Shortly after he turned seventeen, Harold signed for a four year enlistment with the Marine Corps.  He had been working at the Northfield Hotel for three years operating the PBX switchboard to relay calls in hotel, make connection with outside lines, operate teletype, receive and send messages.  The Hotel was basically a chateau in southern Massachusetts on sprawling green grounds.  It was a well-established popular stop for travelers from New York and Boston that began to thrive in the post-war years rationing lifted.  Northfield installed a new pool and nine-hole golf course as well as offering year-round entertainment.  It was fancy, expensive, and accommodated many famous personalities through the years.  Plenty of activities from golf, tennis, horseback riding, swimming.  It was advertised for suitable winter activities such as skiing, skating, tobogganing, snowshoeing and sleight riding.

Despite the breadth of outdoor activities, Harold was largely relegated to the cozy interior operating the switchboard.  The food was terrific, the clientele varied, and it was described as a magical place.  Korea was not.

He was six months into duty with the 6th Marines when they were drawn from to build out the 7th Marines to go to Korea.  The regiment was cobbled together with the addition of regulars and reservists from all across United States posts and the last battalion came from units deployed in the Mediterranean.  They reached the peninsula at the end of September, unloading at Inchon and churning across the Han River in LVTs, culminating in the capture of Seoul. Headquarters and Service Company was always following one of the line battalions and passed through the destruction in their wake.  From there, they were on to Uijongbu during the first week of October which was a rapid day to day movement following the foot troops through low hills and valleys.  The enemy had accepted the loss of the capital but resisted along the route north in a determined rear-guard action supported by armor and artillery.  And then…North Korea.

The most timely and accurate information about the enemy was received by direct line communication through the Supporting Arms Center from forward and aerial observers.  Information on any front line and enemy activity could arrive in a matter of minutes – if the wires were intact.  It was up to Berlind and the wire teams to maintain these lines, ensuring the success of communication.  As winter encroached the work became far less comfortable.  Gloves impeded careful cable work and climbing utility poles was than ideal in parkas that hindered agility.  With frozen hands and stiff fingers, they worked up from Wonson to Hamhung to Hagaru-ri.

While line companies proceeded up to Yudam-ni, H&S Company remained at Hagaru-ri.  Communications became less effective as temperatures dropped.  The radios became unreliable as batteries froze, handsets became faulty, wire became brittle and unserviceable, and telephone and switchboard generators simply failed to function.  Where snow and ice formed on wire, it was susceptible to snapping.  Their types of tape also became so brittle in sub-zero temperatures.  The speed and efficiency at which Harold and the other wiremen were able to operate in snow and ice was significantly reduced during the cold weather, mainly due to having to splice and repair wire without gloves.  Despite using bare hands exposed to the elements, it was frostbitten feet that warranted his evacuation after the Chosin campaign.  He was flown out of Hagaru-ri on December 5th to Yokosuka, where after ten days he was flown home, bypassing his Christmas package heading in the opposite direction to Korea.  After three months and 21 days in combat, his tour was over and he finished his contract at Quantico as a guard, 16mm projector operator, and ultimately back to communications as a wire team leader.