The Decision That Saved the Sons of Scottsboro
During World War II, Charles Bradford was a soldier attached to the American 106th Division. In 1944, at the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge, the 106th Division was surrounded by enemy forces when strict obedience to orders made Charles Bradford and his fellow soldiers German prisoners of war. Six years later, facing a terrifyingly similar situation in a small Korean valley with only one way out, Captain Bradford asked permission to withdraw his men from harm's way. Company B of the 151st Combat Engineer Battalion of the Alabama National Guard, made up of 164 young men from the Scottsboro area — many just teenagers — was trapped in a position he knew was about to be overrun by enemy troops, with deadly consequences. Headquarters denied permission to withdraw. Desperate, Captain Bradford again radioed for permission to retreat. This time, before he could be denied again with terrible personal history repeating itself again, he ordered the radio switched off. Headquarters could not respond. Company B quickly withdrew, on Captain Bradford's own orders. Within minutes, their former position was overrun by thousands of Chinese troops. But Company B was safe.
Captain Bradford's bold decision saved the Sons of Scottsboro. He always believed the hard, commonsense lessons God taught him in Germany on December 21, 1944, enabled him to make a courageous decision on April 21, 1951, in Korea — a decision which saved Company B from certain death. The men of Company B believed it also.
Of Captain Bradford and Major Mark Skelton the men of Company B would say, “they recruited us, they trained us, they took us to war, they brought us home safely, and we are forever grateful.” The bond formed in Korea, and especially in that valley in April 1951, only grew stronger upon return to Scottsboro. Men and officers revered and respected one another, and all were life-long friends.
This monument stands in thanksgiving to Almighty God for the men of Company B, to honor their service, to remember the men who led them to Korea and who brought them safely home, and especially to memorialize forever the courageous decision which defied orders, but saved the lives of the Sons of Scottsboro.
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