When Lewiston resident Bert Dutil was just 18 years-old, he and four of his buddies decided they would all enlist in the Army. “This was just before Korea, and only one of us got in,” he recalled. “I guess they just didn’t need that many recruits. They never said why.” However, a few years later, after a war in Korea had been officially declared, the remaining four were drafted.

Dutil normally would have spent 16 weeks in basic training, but because of the war, that was shortened to eight. “Someone came in and said they heard I played the ‘bell lyra,’ (a portable glockenspiel) and they got me to join the Army band.”

Dutil did receive orders for Korea. “I could shoot a rifle very well,” he said, but because of his limited time in basic training, he didn’t have experience in other aspects of warfare.

“One thing I was glad of,” he continued, “I had only 32 days on the front line. After that, my company commander called me in and had me prove I could speak and write French. Then he said, ‘Pack up, you’re leaving.’ I had no idea why, but I was glad.”

Dutil traveled to Munsan-Ni, Korea where the armistice was scheduled to be signed on July 27, 1953. “They needed interpreters,” he explained. While on that mission, he had an opportunity to visit Panmunjom where the actual prisoner exchange took place. Dutil said he enjoyed seeing “the repatriation of our people, the exchange of prisoners. Although we had nothing to do with it, we could see it. More than half of the North Koreans didn’t want to go back.

“They also sent us to escort the Neutral Nation Inspection Team under the United Nations,” he added, noting Sweden represented the U.N., and Czechoslovakia and Poland represented the Communists.

“Mostly, we got to know different people from different countries. I enjoyed my time the most when I was with the neutral nations. We had Indian guards; they were hard to understand, but we made friends with them. I really enjoyed that,” he continued. “I wanted to see the world, but at least I did get to see Japan and Korea.”

Dutil said he learned discipline and courtesy from his experiences. “Being in the Army made me more of a man,” he related. “It was a good change.”

Dutil spent just two years in the regular Army, but 12 in the Army Reserve, most of that as a drill instructor. “I enjoyed that. We were training recruits, but after 12 years, we were losing our commander; he was retiring, and it just wasn’t the same.” He, too, resigned.

For his time on the front line, he received the Combat Infantry Badge. He spent nine years as chairman of the Lewiston & Auburn Veterans Council, is a member of American Legion Post #22, the Franco-American War Veterans of Lewiston/Auburn Post #31, AMVETS Post #6 in New Gloucester and Lewiston VFW Post #9150.

Dutil is very proud of the LA Veterans Council, which coordinates the 13 local military organizations. At one time, Lewiston-Auburn lost a veterans hospital to South Portland, but now, working together, the newest veterans hospital will be built locally, he noted. The organization has also been instrumental with the establishment and maintenance of Veterans Park on the Lewiston side of the Longley Bridge spanning the two commuities. One of the major accomplishments includes erecting 17 stones, each containing 216 names of veterans and other miliary personnel.

“An 18th stone is being dedicated on November 11th,” he noted. In addition, the groups have been instrumental in moving a monument from Kennedy Park to Veterans Park; cleaning, polishing and placing a “plate” dedicated to World War I veterans — discovered in the old Lewiston High School — in the new Veterans Park. These are but a few of the projects Dutil and other veterans have spearheaded.

Dutil said he would like to see more of the area’s younger veterans join the local military organizations. “Many of our members are older,” he said, “and I understand the younger veterans have families and are working, but attending one meeting a month would help us out tremendously.”