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Sergeant Steven D. Koonter

BAR Gunner, Mortarman, Cook

A Company, 1st Battle Group, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division

     Steven Delmer Koonter was born on July 8, 1941, in the small town of Williamston, Michigan. His father, Delmer, was a farmer in the nearby town of Laingsburg, where Steve was first raised in the family farmhouse where his grandparents lived. In 1944, however, his father was drafted into the U.S. Army to serve in the European Theater. Steve recalled waving goodbye to him at the train station, left with a plush toy monkey as a parting gift. While his dad fought through France and Germany with the 36th Infantry Division, Steve remained with his mother and grandparents awaiting his return.

     It was not until December 1945 that Delmer came home, quietly settling back into civilian life to help raise young Steve. He began work with the Sealtest Dairy as a deliveryman and moved the family to Haslett, Michigan, where, in 1952, they adopted Steve’s brother Ronnie. Steve went on to attend Haslett High School where he engaged in a number of extracurricular activities, such as playing in the school band, playing varsity football, and racing on the nearby Central Michigan Dragway. Steve developed a love for cars while working at a gas station in town, and before long got his very own 1954 Chevrolet which he tuned up for racing. He was a solid contender, and won several trophies for his racing feats.

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     After graduating in 1960, he was unsure what to do with his life and decided to follow in his father’s footsteps by enlisting in the United States Army the following October. He joined up with a buddy, Danny Hynes, with whom he went through basic training at Fort Knox. Afterward, however, the pair was split as Steve transferred to Fort Benning with the 2nd Infantry Division for advanced infantry training while Danny went to Fort Sill for artillery school. In March 1961, now a fully qualified soldier, Steve was selected to ship off for the faraway land of Korea.

     Moving through Taiwan, Okinawa, and Yokohama, he spent many days sick aboard his transport, the USS GENERAL WILLIAM MITCHELL, making his way towards the Korean peninsula. Things were otherwise rather cheery. A large welcome banner was posted up along the dock in Taiwan, where Steve recalled a number of sunken hulks in the Taiwanese harbor left over from previous wars. At Okinawa, the ship was greeted by the band of the 3rd Marine Division as it unloaded some men and took on fresh provisions. During his brief time in Yokohama he picked up a scrapbook which he planned to use with the new Petri 2.8 camera he had picked up to document his overseas journey. On March 23, 1961, Steve landed in the harbor of Inchon, officially reaching what would become his nearly two-year home. 

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     Shortly after disembarking, he was sent northward to join his unit: A Company, 1st Battle Group, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. The 1st Cavalry had a long storied history in WWII and Korea, ending up in Japan for a few years before moving back to South Korea to occupy and hold the demilitarized zone along the country’s northern border. Organized under the Army’s pentomic system, the division retained five battle groups which were posted at various points along the DMZ intended to function independently, like the frontier cavalry forts of old. The 1st Cavalry was the only full-manned and battle-ready division of the Army at this time, and retained around 13,000 men dispersed along 112 border camps. Responsible for patrolling and manning battle and observation positions along the DMZ at all times, Steve had joined the watch along “freedom’s frontier.”

     The 5th Cavalry was posted just south of the DMZ along the main road away from the border. Other units of the division were spread out alongside and behind them to support other areas. Steve, now a private first class, joined A Company as a BAR Gunner, as he had scored over 330 out of 350 points when qualifying for the weapon. Ironically, this was the same gun his father used in the latter months of WWII. The regiment was equipped with a unique combination of old and new equipment. The late 1950s to early 1960s proved a period of great transition for the Army, with Steve and his comrades wearing new uniforms with field gear dating from WWII and Korea. Their weapons were almost all of WWII vintage, consisting of M1 Garands, BARs, .30 machine guns, 60mm and 81mm mortars, and .45 1911 pistols. Later during his tour Steve joined a mortar platoon which needed a replacement man. He did not mind the duty, recalling it as a rather “crude” job to simply adjust the tube according to the spotter’s callouts, and performed well until he went back to his normal rifleman duties.

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     Their vehicles varied from older jeeps and trucks to more modern equipment. At this time, the 1st Cavalry was tasked with field-testing several new Army vehicles before they were put into mass use, specifically the M113 armored personnel carrier and the M56 “Scorpion” self-propelled gun. The M113, adopted into service in 1960 and entering service in 1961, was to become the Army’s new lightweight armored transport to equip all of its combat units. The 1st Cavalry received some of the earliest batches to test along the DMZ, equipping them with .50 machine guns to play active roles in all field operations and maneuvers. The M56 was intended as a light fire-support weapon for airborne units, but ended up with the 1st Cavalry for its efficiency in traversing the hilly Korean terrain. Steve recalled working with both of these vehicles along the DMZ, spending most of his time aboard the M113s. He described them as “steel tubs” and did not have much praise for them besides that “they [were] better than walking.” Most vehicles being used in the field were either painted in camouflage schemes or covered in branches and debris to disguise their movements.

     Daily life contained a fairly routine rotation of duties, but was nonetheless full of excitement for young Steve. Least exciting was the upkeep of whatever was needed on base. Whether this was kitchen police duty, standing guard, cleaning up the grounds, or whatever else an officer or NCO told you to do. Most of the time, however, was spent along the main battle positions (MBPs) of the DMZ. These positions consisted of a series of trenchlines along the hillsides of the DMZ with bunkers and dugouts dotting their twists and turns. Some even contained M29 Pershing tanks which had been disabled and converted into gun positions. Men were often selected in teams of one to three men to go up to a point of the line and keep watch for any signs of North Korean activity.

 

     Since the war in Korea had ended only a few years prior, North Korean forces were still extremely active, armed, and a force to be reckoned with. The North Korean side of the DMZ was full of interconnected underground tunnels and cave systems, allowing them to move around largely unseen. Steve recalled many days watching as North Korean tanks, trucks, missiles, artillery, and other weapons were brought into these tunnels, never coming back out. Shifts lasted for several days at a time, with each team assigned their own radio to report back to regimental headquarters if anything was seen. The men brought their weapons and rations up with them, largely left isolated and on their own during these periods.

     Steve’s most vivid memory from these battle positions came during the Cuban Missile Crisis. After the United States had put nuclear missiles in Italy and Turkey as a posture towards Russia, the Soviet Union began supplying nukes to Cuba, in extremely close proximity to the United States. Between October 16 and 28, 1962, the world was at a standstill, waiting to see whether the United States would invade or strike Cuba in retaliation or if the Russians would attack in return. The world was on the brink of nuclear war. When the crisis arose, Steve and all the men of his regiment were called to action. North Korean troops, seeing the tension, took the moment to line up their entire armed forces along the DMZ. By the time Steve and his comrades arrived to their battle positions, an endless line of North Korean troops, tanks, artillery, and other weapons of war stretched up and down the DMZ. It was an incredibly tense two weeks, not only for the potential outbreak of mass-scale combat should the crisis go hot, but for the risk of troops from either side of the DMZ firing off shots which provoked a wider response. Eventually, as news of the diplomatic conclusion reached the troops, the North Koreans began backing down and returned to their caves and rear positions. Steve and the cavalry remained for a few more days before coming back down, having come face to face with the possibility of holding off yet another North Korean invasion.

 

     Along with its regular border patrolling, A Company periodically went on bivouac, meeting up with other cavalry, armor, and infantry units at various points along the border to practice for a potential North Korean invasion. These exercises included strategic practice of field tactics, living in field conditions, live fire tests, and other activities that gave the men a sense of what they needed to do in case combat broke out. During one of these bivouacs Steve was following his company up the infamous Porkchop Hill, slugging his heavy BAR up the muddy and steep terrain. His platoon sergeant, Master Sergeant Casey, slipped and nearly tumbled down the entire hill, except that Steve was able to grab him before it was too late. In another instance he was leaving a MBP with other troops in a Dodge ¾ ton truck. It was raining and the roads were extremely muddy. While going around a tight curve on one of the hills, his driver took it too fast and slipped off the road, flipping the vehicle and rolling it all the way down the hill. Somehow, despite only having the wooden slat frame for support, Steve made it out of the wreck completely unscathed. Other times he went to Freedom Bridge spanning the Imjin River. This bridge was the only point of egress from South Korea onto the DMZ, besides Liberty Bridge, and the only direct connection to several U.S. Army installations. Steve particularly hated these when it rained, as his rain smock was incredibly hot and uncomfortable to wear for long periods.

     Life on base was much more relaxed compared to that in the field. Most soldiers lived in sheet metal Quonset huts while NCOs and officers had nicer lodging. The most common job for a GI was guard duty, posting around the base for the day with an M1 Garand. Five men were selected for the duty each day, showing up in their nicest uniform. During their daily inspection, the best looking soldier selected for guard duty would get the “reserve” position, meaning he did not have to march while on duty. Food was another focus of Steve’s time on base. Overall, he recalled it being decent. Towards the end of his tour he began working in the company mess where his friend “Leggy” taught him to cook. Leggy was a baseball player back home but in Korea served as the company cook. He taught Steve how to make a number of dishes, such as pizza, soups, breakfast, and more. During his stint in the Kitchen, Steve, Leggy, and the others often supplied the food for officer pizza parties, which were hosted whenever someone was promoted, transferred, or had some other reason to celebrate. Beers and pizza was the typical order for each of those events. 

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     Steve recalled a few notable characters worth mentioning from his time on base. The first was Master Sergeant Casey. His platoon sergeant, Sergeant Casey had served as a squad leader during the Korean war and was highly decorated. According to company lore he had gone up some hill during Korea as a private first class and, after some tough fighting, came down as a high-ranking NCO. He was highly respected by both the enlisted men of the company and new officers alike. In one instance, a brand new second lieutenant was barking frivolous orders to the company. Sergeant Casey walked up to him, clicked his heels, and said “Sir, you do not boss anyone in this company unless you are addressed to.” Steve always thought he would get a court martial for some of his behavior, but Casey knew his limits and was always right.

     He also told stories of “Texas,” whose real name he could not recall. Texas thought he was the biggest tough guy in the company. He was always practicing karate, hitting buildings with his hands as he passed. Steve once asked him why he would do that, and he responded that “my hands are gonna be a deadly weapon… they’re gonna be so calloused I’m gonna hit someone and kill ‘em.” This later got him in trouble when out drinking one night. He got into a fight with a lieutenant and, while his punch did not kill the officer, it did land him a court martial and stint in the stockade. 

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     Steve’s hometown buddy, Danny Hynes, was also a frequent source of friendship in Korea. He had also been selected to go overseas with the 1st Cavalry Division, albeit in the artillery as a member of the 2nd Rocket Howitzer Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment. This unit only existed between 1960 and 1963 and used modified M386 five-ton trucks fitted with launchers for the M31 “Honest John” rocket. These rockets were meant to be easily movable truck-mounted systems capable of carrying nuclear warheads. In Korea, they were kept a bit behind the line but always ready in case of North Korean attack. Steve visited Danny at his unit’s post down the road many times during his stay in Korea, and made sure to take a few photos of the fearsome launchers.

     In his free time, Steve was also able to befriend a number of locals, most notably another young man named Kim, one of the Koreans hired to help on the base in the kitchen. He and Steve became fast friends and he brought Steve to meet his friends and family in Seoul on a number of occasions. Seoul was the most metropolitan place in South Korea and Steve got to see many of the sights, such as Namsan Park, Gwanghwamun Gate, Sungnyemun Gate, the central train station (now known as Culture Station Seoul 284), and more. Steve’s least favorite part of Seoul were the “Kimchi buses,” referring to older surplus vehicles used by the Korean military and public transportation authorities, which were unreliable and reeked of the dish, which Steve had a devout distaste for. Other locals he recalled as, well, less refined. One Papa-San (an old man) that would hang out around their base once got very excited at the concept of Thanksgiving, and offered to cook up his own dog for the American troops. It took some pleading from Sergeant Casey to convince him to stop. There were always young Korean boys hopping around as well, picking through scraps and garbage to find things they would try to resell or reuse back in their own homes. Other elements of Korean culture were intriguing to Steve, such as their noteworthy hospitality, funerary practices (he watched a number of funerals pass by their base), and other social customs.

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    Steve’s time in Korea came to an end in late 1962 and he was shipped back to the United States. After a brief furlough, he decided to reenlist for another three-year stint in the Army in January 1963. This time, however, he was sent for duty at Fort Knox in Kentucky, where he had undergone his basic training. Assigned to C Company, 4th Battalion, 54th Infantry Regiment, he only spent two weeks with the company before he was asked to become one of their military policemen, as they needed people to work in the stockades and his test scores were very high compared to most coming in. Steve was worried about losing the extra $30 a month he made as an infantryman, but the commander of the MPs assured him they could continue to guarantee it.

     Soon enough, he was in charge of the night shift for an entire wing of the Fort Knox stockade and tasked with making sure no prisoners were brought in with contraband. While he saw a lot of wild characters stuck in the brig, the most memorable was an old enlisted man who was brought in one night for coming back onto post driving under the influence. He was cort martialed and put into the stockade. With all of his things in the corner, Steve decided to look through them one night. Turns out, the guy used to be part of the mafia and had been given the opportunity to spend three years in the Army rather than ten years in prison. Before long, however, the FBI showed up on post and demanded his release. He was wanted in another jurisdiction, and was taken back into custody away from the cells of Steve’s stockade.

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     While off-post, Steve came to know a young local woman he quickly became smitten with: Janice. By April of 1963, she was his wife. Living in an Army apartment off-post, she became pregnant with a daughter that fall. The pregnancy was deemed risky, however, and there was a strong suggestion from doctors that the birth could have complications. While this was a scary prospect for the young couple, the Army decided that it warranted letting Steve remain at Fort Knox despite growing tensions and troop numbers in Vietnam. Thankfully, the birth went off safely and Steve was able to remain in Kentucky with his wife and child. As a result of this change in status, he was transitioned into a logistics and supply role, for which he was promoted to sergeant in 1965. By January of 1966, the end of his reenlistment had arrived and Steve decided to finally take his leave from Army life to support his growing family.

     It took some time for Steve and the family to settle in. Two weeks after his discharge Steve was able to get a job at the Louisville General Electric (GE) plant as an hourly employee on second shift, sweeping floors and then making whatever was needed on the assembly line. Their first apartment was not ideal, however, as it was a cheaper place close to strip clubs, prostitutes, and other less-than-desirable characters. All it took to leave was a fellow tenant urinating on his front door for Steve to bust down the property manager’s door and demand that either the urinator or he would have to go. After a sharp disagreement, Steve packed up their things and left the next day. The family moved to a rented house in Louisville’s Pleasure Ridge Park neighborhood, which was still less than ideal, but much more workable for them. Eventually, a second daughter was born and to compensate, Steve picked up some extra hours working for his father-in-law’s juice company as a deliveryman. 

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     Things gradually picked up for Steve, as he began attending a programming school part-time after learning that GE was hiring programmers for their infant computer system. After getting a little experience, he applied and was accepted to help run one of General Electric’s UNIVAC computers. This led him to a lifelong career in computers with GE, where he was able to watch several generational shifts in technology between 1965 and his retirement in 2001. In the 1990s he received his college degree through McKendree College.

     Steve was saved and became a Christian while in Louisville, driving his family to a long attendance at Evangel Tabernacle Church. Here he became heavily involved in a wide range of ministries, but especially had a heart for children. He also went on numerous mission trips throughout his life, mostly to South America. Later, he and his wife were early members of Southeast Christian Church, now Louisville’s largest congregation.

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     Steve enjoyed many retirement years around his family and grandchildren, and was able to more deeply pursue some of his lifelong hobbies. His passion for classic cars turned into a membership, and eventually several officer roles, with the Kentuckiana (KYANA) chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA). Although he owned many cars throughout his life, his two prized possessions were a green 1934 Ford coupe, passed down from his father-in-law, and a black 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible which he restored in 2010. His Chevy won dozens of awards from countless car shows that he attended with his wife, friends, and family. 

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     In July of 2025 he lost his wife after a long battle following a stroke. Less than three months later, on September 11, 2025, he joined her after a sudden bout of severe leukemia. He was survived by his daughters, grandsons, and many other loved one. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Louisville.

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