‘I know the costs’ - Mid-Missouri veteran wounded while serving as machine-gunner in Korea

Charles Bestgen, a Korean War veteran from Tipton, Missouri, holds a framed display of his military medals alongside a portrait of himself as a young soldier. Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1951, Bestgen served as a machine gunner with the 32nd Infantry Regiment and was wounded in combat during the Battle of Triangle Hill. He later received the Purple Heart and returned home to build a life centered on family and community. Courtesy of Jeremy P. Ämick

When describing his service to the nation during the Korean War, Charles Bestgen emitted a jovial personality that masked the many hardships, losses and injuries he both witnessed and experienced during his time overseas.

Born in 1930, Bestgen was raised in the Moniteau County community of California, Missouri, in a family with a strong tradition of military service. His father had served during World War I, while his two older brothers were veterans of World War II, placing Bestgen among a generation shaped by nearly continuous global conflict.

After graduating high school in 1949, the 19-year-old went to work for California Manufacturing Company, settling into civilian life before receiving a draft notice in October 1951. At the time he was reported for the draft, U.S. forces were heavily engaged on the Korean Peninsula following the North Korean invasion of South Korea in June 1950.

“It wasn’t too much of a shock to me,” Bestgen recalled. “I wasn’t the only one that got one,” he added with a smile.
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Several days later, Bestgen reported to Fort Ord, California, a major Army training center during the Korean War. There, he completed 16 weeks of intensive infantry training designed to prepare soldiers for combat in Korea’s rugged terrain and extreme weather conditions.

“It didn’t get real cold (at Fort Ord) but there were some mornings when there was ice on the ground,” he said. “The ice didn’t last long and then it got so hot you couldn’t stand it. I guess that’s California for you!” Bestgen chuckled.

After completing training in February 1952, Bestgen returned home for a brief leave before deploying overseas. He arrived at Inchon, a critical port used by United Nations forces following General Douglas MacArthur’s famous amphibious landing in 1950. Soon after, he was assigned to Company A, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division—one of the Army units heavily engaged in frontline combat.

Initially issued an M1 rifle, Bestgen was soon reassigned as a machine gunner, operating an air-cooled .30-caliber weapon—the Browning M1919—used to provide sustained fire during both defensive operations and patrols.

“You could really put a lot of lead out with that machine gun,” he said. “I think I walked all over Korea packing that thing,” he grinned.

Like many infantrymen, Bestgen endured a rotation between front-line bunkers and rear positions, typically spending 30 days in combat zones followed by time at base camp. However, by mid-1952, intensified fighting along static defensive lines led to frequent nighttime patrols into enemy-held territory.

“We went out many a night and I don’t see how we did it,” he said. “On one patrol, we had a guy get his arm blown off by a burp gun (a 7.62mm Soviet weapon)—those things would just tear you up.” He solemnly added, “He died before we were able to get him back to camp.”

Bestgen initially considered himself fortunate, having survived repeated enemy fire without injury. That changed during one of the Korean War’s fiercest engagements—the Battle of Triangle Hill in October 1952. The battle, marked by brutal close-quarters fighting between United Nations forces and Chinese troops, resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. As his unit advanced toward objectives known as Jane Russell Hill and Sandy Ridge, Bestgen was caught in an artillery barrage.

“I ended up with shrapnel wounds to my left leg,” he said. “They evacuated me to an aid station and removed some pieces of the shrapnel out of my leg, but I was eventually sent to the United States for several surgeries.”

He was transferred to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, where he underwent approximately four surgeries, including skin graft procedures. Despite his injuries, life continued forward. On April 11, 1953, while still recovering, Bestgen married his fiancée, Margaret Ann. After more than eight months in the hospital, he was discharged on July 24, 1953.

Returning home to Mid-Missouri, Bestgen resumed work at California Manufacturing Company, where he built a nearly 40-year career. He and his wife raised four children, establishing a life grounded in family and community following the hardships of war.

In 2012, he participated in a Central Missouri Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., visiting memorials dedicated to American service members. This heartfelt trip included seeing for the first time the Korean War Veterans Memorial, which honors those who served in what is often referred to as the “Forgotten War.”

“Yes, the ‘Forgotten War’—that is more or less what it’s become,” he somberly noted. “It’s truly a shame that a lot of people don’t know anything about the war … all of those brave men that gave up their lives.”

He briskly concluded, “I know the costs; I was there and will never forget.”

Charles Bestgen passed away on August 24, 2023. He is buried at St. Andrew’s Cemetery in Tipton, Missouri, alongside his wife of 57 years, a final resting place in the community he proudly called home.
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Jeremy P. Ämick is the author of many historical compilations including “Show-Me Veterans,” “Missouri in World War I,” and “Moments on the Moreau.”  

Bestgen is pictured in his U.S. Army uniform in the early 1950s. Drafted in 1951, he served as a machine gunner with the 32nd Infantry Regiment during the Korean War, where he was later wounded in combat. Courtesy of Charles Bestgen