Ken Seefeldt was drafted into the Army and served from 1951-1953. He was sent to be an airplane mechanic and then shipped to Korea in a trip that took 15 days and took a toll on many on board.
“I got sick,” said Seefeldt, 88.
He was stationed at an airfield for a year, 3 miles behind the 38th parallel that divided North and South Korea. His job was to keep about eight airplanes ready for their surveillance missions.
“They were observers,” Seefeldt said.
Around 130 guys kept the planes fueled and changed the oil. They also had foxholes just in case they were necessary.
“We used them for bathrooms,” he said.
Seefeldt said they had a Korean house boy who cleaned for them and washed their clothes.
Seefeldt returned to Fort Carson, Colorado, when he was discharged.
Seefeldt is a native of Peshtigo, where he worked at the paper mill before entering the service. When he returned, he was part owner of Wright Broiler in Shawano, then moved to Chippewa Falls, where he was owner of a motel. His wife of 38 years, Donna, ran the motel while Seefeldt drove a motorcoach, traveling to every state.
They retired and moved back to Shawano. They now live at Mason Woods in the town of Washington. They have seven children, 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Seefeldt went on the Old Glory Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., in October 2014.
“He’s a very, very proud veteran,” Donna said.
Seefeldt belongs to the Bonduel American Legion Post 217 and the Shawano VFW Post 2723.
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