Robert Olsen
| Era | Korean War |
|---|---|
| Branch | U.S. Marine Corps |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Military Decorations | Purple Heart |
| Wall | CC |
| Wall Side | 1 |
| Row | 1 |
| Plaque Number | 3 |
Robert Olsen enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on March 22nd, 1948, and was sent to Parris Island for boot camp. Then, he was sent to China in 1948-49 and then he was sent to Oakland and then Camp Pendleton for more training.
On September 15th, 1950, Robert Olsen and 12,499 other Marines landed in Korea and it was known as the Inchon Landing. When going to Yong Dung Pa, they encountered heavy resistance. After securing Yong Dung Pa, they went to the Han River to enter Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. After securing the capital city of South Korea, they went ton to the Chosin Reservoir. Robert Olsen and the rest of the military spent approximately 2 weeks living in frozen foxholes, with temperatures of 30 to 40 degrees below zero. The wind chill factor from Siberia and Manchuria lowered the temperature between 70 and 75 below zero. Robert Olsen and many soldiers got frostbite on their bodies from the extreme cold weather. They reached the Chosin Reservoir. He and 14,999 United States Army, Marines, and British Royal Marines were surrounded by 120,000 Elite Chinese Communist Soldiers but they were able to shoot their way out. They then set sail from Hungnam, North Korea on Christmas Eve with a precious cargo of 100,000 North Korean civilians, consisting of men, women, and children to bring them to safety in South Korea.
One of the dates that Robert Olden never forgot was on March 15th, 1951 when he was shot by enemy fire, and on March 20th, 1951 he lost his right leg.
Mr. Olsen always said that he was proud to be a Marine.
After he was let out of the VA Hospital, he went home to New York. There he met his wife, Olga Hansen, at a Norwegian dance and they were later married on August 23rd, 1952. He found it hard to work in New York in the winter with his disability, so they moved to California by Camp Pendleton.
He started working for the Post Office and became the Postmaster for the Post Office of San Luis Rey for 18 years until he had to retire because of his injuries from the Korean War.
Plaque Wall Map
