Category: Korean War

This is an interesting project by the Mexican government to help identify ethnic Mexicans that served in the Korean War:

The support from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Mexico has been critical in finding four Mexican veterans alive to recognize their service. This led to the establishment of the first Association of Mexican Veterans of the Korean War on April 24, at the residence of the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Mexico, Suh Jeong-in.

I had the opportunity to meet the first president of the Association, Jose Villarreal, at his home near Mexico City, in January. He narrated some personal stories of the war and gave me a copy of his handwritten memoirs. When he arrived in Korea, he kept asking himself: “Did I come here to die?” From the United Nations coalition side, after Korean and American citizens, more Mexicans died than anybody else.

I have also been in close contact with veteran Roberto Sierra, since he is the father of a colleague ambassador of Mexico, and who never talked to his family about the atrocities he encountered during the war. He sheds tears while recounting the excruciating 40 days he spent in a hole behind enemy lines. It is never too late to recognize their trials and heroism.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Korea has always been really good at remembering veterans from the Korean War:

The death of a 91-year-old Ethiopian Korean War veteran has set off a wave of remembrance in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang, home to some of the fiercest fighting during the war.  
   
According to the Chilgok county government on Monday, local residents have set up banners commemorating the service of Melese Tessema, who passed away earlier this month due to complications of Covid-19.  
   
“We pray for the repose of the Ethiopian Korean War Veterans’ Association’s late president, Melese Tessema,” read one banner in the county.   (……)
   
Last year, the county government organized a 6037 Campaign –– named for the 6,037 soldiers in the Kagnew Battalions dispatched by Emperor Haile Selassie to fight in Korea –– to deliver 100,000 face masks to surviving Ethiopian Korean War veterans and their families.  
   
The Chilgok county chief sent a message of condolence to Melese’s funeral, which was read in Amharic by a local resident who had studied in Korea.  
   
Messages of condolence were also posted by Korean celebrities.  (…..)
   
Ethiopia is the only African country that dispatched ground troops to fight as part of the United Nations Command during the Korean War. Out of its 6,037 soldiers, 122 were killed and another 536 wounded. Some 130 Ethiopian veterans of the war are still alive today.  

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.
  

Here is an unbelievable story of how a career fraudster was able to convince the Canadian military that he was a medical doctor and ended up treating patients during the Korean War:

It was here that Demara met and befriended Canadian doctor Joseph Cyr, who was moving to the US to set up a medical practice. Needing help with the immigration paperwork, Cyr gave all his identifying documents to Demara, who offered to fill in the application for him. After the two men parted ways, Demara took copies of Cyr’s paperwork and moved up to Canada. Pretending to be Dr Cyr, Demara approached the Canadian Navy with an ultimatum: make me an officer or I will join the army. Not wanting to lose a trained doctor, Demara’s application was fast tracked.

As a commissioned officer during the Korean war, Demara first served at Stadacona naval base, where he convinced other doctors to contribute to a medical booklet he claimed to be producing for lumberjacks living in remote parts of Canada. With this booklet and the knowledge gained from his time in the US Navy, Demara was able to pass successfully as Dr Cyr.

In 1951, Demara was transferred to be ship’s doctor on the destroyer HMCS Cayuga. Stationed off the coast of Korea, Demara relied on his sick berth attendant, petty officer Bob Horchin, to handle all minor injuries and complaints. Horchin was pleased to have a superior officer who did not interfere in his work and who empowered him to take on more responsibilities.

Though he very successfully passed as a doctor aboard the Cayuga, Demara’s time there came to a dramatic end after three Korean refugees were brought on in need of medical attention. Relying on textbooks and Horchin, Demara successfully treated all three – even completing the amputation of one man’s leg. Recommended for a commendation for his actions, the story was reported in the press where the real Dr Cyr’s mother saw a picture of Demara impersonating her son. Wanting to avoid further public scrutiny and scandal, the Canadian government elected to simply deport Demara back to the US in November 1951.

Get Pocket website

You can read more about this fraudsters incredible tale at the link. The Canadian Naval & Military Museum has a good read about Demara’s time in the Canadian Navy as well.

The Joong Ang Ilbo has an interesting article highlighting the contributions of Dutch soldiers and sailors during the Korean War:

“Battles were fierce, but sometimes we had relatively cordial contacts with our enemies,” wrote Kelders to the Korea JoongAng Daily on Dec. 3. “We used to wave at them and, unarmed and wearing armbands, could recover our wounded.”  
   
Kelders was a Browning automatic rifleman with the Netherlands’ Van Heutsz Regiment. On Jan. 8, 1952, he arrived in Korea at the age of 23.  
   
Like the 4,747 other Dutch soldiers who came to the aid of South Korea during the war, Kelders volunteered to fight for South Korea.  
   
“Because North Korea received help from China and was supported by Russia in the background, I wanted to help South Korea win this war and stop communism,” he said. 

Although the Netherlands were just emerging from the Second World War and Indonesia’s battle for independence from the Dutch Empire, thousands of Dutch soldiers volunteered to join the front lines.

“It was not an easy decision when the United Nations called for [assistance in Korea],” said Joanne Doornewaard, ambassador of the Netherlands to Korea, in an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on Dec. 3. “But we decided to contribute to the defense of South Korea and made a call for volunteers. There were more volunteers than were expected, so many soldiers registered.”  

The first batch of Dutch ground forces left for Korea on Oct. 27, 1950, and landed in Busan on Nov. 23, 1950.  (………………….)

Throughout the war, a total of 122 Dutch soldiers were killed in action. Three had gone missing, 463 were wounded and 20 members of the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army attached to the Dutch battalion were killed in action, according to the Dutch Embassy in Korea. The remains of five Dutch soldiers have yet to be recovered. 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read the rest at the link.