Category: Korean War

I did not realize that no Columbians had ever been buried at the UN Cemetery in Busan until now:

Four Colombians will soon become the first Korean War veterans from their country to be laid to rest at the world’s only U.N. cemetery in Busan, South Korea.

The remains of Luis Carlos García Ardila, 89; José Gustavo Pascagaza León, 81; José Sergio Romero, 81; and Jorge Sánchez Tapia, 87, will arrive on the peninsula Wednesday, according to a news release Tuesday from South Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

Their remains will be temporarily placed at Seoul National Cemetery until their interment Saturday at United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan.

Two British veterans of the Korean War — Bryan Laurenson, 94, and Brian Wood, 88 — will also be interred during a separate ceremony on the same day, according to the release.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

This is a great program that the ROK continues to run for Korean War veterans that has now expanded to include post-Korean War USFK veterans:

Former soldiers who served in U.N. Command (UNC) and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) after the 1950-53 Korean War, will visit South Korea on Tuesday upon the invitation of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

Six of them are sons of war veterans who fought for South Korea under the U.N. flag. They include Dennis Michael Bullard, 67, James Edward Truman, 66 and David Lee Nutter, 67.

Two war veterans ― Robert Eugene Jenkins, 88, and Kenlym Hinshaw Moy, 92 ― are also on the invitation list, the ministry said, noting that a total of 91 people ― 87 U.S. nationals, two Swedish nationals and two Italian nationals ― including families of the former soldiers will visit and stay in Korea until Oct. 15.

During their visit, the guests will tour Osan Air Base, Camp Humphreys, the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjeom, Seoul National Cemetery and the War Memorial of Korea.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It has been 70 years now since the Armistice that ended the Korean War:

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday that South Korea stands on the “blood-stained uniforms” of United Nations troops as he marked the 70th anniversary of the armistice agreement that ended fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War.

Yoon also promised never to forget the sacrifices of the 1.95 million young people who were sent from 22 nations to fight alongside South Korea or provide other assistance under the U.N. banner.

“The veterans of the U.N. forces, who gave their all to defend the freedom of a country they did not know in the best years of their lives, are our true heroes,” he said during a commemoration ceremony held at Busan Cinema Center, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, which is the site of a former airport where Task Force Smith, a small U.S. unit, first arrived under a high-stakes mission to stem North Korean advances during the war.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

This week marks 70 years since the signing of the Armistice ending the active combat of the Korean War:

Government delegations from 22 countries that supported South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War will take part in a ceremony this week to mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the conflict’s armistice, the veterans ministry said Sunday.

The delegations will attend the event in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Thursday to commemorate the anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the war, according to the ministry.

The countries sent troops or other forms of support to help South Korea during the war against North Korean and Chinese troops. They are the United States, Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand and Turkey.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.