Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Paul Alexander Steppe, Jr. Collection

Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: Korean War, 1950-1953
- Branch of Service: Marine Corps
- Service Unit/Ship: 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division
- Location of Service: Camp Pendleton, California; Korea
- Highest Rank: Corporal
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/4941
Paul Steppe, a Marine infantry corporal serving in Korea, saw fierce action, punctuated by long nights when he and his foxhole buddies alternated two-hour watches. Wounded by a grenade on Christmas Eve 1951, Steppe was evacuated to a hospital, narrowly escaping death when his transport plane lost its landing gear on takeoff. In his memoirs, An Everlasting Watch, Steppe notes that American troops are still "on watch" in the Korean peninsula, his war's resolution still incomplete. His mother, Meda Brendall, is featured on this site, under Women At War, for her service as a welder during World War II.
Interview / Recording
Share
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Play"You don't hear the one that hits you" 00:09:54.0 - 00:10:47.0
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PlayWounded on Christmas Eve; long, eventful trip home. 00:10:57.0 - 00:17:16.0
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PlayPolitics of the Korean War. 00:35:06.0 - 00:40:48.0
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Play"The smell of the bodies stays with your forever." 00:43:59.0 - 00:49:17.0
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PlayHow rising to the challenge of Korea was a fine moment for America. 00:50:31.0 - 00:53:15.0
About this Item
Title
- Paul Alexander Steppe, Jr. Collection
Names
- Bishop, Linda
- Long, Bryon
- Steppe Jr., Paul Alexander
- American Legion Post 22, Towson, Maryland
Home State
- Maryland
Headings
- - Steppe Jr., Paul Alexander
- - Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Marine Corps.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- White
Status
- veteran
Service History
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Korean War, 1950-1953
- Branch of Service: Marine Corps
- Service Unit/Ship: 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division
- Location of Service: Camp Pendleton, California; Korea
- Highest Rank: Corporal
- Dates of Service: 1950-1952
- Entrance into Service: Enlisted
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Video: Digital Betacam [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Memoir [1 item] -- (collected 1999)
- Photograph: Copy photographic print [4 items] -- Photographs (collected 1950-1952)
- Video: S-VHS [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003-02-08)
- Manuscript: Correspondence [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/4941
Online Format
- image
- video