Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A ‘Korea’ casualty group of four to Private E. L. Roe, 70th Tank Battalion, United States Army

Purple Heart (Emory L. Roe), with riband and lapel bars, in case of issue; National Defense Medal, with riband bar in card box of issue; Korea Medal, with riband bar in card box of issue; U.N. Korea Medal; together with Korean Presidential Unit Citation bar; Third Army badge in cloth and wire and enamelled lapel badges (3) bearing the motto, ‘Strike Swiftly’, extremely fine (lot) £250-350

Emory Leon ‘Buddy’ Roe was born on 21 December 1930 and living in North Salem, Indiana, enlisted into the U.S. Army on 26 August 1949. Serving with the 70th Tank Battalion, he was killed in action in Korea on 23 February 1951.

The Korean Presidential Unit Citation was awarded on 13 March 1953 to the 70th Tank Battalion ‘for exceptionally meritorious service to the Republic of Korea during the period 16 August 1950 to 26 September 1950’. ‘The 70th Tank Battalion distinguished itself by its exceptional gallantry in the defense of, and subsequent offensive from, the Taegu area during a highly critical phase of actions against the Communist aggressors in Korea.... The heroism displayed by the members of the Battalion will long be remembered by the people of the Republic of Korea and reflects high credit upon the United States Army and the entire military profession’.

Sold with a folder containing many original letters from ‘Buddy’ Roe to his family mostly from Korea, some somewhat ‘gung-ho’ in their content, these dating from 12 July 1950 to 18 February 1951. Also with photographs, silk enemy flags (2), paper clippings, official papers re. pay, insurance and the return of his body, together with copied research. The Purple Heart and case with original card forwarding box from the Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot; also a card box from the War Department Army Effects Bureau, Kansas, addressed to ‘Mr Emory C. Roe, Rural Route 1, North Salem, Indiana’ re. the personal effects of ‘Pvt. Emory L. Roe’. With a box from Pte. E. Roe to ? containing a safety razor; also with a leather wallet.

Buddy Roe is at his most ebullient in a letter to ‘Mom and All’, dated ‘Taegu, Korea, 19 August 1950’, ‘... oh man, do they run when they see our tanks coming. These dirty bas........ Boy we really mowed down a lot of them, hell we even ran over them, ... I was bow gunner on one tank ... and about 10 of them came out of a hut with there (sic) hands over there (sic) heads, but the Col. said he didn’t see why we should take any prisoners so I just mowed them down .... I could see them moving out over the hills like flys (sic), all I had to do was cut loose, it was like shooting ducks on the pond, well I’ve got my share of them already, thats what I like about tanks, you sure get your share of them. Now don’t think I’m getting hard hearted by killing so much because if you would see some of our boys after they get a hold of them you would do the same thing, the dirty rats. But don’t worry they will never get a hold of me. I would have more pity on a snake than these damn Gooks ...’

In his last letter to ‘Mom, Dad, All’, dated ‘Wonju, Korea, 18 February 1951’, he provides details of his unit’s recent activities, ‘... I don’t know if you heard about the 23rd Regiment of the 2nd Div. They were cut off. But of course we were elected to get them out, so we had a 20 tank column, ten 46’s of the 6th Tk. Bn. and ten of ours, we had to fight through eight miles of enemy territory, it was rough, but we sure layed (sic) them low, those guys were really in a bad way, but its clear now. .... I finally got a job on the tank I really like, I’m driving now, that calls for a Sgt. rating, but I hope I’m not here that long to make it ....’