Unit:
5th Arm. Div. Band / 38th Infantry ,2nd Division K. CO
Theater:
Where
Captured: SAEMAL , SOUTH KOREA
Date
Captured: 02/12/51
Camps
Held In: "BEAN CAMP" "MINING CAMP" CAMP 1 -CHANGSONG
NORTH KOREA,----- (YALU RIVER)
How
Long Interned: 921 days
Liberated
/ repatriated:liberated
Date
Liberated: 08/21/53
Age
at Capture: 21
Medals
Received: UNITED NATIONS MEDAL ,KOREAN SERVICE MEDAL ,GOOD
CONDUCT MEDAL ,NATIONAL DEFENSE MEDAL AND PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL
Military
Job: 1948 -1950 Musician/ 1950-1953 Rifleman
Company:
Hughes Missile and Radar Systems
Occupation
after War: Illustrator / Sign Painter / Musician
Bio:
Mr. Volpone served in the U.S. Army Band from Feb.12th 1948 to Feb. 12th
1950, and was discharged and later drafted into the Army in November
after the Korean War started, he was sent to Korea and served with the
38th Inf. 2nd. Division as a rifleman.
James Volpone was captured by the Chinese on Feb. 12th 1951 exactly one
year from his discharge from the Army. He spent 30 months as a POW in
Korea,(10 months as a M.I.A.). He was captured in the vicinity of
Saemal, South Korea with another G.I. from the Tank Corp. and a South
Korean soldier was sent to the "Bean Camp" and then on to a
forced march where he escaped with two other Americans, a Sgt. Kenneth
Heitkemp and another American "Red" Morgan. they were later
recaptured and turned over to the North Koreans and sent to the
"Mining Camp". The conditions in both camps were deplorable;
there was very little food and water. Many Americans died at both camps
from dysentery, Beriberi, Starvation, cold injuries, worms, and maggots
,and lung problems with no medical attention .
Mr. Volpone was later sent North which turned out to be a Death March,
They finally reached the Yalu River with his two good buddies who he
knew only as "Woody" and "Speedie" who carried him
most of the way as he had contacted frozen feet, Beriberi, and acute dysentery
. They were later separated and he was sent to Camp 1 and they were sent
to Camp 5 as the Chinese separated the blacks from the rest of them. Mr.
Volpone was finally released on Aug. 21st 1953 at Pamunjon (Freedom
City) and later Discharged at Valley Forge Army Hospital, Pa. Where they
had learned that he came home with tuberculosis . He went home and was
later married to his wife Dolores of 45 years and they now have 4 sons
Michael, James Jr. Gregory & Franco & 5 grandchildren. James
went to work as a Illustrator at Hughes Missile & Radar Systems in
Ca. and moved to Las Vegas. He also worked as a musician playing the
Night club circuit around Orange Co. area in California .He now spends
his time working in his yard ,searching the internet with his computer
along as creating graphics , also drawing and writing about his POW experiences
in Korea . He is a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars , Disabled
American Veterans , The American Legion , American Prisoner of War ,
2nd. Division Association, Inc. Korean War Veterans Alliance Inc.,
Korean War Veterans Association Inc. , Ex-POW Association Inc., the
Korean War branch and "K" Co of 38th Inf.
Message to Future Generations:
"Freedom is not free and God Bless this great country of
ours".
