Letters from a Korean War veteran tell a chilling tale

Cutis C. Toler was born in Blounts Creek in 1932 but grew up in Chocowinity. He graduated from Chocowinity High School in 1950. Two years later, he joined the Army, where he was transferred to the 8th Army, which was the US occupation force in Japan. Later, during the Korean War, he was transferred to the 25th Army division in Korea, where he spent much of his time of service on the frontlines.  

Stephen Farrell, curator of special collections at Brown Library, learned of Toler after his daughter, Ladonna Toler Mitchell, brought in a trove of letters he had written home during the war, along with his military medals, and a photo taken of him and a friend of his from Belhaven while stationed in Japan.  

“The letters were extremely telling of the horrors of war that he witnessed,” said Farrell. “In one he spoke of his chilling experience while on the front lines, the sounds of machine gun fire, and the propaganda being blared out over loudspeakers night after night by the Chinese. In his words, it made his skin crawl, and he was terrified every night.”