“Where They Separate The Men From The Boys”: A Korean War Paratrooper

Alan Elwell grew up in a family of seven children. His father was a carpenter and his mother was a homemaker. In 1950, he joined the Army and volunteered for Airborne School. After becoming a paratrooper, he was assigned to the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team, and deployed to Korea. He remembers taking a troop train to the point of embarkation. He participated in the combat jump at Sukchon and Sunchon, and fought at Inje. He returned to the States in September, 1951, and was assigned to I Company, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. He left the Army on February, 11, 1953. In this interview, he discusses his service during the Korean War.