Slicky Boy Stories: The Piano

ose who have served a tour in Korea usually return home with at least one good “slicky boy” story to tell. A “slicky boy”, for those who don’t know, is the GI lingo describing the Korean thieves that look to steal just about any US military property that isn’t properly secured, especially during training exercises in the field. The level of organization, planning, and cunning of the slicky boys is truly amazing in some instances and that is why slicky boys have remained part of GI lore in Korea.

Most villes outside of US military bases in Korea have what is known as a “TA-50 Alley” where just about any item of US military property can be found for sale. This is where the slicky boys make their money from stealing US military property. These TA-50 Alleys have provided a source of revenue for petty thieves from the time of the Korean War until present day.

I bring up this subject because I recently discovered a Korean veterans site that collects and chronicles the various slicky boy stories. So I have decided to do weekly postings highlighting one of the slicky boy stories a week from the site.

As you will see in this first slicky boy story that no USFK property is safe from the clutches of the slicky boys, not even a piano.

Slicky Boy Stories: The PianoAt One of The Officers Clubs, Location Unknown, It Was
Discovered One Morning That The Club Piano Was Missing. A Check At
The Guard Shack At The Main Gate Revealed That No Vehicles Had Enter
or Left The Compound That Night.
However, Some Enlisted Men Did Remember Hearing Muffled Sounds
Coming From An Area of The Perimeter Fence. A Further Check Revealed
That The Barbed Wire Had Been Cut And Removed From The Top of The
Fence, Thus Fueling Speculation That The Piano Had Been Lifted OVER
THE FENCE And Removed From The Area……!!!!! Imagine That !!

Submitted by: 1Lt Ken Leighty
A Co 2/72 Armor
1967 – 1968

The talk of the town in 61/62 was about the Slicky Boys that
Took The Piano From The Officers Club in `C` Troop 1/9th Cav and
Hauled It Across The Imjin On An “A” Frame!
THEY WERE GOOD !!

Submitted by: Sp4 Richard Taival
`B` Troop, 1/9th Cav

I was in Korea 1958-9, with the 1st Cav. I spent most of my
tour with the 1st Recon Sqdn, 9th Cav, just north of Freedom Bridge, TDY
from 15th Medical Bn (located at Pob Won Ni).

The story of the Slicky Boys and the Piano, I was told, happened in the
winter of 1958-9. I did not see it, but the way it was related was that slicky
boys got a piano and a safe from the 1st of the 9th officers’ club,
manhandled it down the bluff and onto the Imjin River, which was iced over.
A guard spotted the group on the ice a good distance out, and shot at
them. The slicky boys took off. There were supposed to be 3-4 of them.
Story is it took about a platoon of GIs to get the piano and safe back
across the river.

Submitted by: Curtis A. Pendergraft
15th Medical Bn
1st Cav Div!!

This slicky boy story was from Korea, A Tour of Duty.

If you have your own slicky boy story to share e-mail me your story at gikoreaonline@yahoo.com and I will be happy to post it.