racist and anti-semitic remarks of this lieutenant and explains that he harassed Gittleson for being Jewish and drove Leroy Ross, the only African American dog handler in the unit, to transfer to another platoon. According to Gittleson, this lieutenant was also homophobic and (illogically) tried to "set him up" by dropping a condom on his bed and stating that Gittleson was gay. Eventually, Gittleson left the 26th to serve as a veterinary technician and a clerk because he feared he would lose his temper and retaliate against the lieutenant. Around this time, Gittleson mentions he was also being recruited by his superiors for officer training. Recruiters tried to convince him to go to West Point and, when he declined, to become a noncommissioned officer. Gittleson states he turned down three offers because he did not want to continue a career in the military. Then, after the peace negotiations, a post became available for a dog trainer in Japan, an opportunity Gittleson did not want to pass up and which required a one-year extension of his time in the Army. With amusement, Gittleson relates that the Army was so perplexed by his refusal to be an officer and subsequent interest in dog training in Japan that they sent him to a psychiatrist, who recommended he be sent home to the United States. Gittleson served the rest of his contract at Fort Dix (New Jersey) where he was injured in a truck accident, incurring a ten percent disability. After leaving the Army, Gittleson returned to Chicago and got married. He explains how, twenty-five years after his service, he joined the Illinois National Guard; he portrays his reenlistment ironically, stating he was mostly interested in using their facilities for shooting practice. Because of his many visits to Fort McCoy (Wisconsin), Gittleson eventually decided to retire to a farm in Cambridge, Wisconsin. Finally, Gittleson describes attending several reunions of the 26th Infantry Scout Dog Platoon and the dedication of the Korean War Memorial in Washington D.C. He also attended a large conference of Scout Dog veterans in San Antonio (Texas) and was welcomed into the Vietnam Dog Handlers Association as an honorary member. Gittleson expresses frustration that the life-saving role of the Scout Dog Platoon in the Korean War has not been sufficiently recognized by the history books. He also discusses his homecoming from Korea and the disinterest of the civilian population in welcoming Korean veterans home. He deplores the treatment of Vietnam veterans who were spat upon when they returned home, but he also expresses admiration for veterans who went on to protest the Vietnam War. Gittleson wraps up the interview by stating: "I didn't go [to Korea] to kill anybody. I went there to save lives, and I put my own life on the line for that reason."
