In Loving Memory
~ 1934-2004 ~


SFC JOHN B LANKFORD US Army Retired. JOHN B LANKFORD was in the Army from January 23, 1951 to Retirement, August 1, 1971. And I went EVERYWHERE. Too young for World War II. January 23, 1951 - Sept. 1951, Battery B, 623rd Field artillery Battalion, Fort Bragg, North Carolina This unit was "Kentucky's Own" the only Kentucky National Guard Unit to be called up for the Korean War. November 1951, the 623rd went to Korea. "Because I was too young, only 16 years old" and the Army knew, I was transferred to Battery B, 540th Field Artillery Battalion, 18th Airborne Artillery Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Korean War, November 1952 - December 1953. Duties: Demolition Expert, Assault Platoon, Hq & Hq Company, 578th Engineer (Combat) Battalion, 40th Infantry Division. Know as the "Ball Of Fire" Division. ((this job was as Demo Ex.-above "find it - blow it up" & the assistant Tank driver. The Assault Platoon had five Tanks with bulldozer blades in front, that cleared the way for the TANKS to go. Our Platoon spent from March to June, 1953, attached to Company C, 140th Tank Battalion, 40th Infantry Division, sitting on top of a mountain ridge shooting at anything that moved in front -north of us. Before we went up there, we did various duties to support the front line troops. After we were relieved from front line action, we trained new recruits going to the 140th Tank Battalion, on how to drive & maintain a TANK. New recruits coming into Korea were disabling-wrecking-screwing up tanks because they weren't familiar with these "new" tanks. They were taught on old World War II - Sherman Tanks at Fort Knox. We had the new M-46A1 Tanks, built in 1952. Example, one Tank of the 140th, was disabled and captured, over-run by the enemy because the tank could not start nor move. The tank crew stayed fast, never opening up, and three days later were rescued. The crew was declared "Prisoners of War" and sent home. October 1953, I was promoted to Sergeant, as a Tank Commander in the Assault Platoon.
Submitted by: SFC John B Lankford