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View Tree for Philip Alfred GinterPhilip Alfred Ginter (b. September 21, 1927)

Philip Alfred Ginter (son of Paul Albert Ginter and Marguerite Swern) was born September 21, 1927 in Maumee, OH. He married Patricia Ann Mimnaugh on June 30, 1955 in Hartsdale, NY, daughter of James P. Mimnaugh and Eleanor R. Donovan.

 Includes NotesNotes for Philip Alfred Ginter:
Philip A. Ginter
A Veteran's Story


Philip A. Ginter, known as Dad or Pop Pop to his large family, served his country well in both the Navy and the Army.
He joined the Navy right after high school when he was just 17 years old. He "shipped out" in September 1945 - not too long after World War II ended, but when there were still major conflicts in Asia. Pop Pop was assigned to a ship that landed in Japan. He was assigned to a landing craft, which is a working repair ship that has a tank deck.
Pop Pop worked doing repairs for about a week - until those higher up recognized that he was smart and moved him up to an office job. He worked scheduling assignments, tracking inventory and giving out tests to soldiers that wanted to achieve higher ranks.
After leaving Japan (Yokahama), Pop Pop headed south to China Sea. His ship was responsible for leading ships of Chinese soldiers north to Manchuria to stop the communist invasion of the north. They landed in Hulatown (not sure of spelling), and offloaded the Chines ships. Within a few weeks, most of the Chinese were captured or switched sides.
In Hulatown, the docks were made of concrete and were very high because there was a 40' difference between low and high tide. At one point while Pop Pop's ship was docked there, they got word that a typhoon was moving up the Yellow Sea. The ship had to go out to sea to ride out the storm. While there was a lot of worry that the flat-bottomed ship wouldn't make it, it stayed intact and returned to the dock safely. A month later, there was another typhoon - as bad, if not worse than the first one. Everyone got sick from it.
As the ship was going back to the dock, Pop Pop saw the captain for the first time during this journey (odd since it wasn't that big a ship). The arrogant captain (who was also a drunk) decided to take control of how the ship was to be docked and wanted to show the troops how the wind could blow it in. The captain's plan was not going well and, as he dropped the anchor, it smashed into the side of the boat and did major damage. The ship could handle typhoons, but not stupidity!
The next stop was up a river to Shanghai. During that time, they had the opportunity to go to church for the first time in months - the church was on a hospital ship.
Pop Pop's tour in the Navy lasted a year. He had a choice whether or not to extend his time. He opted not to, so he was discharged onto a troop ship that landed in California. From there, he took the train to Massachusetts where he was discharged.
Pop Pop's next service to our country came in 1950 when he joined the Army. He spent two years in the combat Military Police (MP) - mostly all of that time in war-torn Korea. He was assigned to the 558 MP group for the 8th Army - it was an Advance Unit.
When peace talks started, Pop Pop was put in charge of the MP at a camp with high ranking officials of the Army. They were there for about 6-7 months during which time Pop Pop guarded General Ridgeway. He remembers that General Ridgeway was health conscious - he was into exercise and he didn't eat sweets. That benefitted Pop Pop, because general Ridgeway would give his cookies, etc. to him. Another memory is that it was very cold in Korea. Frost would develop inside the tents.
When the peace talks broke down, the camp disbanded. It was then that Pop Pop saw quite a bit of battle action. In combat, his troop would attack and get attacked. He did battle from many places that were later seen in movies - including Pork Chop Hill. From the hill, Pop Pop witnessed many battles down below.
When Pop Pop joined the Army, he weighed 175 lbs. One time, he ran out of water and there was none to be had anywhere. He found a babbling brook and, while he knew that he was not supposed to drink from it, he desperately needed water - so he took a few sips. He got dysentery and, after a some light duty, he was sent home weighing only 124 lbs.
I remember only two stories about Dad's time in the service. One was that he started smoking to help battle boredom and loneliness during long nights of guard duty. The other is that he never enjoyed the loud noise of fireworks. No wonder!
Pop Pop survived two typhoons, major combat and dysentery all while serving our country. Thank God or none of us would be here!
I was so proud to hear these stories after interviewing Dad for a Veteran's Day project for Parker. I thought I'd share them with all of you - Happy Veteran's Day!

Love to all,
Margaret
11/11/04

More About Philip Alfred Ginter and Patricia Ann Mimnaugh:
Marriage: June 30, 1955, Hartsdale, NY.

Children of Philip Alfred Ginter and Patricia Ann Mimnaugh are:
  1. +Mary Elizabeth Ginter, b. June 14, 1956, White Plains, NY.
  2. +Margaret Ann Ginter, b. June 25, 1958, White Plains, NY.
  3. +Patricia Ellen Ginter, b. March 04, 1960, White Plains, NY.
  4. +Laura Jean Ginter, b. January 29, 1962, White Plains, NY.
  5. +Barbara Jane Ginter, b. June 25, 1965, White Plains, NY.
  6. +Philip Alfred Ginter, Jr., b. November 27, 1968, White Plains, NY.
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