>> ... the door who had been captured and could walk over the UN forces with them, but the UN troops, the Astor Rifles and the others who were with them, who had been killed were just left to lie, and they weren't buried by the cruiser, and they went out, and in this hard, harsh ground, they buried the bodies because they felt they needed to give respect to these people from overseas who'd come to fight for them, so it was very poignant, and then we were told how after the ... What we were shown were the ... Albert showed a picture earlier of the bullet holes on the bridge, which another Astor Rifleman ... I think it was a lieutenant then, Merv McCordy, went on to become a brigadier eventually. He got an MC, a Military Cross. Himself and somebody else protected a sort of area and ... two of those who had died in Korea, and they ... I discovered when I was back recently in Korea that near that side of Seoul is where all the monumental memorial makers were, and so that's how they managed to find ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Yeah. The Padre found ... was told to go and get a stone, and he found a stonemason as well. Apparently, they were in the back of an army truck. I assume he was paid, and they drove around with the ... wherever the battalion was going, and he was told to carve on this memorial to remember the Royal Astor Rifles and the others who'd been there and then in Happy Valley and who'd died there and others of the Regiment, who'd died nearby or elsewhere in battles that included Imjin because the Astor Rifles had heavy casualties at Imjin as well, and that was dedicated July 1951. My dad wasn't there because at that stage he was in Japan training people to go to Korea and things, so he wasn't there but some very famous, very poignant pictures of that. That memorial, we will see later. It came back to Northern Ireland in the 1960s, put up in Palace Barracks ... not Palace Barracks, sorry, the barracks by Mina where the Regiment, the Astor Rifles, had their depot, and then that closed in 2010, and it got moved to outside the city fort here in Belfast, and my father, Merv McCordy got the MC in career, and a lot of the others of the Regiment were very instrumental and moving in that getting it placed outside the city hall, and it's been recently refurbished, and we've now got access to it from the Cenotaph area, the city hall, and they're looking after it well. So my dad and I went back to Korea in 2011. Mr. Kim showed us around Happy Valley, and my dad, I think he never totally said this, but I think, to me, but I think he always felt guilty that he'd survived, and so many hadn't, and he really wanted to do something to remember those who'd died in Korea of the Regiment, and initially we were thinking about putting up a wee plaque or something in Happy Valley. We spoke to the British Ambassador when we were there. We spoke to Mr. Parker when we were there. When we came back, we spoke to members of the Regiment because obviously it would have to have regimental approval, and then when we were sort of just ... We were just thinking of doing something quite small, really, maybe in Happy Valley itself, and then I got ... We met Andrew Salmon out there. He'd already met my father. He'd been to Belfast 2 or 3 years before to interview my dad for his book, "To the Last Round." He interviewed quite a lot of the Royal Astor Rifles for that, and he was delighted to see my father in Korea. They got on very, very well. They enjoyed going out and both good storytellers, so they could sit around and drink and tell stories, top teacher, he was, with the stories. But anyway, Andrew Salmon sent me an e-mail and said that the Irish Association of Korea and the Irish Embassy in Korea were thinking of putting up a memorial in Korea to those from Ireland who had died in the Korean War, and because although Ireland wasn't a UN nation, it ... People from Ireland had thought and for the Americans, the Australians, and then many of people from the south of Ireland were part of the Royal Astor Rifles, which was a British Army Regiment, so it was part of the UN. So and they were also wanted to remember some Padre, some missionaries who died in Korea as well, and there's a link there with the Royal Astor Rifles too, which I'll explain in a wee minute. So anyway, we then started liaising with Ambassador McKee, and again, we had to get approval from the Regiment and from the British-Korean Veterans Association, and there were links between Dublin and Belfast and everything else because obviously, we have these politics involved in this country too, and in among that, that's when Mrs. Carol Walker came on board because my mother used to ... my mother? My father used to be ... He was very much behind the setting up the Somme Association, the Somme Museum to remember those of the First World War from the north and south who'd died at the Battle of the Somme in 1916, and he knew that Carol had a lot of experience in memorials. She put up memorials for the First World War in France, in Turkey, in visitors places. I'd asked her initially for advice on that, and then discussion began about taking back veterans from the Royal Astor Rifles and from Ireland. Generally, Carol has had experience of taking back First World War veterans to First World War battlefields, and so that's how she become involved in the ... on the team, basically, and then a representative of the Royal Irish Regiment, the modern regiment for the Royal Astor Rifles, which the Astor Rifles, my dad's regiment in 1968 amalgamated with three other regiments into the Royal Irish Rangers, and then in 1992, that became the Royal Irish Regiment, and they're very supportive of their heritage and interested in their heritage. So lots of discussions about the memorial, lots of liaisons between Korea and Ireland and phone calls at 7 o'clock in the morning and to work with the time difference, and then in 2012, Carol, myself and Trevor Ross, who was representing the Royal Irish Regiment, went out to Korea at the time of the Commonwealth Veterans revisit the following year and met with the British Ambassador, the Irish Ambassador, members of the MPVA in Korea, went to see possible memorial sites, and it was then that it was decided the memorial should ... the key memorial should go up in Seoul because it'd be easier to look after it there by the War Museum and things, and the Irish Embassy said it was look after it and that there would be a panel put up in Happy Valley as well to remember the battle in Happy Valley too. 2013, and you'll hear more about this from Mrs. Carol Walker, the memorial was dedicated in Seoul. My father and I were meant to go to be there for that dedication and for all the other events and be there with the other veterans from the Royal Astor Rifles and from Ireland. Unfortunately, my mother had a very severe stroke just a week or two prior to us going out, and we, anyway, my father and I couldn't go. She died shortly after the veterans returned from Korea, but we were very close in contact with what was going on. My dad was very keen to know. He kept saying, "Have you had a signal from Carol?" because he's not quite into e-mails, but a signal, and so Carol, Trevor and the others sent back information of what was going on, sent photographs of the memorial being dedicated, being put up and everything, but me and my father were ... My father and I were very evolved with Carol and others, and everything had to be approved with the wording on the memorial and everything else. Then with regards to the memorial, my dad ... One of the sides of the memorial, one of the sides is the Royal Astor Rifles and reflects this memorial here in Belfast and the wording on the memorial here in Belfast, and it particularly mentions Happy Valley. Another side mentions those Irish birth and heritage. Another side is ... talks about seven missionaries from Ireland, who died in Korea, and one of those missionaries, my father actually knew. Father ... I think he's known as Father John O'Kane, is it? >> It's O'Kane. >> Yeah. Father John O'Kane, though, my father knew him as Father Jack. Quite often in Ireland, people who are called John are known as Jack, very confusing. Anyway, so my father knew Father Jack. He'd been a Royal Astor Rifles Padre in the Second World War. We think he might have been at D-Day with them, but we definitely know he was with the Royal Astor Rifles in the Second World War. He was older than my father, maybe 10 years older than my father, and then after the war, my dad was in Palestine and Egypt, and he was the Catholic Padre with the Regiment there. The Royal Astor Rifles has a Catholic Padre and a Protestant Padre, and he was Catholic Padre in Egypt, and he remembered him because he was a Padre. He was part of the officers' mess. He had a tent, himself, I think, because he's a Padre ... had his own tent because my father had to share a tent with somebody else, which are all the boys who are over there, had a lot more in the tents, and he remembers them being very good at cards. He remembers them being a lot of fun. He remembers them riding around the camp on a motor bike, and all the guys thought he was wonderful, so my father was very sad when he'd heard that he'd been killed in Korea. He knew he'd gone out to Korea as a missionary, and so that's a link between the Astor Rifles and the others in the memorial as well. Then in 2015, this ... the ...

>> My name is George Reed. I'm a member of the British Korean War Veterans Association. I'm the secretary of the Hertfordshire branch. I went out to Korea with the war engineers, and it's a great shock. It was entirely different than being back in England, and I got posted up by the Imjin River [INAUDIBLE] engineer squadron, and we generally worked to do the reservicing roads and Korean work. The war had just finished when I had got out there, so the fighting had stopped. There was still plenty to do. I eventually became the squadron welder, and I built a 47-foot observation tower practically by myself, and then I got put into the intelligence section, was entirely different type of work altogether. Quite fun, I've done a few explosive jobs and blowing up. I've done some welding on the Teal Bridge, which would run ... crosses over the Imjin River. This was preparing for explosives in case the war started up again. I had plenty of work to do. I was very interested in most of it. I don't regret going out there. It was quite a different type of a culture, and, well, I bet we were. There was hardly any people at all because all the villages had been either destroyed, or they'd been moved back out of the danger area. >> Did you know some of the comrades or people that went, fought in the British Armed Forces that fought but that didn't make it back? Did you know anyone? >> Who fall down there? >> Mm-hmm. >> Yes. I was in the [INAUDIBLE] army before joining the regular army [INAUDIBLE] and there quite a few regular [INAUDIBLE] who fought out in the Korean War. They were very ... Was it posttraumatic stress? Two or three of them suffered very badly from that and what went on, but it wasn't recognized back in those days as such, so they were never treated, and they quite introverted to theirself. It affected them quite badly. >> You were so young. How old were you? >> How old was I when I went out? I was 21 when I went out to Korea. Being an engineer, it's a bit of employment. I was serving an apprenticeship for 5 years. I was deferred for joining the Army or doing national service for 2 years. >> Explain that a little bit about the national service because it's a little different from other countries where everybody volunteered. >> National service was 2 years, member, conscripted and then medical, and if they passed, they were sent out to different regiments, but I planned on being a military mind at that time. I signed on as a regular soldier, so it was all with national service. We don't have training with the national service, and it was all posted out with the national service with the different units around the world. I can't view it from a national service point of view because I wasn't a national serviceman. >> But you served with them. >> Yeah. Most of them were national service in those days. >> How ... What do you think the proportion was? >> In those days, it's over about 60 percent national serviceman in the British Army. I should say, not knowing these figures, but yeah. Looking back now, and what I've heard, I've met a few Korean people. I was in France 2 years ago, and in our hotel was a young Korean lady, and she thanked me for what we'd done out in Korea when we was fighting, so it ... quite lovely people there, very lovely people. Well, I think so. Yes, and I hope to be going out there in April of this year on a first visit for 62 years, all going well, hope to be there to see how the culture has changed, how the building changed because when I was there, Seoul was in a pretty bad state also the Gyeongbok Palace, which I remember visiting it if that's still there, but yes. I understand it's entirely different now, so going to compare the two different eras. >> Well, I hope you enjoy the visit. I think you will. >> Yeah, yeah. >> I thank you.

>> Yes, my name is Colonel Melese Tessema. I'm the Korean War Veterans Association president presently. I've been to Korea during the war, the second battalion, and the journey was very long. From Addis to Djibouti, we took train, and from there we back on the ship, American military ship named [INAUDIBLE]. Then we arrived through Pusan port. Then your previous president, Syngman Rhee, received us, and from there we went to training center. We took some training and studied weapons, and we stayed there for about 1 month under training, and we then adapted the climate, and we had been through [INAUDIBLE] with the people at that time. When I arrived to Pusan, it was my first [INAUDIBLE]. I was very sad to see demolished buildings, and I saw many children crying on the street. They lost their families, and that was very sad to see that, so we stayed in that training center for about a month. Then we went to the front line, and we had been deployed to the battlefield. We hadn't started our mission. Realizing all the war is war, there's no mercy for war. We took part, and we participated, and we joined the United Nations forces there, and we received many operation orders, so we had been fighting as a fighting patrol and ambush patrol. That was very tiresome, so then ... But the most surprising thing that ... which made our participation in the war, which made it special that Ethiopian soldiers never gave up. No war prisoner took, and we have never left behind our injured soldiers or killed in action, so that was very special going for us, so we stayed there for about a year, and then we had been replaced by another battalion, and we returned home. When we went to Korea, we received a banner, a special banner of the old leader. We received that banner from His Imperial Majesty. The troop which has been to Korea is a special bodyguard, the elite force, so that's why maybe we don't give up, and we have never lost even the front line. We never lost the ground, and we have been successfully captured our objectives very proudly, so now the time is so long. Everything is forgotten. To me, today, what surprised me, to see the Koreans to visit us after 65 years, that was very special. I consider that the Koreans has given a special consideration to our battalion and to our war veterans, and that makes me proud, and, also, we have been to Korea as I told you at the beginning. It was barren and demolished buildings. We see the children crying at the street. That Korea was a very poor country. This is the true story. I can tell you now. At that time, Ethiopia was better than Korea, but after 65 years, Korea is now among the very civilized country, and I think it is 10th or 11th developed countries now. Now that makes us proud. Not the Koreans proud of that because it is we, the Ethiopians who proud more than Koreans because we gave our lives not for nothing. Now at this time, when we see Korea developed, it is we who can be happy. Yeah, but you tell us still to all Koreans that we are more happy than the other Koreans. >> Can you explain a little about the battalions? Why were they called the Kagnew Battalion? How many were there? How many were in each battalion? How many in total went to the war? I know even after the armistice, you stayed. Ethiopians, the battalion stayed, like, for example, Colonel [INAUDIBLE]. He went after the armistice. You know? So can you explain a little bit about this? >> Yeah, although the Ethiopian forces had been to the battlefield about 600, more than 600, 600-something, and among this, 122 died. No prisoner at all, no lost in action, and that makes the Ethiopian force special, and as I told you, this is the elite force. We were very much trained here in Ethiopian also if we're going to Korea, so that's why our participation is very special that time. When we arrived there, we were very young officers. We went to Korea soon after our graduation. We graduated April 11th. We left for Korea April 12th or 13th like that. At that time, we were about ... Our age was between 21 and 22. I myself had been to Korea when I was 22. You can see that is my picture in the museum. When you see I'm very tiny, that's your story. >> You were all kids, and did you all volunteer? Or were you drafted? >> I beg your pardon? >> Did you volunteer? Or who went? >> Yes, yes, I can say, "Volunteer," yes. All of them are volunteer because it was very sad. The Ethiopian situation almost is the same like Korea. At the beginning of the Second World War, we had been invaded by Italians, so at that time, when we appealed to, not to the United Nations but [INAUDIBLE] organization, so at that time, His Imperial Majesty appealed to that organization. They did not give attention to his appeal, so we had been invaded by Italians, so when we had been asked or ordered to go to Korea because we are volunteer because our situation was the same like Korea, so we give priority to save lives of the illegally invaded countries and that we save lives of the oppressed people. >> Mm-hmm, so a total of I believe 6,000 Ethiopians served from 1951 to 1964? Can you tell us a little bit about that battalion that stayed after the armistice? >> After? >> The armistice? >> After armistice, yeah. After armistice, we thought we were returning home, and we started our usual work, so we returned to our unit after armistice, so in between, as you read the story, our country was overthrown. The emperor, Haile Selassie, and the communist regime was adopted, but that communist regime, we were hated by that regime because we had been fighting with the communist invaders so this communist regime, so then they hate us. They don't like to see even our face. We existed only that we were Ethiopians, so if we had been foreigners, we would have been ordered out from Ethiopia by force. >> Yeah, so tell us about the story of the fence. >> Oh? >> With Grandpa Melese and the Korean soldier. >> Melese? >> And the Korean soldier. >> Uh-huh. >> Tell us that story. >> Well, really, accidentally, I had been alongside with the Korean outpost. I was from the right side, and from the left side was the Korean outpost. They were brave fighters, really. Even I admired them. They were brave fighters. They were never afraid. They would never retreat, and I saw them, and we were very close to each other, so I saw them. They were very brave fighters because they are defending their country. They are giving their life for their country. Therefore they are giving their life for their independence. Therefore maybe that's why they are best fighters. >> Oh, no, tell us the story about the fence. >> The fence? >> Yes. >> What fence? >> The blood brother, the blood. >> Okay, you know what happened there once upon a time? The Korean service team came at the front line to strengthen the front line, their defense line, so they were fencing with barbed wire to strengthen the front line, so at that time, they were fencing during the night, so at that time, the enemy heard the noise when they hammer. Then they fired the mortar fire, and that was the fire exploded among the Korean service team, and this explosion killed some of the Koreans and injured some of them also. The injured ones were shouting, asking for help, so the Ethiopian soldiers went out from their defensive position, and they tried to save the lives of those injured or before dying to give aid, so that time, it was only the Ethiopian soldiers went out from their defensive position from the bunker and tried to save the lives of the injured Koreans, so the second round came and exploded, but one of the Ethiopian soldiers, who carried the Korean, the wounded Korean, the second explosion killed both grasping each other, and they died together, and probably they were also graved in the same coffin, maybe, yeah. >> Mm-hmm. >> This is now we ... Our relationship between Korea and Ethiopia is not like others. We have a blood relationship. We use this word. Still we use, and even we use forever. >> Mm-hmm, yeah, so that's why you're my grandpa. >> Mm-hmm. >> Yes, thank you so much. >> That's the story of our ... His name is Melese. He's bearing my name. >> We saw. We saw the grave, yes. >> Melese [INAUDIBLE]. >> What was the name of the Korean? >> Really, it is difficult for me, and even now I cannot call the name of the Korean since it's too difficult. >> Yes, and you returned, you said, to Korea, so can we talk about your role as the president of the Veterans Association? What do you do? How often do the veterans meet? When was the memorial built? You know? Can you share? >> It's not clear for me, your question. >> You're the president of association. >> Yes. >> What does the association do? How many members are there? How often do you meet? You know? There's a memorial. Right? And the park, when was it built? I think the Korean government donated. Right? So can you share with us that information? >> You know, the story of our association, our association has been established in 1931, I think. >> '31? After the war. >> After the war, yes. It is after the war, yeah. >> 1961. >> Our association established after the war ... >> Yeah, so '60. >> ... because during the communist regime, we cannot establish, and we are never established because we have been refused to establish our association, so after this government came, they permitted us to establish our association. >> What year? >> Well, about 24, 25 years ago, we have established our association, and now I'm the second president of our association. Since I have been elected, it is now 7 years since since my election, so within 7 years, you know, our association is built just to help each other and to maintain the story of the Korean War and the relation between Korea and Ethiopia, so now we are doing that. Within this period, we received ... After we had established our association, many Koreans came and visited us. During this time, they gave us a lot of help because during the communist regime, we could not do anything. We were very poor, as you know, and even not only us, but also Ethiopia due to drought, we became very poor and were in very catastrophic condition. So even though it is worse for Korean veterans, so all the country was under poverty at that time, so they were better than ever, so now since we established our association, as you know, as you have seen also, it is [INAUDIBLE] has been controlled, Ethiopia. The first mayor, he went to Korea for visit, has been to Chuncheon. You know the story why this monument, the same monument is in Chuncheon? Because Chuncheon, it was our battalion who controlled that place the first time because the place was very strongly defended by the communists. It was Kagnew Battalion who controlled that area. >> Mm-hmm. >> So then the Chuncheon people gave this importance to Kagnew, and they built that monument there. >> Mm-hmm. >> So the same kind of monument is built here. >> Mm-hmm. >> Now as I told you, the first mayor of the [INAUDIBLE] went to Chuncheon and had seen that monument, and he signed a sisterhood agreement and came and gave this place to Korean veterans as a memorial. Then this monument is built by the contribution of Korean, the Chuncheon people and the Korean government. Since then, we have been celebrating our memorial days every year in April because we left Ethiopia for Korea in April, so we are choosing this month as a memorial. >> Mm-hmm. >> Since then, we have been celebrating every year and this year also. I don't know, maybe 21st or 22nd April, we are going to celebrate. >> What do you do to celebrate? What happens? >> Well, we invite guests, and we make a speech. We lay wreaths in the monument, and we give also luncheon. All this are by sponsorship. We can't get it also, and mostly the Korean embassy help us. >> Oh, today we saw Efrim and the descendants of Korean War veterans. Now they volunteer for the association. You know? Sons and daughter, they work for the association, so can you explain about why they started to get involved and what you hope from them? >> Well, from the descendants, you mean? >> Mm-hmm. >> Well, of course, we are all old now. Maybe we are passing now. You know? So the story should not be passed, so this story should be kept by the following regimes, so we pass this story to the present descendants, and they also pass to their children, so the story will remain as a story of relation between Korea and Ethiopia will reign for indefinite time. >> Mm-hmm. >> So that's the amend purpose. >> Mm-hmm, how ... >> We want to not do the ... The story should not be forgotten. >> How many veterans are living right now? And how many maybe widows and descendants are part of the association? >> Presently? >> Mm-hmm. >> Well, it's difficult to know the number of the children and the widows, difficult to know that, but we definitely know. We can precisely tell the number of veterans who are alive, but maybe the widows ... It was just guessing about 1,000, about 1,000 widows maybe present, but the children are ... Soldiers always like to have many children. >> Mm-hmm. >> You know? So therefore it is difficult one to tell you exactly the number of the descendants. >> But they are welcome to participate in the association? >> Mm-hmm, well, I have been trying to find many times before the present ones. I tried about three times. Now the last ones, they are successful, and they are very volunteer. >> Mm-hmm. >> They don't ask for any payment. They work voluntarily. You know, they are young people. They have better ideas than us. They have better physical condition, so they are now trying to improve the association's memorial. >> Yeah, so I met three of them today, and we had lunch together. >> Yes. >> We had a lot of fun. It was very good to see young people respect the memory and honor your contributions and to carry the legacy because, like you said, it's important that they carry it. They pass it onto their children indefinitely because many other associations around the world, that's their number-one concern. What do we do when the veterans are no longer there? What happens? And for Ethiopian Korean War veterans to have already descendants part of the association, it's very good. You know? >> Yeah, thanks to the Korean people and the government of Korea and so many [INAUDIBLE] of Korean such like [INAUDIBLE]. They give scholarship privilege to many descendants, and the Korean government also is giving the patient otherwise [INAUDIBLE] entrance. Now those who are privileged of getting the free scholarship, and these descendants are from among them, so they do understand our problem and are 100 percent volunteer to assist us. Now we also rely on them now. >> Mm-hmm, that's wonderful, and last word, lastly, you visited Korea. When was the last time you went to Korea? >> Myself? >> Mm-hmm. >> I think about a year ago. >> One year ago? >> One year ago, yeah. >> Oh. >> What is that year? >> 2016? >> Yeah. >> Oh. >> I have been many times, several times to Korea, about five, six times ... >> Mm-hmm. >> ... after the war. >> And I'm sure they greet you with so much thanks and love and right? They treat you very well, I hope. Right? >> Yeah. >> And when you go, do you go with other Ethiopian veterans? >> Oh, yes, even, yes, yes, I go always with the other veterans. >> Mm-hmm. >> And even I am invited. They invited me with my children. Two of my children have been there, and my two grandchildren also have been to Korea. >> Oh, wow, and that's ... >> And the one also is still there now. She left us recently for a scholarship. You know Korea? >> Mm-hmm. >> And you know the universities of Korea? Hankuk University, do you know? >> Mm-hmm. >> Yes, my granddaughter is there now. >> Hmm. >> She attended about 8 months ago. She's still there. I received a call this morning from her. >> Hmm, oh, one last story, why is your nickname Kim? >> Pardon me? >> Your nickname? >> Okay, my nickname, you know, during the war, there was a famous fighter. Marshall Kim was a famous fighter, so I also ... When I was in Korea, I had been several times to patrol action, and I made many actions. I engaged many times by communist forces, so then my course of it, they gave me this name. They gave me his name to call me as a nickname, Marshall Kim. >> Marshall Kim. >> Yeah because he was very brave fighter. >> Mm-hmm. >> And they called me also a very brave fighter, so we have to give this name to him. >> Mm-hmm. >> That's why they called me Marshall Kim. >> Mm-hmm, well, like you said, Koreans and Ethiopians are blood brothers, and I'm very glad to be here to meet my grandpa and my Ethiopian brothers, so thank you so much for your time, and thank you so much for your contribution. >> I thank you also. Thank you very much. >> Mm-hmm. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

>> Fathers, can you explain to me what this video is? >> Well, it's about the seven Columban priests who died in the Korean War, and it is for the 80th anniversary of the Columban formation back in '33. This was the anniversary here. It would have been ... >> And you produced it. >> Yes, yeah. >> Can you read the poem in Korean? >> You read it this time. >> The seven who died after [INAUDIBLE]. >> Oh, in Korean. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Wow, and you can read it in English. >> Yes. The seven who died after [INAUDIBLE]. They left on the life-death road with no word or farewell. Seven great pines, dizzy green, truly felt. They looked to the great return, and when it came, they were ready, seeds securely rooted in the ground. >> So ... >> Recalling the subjects who ... >> Yes, so ... >> ... died. >> The Columban Fathers first entered Korea in 1933 before the Korean War when Korea was colonialized by Japan, but after the outbreak of the war in 1950, the Columban Fathers had an opportunity to flee, but they chose to remain with the people, and these seven were martyred, or they were killed over during the war, during the 3 years the war took place. Some were taken prisoners, and they didn't know that they were killed until after, and so yesterday, I was at Dalgin Park where they were trained and ordained before going to Korea as missionaries, and these two fathers have, after the war, served in postwar Korea until fairly recently, and that is why they speak Korean fluently. We all are very grateful, but I'm sure there's a more special place in your hearts because you two have followed their footsteps. So thank you so much to both of you. >> This is Tony, who came from [INAUDIBLE] which located here was Frank Canavan, who died in a death march in North Korea with Bishop Phil, oh, yeah, Frank Canavan and Phil Crosby from Austria. May they all rest in peace. >> May they all rest in peace. How do you say, "Rest in peace," in Irish? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] means peace. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

-Mi nombre es Epifanio Rodríguez Núñez, estuve en la Guerra de Corea, y en la época que estábamos allá se participó en la Guerra… en la batalla de Unsan, una ciudad que quedó totalmente destruida. Actualmente pertenezco a la Asociación colombiana de veteranos de Corea en Colombia y soy su presidente. ¿Cómo ingresamos al batallón colombia? En esa época estábamos terminando el servicio militar en la escuela de infantería, el capitán Álvaro Valencia, en esa época capitán, después fue general, llegó un día tarde y nos manifestó que… pedía excusas por haber llegado tan tarde, pero que había estado en el Ministerio de guerra, así se llamaba el Ministerio de defensa en esa época, y en la presidencia y que lo habían enviado a Corea, que quién quería ir con él. Inmediatamente todos dimos un paso al frente. Nos dio algunas explicaciones, y cuando ordenó romper filas, todos corrimos enseguida a la biblioteca a buscar un mapa para saber dónde estaba Corea y de qué se trataba lo que habíamos hecho. Cuando salimos de Corea, estaba totalmente destruido, había mucha pobreza, las ciudades estaban destruidas, las madres estaban recostadas sobre las ruinas, amamantando a sus hijos sin tener muchas cosas que comer. Era realmente una situación lamentable, de mucha tristeza. Pasado un tiempo, volvimos a Corea invitados por el gobierno de Corea, y la sorpresa extraordinaria: qué ciudades, qué calles, todo, un modernismo extraordinario. Y aparte de eso, en este momento, Corea es, aproximadamente, la séptima potencia mundial económicamente hablando. Estos nos enorgullece. Y además, todos los que estuvimos en Corea consideramos a la República de Corea del sur como nuestra segunda patria.Y además, todos los que estuvimos en Corea consideramos la República de Corea del sur como nuestra segunda patria.

>> I am Robert Jupar Domingez. [INAUDIBLE]. I served in military service in 1950 after graduating from the high school. I missed a [INAUDIBLE] in the military service. Then when the war broke out in Korea, it was 1950. I volunteered. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. I was not lacking the joy and the intent of a newcomer. And then the next battalion, [INAUDIBLE]. I was not lacking. On the third time when I visited, I was selected, so from there, we were regrouped [INAUDIBLE] volunteer to replace the 20th division. We were regrouped there from all volunteers from the Armed Forces of the people. My rank then was a private first class. I belonged to the artillery, so all volunteers were regrouped at camp all the time. Then when all the volunteers were there in Camp Aldinado, we created us from the branches of service where we belonged. Of course, I belonged to the artillery, so I was with the artillery group. And then parting group, medical group, every group. So we all just were already grouped, and the size of those volunteers, the number of people that we completed, we moved the [INAUDIBLE] at the time, the Port [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. Then we were regrouped again by branches of service. Of course, I was trained in separate from the field artillery, so I was with the artillery. So when everything was grouped already, artillery, infantry, medical, logistics, and others, then we moved again to Port [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] at the time. So then we started our training. I can't remember the number of months we were trained. So after the training, there was another group. We would group again to North of Korea. I cannot exactly remember the group where I belonged. So then we went to Korea. We take the LST at the time. You know about this LST? Landing ship, tank. The ship of the Korean Army of the Armed Forces [INAUDIBLE]. Landing ship, tank. They called that LST, landing ship, tank. But we were training for Korea. We retrained again. Retrained at that [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] was a mountainous area. That's where we trained. After our training, then we were shipped to Korea. That was ... I cannot remember the date, but the month was July 1950. >> '53. >> Yeah, '53, 1953. So that is it. We sailed to Korea. We rode the Philippine Navy ship, we called that LST. We called that LST. We arrived in Korea July 1950, yeah? 1953. Yeah. [INAUDIBLE]. So that is it. We really [INAUDIBLE]. That was July 1953. Excuse me. >> That was the Armistice. July 7th, 1953 was the Armistice. Do you remember when the war ... They signed the cease-fire. >> Three fire? >> Cease-fire, Armistice. >> Armistice, yeah. That was already ongoing, the Armistice was. >> Do you remember a little bit about why it took a long time for them to do the cease-fire agreement? No? >> I have no idea about that. >> So what did some ... What did you do during when you weren't fighting? >> What did you do? >> When you weren't fighting? >> Fighting? >> Uh-huh. >> Because I belonged to the artillery ... This is the battle pit. This area, we are about 7 to 10 kilometers at the battle pit. It belonged to the artillery canyon. [INAUDIBLE]. So before the infantry people could enter, advance, you had to [INAUDIBLE] with one of our ammunition. So it depends on the front line how the people just kept themselves, the enemy, because there is a radio telecommunication device overhead, and [INAUDIBLE]. So if the enemies have already moved backward, then cease-fire. The firing of the infantry people that ceased already except over here coming from land, but the Chinese communists [INAUDIBLE] come in from the [INAUDIBLE] give you password coming from Manila, [INAUDIBLE] front line somewhere along, well, shall I say ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> No, no, no. Somewhere around Yuki. That is the approximate distance from the front line where the enemies and the Chinese are in training [INAUDIBLE] from our troops, the union troops. Yeah. So that is it. That is the system of the fight. Normally, we fight in Korea at the time during the night [INAUDIBLE] during the day. >> Can you look here? Don't look there. Look here and speak a little bit louder. >> All right. >> This the camera. Don't look there. >> The fighting in Korea at the time was mostly during the night. Excuse me. During the day, everything was done with fighting, but we from the rail [INAUDIBLE] canyon, we have to pile in. [INAUDIBLE] with our service. Have seen some movements there, the enemy, and they request from us a pilot and a server from the artillery. [INAUDIBLE]. >> So you fought during the 3rd Battalion that saw a lot of battles, right? Many battles, many combats, fights, yes. >> Engagements? >> Yes, many engagements, right? >> Yes. That's why I said the fighting during that time was mostly during the night because they know [INAUDIBLE]. Many people were from that place, so all them prepared to go fight during the night, while during the day we kept defending also our positions. They were also defending their positions. But when that mess started, it's like fiesta. >> So when do you sleep? >> In our system in the artillery because we have the [INAUDIBLE], we have 10 in a team, we divided that by the infantry. So the first group starts at 6 o'clock, then after 10 o'clock, then after 3 o'clock, then after 5 o'clock. That is the system. >> And you rotate? >> We rotate, yeah. Yeah. We rotated. >> Did any of the ... >> I am referring only to the artillery. I don't know what the infantry ... The infantry people were just walking on the front line. The artillery group, we have big guns, so we have ... >> Super bazooka. Super bazooka. I saw super bazooka. >> Bazooka, for those people in the front line, bazooka. We have that. They have that. But we [INAUDIBLE]. >> What? >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> What is that? >> In our place. >> What is that? >> Cannon. >> Cannon! Cannon, oh. >> Cannon. Cannon, yeah. We had the cannon and myself. That's why sometimes, I can't understand you because during the night, our ears are popped. >> Oh! >> Up to now I can't ... Specifically the right one because I used to fire the cannon, so the blast of the cannon will affect your ears. >> Oh! No earplugs? >> No earplugs. They do not encourage us. The officers at the time were not ... Excuse me. We were not told we need that. So when you hear ... Specifically myself was the one who was pulling the lanyard of the [INAUDIBLE]. No. You cannot hear that good now. You cannot ... Let's say I'm the one firing the hose. If you do not pull that ... I'm the only one pulling it, but there is a command. There is a command on the [INAUDIBLE]. We have the command in the rear, which is [INAUDIBLE] around 50 meters back. That is the one giving the command. When they give the command ... There are six cannons, but they are just for [INAUDIBLE]. So when the six cannons are ready, you report to the one giving the command. Number one, ready to release, not in the line of [INAUDIBLE] but number one is posted as number one. Number six, again, is [INAUDIBLE] because there are six cannons [INAUDIBLE]. When the six cannons are ready, the command post, the personal at command post, "Ready?" because there is the one pulling the line. Bam! And the cannon fires. The system we used. >> What do you think about Filipinos' contributions in the Korean War? >> Filipinos? >> Yes because, if you know, there's 21 nations that fought in the Korean War all over the world, but what's so special about Filipinos? >> I cannot exactly describe it, but I belong to the [INAUDIBLE], as I said, It's about 7 or 8 kilometers away from the front line, from the infantry people, before the infantry people who are engaged in fighting, so I could not pass this. But what we hear from them is the fighting starts because the fighting starts the moment it gets dark. It starts already after the morning when it's already daylight again. That's just how we fight people. >> You're a part of the association, right? You're a member of the association? >> Oh, yeah. I'm a member of the Veteran's Association. >> Yes. Aren't you a proud of the association you're part of, a member? >> Yes. >> Right? So for, let's say, an American or some Koreans, they want to know about Filipinos in the Korean War. What would you say? "Okay, we did this. We were" ... something special about Filipinos. >> No, there's no such thing. We are equal there. Like other ... and like other UN troops of the time, especially the Thailanders, they can't understand English, and some others can't understand English. For the Filipinos, we talk English with the Americans and other UN troops. >> Oh, so it was easy to communicate? >> Right. >> Yes, easy to communicate, which is very important. Communication is very important. >> Yes. Yes. Yes, important. >> So they relied on you for other ... Right, they relied on you? Ethiopians, they couldn't speak English well, right? >> Right. >> Turkish, they couldn't speak English well. >> No. >> Yeah. >> No. No. No. They're like [INAUDIBLE]. The Turkish are there. We can't understand. We can't [INAUDIBLE], not like that. They were ready. >> Do you remember seeing Greeks, other people? Do you remember? >> Other nations, you mean? >> Yes. Yeah. >> Yes. Thailanders. What other nations? >> Greece. >> Plenty of the United Nations. I can't exactly remember. I can only remember the Thailanders, Filipinos ... No, I can't remember. >> Greece! >> And do you remember seeing Koreans? Do you remember seeing Koreans? >> The Koreans, yes. >> Civilians? >> There were troops from Koreans there already, but it's really hard to say something about the Koreans. >> Children? Orphans? >> Yeah, children, orphans, plenty. Tough job when you move them. You go to Seoul. Tough job visually to see the people [INAUDIBLE], and we have [INAUDIBLE]. We are going to come [INAUDIBLE]. >> They were so poor. >> Yes. Yes, so poor. [INAUDIBLE] poor. >> But now ... >> Yeah. >> Right? You've visited Korea. They're big now, right? Big, tall, and ... >> In Manila. In [INAUDIBLE] they can't talk English. >> Yes. >> There were many times when we go to Korea for the revisit program, and [INAUDIBLE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Yeah, I've been there in Korea. >> It's amazing, right? Yes. Yes. Yes. >> You can see the progress in the restored areas. You can't remember where was the fight, can you? >> I hope you know that ... I hope you're very proud. >> Yes. Of course I am. >> We're very thankful. We're very grateful. We're very grateful. >> Other nations, believe in us, the Filipinos, number one. We can speak English. >> Yes. And you were experienced from World War II? >> No, I did not ... >> No, I know. Not you, but Philippines. Philippines ... >> Yeah, Philippines. >> Philippines fought in World War II, so you had a trained Army. Yes. Yes. Thank you so much for your time and your service very much.

>> My name is Ron McMillan. I was in the Korean War in 1952 to '53. I served in the New Zealand Navy. I was on the frigate HMS Hawea, and we were there for 14 months. We patrolled up the west coast, went up as far as to the Yalu River and down south and yonder. The ship went the first time, went on the other coast, and that was the one that used to be shooting the trains in the tunnel. We stayed on the west coast, and we patrolled up there day and night.. Our base there was an island out from Incheon called [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. It's now changed. It's got a new name. That was our base, and we anchored there, so we patrolled day and night for 14 months. >> So you served for 14 months? >> Yeah, I put in 14 months. >> Did you volunteer? >> I was in the Navy already. >> You were already in the Navy? >> Yes, yes. I joined the Navy when I was 17 1/2, and I went up there when I was 19. >> Wow. So what do you remember from the war? Do you remember seeing the troops from other nations or maybe civilians? >> Didn't see many civilians, only on the island. We never went on the mainland. Some of the other ships did, but they mainly got shot, so they stopped going on the islands. And we just stayed on the main island, so we saw the locals on the island. We still pay to the children. We send out money every year to the children of Seoul for ... We've done that for years and years. >> Even now? >> Yes. Yes, we go up there. We go for Anzac Day. The Koreans would be up there now. So they hand out bursaries to the schoolboys and girls. We've done it for years. >> Really? That's fascinating. Since the war? >> Yeah. It started some years after the war, and that's it with the bursaries. And we'll go on with so much money to be [INAUDIBLE]. >> Wow! That is ... >> So that's the only Korean people in the Navy we actually met, was the islanders on that island. >> Even now you send them ... > Yes. Yes, every Easter we go to Kapyong. They have that big thing there, and they have all the hanging out at Kapyong. The Aussies do it, and we do it. >> So since you mentioned it, I want to hear it from your side, the Battle of Kapyong and Maryang-san. >> Well, we were in the Navy, so we didn't see that. We got up and went up and looked up on the ... We've got the revisits, but we go to Kapyong. That's where we hand out the bursaries to all the kids up there. >> Wow! Well, you were so young. What kind of impact did it leave on, I guess, your life and the way you look at life, serving in a war? >> We were young, and we were there. It was a bit of an adventure, that's all. >> That is true. I know a lot of the grandpas do mention that they went ... But you come back now. It may have been an adventure that you were seeking, but now you're looking back, and Korea is very prosperous. >> I've been back four visits. I've had four revisits, and every time you go, you just see how it's advancing and advancing all the time. >> And doesn't that make you proud? >> Oh, it does. Yeah. >> Yeah. So the adventure turned out to be something larger than an adventure. >> [INAUDIBLE] my friends there. My lady, she's one of our lady friends. That's right. And we've got Melissa Lee. We were with her granddad and her dad, so you're not by yourself. >> I always ask, but what are some of the things in your free time? >> Free time, well, in the Navy, you didn't have a lot of free time. You had about 4 hours on and 4 hours off, day in and day out. So, you were on watch for 4 hours, and then in your off time, you had to do your home things, washing, cleaning the ship. You had to clean the ship the whole time, and that's it. so you didn't have much free time. >> Really? No rest and recovery in Japan? >> Yes. Oh, yes. We went down to Japan. >> Okay. >> In Kure and Sasebo a bit down there. >> I heard that from the Aussies. >> And Hong Kong. We got into Hong Kong. >> Oh, you did? >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. >> Every couple months you go down there maybe for a week, replenish the ship, and then away you go back up. And so we did a lot of bombarding and stuff and chasing sandpans at night, who were trying to smuggle stuff through on the boats, but otherwise it was a lot of boredom time, really. A lot of it was just, "Where do you go?" and then you'd have hours and hours of boredom just doing nothing, just cruising. >> Well, it's better than getting bombed, right? Yeah. >> We got shelled a few times, but nothing ... It didn't hit us. I was a little bit lucky. >> By which forces, the Chinese, the North Koreans? >> Well, it was North. It could be the Chinese. I don't know who. >> Did they have a strong Navy? >> No, not on our side. I don't think so. There was nothing down there. In those days, the Chinese hadn't put their Navy in there yet. >> I don't think the Chinese had a Navy. It was just all Army, a volunteer Army. >> Yeah, that's right. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Hundreds of thousands. >> Hundreds of thousands. I think more veterans recall the Chinese more than Koreans. >> Well, you see a lot of the memorial sites, and it says, "This place was overrun by the Chinese." It doesn't say the North Koreans. That's right, the Chinese. So when they joined up, they don't say that the North Koreans ran it. >> So have you been active in the association? >> I've been an association member, yeah, just a member. >> You have so many medals on you from the war. It's ... Any for valor? >> No. No. No. No. They're all different. That's Korean. That's Korean. That's Korean. That's police. I was a policeman. >> You were a policeman? >> Yeah. When I came back, I was a policeman. >> Oh. So maybe the war did have that impact on you, right? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> I've been a member of the Veteran's Affairs for years and years and years, I try to. >> Well, okay. Well, thank you so much again! >> Okay.