Three Brothers, One Corps, One Call to Duty
When the Korean War broke out in June, 1950, the three Steinberg brothers of San Francisco were all serving in the Marine Corps Reserves. Melvin (“Mel”), the oldest, and Norman (“Norm”), the middle brother, were both graduates of Polytechnic High School; and kid brother Frederick (“Fred”), 17, had just completed his junior year there.
L to R: A literal Band of Brothers: Fred, Norm, and Mel Steinberg, U.S. Marine Corps
On July 24, their unit was called to active duty and they were soon on board a ship bound for Japan and then Korea. When it was discovered that he was only 17 years of age, Fred was at first held back in Kobe, Japan and kept out of the war until his 18th birthday. But somehow he managed to get around regulations before he turned 18 and get into the thick of it with his two big brothers. Here’s a letter he wrote to his parents before he “escaped” into the combat zone:
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On November 29, 1950, during the 1st Marine Division’s Chosin Reservoir campaign, Norm, a bow gunner and second driver in B Company, 1st Tank Battalion, was wounded. Fred was at the port of Hungnam at the time, while Mel had been evacuated to Japan because of illness. Here’s a newspaper report from that period:
San Francisco Chronicle, November 30, 1950
Fred later saw combat at Pohang and also served in Mason, Korea. The three brothers survived the war and returned to San Francisco. Norm and Mel went into the dry cleaning business. Fred finished his education and received his B.A. from San Francisco State. After graduation, he became a probation officer for Alameda County, and later served as a parole agent for the California Department of Corrections, a position he held until his retirement in 1987. Fred, 82 years of age, currently resides in Arizona.
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This story and images were provided by Fred’s loving son Larry Steinberg, a KWMF donor.