Stanley Staples is not a man of large stature, nor does he carry himself in an intimidating way. He wears large glasses and dresses neatly in brown khakis and a striped, collared shirt. As Stanley and the Lehigh student walked through the American Legion, where he thought it would be appropriate to meet, he moved in a slow, almost methodical way. Different flags made up the border around the walls and war memorabilia adorned the walls. As the interview started, the eagerness with which he answered the Lehigh student’s questions allowed her to slowly picture Stanley as an 18-year-old boy getting ready to enlist in the service in 1948.
Staples was born on Sept.15, 1929, in East Stroudsburg, Pa. When he was 18 years old, Stanley “volunteered for the service, because I knew I was about to be drafted and I wanted to be able to choose what part of the army I was going to be in.” He explained that at that time, if you were drafted, you could be placed anywhere, so he made the choice to volunteer to avoid being placed into the infantry. The Lehigh student asked Stanley to describe what sentiments his family had about him enlisting. A sad look came over his face and she immediately regretted having asked him. “My father was in World War I, where he was gassed in a forest in France. He came home ok, but then died shortly in 1935.” He paused for a second, taking a moment to gather his composure, and continued, “ My mother knew better than anyone about a loved one being in the service, so when I told her I wanted to enlist she was completely supportive of my decision.”
Stanley left his home and traveled to Fort Knox in July of 1948, where he was in basic training for eight weeks. When the Lehigh student questioned the fact that he was not going to be in the infantry he replied firmly, “Everybody who goes in the service goes through basic training, no matter what.” Stanley explained that everyone had to take a test before he was assigned to a certain division, and that he scored in the top 10 percent on this test. This qualified him to be placed in the U.S. Army Security Station, more commonly known as military intelligence. The Lehigh student was intrigued at this point, realizing that she was interviewing someone who was exceptionally intelligent, and who had a unique story to tell, as not many people experienced the war in his selective division of the Army. Although Stanley was more than happy to answer all the questions, he firmly warned her that he “could only tell some information, since much of the information he had was classified and he could not divulge.” Although he was sent to school in Fort Monmouth to learn Morse code, he found that he could not type as fast as he would be required to, so he was designated as a clerk in the personnel office, where he was put in charge of officer records.
In 1952, stationed in Seoul, South Korea, Stanley was on tour duty for six months. Just as his duty was about to end, he learned that they needed a typist on the main line of resistance, or as Stanley called it, the MLR. Although now we have satellites in the sky to keep a record of what is being said on the main line, at that time it was necessary to have a typist recording everything so that people listening on a stereo could hear the action firsthand. This was the first time that Stanley actually experienced the horrific fighting that was ripping up the country. He lived in a bunker for a week, where “we were shelled every single night….this gave me enormous respect for the guys who went into combat.” Stanley was certain it was more than enough of a glimpse of the fighting for him.
Stanley returned to his job as a clerk for the U.S. Army Security Agency. He said “the morale amongst the people there was excellent.” He said this was due to several reasons. “First, we were a non-combatant group, second, almost all of the people in my division had some college education, so we were knowledgeable and didn’t have the same mentality as the infantry men; we always moved around to our posts in the same groups, so unlike the infantry, who could be placed anywhere at anytime, we got to see each other over and over again.” The only thing he could think of that sometimes affected the morale was that unlike all the other divisions, his was operating around the clock without any break, so everyone put in very long hours.
To change the atmosphere of the interview for a bit, the Lehigh student asked Stanley to describe what he did for recreation while in service. “Well, when I wasn’t overseas I was allowed to go home on the weekends, so I was able to see my wife.” He continued, “While overseas I always had a camera with me so I was constantly taking pictures of everything I saw in Korea, Japan, and Germany; I remember in Germany I traveled around with my friends on our days off and saw all of the churches.” He then paused for a second and a let out a loud chuckle, “of course, we also drank a lot while we were there, too.”
The conversation naturally flowed to whether Stanley’s feelings about the war changed while he was there. “We all thought we were fighting for the correct thing,” he said adamantly. When asked about how patriotic he felt towards the United States, a serious look came over his face and he boldly replied, “I am a flag waver all the way.” A true patriot to the core, it was obvious that Stanley would have gone to war no matter what the consequences, but he also felt he had to tell the Lehigh student about what the war gave back to him in return for his dedication. He believed he would never have seen what he did or met the people he did. He said, “I don’t mean seeing in the sense of travel, I mean actually seeing Japan and Germany from every aspect.” Every person who serves in the Army believed he was in the Army for something. For Stanley it was “for you and I to do what we’re doing today, because otherwise we would be doing something else under the rule of a dictator.” For Stanley, it is as simple as that: his dedication to the war was fueled by his desire for everyone to have the right to be free to do what he or she wants.
After 20 years in the U.S. Army Security Agency, Stanley retired in 1968. He did not, however, leave without recognition. Among the many awards and honors he received for his service were an Army Commendation Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster, three Battle Stars from the Korean service, and the Good Conduct Medal with six loops (for the six times he received the honor). When he returned home to East Stroudsburg, he found that “things were not that different; the main thing was that I knew I was home for good and that now instead of reporting to a sergeant or a colonel, I would be reporting to my boss.”
His time in the Army is still very much a part of his life, as he keeps in touch with the many friends he made over the 20 years. He attends reunions whenever the Army Security Agency has them, although he explained they have been taking place less over the years as the men have gotten older. With a twinge of nostalgia, Stanley said he has not gone back to Korea since he retired. Although he would like to go, he knows everything would be completely different from how he remembers it.
As for himself, Stanley believes the war didn’t change him all that much. He stressed that what affected him was “seeing the sadness on people’s faces and what the war did to their families. War is truly hell, no one wants to go,” he said as he shook his head remembering how the people in South Korea felt when they were invaded.
Stanley is retired and enjoys talking to students about his experiences. He now resides in Bushkill Township with his wife Barbara, where they have lived for the past 25 years.
After sharing his experiences with the Lehigh student, Stanley felt it was important to end the conversation with a bit of a lesson, “Everyone should study the wars our country fights in, not just because of the devastation but because of why they occurred, what happened afterwards, and what we did for the people afterwards.”
Alina Kors graduated from Lehigh University in 2004. Her hometown is Closter, N.J.