Former Friendship Boy Killed in Korea

SGT. RUBLE W. WYATT

Sgt. Ruble W. Wyatt was killed in action January 26 while fighting with the First Cavalry Division in Korea.

Ruble lived most of his life in and around Friendship. He had been in Korea since June and served four and a half years in World War II. He saw action on the Solomon and Philippine Islands. He was discharged in 1945. Three years ago he reenlisted and was sent to Korea at the beginning of the Korean War. He was injured shortly after he arrived there. He recovered and again sent to the front.

He is survived by two sons, Jackye Brown Wyatt, age 13, of Friendship Rt. 3 and Ruble Wendell Wyatt, age 10, of Memphis; several cousins around Friendship and a host of friends.

FRIENDSHIP WAS HIS HOME THE FOE WAS HIS DEATH

Fatherly Letters From Korea to His Son Kept the Faith Until the Last

Sgt. Ruble Wesley Wyatt was a jolly, friendly fellow who learned to hate war the hard way.

He was born and reared at Friendship, Tenn., and grew up on a farm, operating it with his mother, Mrs. Roxie Wyatt, a widow. Before World War II, his mother died and Wyatt moved to Memphis, went to work for the U. S. Engineers.

He got married, and a son Ruble Wendell Wyatt, now 10, was born.

Wyatt became a sergeant in the Army. He was in the Pacific theater 4 ½ years, fought from the Solomon to the Philippines. He was decorated, two rows of ribbons, including the Purple Heart for a broken eardrum.

Two Civilian Jobs

Discharged in 1945 Sgt. Wyatt went to work for Memphis Street Railway Co. as a bus operator. He usually drove Poplar-Peabody or Parkway buses.

Later he went to work for Memphis General Depot, receiving bodies of men killed in the war, arranging and attending funerals. Memories of war came back strong, and again war threatened. Sgt. Wyatt and his wife were divorced. His son stayed with his mother, Mrs. Ailene Sanders of 2307 Lowell.

Wyatt went back into the Army to make it a career. He didn't think he would go back overseas and was at Fort Devens, Mass. But trouble started in Korea. Last June he was flown to the Orient and went into action with the First Cavalry.

Word came that he had been wounded, his good eardrum having been broken. Now and then a letter would come to 10-year-old Ruble. In his next to last letter, Sgt. Wyatt wrote of killing so many people "you don't even mind that after awhile." He wrote to his son that his insurance was made out to him "and if I get killed, I have it fixed so my body will come to you, and six months pay. One thing I want you to do, have me buried beside my mother (in Friendship). The War Department will notify you if I get killed or missing in action.
Mosquitoes and Flies

He wrote of the hard conditions, mosquitoes at night, flies in the daytime.

He wrote that if he got back and his mother would let him, he would take his son on a nice vacation.

Sgt. Wyatt's last letter, written from Maseguri, Korea, Dec. 25, came in January. "Hello son: I will try to write a few lines to say sweet hello and to say I received your Christmas card today. Sure was glad to get it. I wrote you a couple of times, but haven't received an answer. I thought you'd forgotten about me. (The son had written, but the letters apparently hadn't been received.) I'm still on the front lines. Sure will be proud when all this is over with.

"Son, I hope you had a nice Christmas. Sure wish we could have been together. Had a wonderful dinner over here. No exchanging of presents. I'll have to give you yours when I get back, if I ever do. I couldn't have sent you anything since I haven't been paid since I left Fort Devens in June.

Worse Than War II

"Sure have been thru a lot of hell. This was even worse than World War II so far. I have a few souvenirs I have picked up, which I will send you later.

"Son, I would have written to you before now, but lying around on frozen ground and that covered with about 10 inches of snow, a guy doesn't feel too much like writing. About all you think about is trying to keep from freezing.

"We moved into one of these native villages about a week ago, which sure was nice. Just don't know where we'll wind up. I don't guess I would know you now as I guess you're about grown, (Sgt. Wyatt didn't get a furlough home before going overseas), and I guess you wouldn't know me, as I've lost about 20 pounds.

"Well, son, I've got to close and go out on the post tonight and sleep in the snow. So write and tell me the news in Memphis. Be good and I will try to be careful."

Since this last letter, a telegram has come to the little boy, thru his grandmother (Wyatt's mother-in-law) from the Department of Defense. It stated that Sgt. Wyatt was killed in action in Korea Jan 26.