>> Hello. My name is Roy Painter. I'm a trustee of the British Korean War Veterans Association, and I served some time in Korea from 1952 to 1953 as a national serviceman. Most of the time, boring, some exciting, some of it very scary, but that was the way of the world then in 1952. I didn't think much of it when I came home, but now it means an awful lot to me when I see what the Korean people have done and very pleased and proud that it part of this regeneration of Korea, and I realized this. Now as you get older, you appreciate just how important it was that the part we played in the British Commonwealth Division and my colleagues. Forty-some of us never came back, like my friend Brian. He was only 20, who life dealt a bad deal, an orphan, in any case, was living with his grandmother, I'm afraid didn't come back and is still in the Korean cemetery. I suppose that's all part of war, and the bad things that happen, but the good things is that Korea is on its feet. The people are very generous to us, the Korean people, and it means so much to me that they have done this, and in some tiny cog in a bigger cog in a bigger cog, I played some part in it. Some things happened to me there. I went on a rest and recuperation leave, and I brought back a 1 yen. What that's worth now, I don't know. I visited a Buddhist temple while I was there, which, again, enlightened me. This is a couple of colleagues I had. That was me there, looking about 10 years old, but it was 1952, and we were all young and didn't care very much, some more photographs. The entertainers came out. That was a lady called Carole Carr, who was a very famous singing star in the '50s, and there she was. This here is my first introduction of working in the career, the signal office before I got sent up with the others and where it all happened, and this here is the ship I got sent home in, not much bigger than a Thames barge, actually, but there we are, but I've got some other things I could tell you if you want. Oh, this here, I was very pleased that I got invited back to Korea in November '14, and the generosity of the Korean people and everybody. The Ministry of Patriots awarded me the peace medal, and this parchment here, which I think I'm very proud of, which I hope in generations to come, my grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-grandchildren will look and feel as proud as I am when I received this. Well, also, they fished out these Christmas cards from the American people. I don't think she realized it was going to an English person, but, nevertheless, it was a delightful, delightful Christmas card from a grandmother in America wishing us all the best and that someone was thinking of us, which I thought was very, very generous of them. I did reply to the lady, and I hope she treasures my reply as much as I treasure this Christmas card. Oh, and there's lots I could tell you, could go on forever, really. At 60-odd, the UN decided to declare war in Korea. Now most of the people in England didn't even know where Korea was. You got to remember the time. We were still on rationing. We were the poorest country in Europe still. We'd been bombed out. My father had been in the army for 5 years. My house had been bombed. We were sleeping downstairs in two rooms, sleeping on mattresses on the floor. By 1945, that was then. I left school in 1948, and, of course, in 1951, like other young men, I had to do 2 years' National Service, which I was called up. I went to various parts of the United Kingdom until some time in I think it was March when I was in there, when I was called into the colonel's office and told, "You're off to Korea." Korea was some Asian, some ... The other side of the world, which of course it was. Anyway, pack your gear, go home on leave for 2 weeks, which I did. Wound up in Liverpool on a boat, had 6 weeks of very pleasant trip to Busan, saw parts of the world I never would have seen. We slept on-deck, and we got to Busan, where we was introduced to Korea. Spent 1 week there getting acclimatized, and then we boarded a train to go to Seoul, and it took us 37 hours, stopping, starting. We got to Seoul, out of Seoul. We got on Canadian tracks. We then went another 5 hours, and suddenly the reality of it hit me. I could hear guns firing. I could hear bangs. Oh, dear, this is the reality, but we all made silly jokes and said silly things, and I got to where I had to go in the Commonwealth Division, was fed, watered, and we all had to swim in a local stream, got all the dust off us, and then I was sent to the signal office where I was introduced to the workings of what the army life was really about, and strangely enough, within 2 days, the first message I received was of a schoolmate who sat next to me at school had been wounded, shrapnel wounds, head, severity, severe. How small a world is it? Then the next 6 weeks, I got acclimatized to everything and became what I suppose was a working soldier. Sergeant then come down, said, "Okay, Painter, we're going to cook your goose. You're going up to the Aussies now," and then in a jeep over the Imjin River, carried on. The gunfire got louder and louder and louder, and suddenly reality started dawning. Oh, dear, this is what it's all about, and I went until I was attached to the first World Straits Arrangement, and I was introduced to the colonel, and the sergeant, he was a grisly old Aussie who had been in the army for years, said, "This is your new English operator, a pommy," he said because they called English pommies. This is your new pommy operator. Wise operator said, "If you don't mind me saying so, sir," he said, "I think the poms is still sending us kids. They're still shipping young one on their mother's tit. They all look kids." Anyway, it was a start of a 3-or-4-month acclimatization. I learned very quickly to tell the difference between outgoing shells and incoming shells, but it wasn't that bad because everyone else was used to it. We did guard duties, and I was always impressed by the clarity of the sky at night, especially in the winter. It was so clear and clean-cut, and I looked at the stars, and I thought, "Wow," and I should try and work out in my head how far away it was to go home, 6,000 miles. If I walked it, could I walk through Mongolia? But then a routine settled down. I was a wireless operator, and you spent 6 hours on-duty, 6 hours off, but mostly it was fairly easy until sometimes, things got slightly naughty, and mortar bombs started landed on us, but it only lasted a few minutes, but it still used to make you scared, and people said they wasn't scared are telling fibs because everyone gets scared, but then you did guard duties, and you'd look at a bush, and you'd think, "Is that bush moving? Is it someone really there?" And I said ... I think peoples turn to religion. We all make false promises, and the shells we'd land on said, "Please, god, don't let them come any nearer. I will go to church," knowing I wouldn't, but time passed, and then I got attached to the Americans, and that was a lot of fun. They had food I'd never seen before, chocolates and steak and ham and eggs for breakfast. It was unbelievable because you have to remember that England was still on rationing. We were still on starvation rationing in England, but sweets, and time went by, and suddenly I'd been there almost a year, and I went on one leave in Tokyo, the rest and recuperation leave, which was fun, 5 days, lots of boozing and things like that, but that's what young soldiers do. Isn't it? And I came back, and where I could ... It did change my life. I remember looking a the Koreans, and I can remember them opening up a tin of bacon. It was a big tin. It was bacon inside. They took it out, and I remember saying to my mates, "Korea will never go back to being peasants again. They've moved 400 years in 2 years. They've seen now what the rest of the world has got," and I can remember these two young Korean guys taking the bacon out, and I thought, "They're eating the same as us, wearing the same clothes." Of them, those that were lucky enough to be with the Americans got all the goodies. They don't want to go back to eating rice and fish. Korea is going to change. They're going to want what they're ... and quite rightly so. It was a few moments. We never saw many civilians, but I can remember one was a Korean peasant lady who was way down in line, and she had a baby strapped to her back, a little boy, and as most soldiers do, I wasn't mean. I gave him two bars of chocolate, and the gratitude of the Korean mother was so immense that even at 19, I was moved that for two bars of chocolate, life should not be like this. People shouldn't be treated like this, and how could the north come down and raze these villages to the ground and kill people? I suppose it was part of my growing-up process. Wasn't it? This was wrong. This was wrong, and was I pleased I was taking part of that, of helping? And eventually time came, time to come home, and I did, and I must confess. I put it out of my mind, Korea. I put it out of my mind, but occasionally on my own I would think about it. I'd think about it. It never ... People say they have, what, post-traumatic ... I don't think it ... I had a few sleepless nights. I would wake up, and I wanted one experience, this, okay? When I went to an army camp in England some years ago, and they'd recreated the 1914 war with sandbags and shells, and I went through, and the shells started whistling, and my stomach did turn over. My tummy turned to water, and it brought back memories, but I soon got over it, like most people decided. I'm not sure about post-traumatic stress, but if people suffer from it, then I feel very sorry for them, but then I got a phone call in the ... oh, dear, from a man called Rod Larby. He said, "I know if you don't like to see your man's grave, Brian Clackett." And of course, the memories come flooding back. I said, "No," and Brian was only 20, and life dealt him a bum deal, which I think I said earlier. He was only 20, and he was an orphan. By 12 o'clock, he was dead, and so I became involved in the British Korean War Veterans Association, so I'm going to meet my old pals, told lots of lies to each other, didn't we? As we always did, but they were older. You remember some of that. Do you remember him? Do you remember him? Until eventually I went back on a revisit in November 2014, and I'm so pleased I did. The change in Korea is just phenomenal. They're the 10th largest economy in the world now, and if winning this war in South Korea could do this, why can't North Korea? Why can't other nations use this industry and do good things? Anyway, on the revisit, they arranged for me to see Brian's grave, and I must confess. I did get emotional in this time because it shouldn't happen to a 20-year-old, but I saw his grave. The graveyard is kept absolutely immaculate. The Korean people are ever-thankful. I don't mean grateful but thankful, which is nice, and isn't it a pity that the north is still the same as it was? Isn't that a shame? Isn't it? You'd think that ... words fail, especially with this lunatic in charge keeps his people in servitude and slavery, and we can only hope that all the people that died didn't die in vain, and that Korea becomes one nation. It's leapt from 1600 to the year now 2000. I can't believe it can carry on as it carries on now, and all these people died for nothing. You know? Fifty-six thousand Americans, over 1,000 Brits died and 1,000 were taken prisoner, and let's hope that we can all learn that man's inhumanity to man can't go on, so now in my 80s, am I pleased I did it? Oh, absolutely, I'm pleased I contributed in some way. I made friends and comrades I would never have made. I experienced something I would never have experienced before. I was privileged, just privileged to take part in some tiny call freeing South Korea from the yokes of North Korea, and so, really, I can go to my grave saying, "Well, I did contribute something to the world, albeit forced to do it but pleased to do it," and let's just hope that in my lifetime, Korea can unite. One thing I did forget was on Christmas 1952 at midnight, all guns stopped firing, which just very quickly became an eerie quietness. It was like, but on Christmas morning, strange enough on the wire before the minefields, the Chinese or North Koreans had left Christmas cards and little presents like toothpaste, razor blades and other things, and the Christmas cards were specifically worded for English. Hello, lads, merry Christmas. I hope you're enjoying some presents, but do you really want to fight for the American imperialists? While you're here, they're taking your girls and wives back home, and you're fighting a useless war. Do you really want to fight this war? What they didn't realize, it was counterproductive, of course, because we all laughed. It didn't really have any effect on us at all. We just laughed because we could see through this propaganda. It didn't really affect us. I will look for this card again because a picture is worth 1,000 words, so I hope I can find it and some other, but, of course, I wasn't expecting this, so I really don't know where I've put it, but I really must try and put this all in order for future generations.

– Me llamo Raúl Martínez Espinoza, soy bridadier general del ejército de Colombia. Formo parte del cuerpo de generales y almirantes de las fuerzas militares de Colombia. Fui fundador de la Asociación Colombiana de Oficiales Veteranos de la Guerra, cuya sigla es ASOVECOR. En este momento tenemos solamente 20 asociados, porque el resto de los asociados han fallecido. El objeto social de la asociación, como se ha venido cumpliendo hasta las posibilidades, es la de mantener el contacto, la amistad y el compañerismo, resaltar la participación de Colombia en el conflicto coreano a través de ceremonias militares, que llamamos “efemérides”, las cuales, desafortunadamente, tuvimos que suspender por falta, ya, de asistencia. Eh, entre otras de las partes del objeto social, son las de estar pendientes del estado de salud y el estado de cada uno de los asociados. Además, en lo posible, y hasta hace poco tiempo, utilizar los medios de comunicación social para difundir y hacer conocer nuestra presencia en la campaña de Corea. En este momento, como tal vez ya lo dije, somos muy pocos por efecto de que nos quedan solamente 20 socios.
– Y, por favor, dice con su experiencia personal en la “gera”.
– Mi experiencia personal en la Guerra de Corea, en primer término, yo fui comandante de, lo que se llama, un pelotón. Y como comandante de ese pelotón de la compañía C, me correspondió el 13 de octubre de 1951 atacar los puestos asignados al batallón en una orden de operaciones para lo que se denominó “Operación Nómada”, y capturar esos objetivos que estaban en manos de tropas de la República de la China. Fuera de esto, y después esta experiencia muy importante desde mi punto de vista personal y profesional, de capturar ese objetivo, de capturar material de guerra, etcétera, etcétera, fui relevado después de un año, y presté servicios como segundo comandante de la compañía C. Presté mis servicios como tal, o sea, ejecutivo, según la denominación militar, en el puesto avanzado en el Valle de Kumwha, cerca a lo que se llamó “El Cerro” o “El Área de Acero”, el área, y del puesto 400, que fue motivo de una “Operación Climber”. De resto, mis actividades fueron patrullar. Tuve que patrullar de día, pero también, especialmente, desde mi punto de vista como una experiencia única, el haber patrullado de noche en pleno invierno con la circunstancia, y haber resistido temperaturas de bajo 35 grados. Y lo demás ya son actividades que se cumplen dentro de la parte militar como ejecutivo de la compañía.
– ¿Cómo es la significancia de contribución, de la contribución de Colombia en la “gera”? Significancia de Colombia.
– Ah, significado de la presencia de Colombia en la guerra de Corea, es para nosotros una gran experiencia, toda vez que se demostró ante el mundo que Colombia es respetuosa de la firma de la Carta de las Naciones Unidas, y respetuosa del llamado que hizo después de la invasión de Corea del Norte después del 25 de junio, por ahí el 27, el Consejo de Seguridad a los países firmantes de esa carta. Colombia fue el único país latinoamericano que se presentó allí a responder sobre ese llamado. Desde otro punto de vista, fue muy importante el haber participado en esta campaña, toda vez desde el momento en que regresamos a Colombia, hubo una modernización, un cambio total de las fuerzas militares, e inclusive, de la Policía Nacional. Entonces, dejamos de ser una entidad militar obtusa y antigua, en una unidad o una organización militar moderna, e incluyendo una doctrina que se ajustaba al tipo de guerra que nos tocó adelantar, que era la guerra regular.
– ¿Cuántos participaron en la “gera”?
– Eh, hubo 131 muertos, 649 heridos, 69 desaparecidos, 30 prisioneros, de los cuales regresaron solamente 28. O sea, quedaron 2 de los prisioneros capturados, y no sabemos en dónde están, no sabemos qué pasó con ellos.
– ¿Y por qué es importante para colombianos y coreanos y personas jóvenes del mundo recordar las contribuciones de Colombia y recordar este, esta “guera”? Porque esta “gera”, ah, ellos dicen que es “gera olvidado”. ¿Y, y por qué es importante para nosotros, eh, recordamos?
– Desde mi punto de vista, y según mi concepto, el hecho de haber participado en este conflicto, le dio una imagen a Colombia en el mundo que no conocían. Tal vez nos conocían como un país del tercer mundo. Entonces, siempre, no solamente Colombia, sino en coordinación con otros países, hemos estado pendientes de difundir, de promulgar nuestra presencia en Corea a través de publicaciones, como el periódico de una asociación de oficiales que se llama ASCOVE, y de una revista de las fuerzas militares, y una revista, también, de el cuerpo de generales y almirantes. De todas maneras, de las formas posibles, y de acuerdo a las posibilidades que tenemos, tratamos de que cuando celebramos alguna de nuestras efemérides, que la prensa nacional publique esto. Pero con tristeza, francamente les manifiesto, no les interesa mucho, los periódicos de Colombia, publicar o difundir estas situaciones. Incluso, hemos enviado en algunas oportunidades, notas corrigiendo algunos detalles que ha habido de culparnos sobre algo de la muerte de unos estudiantes, eh, por parte del Batallón Colombia que acababa de regresado de Corea, cuando eso era una gran mentira. Y esa publicación no la autorizaron o no la hicieron. En fin, como hemos tratado de hacerlo de nuestra parte, y también de los compañeros de ASCOVE, hemos tratado de, eh, la opinión pública, pero también dentro del ámbito militar, no se les olvide que Colombia estuvo en una guerra muy importante para el mundo porque fue el enfrentamiento, prácticamente, entre el bloque conducido por Rusia, contra el bloque conducido por las Naciones Unidas.
– Y por el fin, ¿cuál, cómo piensa, eh, de, Corea y coreanos y el futuro de Corea? Porque la “gera” no termi… no termina.
– Sí, estamos totalmente enterados a través de los periódicos, de las publicaciones, que sigue, pues, indudablemente se firmó un armisticio,¿no?, el 27 de junio de 1953, pero no se firmó la paz. Entonces, siempre sigue desde antes de la guerra, cuando estaba a la cabeza de Corea, Kim Il-sung, que había estado participando en la campaña con Mao Tse Tung y con tropas de Corea. El hijo, el nieto ahora continúa el, el enfrentamiento con Corea del Sur tratando, en este caso, como siempre se ha aspirado, tanto del Sur como del Norte, de unir la península, que sea una sola, como pasó hace miles de años a través de las diferentes dinastías, hasta 1910 cuando llegó Japón y… como una colonia. Entonces, creo yo, es mi concepto, que esta situación no se va a acabar muy pronto, sino seguirá, especialmente, el Norte y, lógicamente, el Sur, con todo derecho, tratando de neutralizar la posible actividad bélica que tiene en este momento, por lo menos, en lo que nos publican en lo siguiente, los del Norte, a través de su armamentismo, se dice, con, ya, armas nucleares. Entonces, eso es peligrosísimo, pero esa situación no va a terminar. El pueblo, en este caso hablo del pueblo surcoreano, porque en el Norte tienen que estar también pensando lo mismo. Porque cuando a mí me ha correspondido hablar de destrucción, de aniquilamiento, hay que hablar es de la gente que vivía en las dos Corea, los que, lamentablemente, con el Paralelo 38, separaron el Norte del Sur. Entonces, como conclusión, yo creo que esta situación tirante, esta situación peligrosa seguirá por mucho tiempo hasta que no se apacigüe la ambición de Kim Min Un actualmente.
– Tiene 89 años, pero parece 78.
[RISAS].
– Porque que he perdido como casi 20 kilos, yo estaba más gordo.
– Oh.
– Sí, yo sufro de problemas de problemas aquí, en el páncreas.
– Sí, pero es mejor para su salud.
– Sí.
– Sí, sí. Y último pregunta, ¿visité, no, visitó, ah, la Corea?
– Sí, yo he ido muchas veces porque, primero, remplacé al señor general Ruíz en la Federación Internacional de Asociaciones de Veteranos de Corea, International Federation of Corean War Veterans, que funcionaba de acuerdo a la presidencia, y el general Alberto Ruíz Novoa, él era secre… era consejero. Entonces, yo lo reemplacé a él porque yo fui presidente de una asociación de oficiales colombianos que se llame ACORE. Por esas circunstancias, y por el hecho de haber sido, o ser, porque en este momento todavía soy presidente de la Asociación de Oficiales, he ido alrededor de unas cinco o seis veces a Corea. La última vez, lamentablemente, ya me enfermé, y no… Que fue en el mes de junio del 2013. Iba a viajar a Corea en junio, pero ya no, no pude ir, y no he vuelto.
– ¿Y qué piensa de, de Corea ahora comparado a antes?
– Pues, tengo algo en la cabeza que lo leí en alguna parte, y es la destrucción, el arrasamiento, el aniquilamiento de Corea, de dos Corea, porque estamos hablando de Corea del Norte y del Sur, fue peor que el arrasamiento que tuvo Europa en la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Así que, personalmente, tuvimos la oportunidad, como llegamos en junio de 19… Eh, mayo de… Digo, junio de 1951, observar la obstrucción, la cantidad de huérfanos, de viudas, de hambre, etcétera, entonces, nos llenó francamente de dolor ver que un país, aún cuando era un país extraño para nosotros, eran seres humanos que habían sido destrozados, que habían acabado en esa forma tan violenta y tan agresiva.

>> Hello, everybody, from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. So you thought that I would go after July 27th. Not really. I’m here in this beautiful island to honor Virgin Islanders who went to fight in Korea. So we just laid a wreath here, and this is the Franklin D Roosevelt Veterans Memorial Park, and while it does not have a Korean War memorial yet, it has a veterans memorial honoring veterans from all five branches. We, of course, laid the wreath here, and I am going to take you to some of my Virgin Islander grandpas, so come on over. Of course, that is the Virgin Islands’ flag, and behind me is the government building. So just to give you a history background, Virgin Islands became part of the U.S. territories in 1917 because, of course, America wanted to ensure that the Caribbean was not going to be under German influence. And it’s a little bit … If you really think, it’s amazing that shortly after Virgin Islanders fought in the Korean War for a country, their newly adopted country, for a country that they didn’t know, Korea. And so here we … Look at this. The Lieutenant Governor was here. Thank you, Lieutenant Governor Potter, who was a veteran himself. Congresswoman …

>> West. West.

>> Representative was here. She came to represent. But … And we just ended the ceremony, so they’re eating lunch, and they’re watching a video about the Korean War. But … Grandpa, can you say hello to the people? To say … These are my grandpas, Virgin Islander grandpas. My grandpa, Larry. Oh, Grandpa Aubrey, perfect!

[ Chatter ]

Well, he says, “Ya,” but …

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> So Grandpa Aubrey is probably one of the most knowledgeable Korean War veterans that I’ve met and had the honor to meet, and he’s a Virgin Islander. However, he fought with the Borinqueneers. Of course, you all know by then …

>> I assisted them.

>> Yes. You assisted them, but he also has a Congressional Gold Medal because, of course, the Borinqueneers were at war …

>> [INAUDIBLE].

>> Exactly. And could you just as a Virgin Islanders …

>> Yeah.

>> To have participated in this effort to defend freedom, not just for Korea, but halted to communism, spread of communism around the world. What does it mean? What does it mean to you after almost 70 years for me to come here and thank you and just seeing your colleagues?

>> Well, it’s built a different level. What we did, maybe how the people of color in the military to be better treated because they saw that we had discipline. We could follow orders. We were well trained. I was the first person of color accepted to the Southeastern Signal School in Fort Gordon, Georgia, in 1952, and it was very intense course. It was the longest in the [INAUDIBLE] course at the time because 34 weeks long. I was perfectly trained in every type of communication of that time to operate, to repair and restore, and that’s what I did in Korea to help you people.

>> I’m not surprised because he is extremely intelligent, and I’m really serious.

>> I’m just blessed.

>> No. Well, you are.

>> The father has blessed me so much.

>> You are blessed with intelligence, and so thank you for making it … coming here, not just today, but to share with me the stories so that I could pass it on and share with other people, and so that your legacy is not forgotten.

>> Yeah. I always try to remember those who were with me and [INAUDIBLE] that didn’t come home and those who came home and were disregarded and never helped and just fell by the sidelines, many of my friends and [INAUDIBLE]. Nobody helped them. I suppose that’s the cold Korean War. I was blessed. I never killed anyone. I was trained. I helped my fellow men as much as I could, and I loved the military. I loved it. I was drafted, and then I re-enlisted for 3 years.

>> That’s amazing.

>> And it made my life great.

>> That’s amazing.

>> I will never say anything about the military.

>> Mm. Well …

>> Some people have different ideas. Some people have probably a difficult time, but I did, but I survived it. I have a grandson who is in the Marines right now.

>> Wow.

>> And I told him …

>> Semper Fi.

>> … if he’s going to be successful, “You must listen, learn and improvise,” and at times he must become a chameleon.

>> Mm, that’s very good advice, everybody. But just want to stop here and say that he mentioned those who didn’t come home like he did, and that is 78. Okay?

>> But those who came home were never treated well, many, many.

>> We just learned today … I learned today that 700 and almost 90 went from Virgin Islands.

>> Yup.

>> 1950, the population here was 26,700. That’s like …

>> Now remember this was from the three Virgin Islands, not only St. Thomas.

>> Oh, yes. Three islands: St. Thomas …

>> St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John.

>> And so I’ll be in St. Croix tomorrow.

>> I think the most that actually never came home are from St. Croix.

>> Mm, I’ll be going tomorrow.

>> Again, they used them as cannon fodder. You know what that phrase means?

>> Mm-mm. What does that mean?

>> Cannon fodder is when a leader in the military just wants … He needs someone to die to protect more people.

>> Oh.

>> And they do that quite often. That’s what they did with the 65th Infantry. That’s what McArthur did with the 65th Infantry. He use it as a blocking unit and without just sacrificing them to save maybe the [INAUDIBLE] at the time because of the Korean. These are things that people never talk about.

>> And I do want to just say that, that is why war is something …

>> Senseless.

>> … senseless, and we need to continue to defend people. Ooh, it’s raining, so I’m going to go. I want you to shelter, okay? Thank you so much.

>> You do that. I don’t want you to melt.

>> It’s kind of weird because it’s hot, and it’s raining, and it’s very hot, and it’s raining. But I do want to end with … There’s some Caribbean food back there, and I’m hungry, so I’ll be eating that soon. However … Hey. Where are your two other handsome cousins?

>> Over there. Brothers.

>> Yes. Okay.

>> They get some food also.

>> Okay. Come, come. Okay. Name, please.

>> My name is Bubba Benjamin.

[ Chatter ]

>> Ooh, Benjamins. And?

>> Hello. I’m Marcene Benjamin.

>> Okay. Where’s the other Benjamin?

>> One more Benjamin missing.

>> Why are you guys here? Can you just start with that? So we’re going to come a little closer because it’s so loud back there.

>> We came to support our grandfather.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

>> Well, we’ll go over there only because we don’t to block the food. Okay. You came to support your grandpa. Who’s your grandfather?

>> My grandfather is [INAUDIBLE].

>> Okay. Can you honor him by explaining to them why he was here?

>> Well, he fought in Korean War.

>> He fought in the Korean War.

>> He wasn’t even around then. You know what I’m saying?

>> We wasn’t even a thought or anything.

>> He fought for us, and we wasn’t even in existence yet because my mom and dad go back home. He was all the way across the world fighting for America.

>> I know. That’s kind of cool. Do you know … So I called him my grandpa. You heard, right? So technically we’re cousins. Right? Yeah. So I have my new … Ooh. Did you guys do this, red, white and blue?

>> No.

>> Well, I did it.

>> They’re very patriotic. Red, white and blue. Yeah.

>> It wasn’t planned but …

>> My Benjamin cousins. Yes. So thank you for your grandfather’s service, and I hope that you carry for the rest of your life that pride that he served and helped somebody like me to come in existence, not only you, but me, right, and all the Korean people, and we’re very grateful for your grandfather’s service. So I would be remiss if we didn’t show you Mr. Benjamin, so I’m going to take you to him. He doesn’t know I’m coming. Okay. It’s really cool that he has his entire family rolled with him to honor him. Grandpa? Can you just come and wave? Come this way. Sorry to disturb you while you’re eating, but I wanted everybody to see your handsome face because your grandsons just talked about your service in the war and how proud they are.

>> [INAUDIBLE].

>> Mm.

>> [INAUDIBLE].

>> Mm. But I am so glad that you made it back, that you are here, and you have this beautiful family that you raised, who love you and who respect you and are so proud of you as I am grateful to you, so thank you.

[ Chatter ]

And last but not least, look at this. “Proudly we served Virgin Islander Veterans of the Korean War.” Isn’t that awesome? So I just would like to say … I’m going to go this way. I would like to show everybody, ta-da. And give a shout-out to our commander from the American Legion [INAUDIBLE] 90, fearless leader. She called the Lieutenant Governor her younger brother. I said, “Oh, my god. I thought you’re his younger sister.” She looks really good. I’m going to later ask her for her secret, how to keep young.

>> Stay happy.

>> Stay happy. I think so too. And I’m staying grateful and happy. Yeah. I’m just so grateful to be here. That Alpine Security, [INAUDIBLE] Charles giving shout-out over there. I’m just so proud that you have organized and brought all of us here together on this day so that we could remember the Forgotten War and to honor the veterans who are sometimes too often not honored and thanked enough. So again, it was to my surprise I learned that there were a few more veterans in Virgin Islands. Not only 78 died. And that’s … Not to compare numbers, that’s more than Nevada and Delaware. So people back in the states, we sometimes forget the sacrifices made by the people in the U.S. territories. And so again, I am grateful to you. I’m grateful to Alpine Securities. I’m grateful to the American Legion Post and to the government of U.S. Virgin Islands for taking care of the grandpas. I am hoping that there will be a memorial, monument, dedicated at the veterans park to honor their service. So, Shumaro, this has been now an extension of my fantasy 70-plus, 70, 90-day journey across America because it’s my 92nd day, but the journey continued because the Korean War veterans must be remembered forever. So remember727.org. See you tomorrow. Bye.

– Me llamo José Vidal Beltrán Molano. Mi grado en el Ejército: cabo primero. Formo parte de la Junta Directiva de ASCOE por el cargo de vocal. Quiero hacer un recuento de mi vida antes de ir a Corea. Trabajaba aquí, en este palacio, palacio presidencial, trabajé cinco años. Aquí estaba trabajando antes de ir a Corea voluntariamente a luchar por la democracia y la libertad de Corea del Sur. Me siento orgulloso de haber pertenecido a ese ejército libertador en su país, a ese grupo que fuimos a luchar por la libertad, por la democracia de Corea, de un pueblo oprimido en aquella ocasión. Yo permanecí 15 meses en Corea. Mi comandante fue, con mi, en esa época, coronel Ruiz Novoa, quien falleció en días pasados, hoy general de la República. Mi experiencia allí en Corea fue bastante difícil porque, por el idioma, por las costumbres. Para mí era un país desconocido, gente desconocida, pero gente amable, gente muy querida por la cual luchamos hasta donde fue posible. De mi regreso a Colombia tengo la experiencia de haber sido recibido aquí, en mi país, con honores. Después, formé una familia. Tengo ocho hijos, todos profesionales, un militar, el menor de mi familia, de mis hijos, coronel de la Fuerza Aérea Colombiana. Hemos recibido en la Embajada de Corea, he recibido muchas atenciones, muchos agasajos, beneficios para mis, para mis nietos en cuanto a educación. Y he encontrado mucho apoyo en todos los casos en los cuales hemos tenido que ver mucho con la colonia de Corea. Cualquier pregunta que quiera hacerme, con mucho gusto.
– ¿Qué piensa de que, de Corea y coreanos y el futuro de Corea? Porque la guerra no termina.
– No la, no la escucho, no la entiendo.
– ¿Visitas, visita a Corea?
– Ah, sí, hace dos años estuve por una invitación del presidente de Corea, estuve visitando Corea después de 60 años de haber estado allá en la guerra. Fui muy bien atendido, muy bien recibido. Nos recibieron, fui en compañía de cuatro compañeros más. Fuimos recibidos como héroes. Nos atendieron muy bien. Corea, especialmente Seúl, ha cambiado muchísimo de la época en que estuvimos en la guerra a como se encuentra ahora. Corea se ha desarrollado muchísimo, ha progresado, y me alegra muchísimo que Corea en este momento sea uno de las potencias económicas del mundo, y que su gente maravillosa todavía nos recuerda después de más de 60 años, nos recuerda con cariño y con gratitud. Y todavía en esta fecha nos están dando las gracias por el sacrificio que hicimos por el pueblo de Corea del Sur.

-El buque Tortuga fue creado en 1591 como parte de la guerra con el Japón, donde la tripulación estaba en el interior y la cubierta superior estaba con púas, entonces los invasores no podían entrar aL buque La Tortuga. Entonces, por eso, la gente adentro, cuando llegaron a cierto lugar, pudieron salir y combatir a los japoneses. Pero el engaño estuvo fue en el interior del buque ese Tortuga, estaba todo el personal militar, y de arriba no veían nada, y no podían bajar por las púas que tenían la cubierta. Entonces eso fue un engaño y pudieron ganar la guerra.

– …Cardónez. About the battles in Korea, I only remember that I was a lifer man, I was, all the time– Most of the times in different lines. When we arrived in Korea with the 63rd Infantry, that was the 6th battalion of the Infantry regiment. And we arrived in Korea on 1 October 1950. So we started going in patrols, because by that time [inaudible] elements, and probably the worst one when China came into the war. There were too many Chinese for us. And I remember that we were, I mean, the first division in the U.S., it was in the [inaudible] war. Is that right?
– Yes.
– So it was November, 1950 when China entered into the war, and the first thing they were trying to do was to finish with the Marines that were taking care of the reservoirs. So, it was winter, 1950. The water was up here, about our knees, and the Chines almost destroyed the Marine division, and the 63rd Infantry were holding the Chinese to help the Marines get out of the– and go to the port of [inaudible] in Korea. So…
– And you were part of that?
– Yeah. The 65th Infantry regiment was the last unit left in North Korea during the US [inaudible] in 1950, and — when we got into the ships that were about 15 or 20 miles in the sea, our regiment put a lot of dynamite in the port, and as soon as we left, they destroyed the [inaudible] in order for the Chinese to use any– for the moment. We were taking to Pusan– everybody was taking to Pusan. And– it was– we went into the ships, it was on 24 December 1950, Christmas time. And we had– they gave us supper on the ship, so we’ve been more– removing our clothes, and when we’re taking into the ships, we were ordered to take our clothes, and they gave us clean ones, clean clothing. So, after taking us to Pusan, they assigned us positions 12 or 15 miles at the North of Pusan. The January 1, 1951, I was assigned to this [inaudible] the 3rd Infantry division. When I stayed for 6 months– July, the same year, I think, 1951, I went back to my company, the Infantry division which was in the front. So, in September, 1951, we were attacking the hill at the west of Ch’orwon, there are hills at the west of Ch’orwon. Ch’orwon is about 20 miles from the parallel, up. And– with the [inaudible], the Chinese were all around, and they were attacking us with urgent. And it was raining like hell. It was in September. And I was trying to– we received orders to leave the place. I was assigned [inaudible] one of that. I don’t think the North Koreans are [inaudible]
– On 18 September 1951, we were capturing one of the hills. As I told you, it was raining like hell, and the artillery, the Chinese artillery all the time, and we were ordered to go back and leave our place. So, there were 12 comrades there already, and I was assigned to carry one of them out. When I was taking care of my comrade, I was hit in the back by Chinese artillery, and I have to leave him, to leave the dead man I was carrying. So, I was taken back to the line, to the resting line, and I was taken to some doctor, and — by that time, I had spent almost 14 months in Korea. And I never went back to the front line. They continued to [inaudible] to take me out of the front lines. So, I entered the Army for three years to volunteer. I can tell you that when I graduated from High-school in my hometown, I entered to work in a drugstore. And on 20 June 1950, I entered to volunteer in the Army to study for officer at the canals in Panama. Five days later, the North Korea, at that time, South Korea, and we were sent to the canal zone, and it was basic training. And when we finished the training, the company commander asked me that they wanted me to stay at the pharmacy in Panama, and I said, “No, I want to go with the Japanese.” So I went volunteering to Korea. I went volunteering in the Army, and volunteering to Korea.
– Why?
– Because at that time, I was 20 years old, and I liked adventures, I liked risky scenes.
– But you could’ve risked your life.
– That was something included in the package. So, I studied three years in the Army, and– get my [inaudible] studying at the University of Puerto Rico. I worked for the government for 23 years, and at the four years studying makes 27, and three years in the Army makes 30. “It’s time to get out of the government.” So, in 1881, I had been working by myself as a lawyer.
– Yes. One more question because you said that you wanted to risk your life for adventure, and you could die. But here, you’re at the cemetery, with comrades who did die. What do you think when you come here?
– Well, we come here because we’re alive to honor them with our visit here. And we do the best we can to have this place as it is.
– Are you glad that you didn’t die, though? I am, I’m glad.
– I’m glad. I’m glad I’m alive. And I– when I saw Korea last September, it was like a miracle because– Korea was all destroyed, and now they have this beautiful country, beautiful Seoul, the capital. And nice people everywhere and I’d like to do there again. Sometime, I will.
– Soon.
– It was nice to have you here, and I hope you enjoy your stay in Puerto Rico.
– Thank you so much.

– Mi nombre es Roberto Fajardo Tupica. Soy de Bogotá. Tengo en este momento 84 años. Viajé a Corea en el año de 1952, a la edad de 19 años. Llegué exactamente el día 18 de enero de 1953 cuando cumplí 20 años. Mi experiencia en Corea voy a referírsela, pero primero le digo que me presenté voluntario a, al Batallón Colombia porque desde muy joven he detestado el comunismo. Y hasta esta, en este momento, también. No estoy de acuerdo con los postulados de, del, del comunismo. En Corea pertenecí al Batallón, al Batallón de la pesada, digamos así, que, que son ametralladoras, cañones y mortero, mortero 81. Yo fui comandante de pieza de mortero 81. Estuve en, en el mayor confrontamiento que hubo que fue en el Old Baldy. Allí estuvimos recibiendo la artillería enemiga durante muchas horas, a consecuencia del cual quedé tres días sordo porque yo era el apuntador y recibía el impacto del, del, del disparo cerca de mis oídos. Eso me, me significó que me hubieran concedido Medalla de Honor al Deber Cumplido. Mi experiencia en Corea fue muy grata por muchos motivos. El primero, porque me encontré con un gran amigo con el que jugábamos fútbol aquí en Bogotá y se me había perdido, el señor Ernesto Segura Vaquero. Nos encontramos, nos reencontramos allá. Eso me valió jugar fútbol, tener ciertas ventajas en, en el tratamiento que nos daban, lo mismo que por jugar ajedrez. Entonces compartía con los oficiales porque les gustaba ese, ese aspecto mío. Allá también tuve, conseguí dos muy buenos amigos, el señor Pedro Vergara y Orlando Bernal con quien también jugábamos fútbol. El señor Vergara fue el que me consiguió el puesto en la contraloría con el general Alberto Ruiz Novoa. A consecuencia de eso, logré encauzar mi vida durante 11 años en la Contraloría General de la República y 20 años en la Compañía Colombiana de Seguros, de donde soy pensionado. En este momento sigo pensando que el comunismo es de lo, de lo peor que nos ha podido suceder. No sé qué, qué más contarles al respecto, pero esa es mi experiencia en Corea. Aquí en Bogotá, después, me casé joven a los 24 años. Tengo seis hijos, todos profesionales, afortunadamente, muy bien situados y mi familia está muy unida. Mis nietas, tengo 10 nietos, siete mujeres, tres hombres. Y ahí vamos en esta vida agradeciéndole, eso sí, a Corea, a la Samsung, a la Embajada, que nos ha colaborado. Yo tuve una hija becada para el bachillerato, una hija no, una nieta becada para el bachillerato que ya culminó sus estudios. Es abogada de la Universidad del Rosario, está muy bien situada. Y esa es mi experiencia con, con Corea.