SSGT. John “J.D.” Bolt
Army Corp Of Engineers
72nd Engineer Combat Company
Korea 1950-1953
JD Bolt was born in August 1929. He was working with a local North Carolina lumber company that had logging and sawmill operations when he enlisted in the Army in early 1950. JD went to Ft. Jackson in South Carolina for Basic Training and then on to Ft. Belvior in northern Virginia for engineering training. In engineering training, they learned to build bridges, airstrips, roads and artillery bunkers using heavy equipment. JD learned to operate a D-7 bulldozer. When he completed his training, he was sent to Seattle and then headed for Yokohama, Japan and then on to Busan, South Korea. From there he went to Suwan to join is outfit.
He arrived in Korea and was greeted by the bitter cold. His first night in-country it was cold, there was snow on the ground, and he was scared to death listening to the constant pounding of artillery as the US shelled the enemy. JD remembers after a few weeks he grew accustomed to the artillery. His first project was to build a bridge over the Han River just south of Seoul, South Korea. First, they built a floating bridge followed a permanent bridge. His company was under constant artillery fire from the North Koreans during the construction of the bridges. He recalls being scared to death, but he had to keep focused to get his job done. From there they fought their way up to the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang.
One evening a jeep arrived with an urgent message for his company commander. His unit was needed up on the front lines about 10 miles away. JD loaded his bulldozer on a lowboy to be transported up to the front line. When they arrived, JD received instructions to punch a 12 foot wide road up to the front line to allow the US to get ambulances in to evacuate the wounded and to bring in supplies. It took 3+ days to reach to front line. Once again, JD and his team were under heavy enemy fire. Often, they would have to stop their work and take cover behind the bulldozer blade for protection from the shrapnel coming from enemy artillery and mortar fire. As JD approached the top of a hill he was completely exposed to the North Koreans and they increased their fire to try and stop him. But JD completed the mission and got road built. For this he was told he had been put in for a Bronze Star.
JD was called back to the States, and he left Korea on Christmas Eve 1951. He arrived in Sasebo, Japan to get a change of clothes and he ran into the Post Master from his hometown in North Carolina. When he returned to the US he was sent to Ft. Hua Chuca, AZ. where they did more heavy equipment and engineering training. It was here, that he was presented with his Bronze Star. The base had a parade and a ceremony for JD and he was singled out for his bravery. JD’s last stop before he was discharged in 1953 was Ft. Beale in California.
JD returned to his hometown in North Carolina and began looking for a job. He was hopeful he would find work outdoors operating heavy equipment but there were no such jobs to be found. A friend of his asked him for a ride to a local paper company so he could apply for a job. When they arrived, he told JD to come on in and fill out an application. He was hired he next day and worked for the Ecusta Paper Mill for 38 years in various capacities including operating a paper machine and working on the maintenance crew. While at Ecusta JD met his wife Billie Stamey, a native of Brevard, NC.
JD was married for 55 years before his wife passed away. They had three children. JD has since remarried and lives in his hometown in western North Carolina. He is proud of his time in the service and made some good friends that he has kept in touch with and met at reunions. “I had a good life”.
JD, thank you for risking your life to punch that road to help your buddies. We will never know how many men you saved!
He arrived in Korea and was greeted by the bitter cold. His first night in-country it was cold, there was snow on the ground, and he was scared to death listening to the constant pounding of artillery as the US shelled the enemy. JD remembers after a few weeks he grew accustomed to the artillery. His first project was to build a bridge over the Han River just south of Seoul, South Korea. First, they built a floating bridge followed a permanent bridge. His company was under constant artillery fire from the North Koreans during the construction of the bridges. He recalls being scared to death, but he had to keep focused to get his job done. From there they fought their way up to the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang.
One evening a jeep arrived with an urgent message for his company commander. His unit was needed up on the front lines about 10 miles away. JD loaded his bulldozer on a lowboy to be transported up to the front line. When they arrived, JD received instructions to punch a 12 foot wide road up to the front line to allow the US to get ambulances in to evacuate the wounded and to bring in supplies. It took 3+ days to reach to front line. Once again, JD and his team were under heavy enemy fire. Often, they would have to stop their work and take cover behind the bulldozer blade for protection from the shrapnel coming from enemy artillery and mortar fire. As JD approached the top of a hill he was completely exposed to the North Koreans and they increased their fire to try and stop him. But JD completed the mission and got road built. For this he was told he had been put in for a Bronze Star.
JD was called back to the States, and he left Korea on Christmas Eve 1951. He arrived in Sasebo, Japan to get a change of clothes and he ran into the Post Master from his hometown in North Carolina. When he returned to the US he was sent to Ft. Hua Chuca, AZ. where they did more heavy equipment and engineering training. It was here, that he was presented with his Bronze Star. The base had a parade and a ceremony for JD and he was singled out for his bravery. JD’s last stop before he was discharged in 1953 was Ft. Beale in California.
JD returned to his hometown in North Carolina and began looking for a job. He was hopeful he would find work outdoors operating heavy equipment but there were no such jobs to be found. A friend of his asked him for a ride to a local paper company so he could apply for a job. When they arrived, he told JD to come on in and fill out an application. He was hired he next day and worked for the Ecusta Paper Mill for 38 years in various capacities including operating a paper machine and working on the maintenance crew. While at Ecusta JD met his wife Billie Stamey, a native of Brevard, NC.
JD was married for 55 years before his wife passed away. They had three children. JD has since remarried and lives in his hometown in western North Carolina. He is proud of his time in the service and made some good friends that he has kept in touch with and met at reunions. “I had a good life”.
JD, thank you for risking your life to punch that road to help your buddies. We will never know how many men you saved!