Timeline of Scott’s Army Service
by
Lynne
Related to J. Lynne Orrock by her father, Scott G. Orrock, on October 29, 2004.
Scott G. Orrock began his service in the United States Army with the 53rd Battalion in February 1945. There are four platoons in
a company. There are four companies in one battalion. He did his training at Camp Walters in Texas and finished his military
service at Fort Benning in Georgia. Training camps are temporary; forts are permanent. Scott trained with the 53rd Battalion at
Camp Walters in February through May of 1945. During the first two weeks in June 1945, he went on a 15-day furlough back
home to Richfield because his father, Joseph Henry Orrock of Richfield, Utah, died on May 29, 1945.
In July 1945, the four platoons in the company were doing maneuvers and demonstrations for officials who were observing in
the stands. This was the last two weeks of "finals" before the companies moved on. A piece of shrapnel hit Scott in his right leg
on the upper, inside thigh. At first he thought that his sergeant had thrown something at him to get his attention, so he turned
around and looked at the sergeant. Then he looked down at his leg and saw a piece of hot metal, which he pulled out of his leg.
It was too hot to hold, so he put it in his pocket.
His leg was bleeding, and he told the sergeant, "I've been hit." The sergeant said, "Oh, no, you haven't.” Then Scott said, "Look,
my leg's bleeding." Seeing the blood, the sergeant was a little shocked; and after agreeing that he had, in fact, been hit by a
piece of shrapnel, ordered Scott to be transported to the "meat wagon”, which drove him back to camp for medical attention,
saving him a 20-mile hike with his platoon. He had six stitches in his leg and still has the piece of shrapnel that hit him. This
injury set him back one month, and his platoon moved forward without him.
After recovering from his shrapnel wound, Scott returned to the Army and was put in with another platoon. In August 1945,
Scott asked for an emergency furlough so that he could go home and take care of the crops on his family farm, since his father
was not alive to do it. When he arrived in Richfield, he found that his friends and neighbors had taken care of the crops for him
and Grandma.
In August, 1945, the atomic bomb was dropped and the war was over. Scott had to wait at Camp Walters in Texas until October
when they closed the camp down. He was then reassigned to Fort Benning, Georgia (permanent facility), where he earned
points so that he could then "muster out" of the service. A certain number of points were awarded for combat service, the
number of months in the service, etc.
Scott spent a total of 20 months in the service. He spent the last year, from October 1945 to October 1946, at Fort Benning,
Georgia where he was discharged October 22, 1946.
Because battles in Okinawa were going on during the middle of June in 1945 and more soldiers were needed to fight, the
company that he was with could very well have been called over there to fight, and he would have been with them had he not
been set back a month due to the shrapnel wound he received during training maneuvers in July 1945. My personal belief is that
he was spared going to war overseas so that he could marry my mom and be the patriarch of a large and very thankful posterity.
Related to J. Lynne Orrock by her father, Scott G. Orrock, on October 29, 2004.
Scott G. Orrock began his service in the United States Army with the 53rd Battalion in February 1945. There are four platoons in
a company. There are four companies in one battalion. He did his training at Camp Walters in Texas and finished his military
service at Fort Benning in Georgia. Training camps are temporary; forts are permanent. Scott trained with the 53rd Battalion at
Camp Walters in February through May of 1945. During the first two weeks in June 1945, he went on a 15-day furlough back
home to Richfield because his father, Joseph Henry Orrock of Richfield, Utah, died on May 29, 1945.
In July 1945, the four platoons in the company were doing maneuvers and demonstrations for officials who were observing in
the stands. This was the last two weeks of "finals" before the companies moved on. A piece of shrapnel hit Scott in his right leg
on the upper, inside thigh. At first he thought that his sergeant had thrown something at him to get his attention, so he turned
around and looked at the sergeant. Then he looked down at his leg and saw a piece of hot metal, which he pulled out of his leg.
It was too hot to hold, so he put it in his pocket.
His leg was bleeding, and he told the sergeant, "I've been hit." The sergeant said, "Oh, no, you haven't.” Then Scott said, "Look,
my leg's bleeding." Seeing the blood, the sergeant was a little shocked; and after agreeing that he had, in fact, been hit by a
piece of shrapnel, ordered Scott to be transported to the "meat wagon”, which drove him back to camp for medical attention,
saving him a 20-mile hike with his platoon. He had six stitches in his leg and still has the piece of shrapnel that hit him. This
injury set him back one month, and his platoon moved forward without him.
After recovering from his shrapnel wound, Scott returned to the Army and was put in with another platoon. In August 1945,
Scott asked for an emergency furlough so that he could go home and take care of the crops on his family farm, since his father
was not alive to do it. When he arrived in Richfield, he found that his friends and neighbors had taken care of the crops for him
and Grandma.
In August, 1945, the atomic bomb was dropped and the war was over. Scott had to wait at Camp Walters in Texas until October
when they closed the camp down. He was then reassigned to Fort Benning, Georgia (permanent facility), where he earned
points so that he could then "muster out" of the service. A certain number of points were awarded for combat service, the
number of months in the service, etc.
Scott spent a total of 20 months in the service. He spent the last year, from October 1945 to October 1946, at Fort Benning,
Georgia where he was discharged October 22, 1946.
Because battles in Okinawa were going on during the middle of June in 1945 and more soldiers were needed to fight, the
company that he was with could very well have been called over there to fight, and he would have been with them had he not
been set back a month due to the shrapnel wound he received during training maneuvers in July 1945. My personal belief is that
he was spared going to war overseas so that he could marry my mom and be the patriarch of a large and very thankful posterity.