Korean War
Out of 7,000 US prisoners, 2,800 (40 percent) died in captivity. Diet and medical conditions were notoriously bad. The captors led their prisoners on horrific death marches.
Every evening and through the night, they walked excruciatingly long distances with very little food and water. Civilians threw stones at them from the side of the road. If a prisoner collapsed or could not continue, he was shot, clubbed or bayoneted to death. Men died of starvation and dehydration each day. The diet, as bad as it was, was comparable to that of North Korean peasants and medical supplies were unavailable to doctors.
The North Koreans attempted to brainwash their captors into thinking that communism was better than capitalism. In August 1953, one month after North Korea, China and the United Nations agreed to a ceasefire, most American POWs were released.
“Tell mom that I’ll be home as soon as I get out of this mess.”
The letters and telegrams of US Army Corporal John S. Murlaschitz who was held as a POW during the Korean War.
Corporal John S. Murlaschitz was wounded in action Korea in September 1950. He returned to duty a month later, but by November 1950 he was declared missing in action (MIA). Little was know about his status for almost a year, when the United States Army informed his mother, Marie Murlaschitz by telegram that her son was a prisoner of war (POW) being held by enemy forces.
By May 1952, Corporal Murlaschitz was able to write a letter home, and apparently received some in return from his family. The letters noted his location as “North Korea, Camp #3” and the postmarks were stamped in Hangul – the Korean language. However, the return address that Corporal Murlaschitz hand wrote was in care of the “Chinese Committee of World Peace in Peking (Beijing), China.”
According to military records, Camp 3 was identified as the village of Ch’ang-Song on the Yalu River. The Prisoner of War camp was controlled by the Chinese Army, who entered the conflict on November 25, 1950. That corresponds to the time Corporal Murlaschitz was declared MIA.
Corporal Murlaschitz communicated that he was in good spirits and being well taken care of. It is hard to know how true that was, considering his captors would likely pressure him to be overly positive about his condition. At Changsong, Chinese forces held indoctrination sessions which many American prisoners thought of as attempted brainwashing.
Corporal Murlaschitz communicated that he was in good spirits and being well taken care of. It is hard to know how true that was, considering his captors would likely pressure him to be overly positive about his condition. At Changsong, Chinese forces held indoctrination sessions which many American prisoners thought of as attempted brainwashing.
In his letters, Corporal Murlaschitz repeatedly asked if the family had yet purchased a television set, and if his mother’s home had been fixed up while he was away. In every letter, before and as a POW, he made it a point to tell his mother not to send him any money while he was in Korea.
By August 1953, thirty-two months as a POW, Corporal Murlaschitz was returned to the American command in Korea, and his family was informed that he would be sailing home at “an early date.”
The last document was a telegram from Corporal Murlaschitz on August 28, 1953 to tell his mother that he was free and on his way home.
At the time of the Korean War, his mother and uncle lived at the 1121 N. 15th Street. There is no other information about Murlaschitz’s return or life in Milwaukee after the war.
Public records show that Murlaschitz was an employee of the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works for many years. He passed away on March 21, 2017 at the age of 88 years, preceded in death by his wife Marlene.
May 26, 1953
Dear Mother and Frank,
Just got your letter you wrote the 20th of March and was very happy to get it. It was the first one I got from home. As for me I’m getting along fine and hope you are doing the same. And Frank tell Mother that I’ll be home as soon as I can get out of this mess. And what ever you do don’t send me any money. Because in place like this I have no need for it and anyways there is no place to spend it. I’ve wrote more than one letter home and toEmma in fact it was about 5 or 6.Well if I ever do get home I don’t want any rice to eat we get our full here. Well if you see Emma said hello for me and Tony to. Said hi to Bob and the rest of them. Said I got the card Bob send and I wish you would tell him to write one. Well tell mother not to worry about me and lets hope this get over with in a hurry.
As always,
Johnny
July 20, 1952
North Korea P.O.W. Cap #3
Dear Mother and Frank
I got your letter that you mail March the 20, and was very glad, that you wrote me. But don’t worry about me, for I’m in good health and feeling good too. I’ve been writing you every month since the first of 1952. I know you got one letter but you should have got more. I got a letter from Emma and was awful glad to get it, but it didn’t have any cigarette paper like the other one I got from her. Will you tell her thanks a lot for that. You know you are allowed to send pictures in letters but not postages. Say mother don’t send any money I can’t use it over here and it doesn’t do me any good. Well I hope your ok and that Frank is still working, because I here that prices are sky high and that jobs are getting little hard to get. Say Frank if you see Bob or Harvey tell them hello for me. And tell them to write me will you. I was just wondering if you have a television set at home yet or not. Or maybe the house is fixed up a little bit, you know it is almost two years that I’ve have been there. Well I hope that this letter get through to you and that your all alright.
As always,
Johnny
