Preparing for "Bedcheck Charlie"

In recognition of all veterans, it seems appropriate to share this photo of my neighbor Jim, now age 82. This image was taken in Korea, sometime during 1952-53. A U.S. Army enlisted man, Jim is oiling a .50 caliber Browning M2 machine gun. In this instance, the gun was used for base defense against "Bedcheck Charlie," a catch-all name for North Korean pilots who flew fabric-skinned biplanes on moonless nights, dropping molotov cocktails and the like on allied installations. These intrusions created little damage, but they were effective in interrupting people's sleep. Bedcheck Charlie was the conceptual descendent of the infamous Japanese "Washing Machine Charlie" of World War II. View full size.