The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

TALL TALE

AN AMERICAN SOLDIER WAS TRAPPED ON HILL 837 IN KOREA (1951) WITH
A .45 PISTOL CONTAINING ONE BULLET AND A BAYONET. HE SAW FOUR
OF THE ENEMY APPROACHING THE HILL. INTENDING TO HOLD THE HILL,
HE STUCK HIS BAYONET IN A LOG ABOUT TEN FEET IN FRONT OF THE HILL,
AND WAITED FOR THE ENEMY. WHEN THEY WERE IN RANGE, HE SHOT HIS
ONLY BULLET AT THE BAYONET, WHICH SPLIT THE BULLET IN HALF. THE
LEFT HALF OF THE BULLET KILLED ONE MAN, THE RIGHT HALF KILLED
THE OTHER, AND THE IMPACT FROM THE BULLET FLUNG THE BAYONET, WHICH
STRUCK THE THIRD MAN BETWEEN THE EYES. "WHAT HAPPENED TO THE
FOURTH MAN?" HE DIED FROM THE SHOCK.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT