Jimmy Teets did not realize, when he was drafted in 1950, that his military service would become a main focus in his life.
A reluctant soldier, Teets spent 11 months on the front lines in Korea during 1952 and 1953. After his return home, he began collecting memorabilia from his service period.
"I've got my rifle and my coffee cup," Teets says, adding that both his gun and bayonet have been encased for display.
"My home was like a museum," the 88-year-old veteran proudly explains, "but now it is all stored away because there is no room here."
Advancing age and poor health forced Teets to sell his long-time home in Bloomfield -- known locally as Jimmy's Hill. He and his wife, June, now reside in assisted living at Central Gardens in Dexter. They were married in 2009.
At the time of his military activation, Teets was a resident of Swinton, Missouri, and had attended Bloomfield High School; although, he did not graduate.
"Back then," he explains, "it wasn't unusual to drop out when you were needed at home."
He is the youngest of 13 children, and was classified 5A in the draft because his mother depended on him for support.
"Then I got married, and my classification changed," he says.
Teets recalls going to the draft board to report his marriage.
"The very next month I received notice that I was now classified 3A. The following month I received 'Greetings and Salutations' informing me I had been accepted by the United States Army," he remembers.
"My mom and sisters were squalling and bawling the day I left," he affectionately recalls.
Teets was inducted into the service at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis; then, sent to Fort Riley, Kansas, for basic training. While training, the young recruit suffered the first of several service-related injuries.
During instruction in firearm use, the rifle he was holding misfired and Teets lost 14 teeth as a result of the blast.
"They packed my mouth with cotton and told me not to eat anything for 24 hours," he says.
Eventually, he received dentures and partial plates, and his training continued.
"I was in the 40th Infantry Division," he recalls. "When things broke out in Korea in 1952, I was sent to Seattle, Washington, to catch a ship."
Teets recalls that he and 7,000 other soldiers spent 16 days aboard the boat headed to Japan. From Japan he was transported to Korea.
"When we hit In'chon it was nip and tuck," he recalls. "They were firing on us from the get-go."
Teets served in Korea for nearly 12 months. His entire tour was spent on the front lines in battle as a member of the 106th Regiment, Fox Company.
Teets' arm was wounded by shrapnel during the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge, one of the most notable battles of the Korean War.
"I was injured," he recalls, "but some nearby were killed in the attack."
Teets says his arm was bandaged up and he continued to fight in the front lines.
Teets says that after all these years he is still sometimes haunted by the memories and mental images that he keeps buried in his mind, a result of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
"June helps me cope during those times," he observes. "Bless her. It's not pretty."
In addition to the fighting, Teets explains the extreme temperatures were also a danger. He says in summer it might get as hot as 100 degrees; then, the winter could be 40 below. In fact, it was exposure to the frigid temperatures that eventually led to his being diagnosed with a combat-related disability.
"My hands and feet were really affected by the cold because I didn't have ample protection for them," he says.
Teets explains that after his discharge, he was always bothered by sensitivity in his extremities, but in 1991, after years of discomfort, his hands and feet began to be more than just a "bother."
The nerve damage combined with the shrapnel wounds, mouth injury and PTSD eventually began to take their toll.
"It took 13 years," he says, "but eventually my problems were linked to the injuries I incurred while serving in the military."
After 11 months and 25 days of combat, Teets vividly recalls getting the news that he had earned a 30-day furlough.
He says that during those days, soldiers received time off by earning points. He explains those in the front lines earned four points a month, with others receiving fewer points, depending on where they were located and how they were serving. It took 36 points to be granted leave.
"On that day, we were all in our fox holes when the whistle sounded alerting us that there was news," he recalls. "I was told to gather my gear because I was leaving the next day."
After his time off, 21 days remained of his tour, so Teets was sent to Camp Crowder near Joplin to finish out his time. Once his active duty assignment ended, Teets served in the reserves for six years.
Teets earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his service in Korea.
"Even though I was in Korea a short time, my life was forever changed because of it," he declares. "Some people refer to it as the Forgotten War, but I could not forget it."
Teets says he began collecting war-related items, and soon it became an obsession.
"I wanted to be sure that the war and the men who fought in it were remembered," he explains.
In civilian life, Teets owned and operated three service stations -- two in Missouri and one in Illinois. He has two children, Kim Williams, who lives in Dexter, and Brad Teets, who is retired and traveling the country in his RV.
"I am a patriot," Teets says proudly. "I love this country and am proud of my service to it."