-Me llamo Hermelindo Unchala Cisneros. Batallé en el Batallón Colombia,cuando viajé a Corea en 1952. Fuimos a relevar a la compañía Cota. Pero como a la compañía Cota la hunden... los desaparecieron, pues. Quedaron nueve soldados nada más de la Cota, compañía Cota. Duré año y medio en Corea. Y nada, no me puedo, no pasó nada. Aquí estoy. - ¿Quieres, esto, explicar...? - Distintivo de, de la paz de Corea. Distintivo la paz de Corea. - Hombre de paz. - Sí, soy hombre de paz. [HABLAN AL TIEMPO] - Hombre de paz. - Corea de paz. - Hombre de paz. - ¿Sí? ¿Por qué? [HABLAN AL TIEMPO] [VOCES INDISTINTAS] ¿Y coreanos dicen "gracias" muchísimo? ¿Sí? - Sí, muy bien. Todos, gracias. - ¿Visita a Corea? - No, no he visitado. - ¿No? ¿Quiero? ¿Quiere? - Sí, claro. - ¿Sí? ¿Cuántos años tiene usted? - No, ya tengo 82, 84. - 84. [MAULLIDO] ¿Y qué se, qué se piensa que...? [MAULLIDO]

>> Hi, everybody, from Northern Ireland. I'm in front of the Belfast City Hall to show you and of course for me to kind of pay tribute to the Irish. There were 157 Irishmen who died in the Korean War, and this memorial actually was erected in 1951 originally, and as you can see, it honors those who died in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Ulster Rifles, the 45th Field Regiment and the 170th Mortar Battery, the Royal Artillery, and I'm going to save this for last, and the VIN King's Royal Irish Hussars. Gave their life for the United Nations and Korea especially by this valley. This valley, meaning Happy Valley, was the ... It was a single battle that took lives of more than 157 Irish on January 3rd and 4th in 1951, and I guess I wanted to show you this because it really doesn't do justice if I just showed you a picture. This is so beautiful, this inscription that reads, "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light." So, yeah, immediately after arriving to Belfast, I wanted to come here because sometimes when I'm with the veterans, I don't get to really show you the memorial itself. Again, it's in front of Belfast City Hall, so I thank the city of Belfast for having this memorial in front to honor those who died for freedom and, of course, Korea on behalf of all the Koreans. So thank you all for following my journey. I will see you soon, and shout-out to my new-friend prince over there. I met a prince in Belfast before taking this video. So thank you. Bye.

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> I went to Korean War [INAUDIBLE] 1972. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [INAUDIBLE]. Only 157 people. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> We stayed there for 14 months. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> The reason we still continue to send our soldiers even just the war already ended. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> We are still ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> ... Because in the current time still ... >> Command. >> Command. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] command. >> ... They call United Nations command is to stay in Korea. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> And still in [INAUDIBLE] city. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> On this ... what to call ... >> United Nation command. >> This United Nation command still remained there because there was policy from the very beginning that they have this kind of policy to stay there this year. That's why they're still over there. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> I think about 8 years, eight countries. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Eight countries there at that time. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Korea. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> England. >> Switzerland. >> Switzerland. >> Australia. >> Australia. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] United Nation. >> Even nowadays, still, we have a soldier stay in Korea in this United Nation command [INAUDIBLE]. >> Even now? >> Yes. >> Oh. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> We need to stay every year like a rotation sending, getting there. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Because it's so that we can, what do you call that, complete the kind of policy. You have to send in accordance with the policy of the United Nations. >> Wow, even now. >> Now. >> Yes, even until now. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Now is no longer as a volunteers, but you select and send. >> Wow. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> No more volunteers because we need only 15, but sometimes they want to apply for 200. It's going to be a problem. >> So when you went to Korea, what did they do during the rotation? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> They just need to spend time for training. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> They need to [INAUDIBLE] even though there is no war but like a soldier, you still need to practice training and discipline. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> And also civic action. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> A civil action is like helping the civilian ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> ... especially in the area nearby the base, the [INAUDIBLE]. >> Where is the Thai army base located in Korea? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> But during my time, I came to [INAUDIBLE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Seven kilometers north from Seoul, 7 kilometers north. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> When we don't have war, we will practice to see action. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Yeah, like doing service projects, serving the people. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> During my time, I'm taking care of the orphan. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Also [INAUDIBLE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> We do arrange the doctor, medical director, to take care of their health. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> And share food to the elderly women and also orphan house, orphanage house. >> So how many in total from 1950 to 1953 during the war, how many time went and how many died? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Do you remember? You asked me. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> During his time. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. During this time, around 6,000. [ Chatter ] He said in total, 13,000. >> Thirteen thousand? >> Yeah, 13,000. >> During the war, 1950 to 1953. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> He said during the 23 years, around 13,000. >> Oh, 23 years all together. >> Yes, 23 years. >> All together. >> How many died? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Three hundred eighty. >> Three hundred eighty died? >> Yes. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Because at the end of the war, because of the, what do you call that ... >> Ceasefire. >> They no more fight this time. >> But 380 is a big number. >> No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, it's not, 136. >> Oh, died. [ Chatter ] One hundred and thirty-six, that's still a big number. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Because they are babies, 18, 20. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Babies. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> He said a soldier died, not so many because really good in fighting. >> Yes. Wow. Okay. Now association, let's talk about association. You're the president of the association, right? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> How many members are in the association? How many like him and how many like him? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> First of all, in charge as leader of his association. All of them came from the veterans. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Not only [INAUDIBLE] Air Force. We have also Navy. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Because in the very beginning, we sailed a ship [INAUDIBLE] to join this war [INAUDIBLE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Also a battleship royal to the navy [INAUDIBLE] ships. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Almost at the end of the war we already brought it back ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> ... just when the Air Force [INAUDIBLE]. >> Air Force. >> In the association, how many veterans are remaining right now? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. [ Chatter ] >> Most are still alive. They are members of the association. [ Chatter ] >> Around 3,000. >> Three thousand. >> Members. >> Oh. >> But does that include combat veterans? >> Combat veterans? >> Combat is during the war. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. [ Chatter ] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. [ Chatter ] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. [ Chatter ] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Royal Army. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. [ Chatter ] >> What kind of activities does the association do? For example, meet significant dates like October 22nd, for the descendants scholarship? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> This association open every day except holiday and ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> ... we still remain [INAUDIBLE] of the veterans every day ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> ... because they have so many different things [INAUDIBLE] something because of the difficulties. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> They want their children to receive scholarship. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> We help with these kind of things. Every day, people come. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> The money that we can give scholarship to the children of the veterans, we can fund anyways. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> We got them from the veterans associations and also from Ministry of Defense. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Also some companies from [INAUDIBLE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> When they organize for charity events, they donate it to us. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> And also we try to fund [INAUDIBLE] so that we can also give scholarship from our ... We can [INAUDIBLE] from, what do you call, lotteries, also. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Actually not my own [INAUDIBLE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Thank you very much for the important work that you do. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> There are four goals that we have. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> They all can accomplish as soon as possible. >> Yes. This is my fourth one, so I think it is ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> I'm so glad. We want to hear your success. We wait for that.

– Me llamo Josué Orlando Bernal García. Soy de Bogotá. Viajé a Corea con el séptimo relevo del Batallón Colombia. Tomé parte en la Batalla de los 180 y el 23 de marzo, de lo más durode los Boeing. Fui siempre radio-operador desde la llegada hasta la salida de Corea. Estuve en varias patrullas o redes de escucha y de reconocimiento, y de combate. La experiencia, porque nosotros realmente no sabíamos ni dónde quedaba Corea. Para nosotros era totalmente desconocido ese país. Y también “hubieron” momentos muy felices, porque hicimos, con todos los compañeros, una sola familia. Y sentirse uno tan orgulloso de haber aportado ese granito de arena para la libertad de Corea del Sur, nuestra hermana república, que la consideramos así. Yo tenía 16 años cuando viajé. Regresamos en septiembre del año 53, habiendo viajado en el 52, ¿no? Y tuvimos buenas experiencias, también, digamos, con, en patrullajes siempre “hubieron” algunos sustos, digamos. Casualmente, en una patrulla que estábamos de escucha, nos encontramos con una patrulla coreana, norcoreana, ¿no? Y al encontrarnos, pues, creímos que nos íbamos a, a combatir, pero nos dijeron: “¿Qué pasa?”, uno de ellos. Nosotros dijimos: “Colombia”. “Ah, Colombia, numberone”. Y ya no pasó nada, afortunadamente. En esa época, antes de, de, del ataque que se hizo a 180, a nosotros, verdaderamente, yo creo que nos, nos tenían como algo de estimación los enemigos, a los colombianos, porque realmente yo quedé sorprendido esa vez que, que, que esa patrulla nos hubiera preguntado quién éramos y al contestar que éramos colombianos, dijo:“Colombia,numberone”, y, y ya, no pasó de ahí. Entonces, para mí era una experiencia muy bonita, porque me fui, fui muy joven, pero lo hice más que todo por aventura,¿sí? Unos fuimos a aventurar, otros nos fuimos,fueron por necesidades. Y también porque en esa época tenía uno que seguir el, el servicio militar aquí en Colombia.Y yo entré al Batallón Colombia y de ahí me, me propusieron que porqué no me quedaba aquí en Colombia, pero en esa época había la guerrilla, era sobre todo en los llanos orientales.Y yo que pensé:“Si me quedo aquí en Colombia, lo más fijo es que me, me envíen a los llanos orientales”, ¿sí? A pelear con los mismos colombianos, con mis paisanos. Pero, entonces, ya decidí más bien irse al Batallón Colombia,aunque mis padres se opusieron y, en esa época, estaba el ministro de Guerra, José María Bernal, que era medio pariente de mi padre, y mi madre, pues, fue a pedirle a élque, por favor, no me llevarán para Corea. Y en esa época el coronel Manuel Agüero, que era el comandante de Infantería, me llamó al comando y me dijo que había recibido una orden del ministro de Guerra que yo no podía viajar a Corea, que qué pensaba yo. “No, yo pienso viajar. Si ustedes no se oponen,yo, yo viajo a Corea.Quiero ir a Corea”. Esa fue una de las cosas que me recuerdo mucho.Y mi madre,pues, dijo:“No”, que no, que no fuera. “Sí voy a ir a Corea.Tranquila, que yo regreso”. Y vea, afortunadamente, regresé, aunque tomé parte, como te cuento, en muchas patrullas, pero, afortunadamente, siempre salí avante. Y vivo muy agradecido con la República de Corea porque, por intermedio de la embajada, hemos recibido muchasatenciones. Son los únicos que nos han apoyado. Y de acá,del gobierno, desafortunadamente, no, nohemos recibido nada.Ahora, últimamente, que nos han enviado,invitado a desfiles, a que una reunión, que esto,que lo otro, pero ya cuando no, estamos ya volteando la hoja, ¿sí?Entonces, nosotros vivimos muy agradecidos con el pueblo de Corea. Y los sentimos como nuestros hermanos.Es nuestra segunda patria. Y esa es mi situación. Ahora, yo me casé a los 21 años. De, de familia, tengo cinco hijos, tengo 12 nietos,tengo seisbisnietos. Tengo un, un nieto que está en Corea, se fue a estudiar allá electrónica, ya se graduó y está trabajando en una compañía muy buena allá en Corea,que lo acogió. Entonces,de eso me siento muy orgulloso, porque Coreanos ha…A mí, especialmente,me ha ido muy bien, ¿sí? Nos ha brindado mucho, pero mucho estímulo, lo que no ha hecho el país nuestro, ¿sí? Y haber peleado por la democracia de Corea es un orgullo para todos nosotros, los veteranos de la guerra de Corea. Gracias.

>> My present title is Major Tudor Price, MBE. In the Korean War, I was a sergeant in the First Battalion, the Welsh regiment. I joined the battalion in January, 1952 on a feature called the Shimyeondong Valley, and the feature in front was known as Hill 169. My date of birth was the 4th of the 2nd, 1929. Having been on a 12-hour patrol, up to my eyes in snow, I came back with the patrol, and this young officer put a tumbler of rum in my hand, and he said to me, "The King is dead. Long live the Queen." That was 2 days after my 23rd birthday, the 6th of February, 1952. Her Majesty, the Queen, came to the throne. I served in Korea right up until we left, which was in November 1952. By that time, the Korean War had become, as we were all concerned became static lines just like it was in the 1914, '15. The attacking forward up to the Yellow River led by General MacArthur had stopped and seized, and took over from the First Battalion. We lost a regiment, which was really wiped out. Now one of the things they handed over to us, like we took Korea, we took our regiment [INAUDIBLE]. They handed over to us a rabbit called Harvey. Do you remember the film, "Harvey," and the drunkard, played by Henry Fonda, I believe, or somebody or James Stewart. I can't remember. Anyway, we carried on patrolling the no-man's-land in between the North and the South, and this would continue for a number of months, and at one time, our B company did an attack on a hill called Hill 270, and this was fought on this hill feature called 355. Unfortunately, a lot of our boys were wounded and one or two killed. In fact, if you look at our title of our book of the Welsh Regiment, it lists 32. We lost 32 men killed in Korea and quite a number wounded. Now this book was compiled by the intelligence officer we had in Korea, a Lieutenant Norman Summon, who finally retired as Major Norman Summon, and he and the curator for the museum compiled the history of the Welsh Regiment in Korea in the Korean War. I should say, when I did arrive in Korea, I arrived after the battalion, and I landed at Busan in the south. Busan, in those days was a shanty-type of a city, [INAUDIBLE] city which had been devastated by war, and we were greeted by an American band that played us on ashore, and we then entrained right up to Seoul, and I think ... I can't quite remember. It was either Uijeongbu or Kumjongti, something like that, that we disembarked, and in fact at the end of the Korean War ... end of our joint in Korea, we handed over to the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, and again, we entrained at the same place in one of those two railway stations, and we embarked for Busan, where we got on the troop ship. Before we embarked the regiment went to the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, which is situated in Busan, and we held a service there to commemorate all those boys that we lost and were wounded or suffered whilst in the Korea. Whilst I was up in the line at one time, I was sent back to Seoul to carry out a ceremonial duty on a general that visited. His house man, the man that run his estate in Seoul, took us on tours of Korea ... Of Seoul, I should say, and we could see the devastation that was caused by when the North came down and, as you know, attacked the South, but in conclusion, I must say that the people of Korea have pulled themselves out of nothing and one of the leading people in this world today. Where we be? We'd be without out televisions and radios and so on. I thank the people of Korea, and I always enjoy the people, and in fact, I got this photo of platoon in Korea. That's a photo of my platoon, and on there are the house boys that looked after me or looked after us, I should say. They were apart of the Korean Service Corp. They came up first thing in the morning to make sure we were all right, help us with our chores, getting washed, getting dressed. We even shaved in the front line. If we didn't have water. We melted the snow, but those boys were very useful, and as I said earlier, we used to have a ration of 50 cigarettes in those days which I give to the house boy to thank him because not only did he keep an eye on me, he took my dirty washing down the hill to bring back a few days later. Now that is him. When we were out on the line, this is the picture that was taken of the sergeant's best that was in Korea. I'm on there as a very young 23-year-old, but will no conclude and say I was very, very proud for having served in Korea, and it noticed, other my first medal, my first two ribbons are the British Korean and the United Nations medal. I would now like to conclude this interview. Thank you very, very much indeed.

>> My name is Earl Kalani Simerson. I went to Korea in 1950, July 1950. I followed after the 5th Regimental Combat Team had left before me. I was at that time at the [Indistinct] general’s office in 4th Chapter.

[ Chatter ]

>> You’re a local native Hawaiian. As a local native Hawaiian, what did you know about Korea and the Korean War before you went, and how did you feel about it after?

>> Before the Korean War, I didn’t know nothing about Korea, but after I went there, I left Korea. In Hawaii, well, we always had kimchi, so when I was in Korea, there was a lot of kimchi, so that was my meal, kimchi and rice. Still today, I still got kimchi and rice.

>> You had kimchi before you went to Korea?

>> Yeah.

[ Chatter ]

>> Wow.

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] kimchi.

[ Chatter ]

>> Tell me about your experience in the war. Your experience in the war and after.

[ Chatter ]

>> In the beginning, I saw a lot of casualties, and as a young boy, I never seen this in my life, and so I couldn’t eat for 11 days. I was so upset. And after that, I started to eat, understand I got to eat. Otherwise, I’d die. But I learned a lot about the Koreans. They were very nice people. Everywhere we went, they were taking care of every soldier, and otherwise, that’s about all [INAUDIBLE].

[ Chatter ]

>> You can talk about anything you want.

[ Chatter ]

>> Whenever you’re ready.

[ Chatter ]

>> Well, one of the things that we were there, we didn’t have supplies, so I never changed clothes for 3 months. That’s how bad. There was no supplies, no clothing.

[ Chatter ]

My clothes was just like leather. Most of us, every time we went to take a shower, everything was frozen, and so we couldn’t take showers but … And we used to burn houses to keep warm because you had no facilities, and so as we advanced, we’d stand under a house with a cigarette lighter, keep warm. That was it, but we had no winter clothing. By the time April came, 52 of the supplies came. It was too late, but that was because of the war started, and then America wasn’t in any war at that time so unprepared for it, the Korean War.

>> You know Hawaii didn’t become a state officially until 1959?

>> Yeah.

>> And you were sent to Korea in 1950. I don’t understand.

[ Chatter ]

>> Yeah, well, we were a territory of the United States.

>> I know, so did you volunteer, or were you drafted?

>> I volunteered in the Army.

>> Why would you want to volunteer for? Technically it wasn’t even your country.

>> Well, I volunteered in 1948. There was no jobs. Well, most of us all … After you got out of high school … Because of the second war, my parents went broke. We lost everything due to the Second World War so couldn’t go to college, so after I graduated from high school, joined the Army. Most of us all did. We joined the Army to get income, I guess, because at that time, there weren’t many jobs around.

[ Chatter ]

But that was one of the reasons why. Yeah.

[ Chatter ]

>> That makes me sad because you risked your life.

>> What’s that?

>> That makes me sad because you had to risk your life.

[ Chatter ]

It makes me sad because you had to risk your life for it.

>> Yes. When I think of it, oh, my god, I was lucky, but thank God.

[ Chatter ]

All my friends got wounded or were killed in action.

[ Chatter ]

So I’m thankful for what I have today.

[ Chatter ]

>> Thank you.