Why I Served
In The U.S. Army
By Harroll (Hal) E. Mitchell
Memorial Day – May 25, 2026
Some people have asked me why I always wear my Army Veterans Hat. I have many reasons but, let me explain why and where I served my country.
First of all, I love the dedication of military people. They are disciplined and submit to authority, a rare trait these days. I have many relatives who have served in the military, starting with my great grandfather, John Linton who fought in the Civil War. He came to America as a stowaway on a ship from Liverpool in 1855 when he was twenty years old. He was so impressed by a speech by Abraham Lincoln; he later joined the Indiana Volunteers at age 26 in 1861 to fight in the Civil War. (Civil War: 1861 to 1865) He was mustered out in Aug. of 1865, so he fought for four years in the Civil War and survived, but he was wounded and captured twice by the Confederate Forces. I wrote a book about him called, “John Linton, Stowaway From Liverpool”. See my website: www.PatriotsOnPurpose.com and click on the Red Moons Publishing Segment and View all books!
I also had three brothers in-law who served in WW II and my brother served in the Army during the Korean War (Not Korean Conflict) I have grandsons who served in the Marines, (In Combat in Iraq) and a granddaughter who served in the Air Force
Finally, here is my story: I was born on 10/16/1933 and I am now 92 years old. I was too young for WW II, Then, when I graduated from high school in 1951, I was still 17. I also had a football scholarship to a small college not far from my hometown of Harrisonville, MO located 30 miles south of Kansas City.
The Korean War was still not over but the Army was not ready to draft me yet so, in the fall of 1951, I went off to Central Missouri State University, as it is now called, using my football scholarship. After finishing my first semester, I discovered there was a college deferment available and I took it. I was able to finish two years of college at CMSU without being drafted.
However, during the summer of 1952, a girl I had gone to high school with, said to me “Why aren’t you in Korea like Ron?” Ron had graduated with us but had chosen not to go to college and was drafted into the Army. I said to her “I have a college deferment” to which she replied “That’s not fair. You’re a draft dodger!”
That statement hit me very hard, so I immediately went the draft board and canceled my college deferment. I was then re-classified “1-A” which is the next one to be drafted, but they still did not draft me.
Well, as we all know, the Korean War ended on July 27, 1953, with a Treaty stopping the war at the 38th Parallel between North and South Korea. However, before that I volunteered for the draft because I did not want to be be a “Draft Dodger”.
In spite of all this, the Army did not accept me until Sept. 23, 1953. I was then sent to Camp Rucker in Alabama for basic training and then to Ft. Benning GA, for advanced training. I was being trained on both a Machine Gun and on an 81 MM Mortar.
I still was not happy just being in the states so, I volunteered for overseas duty, and they sent me to Berlin, Germany and I arrived in Germany on Christmas Eve of 1954. I was re-assigned to work in a Heavy Mortar Company in Berlin doing office work and writing up various proposals for my First Sergeant plus articles for the Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper.
While I did not see combat, I was ready and eager to go wherever the Army needed me! I was and still am a Patriot. See: www.PatriotsOnPurpose.com.
Now let me explain the Geo-political situation in the world at that time. After WW II ended, the victors of WW II which were the USA, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. After the war ended, these countries divided Germany into four Zones consisting of The American Zone, The British Zone, the French Zone and the Russian Zone. Then they divided Berlin into Four Sectors, consisting of the same four nations.
Berlin was located within the Russian Zone, called ‘East Germany”. It was approx 90 miles from Berlin to the American Zone of Germany. Once, I was able to secure an “R & R” to go to Bavaria in southern Germany for a few days of “Relaxation and Re-cooperation” but my orders had to have Russian translations so I could pass through that 90 mile stretch of land to the American Zone.
This period of time was called “The Cold War” because there was hostility between the American Allies and Russia, which had now become our enemy. The common people in East Berlin, the Russian Sector, wanted to go to West Berlin, where the American, British, and the French Sectors were located. The Russians wanted to prevent that so, they built the Berlin Wall. See pic below from Bing.com.
The Berlin Wall
Nevertheless, the East Berliners wanted freedom and would try to scale that wall but they would be shot by the Russian Army when they tried. However, necessary services were allowed by the Russians to pass through a point called “Check-Point Charlie” to the Russian Sector.
American soldiers were forbidden to go to the Russian or East Sector of Berlin. However, one night one of my Army buddies and I had been drinking German beer and fell asleep on a streetcar while it was headed for the Russian Sector. Thank God, the German Guards at Check-Point Charlie awakened us by yelling “Rusky Sector! Rusky Sector!” at us. We woke up and got off the streetcar and waited in the cold until another streetcar coming out of the Russian Sector arrived and took us to our barracks.
I was finally sent back to the states by a slow boat to NYC, then by train to Chicago where I was processed out of the Army on Sep. 13, 1955.
Now here is an anecdote spoken by Gen. George S. Patton who was trying to inspire his 3rd Army troops during WW II: “When your grandson sits on your knee someday and asks you what you did in the great World War, you won’t have to say to him, ‘Well, I shoveled s*** in Louisiana!’”
Now here’s a story you can hang onto: Sharon and I were eating at Burger King last week and I was wearing my Army hat.
A young girl about ten came to our booth and said, “Thank you for your service, Sir!” and gave me a Burger King gift card. I thanked her and she returned to her booth with her dad. When we were ready to leave, we went over their booth and congratulated her dad for raising such a thoughtful daughter. We discovered that they were Christians and her dad also had a military background. We were really blessed!
God Bless You and God bless America.
Hal Mitchell