CENTER FOR U.S. WAR
VETERANS' ORAL HISTORIES
Korean War
Anthony J. Caltabilota Sr.
Korean War Oral History Interview
US Army, 2nd Infantry Division
Date: February 4, 2008
Interviewer: Carol Fowler
Summarizer: Brianna Cuttle
Veterans History Project
Summary
Anthony Caltabilota was born in May 1932, and he was raised in Brooklyn New York. He served from November 1952 to November 1954 with the US Army Infantry in the Korean War as a Rifleman and Mortarman. Caltabilota came back unscathed with no injuries. He was in both the 5th and the 2nd Infantry Divisions.
Prior to the Korean War, Caltabilota worked at his cousin’s shop as a meat cutter. At the age of 18, he had to go for his physical, which came back all good. Caltabilota was drafted into the U.S Army two years later at the age of 20. He was sent to Fort Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania for Basic Training, from November through March, which really got the men ready for war. It was a rough adjustment at a young age, to go from being a meat cutter to then getting ready for war. At Basic Training, Caltabilota experienced horrible weather that left them all sick. After the 16 weeks, they got to be home for five days, before heading to camp outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and then to Camp Stoneman in California to be sent overseas.
It was a two-week ship journey to Japan where they had a 24-hour layover to gather themselves and receive their orders. From Japan, Caltabilota and others would arrive to Inchon, South Korea four days later. His unit originally got orders to go to the Third Division, but the Second Division had been hit harder; so, they became part of the Second Division. Caltabilota was put into K Company Weapons Platoon, where he became a Gunner. He was then selected by the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy for 4 weeks (for Leadership to be in combat) and was promoted as a Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) into a corporal.
Caltabilota would spend a total of 13 months in Korea. When he returned to his unit, he would be put into patrol rotation with others in his division. His division would usually patrol at night; the terrain that they were patrolling consisted of bunkers and trenches. When patrolling and encountering the enemy, they had to wait for instructions to engage, even if the enemy engaged! It was a very controlled manner.
My officer was a West Pointer. He got a little scratch, and he got the Purple Heart. Most of my officers were very nice.
Caltabilota also went on Rest and Recreation (R&R) to Japan for five days during his 13 months. R&R trips were for troops to relax and rest. His was a five-day break from the war to help boost morale during this difficult time. The reality was that they would return to Korea after those five days were up. He was there during the ceasefire, the cessation of hostilities known as the Korean Armistice Agreement.
Caltabilota flew home from the war to Seattle, Washington, where the Army had aircraft to fly them home to New Jersey, and in time for Mother’s Day! He was given 30 days leave. Caltabilota was discharged out of Fort Devens, Massachusetts, where he served the rest of his time in the Army as a baker. He was close to home, so he would go back as much as possible. To him being a baker brought him back to something close to his original trade before the war, and he considered this the “best time” throughout his service.
After Caltabilota retired, he started to join veteran groups, like Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic War Veterans, where he would speak to other veterans and to school classes about their experiences. They offer them activities to do and fundraisers where they sell poppies. He was happy he could purchase his home through the GI Bill benefit.
For his service, Caltabilota received the Combat Infantry Badge which he cherished, along with the United Nations Service Medal, the Korea Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, and the National Defense Service Medal.
Anthony Caltabilota died peacefully at home at age 85 on April 21, 2018.
