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Denmark Copenhagen
>> My name is Sven Yacht, and I joined the Jutlandia in 1951. No, that's not correct. That was the first trip, when the ship left Copenhagen. I joined the Jutlandia sailing from Copenhagen 19th of September in '52, and I had asked for a job on board the Jutlandia already in 1950, when it was decided from the Danish Foreign Ministry that Denmark would send a hospital ship to Korea. At that time, I was in India, but I sent a telegram back to East Asiatic Company, which owned the ship, that if they could need me, I was ready to volunteer for a job as engineer on board the ship, but as it was normal custom in the EAC at that time, I never heard an answer for it. So it took until September '52 before I all of a sudden was called in with about 3 days' notice. So I had to pack up all my clothes in a hurry and go to the ship, which was laying down at Langelinie, where the memorial, the Danish vigilance memorial, placed only a few meters from the place where the Jutlandia left Copenhagen. Strange enough, we sailed, and strange enough, we sailed 19th of September, and it was my birthday, 28th of September. So at that time, I joined that, call it short period, I met, very, very fast, we learned each other to know on board the ship, and one day, when I was on the deck, looking at what happened on the sea and so on, there were three nurses standing also just there. I guess they were standing there, and I walked there, probably the way we did it, and among them there were a young nurse, which I was going to learn later on, but we talked about it, and I told them it was my birthday the day after, and they said, "Oh, well, we'll come. We'll come." I said, "Oh, that's a very good idea. You can join me tomorrow morning. I'm finished in the engine room at 4 o'clock in the morning." "Oh, well, that's a little bit early," and, no, they couldn't do that. That would not be allowed, and they were very shy at that time. After a year or two, it had left most of them, but that was the first time I met this young ... She was the second youngest nurse which had signed on board the ship. There were very strict rules and very strict ... What do you call it? They should at least be 25 years old, and they should have been nurses for so-and-so long, and they have worked with operations and other things from a hospital. So it was very trained and very clever nurses that were on board, but then we sailed further on, and it was a fantastic experience for the crew, for the young doctors and for the nurses, when we came to the Mediterranean and later on through the Suez Canal, and because it was so close, after all, it was so close from the Second World War and the German occupation of Denmark that they had never been abroad from Denmark, all these, only very few. So it was the great ... Everything was new for all these people. When we came through Suez Canal and went to Sri Lanka or to Ceylon, was its name at that time, and then it happened that I went ashore for a few hours in Ceylon, and I met three nurses up there. That was, of course, the same nurses as I had met first time, and they were a little bewildered. They didn't know what to do. They had never been away. So I said, "Well, wouldn't you care for a drink or something in this heat down here?" "Oh, yes, yes, better." I said, "Well, I know there's a fine hotel here we can go and have a drink. What do you want to drink?" They didn't know because none of them were used to have drinks, but one of them had been ashore in Southampton, where we had called on the way out, and she said, "Oh, oh, I will have a gin and tonic," and so all of a sudden, all three wanted gin and tonics. So we got that, and we sat in this hotel and had a 1/2 an hour or so, and among them were also this nurse that came. We left Ceylon where we called for fresh water and oil and other kind of supports for the ship, and we came to Singapore where we also called in, and Singapore, there were possibilities for the nurses and doctors, for the hospital staff. They were allowed to go ashore as much as they wanted because there were no patients there at that time, and I was so happy I could have a few hours off, and I went ashore to buy a few things, and, of course, I met three nurses carrying parcels, and they were saying it was really an adventure for them to be in Singapore, and Singapore was a wonderful city, at least at that time. Well, it still is, and I said, "Have you been at Raffles Hotel?" "No, no." I said, "Well, you go to Raffles Hotel and have a drink. You can't be in Singapore without having been at Hotel Raffles." That was the most important hotel there, and it was from back to the colonials to the time from when Singapore belonged the Great Britain, but I said, "Well, I'm going on board now. I'm having a taxi. What about all these parcels and all these things? Shouldn't I bring them on board, and so you can go to Raffles and have a nice time?" So I did so, and that was good. That was the third time I met the same nurse, and, well, then we left Singapore and came to Yokosuka in Japan, which was the naval base for United States ships, and we didn't see much to each other then after that because from there, after a few days in Japan, we sailed to Pusan, and a few hours after arrival to Pusan, we got the first patients, first wounded soldiers, and so everybody had their business to do. So there were no shopping or no possibility to meet each other very much, but then New Year's Eve, we were invited, for the 1st of January, we were invited to a reception by the American commanding general in the place which the American soldiers and especially the officers, where they met very often. I don't know. It was called Old Ironsides. Why? I don't know, but that was the name of this place, and everybody who could leave the Jutlandia participated in this reception, and there were speeches and so on, and the day before, I met this young nurse, and I said, "Well, are you going to the reception tomorrow?" "Oh, well, yes, I think so." "Have you company? Are you meeting some of your friends or your colleagues from the cabin or so?" "No, no, I have ... No." "What about ... Shouldn't we join, and would you follow me?" "Oh, yes," she says, "I would like to." So that was, in fact, the first time I had a chance to sit. We came in to a big table, hundreds of people there, and we had a nice, a very nice reception, a very nice day there, and we had much fun because there were a lot of American officers at the same table, and Americans are very polite. So when later, after a few hours, one or two ladies needed to go outside for a few minutes, and every time, all the Americans stood up, and when they came back, they stood up and sat down, and these older chief surgeons from Denmark, they said, "Oh, what the hell? Are we going to stand up every time one of the nurses has to go out?" They were not used to so much politeness. So it ended up with the nurses tried to ... Oh, sorry, my brain and my English is not what it has been, but they stayed at the tables until the last minute. So that was actually the first time we had to speak together and have a nice time, but then, later on, we had our work, but when we were in Korea, in Inchon. We were anchored in Inchon. We started off the first two trips with Jutlandia, the ship were in Pusan, but then the second trip went to ... The first trip we called Jutlandia service in Korea in three different trips. The first trip was we were sent by Allied Command to Europe or actually to Ethiopia, to Turkey, Greece, France, Rotterdam with wounded, and it turned in Rotterdam and immediately back to Korea, but then the second time, Allied Command said, "Now you go to Europe again." We took the same route, but from Rotterdam, we went to Copenhagen because we should have a helicopter deck made on it, and we should have some air condition because the temperature in the operating rooms were up to 40 Celsius during the summertime in Korea, and that was the chance for me to join the Jutlandia. That was when it was finished with helicopter deck and all that. We started back to Korea 19th of September, and strange enough, that was the same date when this nurse, which I later learned to know, she also joined the ship. She had asked for it before, with Red Cross, but she was too young at that time. She was not 25, but now, the third trip, she had passed 25, and she was taken as a nurse on-board. At that time, she had been a military nurse in the Danish Army. So she was very well-equipped for the job on-board the Jutlandia, but it was strange that we had both asked before to join the Jutlandia, but first, the second trip, the third trip, we were allowed to join ship, and that was, I think, some strange coincidence that we both had sought for it and both were at first allowed to join it in September '52, but ... Well, we jumped a little bit in it, but later in Inchon, we didn't have much chance to meet each other or to speak or to, as you saw in the Jutlandia Hall Museum, there were not much possibilities, and in fact, the nurses were not allowed to go to the officers' area. I don't know why, but there must have been some reason that they wouldn't allow nurses to go there. So we had each our job after this 1st of January session in Old Ironsides, but, I can't remember, probably a Saturday or Sunday where we could go ashore, and we went to Kamakura. That was when the ship was in Japan. Every 6 weeks, the Danish and the American ships, one by one, were sent to Japan with a full ship of wounded soldiers which then were sent from Japan. The very much wounded soldiers were flown out either to Hawaii or directly to USA, and when we were in Japan, we had to take care of the engine, all the engines, because we were not allowed. We should be able to leave the road of Inchon with only 1/2 an hour's notice in case something happened or in case the North Koreans still found an airplane which could attack. So we had this chance, and while then I dared to invite this nurse for a trip to Kamakura, which is a huge Buddha figure not very far from Yokosuka in Japan, very impressive. We had a very nice day. That was the first time we had a full day on our own, and that was the 10th of January. Yes, I remember, still remember that because that was the first time that we felt sympathy for each other, and we were trained and bussed from this place down to the airbase in Yokosuka, but it ended at the gangway. There were no possibilities to go further on board the ship. So then we, from that time off, it was ... We didn't see much to each other. We met on the deck sometimes, but that was all, and we came home the 23rd of October when the war ... when the Armistice legislation had ended, not ended the war because the war is still existing, actually, but there is an Armistice, what do you call it, situation, but when we came home, I was still in East Asiatic Company, but we kept writing letters to each other. My wife was in a large Army camp as chief nurse, and we kept contact as well as we could. I was in the East Asiatic Company, and she was in her work, but after a year or there about, we found out that a marriage was the right thing to do, and we asked a former priest from Jutlandia who had served as ... What do you call it, vicar? >> Chaplain. >> On the Jutlandia, whether he would marry us, and he said, "With greatest pleasure," and we were married in [FOREIGN LANGUAGE], which we passed today. We were married, but the ship, at the time, when we found out the date and so on, but when the church was ready to receive us, we were in the second biggest city in Denmark, in Aarhus, in Jutland, and we phoned to the vicar and said, "Well, what about it? It's a Saturday. Can you take us?" "Well, any time," he said. "Yes, but while we are both of us in Aarhus at the moment, we don't know, if something happens or if the weather is bad or so we don't come, well, never mind. We'll find out," and now my wife, I think that was a little bit silly that she was going by train back to Copenhagen, and I was sailing. I said, "Why don't you stay and board? I'll lock you into my cabin so you can sail with me to Copenhagen." Okay, that was fine, as we found out, and we were married only very few because none of the family or anything ... I phoned my brother and said, "Well, just to tell you, I'm going to be married tomorrow and there and there in this church, and so couldn't you arrange some dinner or something for us?" Well, not he, but he and his wife. "Oh, yes, we'll fix everything." So there were only ... My wife had four sisters, and only one of them were able to reach our wedding, and there were ... I think we were six or seven or so to the wedding, but it was enough, and both parties said yes. So it was all right, and I still remember we walked out of the church. Now, I was an old ... My trousers were out because everything was so fast, and she said, "Oh, well, I've saved money for a wedding dress, and now, well, look what I look!" I said, "Well, that's not very important. The important is that we have said yes, both of us," and we walked out. We were still in the 777, walked down into the church and into the [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] I don't know, it's in Danish, but there was a small room just before you leave the church, and there was the church woman who take care of everything, and we were both high up, and she said, "Oh, congratulations, oh, wonderful," and then I used to pay some money for the problems I've have had. So I told the vicar after what she said. He said, "Oh, well, that's impossible," but we had to pay her a little bit for the wedding. She had not participated in anything. So that was our marriage, and since then, we were married for more than 50 years, and after ... When was that? Three, 4, 5 years after our marriage, we had our first son, and he wanted to join East Asiatic Company to be educated as a businessman, but normally that was not allowed because in the East Asiatic Company, it was not allowed that [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> The crew or the staff. >> The staff of the East Asiatic Company were not allowed any sons or daughters, or there were no women in East Asiatic at that time, but they were not allowed to let their sons into work in the same company, but at that time, our son, we gave him a trip to the United States to the ... >> College. >> To the university, and he asked me, "Would you prevent me to journey?" and so I said, "No, I would be happy, but you will not be allowed," but I was in shipping, and he was in the business department. So that was a meeting with them, from East Asiatic, that he should be in this part of the business, and they told him, "Well, we can tell you next year." "I can't wait for that," he said. They're not used to that way in East Asiatic Company. So he said, "Well, I'm leaving for United States for 1 year, and if I do not know whether I can join East Asiatic, I will have to, when I come home, I will have to seek some other places," but he was very, very well-educated. So he came back, and he joined East Asiatic Company, and he was educated there and finished and was ready to join some of our offices and all over the world, but he, unfortunately, he died when he was 22 years old by something, a brain aneurysm. It was the Latin name for it. So that spoiled a little bit. My wife never came over his loss. When we got 5 years, we had our second son, which I'm fortunate to have today, but unmarried, but heavy engaged in Stockholm, so ... >> Really? >> Yes. So I think we should take a stop, a pause now. Well, kind of impressed of the story, so that was the reason he made the song. The song is free. It's not correct, but that's never mind. He said it was in 1949, and nurses 16 years old. They had to be 25 years at least. >> Yeah. >> So ... but that's a freedom composer. >> The artistic freedom. >> The song was fantastic good at the time when it came, when he first made it and sung it because a lot of young people in Denmark said, all of a sudden, [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] "We must know a little bit more about Jutlandia," and my wife was, at that time, at her last job as a nurse. She was a nurse in Magasin Du Nord. That was the biggest warehouse in [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Storehouse. >> Yeah, I don't know. >> Mm-hmm. >> I don't know whether you know, but that's something like Macy's or something like that, and she was the chief nurse there for whole Denmark. It has a lot of smaller places, and she said when this song came, all the young people in [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] at that time, 63,000 people working in this warehouse, this place, and they all came and said [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] "They tell me you have been in Jutlandia," and so she was, all of a sudden, she was top of this warehouse. >> Star! >> So it had a very good mission to it, to tell a new generation exactly the same. The picture is terrible, but it has been shown in television 12 times now. >> Oh. >> Twelve times they have, repeatedly. People phone me every time and say [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] but it also has a mission, this picture, because people that see it today, they don't know how it was in reality, really, in Korea. So it also has a mission, and I think there is no people in Denmark now which doesn't know what Jutlandia means. So both the Kim Larsen and this one is important, but they are not true. They are full of false things, but that doesn't matter because it's very important. Kim Ju Whan is on this film, and, well, I'm also, strange enough, on this picture, but ... Well, when the Korean War broke out, or actually when North Korea attacked South Korea, there was a meeting in the United Nations, and, of course, United Nations, thanks to a mistake from Russia, which had no vote at the security council at that time, the UN asked all countries in the world to work for South Korea, do something for South Korea, and 16 countries gave military support. Denmark had just finished the German occupation, which is not to compare with the Japanese occupation of South Korea, which was terrible and rough. It was hard in Denmark, but not to compare with the Japanese, but we were a rather poor country. We had no forces at all. We couldn't defend ourselves. It was on top of the Cold War at that time. So the foreign ministry took very much care about not to attack Russia in any way. So they said, "Well, we can't help with military forces," and United States were not quite support with that, but we had no soldiers. We couldn't even defend ourself at that time, and we had the Russian forces, they were 20 minutes away from Denmark, in Poland and Eastern Germany. So they could have attacked Denmark in a matter of a few hours. They had landing crafts already on the Polish and East German coasts, and we had to go very, very easy with the helping South Korea, but I called into Korean understanding or what you would ... I don't have the right word. Denmark was one of the first countries to give their support to South Korea, but we started off giving medicine. That was not enough. We started off kind of a support one way or another, but it was not satisfied enough for United Nations and especially understandable very well for USA forces. So finally we ended up with a chief doctor who was chosen by the foreign ministry, a chief doctor to handle the negotiations, and his name was Lehmann, and he grandson is ambassador in Korea today. That's strange, but that was ... Finally, well, foreign ministry and UN and US accepted that we promised to send a hospital ship, and then they had to work to find the ship which was able, in a short time, to be transferred from a normal freighter or so to a hospital. So they choose East Asiatic Company's ship Jutlandia, which was a combined passenger and cargo ship, and it was on its road to New York, and strange enough, they forgot to inform the ship, the captain on the ship, Captain Kondrup, who was later to be the captain on the hospital ship also. So when he came in and board at the keys in New York, there were hundreds of photographers and journalists, and he said, "What the hell is happening?" He didn't know why all these people were there because he didn't know that Jutlandia was chosen, and it was emptied immediately for passengers and cargo, and everything was just ended. It returned as fast as possible to Denmark and went straight down to the shipyard, NASSCO shipyard, which had built Jutlandia in 1934, and they worked day and night, and they knew the ship because they had built it originally. So they had all papers and all the work ready when the ship arrived from New York, and that was what made it possible to leave Denmark again, already the 23rd of January. They had built a new helicopter deck. They had given, as I was told, air condition and some other few repairs and things which they had missed when they were in Korea. So in that way, that we made the whole humanitarian help and Red Cross ship. So Russia couldn't be mad of that. So that was the beginning for it. Many has asked, a lot of people ask us, "Why did you volunteer for the Korean War for Jutlandia?" and I said, "That was not very strange." For instance, for my wife, she was from the southernmost part of Jutland, which for nearly 40 years of occupation, the southern part of Jutland, of German occupation, and she know what it means for a small country to be occupied by a big cog. So she had immediately volunteered for it, and as soon as I heard it, when I saw it in the news we received aboard the ship, where I was then. I was in the underground movement in Denmark, and I was arrested by Gestapo, the German Gestapo, during the war, but by my action during the German occupation, was very, very small because I was in Elsinore, and it was not allowed to make any sabotage or any killing or anything in that area because that was the main area for Jews to go to Sweden. So we were no heroes at all, but I had felt Gestapo enough to know that. We were only saved from the German occupation by the help of Allied forces, especially English and American forces. So it was my impression that we owed at least a little as a thanks for the help they gave us, and without their work and their mighty losses of soldiers, we could not be free. So now we couldn't say no when another small country asked for help. So many of the residents on-board had that impression, that we ought to join the Jutlandia, and we did. We did that, and that was very fine. When the ship was repaired and furnished and was all ready to leave Denmark, the journalists, the press, the media was very, very bad because they said, "Well, the ship will sink before they reach the Mediterranean," because with three chiefs and a lot of chief doctors and professors, they would fight, all of them, before they reached very far away. One captain, one expedition chief, one hospital chief, and all these professors and doctors, that was impossible, but they were clever. They became more clever because when we came home, there were no end to how beautiful it had been. So that was strange with the media, but it was the reason that the Jutlandia, in my impression and in most people's impression, that it ended up as a success was definitely because Imperials, when there were not any severe war between North and South Korea, all the nurses and the doctors, they couldn't go idle without no work, and they sent thousands of people ashore while in Pusan, where the ship was moored up. We want to be allowed to take a civilian's. Of course, Korean soldiers were welcome, but civilians and children were not allowed, but they said, "We will do that whether you like it or not." That was the Allied command which were against it, and Koreans has never forgotten that, never. Well, you have this saying which goes through everywhere, "We will never forget," and they have never forgotten anything. So that was the reason that we, in fact, are a success. I was a fresh lieutenant engineer, as I told, but the praise, the reason that we became such a success, that was, of course, the hospital part. We brought the hospital from here to Korea, and we served in all kinds of ways the hospital, but it was the doctors and the nurses who did the job, both for the soldiers, but also for the civilians as much. They had to sign that in case of heavy fighting, we had to send all civilians ashore, and children, of course, but we were not in that situation. We had very, very short, before the [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Armistice. >> Armistice, yeah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Just before the armistice, a few weeks before the armistice was signed, the Chinese, they attacked a part of the border, but unfortunately for the Chinese, they had just changed the Americans. All the American soldiers had been drawn back. They had been fighting very, very much in that area, and the Turks had taken over, and when they smell blood, they really fight. So they ran right into the Turk forces, and the Turks, they lost 700, if I remember clearly, and more than, I think, 8,000 Chinese were killed in that fight, and then all fighting stopped at that moment, but at that time, it was just before the hospital had broken down. They had helicopters as fast as they could bring wounded people in, and it was discussed whether they should send out doctors from Denmark, but the doctors on-board, although they knew that there was a risk, they worked up to more than 24 hours just operating and operating and operating. Then they had few hours sleep and then down again. Same with the nurses, they worked all the day and night, but they managed it until the fighting stopped, but there were many things which we have to thank the hospital department for because they performed miracles sometimes, and the old doctors or professors say, "Well, you can't operate anymore." "Well, then who's going to die? Which one are we not to operate on?" They said, "Well, yes, go on as long as you can." So they performed miracles, the doctors and nurses. So ... >> How many total doctors and nurses went? >> Well, strange enough, there were a ship's crew of between 96 and 100, and there were hospital staff between, I think it was 98 and 104, and so because it changed very much how many there was, especially the hospital staff had to change. Professors could only join the Jutlandia for maybe 3 months. So they were about 3 months, and some were 1/2 a year, and some were the whole trip, but there were many of them were practiced on-board all the time, and Jutlandia were on the UN flag for 999 days before the UN flag were taken down in Copenhagen. >> Did anyone die? Did any Danes die? >> Yeah, how many? >> Mm-hmm. >> I think we had, for all that time, I think we had 16 deaths, and that was a fantastic record. >> Sixteen Danish died. >> We had a visit. I was by phone one day ... >> No, no, no, how many Danish? >> No one died. >> No one died, okay. >> No, no, we fought a war on first class because no one died. >> That's good. >> We had nothing to do on the frontline. In fact, they were not allowed to it because they had Red Cross. So they were not to, but we were on-board a ship. So there were no reasons. We had nothing to do, and no one was killed on the way. As I told you, the trip, my wife and I were invited from Inchon to Seoul It took at that time ... I can't remember, but I know today, with six lanes, it takes just the same time to come from Seoul to Inchon that it took at that time on a very small road. So we had no casualties, in fact. Well, we had a doctor who fell down the stairs, and he was operated, and the commander was also operated on-board the ship, Captain Hammerich. I don't know what it's called. So I have to tell it in Danish. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Oh, hemorrhoids. >> Yeah, at that time ... but I have to continue in Danish. At that time, his wife was a guest on board the ship. She was traveling at the time, and she came up in the official big room for all the doctors [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Where she ... >> So that was ... >> ... said thank you to everybody for helping her husband. >> But one of our patients in the dentist clinic was Syngman Rhee. He came very often, partly because he loved to come and board the ship, and then next tour, he had some trouble with his teeth. So he came there, but that was on the first trip. So I've never met him, but he was one of the first patients in the dentist's clinic. >> Speaking of him, how many times did you go back to Korea, and what do you think of Korea and the Korean people, feature of Korea? >> Yes, well, exactly as I said, "We shall never forget," the Koreans tell us, and they never do because they have arranged, although it's now more than 60 years, they still invite, every year, invite veterans to visit Korea or, as they say, revisit Korea, and I have been five times. I think I've been five times on revisit Korea, and that means that we ... The veteran himself pays for the transport forth and back, but everything during 1 week in Korea, hotels and all things are paid for us, and it's a very, very [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> Sensitive. >> One feelings ... >> Sentimental. >> Sentimental, yeah, sentimental. >> Sentimental every time we have visited Korea. A few times, we have been through to visit Korean Veterans Association, but otherwise, we have been in pen with John, and they don't know how they do so much for the veterans which come. Americans and Ethiopians has been there. One from Columbia has been there as an honorary visit to Korea, and it's very, very impressive. I was there first time after the war in 1984. We were about 40 veterans at that time which joined the trip to Korea, and we were astonished when we came with the plane because there was a real airfield, when during the war, they had these iron plates they could land on, but now there was a real airport to receive us, and when we came around in Seoul, there were more than one bridge you could pass the river, and it was fantastic. There were already the first skyscrapers were built at that time, and then next time we came, we couldn't recognize it from the first time because now the adventure and everything, especially we must say under Dictator Park, President Park, during his reign. He promoted business and shipyards and everything. Many things happened during his ... He was a tough guy, but that was necessary because South Korea was full of Communist groups fighting, especially in the southwest part of South Korea. There were some terrible groups fighting. So, well, I guess he had to be pretty tough, but that was impressive to see, the diligence and the fantastic work the Koreans had made in this. Not to talk about now, when we were there, well, I was there last time in 2003. We couldn't recognize anything in Seoul. The time I told you before, when my wife and I was on the trip to Seoul, we should have something to eat. We could have eaten in the military camp, but we asked, and they said, "Well, that's probably the only civil house with two floors. There is a restaurant," and we went to that, and we had our first Korean dinner, and the rest of Seoul was flat. Nothing except some official buildings taken over by military or administration and always that were more, but that was a few houses only. So it was fantastic to see the way Korea recovered, and last time, in the last period of the war, when we were in Korea, they recorded it would take about 100 years for Korea to recover. They did it in, well, let's say 25 years and later. That was fantastic. I think all of our veterans has been in Korea one time after the war. They were extremely impressed, not to talk about the new airport in Inchon now. When we came there the first time after it was built, it was one of the biggest airports in the Far East. So you have really worked, but it's terrible that South Korea necessarily must use so extremely much money on defense, with a big army and with everything just because of this mad reign in North Korea. In North Korea, they don't take it very serious to use so much money for their army because people, they just die of hunger, but in South Korea, just imagine what they could make for the money they use for arms and the army, and when South Korea donates thousands of tons of rice to North Korea in bags or something of South Korea, they are not allowed to show that it comes from South Korea, but they have given very, very much help to North Korea, and all they get instead are missiles and atom bombs and spies or tunnels under Panmunjom area where they, I can't remember how many. I think it's eight tunnels they have found. So I think it's a completely mad situation in Korea. In fact, Denmark still has military in Korea because they have, what they call it, observation for the borderline, and I was in Korea in 2010, and I brought my son with me, and all his 50 years, he has heard about Jutlandia, lived with Jutlandia with both mother and father, and he was very, very impressed, and while we were there, while visit Korea, they celebrated the recovery of Seoul from North Korea, and we were at the Olympic Stadium, fantastic show they turned up there, and what was it, what was my ... Oh, well, yes, I was invited for lunch with the president. So I felt that was very until I ... We were 150 guests, but still it was an honor to be invited together with all the other people, and the day after, I and my son, we were invited to a dinner in the Danish Embassy, and there were, among other people, there were a Korean rear admiral. He was guest, and we were only 16 people invited for this dinner, and I had a very nice talk with, "I was in the Danish Navy, too," and he told me, "Well, but you don't think I've been in Denmark." I said, "That's impossible. What? Was your ship out of course, or what happened since you ended up?" No, he was inspecting. He was checking on a submarine which was built in Germany, but the water was too low to test the submarine. So they had to go out north of Denmark to test the submarine, and on that occasion, they had to go into a Danish city for something, a Danish city in Denmark to get some fuel or some other for the catering department, and I said, "Well, that's funny," I said, "because I was in England. I was in the submarines myself in England. I was in 6 months in the British submarine port." "Oh, you have been in the submarine, too!" and he took off, he had that I don't know [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] but, yes, for the ship. It was a submarine. So he take, and he gave it to me. It was nearly as big a medal as that one, and we had a wonderful evening, and another Korean, I can't remember what his job, but he was a seaman in my agency out here, that there is a small picture with ... What's it called, calligraphy? >> Calligraphy. That's the same word. >> Signed, and you can see something like ... It stands on the back of the picture, "One who strives for life in a situation will probably die, but one who dies, he will live forever," and that's the typical voice. I think that's about what I can tell you about. >> One last comment about future of Korea's peace and unification? >> I did not quite ... >> Korea's reunification, do you think it could happen? >> I will say I do not hope it will happen very fast. The best thing, in my poor occasion, I think if it could go very slow that they have a North Korea, but without all the Kim Il-sung dynasty. So by and by, they could open up for business communication as they started, but responded with this industrial area they had for a period, with South Koreans starting business in some area, but I think it would be a catastrophe if it happened like it did between East and Western Germany because the 20 million or how many they are in North Korea, at that time, if they would flow into South Korea and eat and steal or whatever they could find, I'm sure. I certainly do not hope it comes in a sudden way. It should be maybe 10 or 15 or even 20 years ahead that they get tired of it, and they kind of a democratic reign in North Korea, but still exist as a country itself, as North Korea and South Korea, but on friendly terms or moralist friendly terms, I would say, but I think that could be a way to start a new area in North and South Korea. >> I think it would be possible with the new generation. I hope so too. >> We have to hope for it. There's not much showing that way today, with his atomic and missiles and all this, but I don't know how it should happen. Hopefully, he dies within a few years, but then there will be some other one probably, one general or something like that who will take over. I think it's wonderful to be a dictator. >> No! >> So it's very, very difficult. >> Okay.
Ethiopia Addis Ababa (1)
>> Okay. My name is Burkanesh. I went to Korea with the Third Battalion of Ethiopia to Korea to help the wounded soldiers and general soldiers. It's not only for Ethiopians but for the whole United Nation, wounded soldiers, and then I stayed in Korea only in Korea about 5 months, and then I went to Tokyo because there were big hospital there for wounded soldiers for 1 year informant, and it was [INAUDIBLE] so we were from many country as I told you before, from America, from England, from Belgium, from Greek and from everywhere, and we used to work together in team, and whenever it was needed, whenever it's needed, they call us from everywhere. There were two hospitals, main hospital and annex hospital. When they need our help, they're calling us. They page us, and they send this motor pool car and went wherever we are needed, and it was so. >> How many Ethiopian nurses went to Korea? >> We were only two, Sister Esther Ayana and me. >> Hmm. Did you volunteer to go? >> Yes, we were volunteers. >> Why did you volunteer? >> We just want to help the soldiers, and at that time, world is so strange for everybody, and we were eager to see the world. >> Because at that time, there were not many women nurses. >> No, we were only nine who were graduating from Red Cross. We were only nine, and they asked us, "Who is volunteer?" Everybody raised the hand and Sister Studer, she chose only two of us. >> Wow, so they didn't take all volunteers. They chose you. >> Yeah. >> Why did they choose you? >> "Who wants to go to Korea?" they said. >> Yeah. >> We raised out. >> But they chose you. >> Yeah. >> Because you had high marks? >> I don't know really. >> Whoa. >> In fact, I was the second from school. Anyway, I don't know why, how she chose us. >> When you went to Korea, did you see Koreans? >> Yes. >> You did? >> Yeah. >> You treated ... >> I've seen Koreans, and I have seen Korea, I mean Pusan, Seoul, and it was terrible really to see. It was very sad. Many nice buildings were falling down during the war. The war just destroyed the country, and what I never forget is, there was one Korean man. Everything is plain, nothing, no house, nothing. It was in Pusan, and he put two things, these wooden for his shelter. He was sitting there, and he was sewing shoes. I never forget it. >> Yeah. >> It's ... >> They were very poor. >> Yeah, yeah. >> But now it's different. >> I know. I know now it's very different. I heard so, and my husband has been twice in Korea. Once? >> Once. >> Once, once, he was in Korea. >> When? I guess 3 or 4 years ago. >> Oh, very different, tall buildings. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> He said it is different, completely different. >> You didn't go though? >> No, after that, I didn't go. They invited me to go, and unfortunately, he was sick. I couldn't leave him alone here. >> Well, you can still go. You can still go. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Can you explain to us about the medals? >> This is a medal, what I have got. This is from United Nation. >> Mm-hmm, show on the camera. Show here. >> Most of it from United Nation, and this is from my government, and this is from my government, and this is from my government. >> You're wearing it. >> Yeah. >> You're wearing it. >> And this is from Korea. >> Yes, so you must have the most medals among any Ethiopian woman, huh? >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes, I guess so. >> Yeah, I think so. I think so. You must be very proud. Wasn't it very difficult because you were a woman and it's war and there's ... >> And this is from Swiss, from International Red Cross. >> Red Cross, mm-hmm, but wasn't it very difficult, being in a foreign country. Everybody, most people ... >> We were young, and so we were young at that time. We don't care, and we are not afraid. We're just going wherever the soldiers are, and there was temporary cleaning for the wounded soldiers, and it was ... We did our best anyway. Daytime, it's peaceful, nothing, but in the evening, starting from 6, they started fighting. >> Really? >> When we were asleep, yeah. >> Really? I didn't know they fought at night. >> They fought [INAUDIBLE]. They [INAUDIBLE]. >> Oh, I never knew that. >> Yeah. >> I would think that they would fight in the day. >> No, not the day. >> Wow. >> It is in the ... You see, it is in the evening, usually, starting from 6 or 5. They start at that time. They fight. >> Do you remember maybe one specific patient? >> A patient? >> Mm-hmm, do you remember any patient? >> Oh, Ethiopian, when I was in Korea, we were taking care only of the Ethiopian soldiers. >> Mm. >> Yeah. >> There were 122 that died and more than 500 that were wounded. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> You mean our soldiers? >> Mm-hmm, Ethiopia, yes. >> Yeah, yeah, but only they die, about 110 or 105. >> A hundred twenty-two, 122. >> Yeah. >> Yes, but they were one of the best soldiers. They never gave up. >> No, they never gave up. >> Yes. >> They never, never. They never [INAUDIBLE] never take our soldiers, never. >> So tell us a little bit about how you met the general after the war. >> Well ... >> Everybody loves a love story, yeah. >> I met him in Ethiopia. >> Mm-hmm. >> His sister was a nursing school student. >> Mm-hmm. >> And she was a friend of mine. That's how we met. >> Hmm, and you both knew that you went to Korea? >> Yes. >> Hmm, that's why you ... >> When ... >> ... maybe connected? >> He, you see, when I was 4 years, he went to Korea in the first Battalion, and then I don't know how long they stayed, and he came back, and when I was [INAUDIBLE] for my school, and he was the one instructing and telling us how to prevent yourself by shooting this and that. >> Self-protection in case something happened. >> And he was the one who was giving us training. >> Mm-hmm. >> Just training, huh? >> So how old were you when you went to Korea? >> How what? >> How old? >> Mid 20. >> Twenty. >> When I was 21, I married. >> Hmm. >> Yeah. >> Hmm. >> We were very young when we go to nursing school, very young, and we were the first nurses in Ethiopia. >> Oh. >> Yeah, the first. There was no one else in Ethiopia at that time. >> Oh. >> And, of course, there was princess. She was a nurse. She was a princess, and she took her training in England. She was the first one, and we were. >> Wow, that's amazing. >> Yeah. >> So now there are many nurses, and so you are like the godmother, yeah, of Ethiopian nurses. Wow that is wonderful. What an honor to meet you, and I hope that you would also be able to go to Korea to see that your contributions and sacrifices made Korea what it is today. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you so much for your service, yeah.
Ethiopia Addis Ababa (2)
>> My name is Derstin Germadell. When I went to Korea, I was [INAUDIBLE] but now [INAUDIBLE] at this time. I went to Korea because of the United Nations. Our government is believing [INAUDIBLE] collective, and by that time, the Koreans run by North Korea. So at that time, we are in the United Nations. So at that time, our governments were voluntary to send troops to fight with the United Nations. At that time, I was Battle Commander, and it's his first time for us to go to foreign country. At that time, we didn't know Korean areas or the ways or anything like that, but the first time our government, they gave us some orientation about the North Korean, and then, of course, we went by ship, and they went to Busan first time. At that time, we met the president of Sint Maarten. We saw General Cobedacabre that time, the continent commander. Then at that time, we didn't know, so they brief us how to leave the area, also starting to train ourselves. The weapons is new to us, the Americans' weapons, and they would stay there in Busan for 3 months training, and now some areas where that has happened, and then after that, we went to the front line. At that time, the Americans, because we are from Africa, only we would be there. So the Americans, they asked us, "Where are you from? Where are you coming? Are you a British colony?" "No," we said, we were not a colony. [INAUDIBLE] so ... "How do you speak?" [INAUDIBLE] speak in English." We say, "Of course, we are in the school." "We all speak English." We said, "Of course, we are in this school," and we learned English. Especially our officers, they are trained in the academy, of course. So everybody knows, it's not a problem for us, the language. So we start up to front line, and then at that time, they don't believe us because they are afraid if the Koreans, North Koreans or Chinese break the line, they came from behind. So they sent us first but accompanied by a platoon, a floater attached to the company of Americans. Then at that time, the first time I went to the one company attached to the Americans at the front line, and then the company commander gave us a mission to go forward and to see, at that time, there is no [INAUDIBLE] front line. The mission that he gave us to do, to bring president or so to destroy enemy bunkers. "So this mission will be you starting tomorrow morning," and then he also attached, was one, [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] six, seven people with us, Americans, and then in the morning, I started to go to that area, especially [INAUDIBLE] we know how to read the map, the area, the hill, the river, everything we could read already. So he told me to go this place and try to bring president. So I went, but some time after I start in the morning, there is clouds. I can't see 10 meters even, and then I report to company commander. He said, "Stop, stay there. I'll inform you when the clouds go. You can go to your mission." After 1/2 an hour, the cloud is off. Then I went. I told him, "I can see now." So it was about 2, 3 kilometers from the company areas. I went to the front, and then I stayed there, and then I observed by my ... >> Binocular. >> And so there is an enemy bunker in front I can see. Unfortunately, one Chinese soldier came out from the bunker, and he tried to go to the river. There is some river, and I now have an opportunity to take him easily. So I turned to my squadron commander [INAUDIBLE] FR, and he took slips just with him, and he went down, and then the soldiers, he tried to take the water from the river, and then they captured him, take back, and then I reported to the company commander, and he said, "Please send him immediately," and then I came back to this area, and then he gave me orders again. "Now try to destroy the bunker." "Yes, I can see the bunker." It's about a 100 meters, something like that, from my place. So I have set of 75 millimeters. Also we put out machines and then shoot them. I report I did all these things, and they told me that, "Is it possible to go to that area and bring some peoples if you can?" "Yes, I can." He changed his mind again. "Please can you hold them there? I will give you artillery to bombard the area over there." So, "Yes," I told him I'd ring him up, and then he understand, and he knows where I am under the [INAUDIBLE] three round. So I destroyed the area, and then he say, "Come back. That's enough. So I tried to go back, and as we started walking up again back, it's about 400 meters, something like that, the enemies, they realize that we are there, and, from left and right, they started shooting. Anyhow, this jungle area, as we went back safely without anything or any prisoners at that time, but unfortunately, on the front line before me in some areas, they took one prisoner. So they promised us to send someone for vacation and something like that, but unfortunately somebody was before me. So I lost my chance at that time. So after 3 or 4 days with the company there, and then I went back to my unit. This is the first time I did my tour. Now this time, the Americans, they saw us, that we are very good soldiers, and that we are brave. So we starting with company size in the front line, and then from the front line, we start to go with the company, fighting on the frontline zone. So we did that so they'd believe in us, [INAUDIBLE] everything with them. So we went with the battalion first on the front line and then, starting with the company, fighting in some areas. So we did a lot of ... We win a lot, and then we [INAUDIBLE]. >> Mm-hmm. I read that you never lost a battle. You had about 263 combats but never lost a battle. >> No. >> That's amazing. >> That's so amazing. >> That's really amazing, and that ... >> No prisoners, no even ... >> Dead, dead. >> ... dead men. >> I know. >> Yeah. >> That's amazing. >> Yeah, because always after fighting, we controlled our people and where they are. Of course, sometimes, we are in the bush and something. So we'd find them and take them back, yeah. >> Mm. So later, after the Korean War, you stayed in the military, and you eventually retired as a general, right? And you fought in Congo, and after, you saw other conflicts, but what do you think is the significance of the Korean War in terms of Ethiopia's military actions? >> You see, there is a different unity there, especially French units in some areas, and then sometimes, there are lots of their soldiers and so on. Then we go to the front line, of course, in that area. As of that time, of course, the Americans, as I told you, we are moving on us, and so we are a diverse battalion, [INAUDIBLE] battalion, and then sometimes after we stay there on the front line, we go back to rest. So at that time, we meet a lot of [INAUDIBLE] from another continent. Is that not answer for you? >> Ah, no, no, no, no. So Ethiopians, do they know about the Korean War? Are they proud of the Korean War, Ethiopians in general? >> Are they proud of it? That's ... >> Ethiopians, do they know about Korean War? >> Yeah. >> They do? >> Yeah, they know, for example that our officers [INAUDIBLE] before 10 years after, 20 years, and now some of them coming together and so on, and we had a lot of experience at that time, and then, for example, you see, the Korean people, they are really with us. They are good to us, I can say. At that time, as my wife told you, when we went to Korea, the area and the people is very, very, very low and very poor. If you knew [INAUDIBLE] at that time, but now, I was there 3 years ago, and so the area was bombed, and now woods ... Everything is ... Only at that time, but now the place is industry. Where we are fighting, it's been [INAUDIBLE]. It's amazing to see these people. So even we learned enough from them, from Korean people. We know we saw, at that time, what they are, but now, they are completely changed. They can teach us how to be a good people and do good things. >> Well, I want to let you know that the rise of Korea from the ashes of war, it is actually thanks to your contributions. I read that Ethiopians were, again, one of the best fighters, and that the enemy saw blacks for the first time, and they thought you were superhuman because you had a reputation for being so brave and best soldiers, and I thought that was very funny. Can you explain to us a little bit about your medal? >> Now, for example ... [ Chatter ] >> See, the one thing now, what the Koreans is doing for us, really, in the hospital, free ... We are in the hospital, everything. We are not paying. You see? No. Now when I go, two times operation in a Korean hospital. Yeah, I'm not paying, nothing. Medicine is free. Operation, everything is free for us besides this ... They are giving us pocket money every month, [INAUDIBLE] >> Whoa. >> You see? Now they are not forgetting us. Still if we ask them to do something for us, they do it. They never buck. They always say, "Please ask us what you want. You give us our blood, your blood, your life for our country. Now we are in this place. We are here now. So we can help you. You are our brothers because our blood is together now." You see, one Korean ... They always went out on the front line. They bring us hot food and something like that, padding, because no person is reaching there. So after he gave us this food, and, you, see, before he go back, the enemy shoots a weapon, of course, and then in the ridge, one of the ridges, they can't see them. Then this Korean hit by this, by some artillery, another artillery, and then our soldiers, they went and take him. Again, they fire. Both of them, they died, just like that. So we are blood. Even in the blood, we are together with the Korean people. So even they are good for us. Of course, we do our best to them also. Yeah. >> Well, again, I'm very grateful, and that's why I'm here, and I call all Korean War veterans my grandpas because I say if you weren't there fighting, I wouldn't be here right now. >> You are proud of them still now. >> And my friends and family and supporters in America and all over the world say they want me to express gratitude on their behalf. So thank you very much, thank you. >> So you are saying when you are asking to receive, thank you very much. Again I say, please tell our bravery to your people. >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you.
Ethiopia Addis Ababa (3)
>> My name is Stephanas Gabramaskan, Colonel retired. If you want information about the war, I think Colonel Melissa will better explain, and he has more experience, and he knows more about the war, and he will inform you better. I think you better, but from my side, I was in the 4th Battalion, and the 4th Battalion was not engaged in the war. We change the 3rd Battalion and their bunker and their defense line, and we stayed about 5, 6 months in the defense line and then were replaced by the native or the Korean army. The whole defense area after the war was replaced by the Korean army. The Korean army were good fighters. They did their best. They lost so many lives because of the invasion, and we stayed there for 1 year, and before, we were making training in case if the war started. We were making training and then stayed 1 more year. Now, everything was, I think, the ceasefire was constant and thorough, so we came back, but the three Battalions who were engaged in the war, they did a lot of fightings, about 235 times they engaged by three Battalions, and they lose about 122 men, the martyrs died in the war and totally 635 wounded that days, and they have captured so many places, and they were engaged. They captured prisoners and got information about the enemy. We were very sorry because we went to Korea, but our government, the Emperor Haile Selassie, when the Ethiopians invaded by the fascism, nobody was trying to help us, so we know. Those who are weak when they are invaded by the powerful nations and our emperor gave a faster response to the request of the UN forces and to the UN, and we just went. We sent four times a Battalion and one time a company just to represent. I think we tried to do everything what we can. We tried what weaken, and we did, and we came back. We really saw after the war the Koreans were very developed, very much developed. The highways, the buildings, the construction and everything was fantastic, unbelievable within these short times, and they became the 10th developed country in the world that nobody will ... Admire that, nobody will do that fast. There were so many countries developed before them, but within short times after the war, after they suffer everything, after everything was destroyed and after they were a colonialist, and every resources were taken from them. You don't believe it to see that. Those who know Korea first ... We saw Korea. I saw Korea first, how it was during the war, and then after the war, I just visited Korea, and there was a fast development in that country that people, you see they were working here, there, run, and you don't see people talking just in one place, collected in one place. You see people running for work, and they did their best for their country. >> We're very grateful for you. >> But about the war, Colonel will better ... In the country where we don't know, in the country where the air conditions, the atmosphere was not known to us, and in the country where we don't have ... We were fighting with old types of weapons, but when we go there, we were trained by any weapon which we don't know. After that, we start to fight with that weapon. >> You went after the armistice. What was your position? What was your rank, and what did you do? >> I was a second lieutenant, and everybody, our president also was a second lieutenant. He was very young. We were on 20s. Now, we are over 80. >> But the war didn't break out again after the armistice. >> I beg your ... >> After the armistice ... >> Yeah. >> ... no more war, you know? No more battle, right? Did you do more battles? Did you fight more battles? >> Well, inside the country. Inside the country, there was fighting. There were secessionists, and to avoid that, we tried to fight, but we were not successful. The government at this point, they made a coup. >> Which government? >> Our government. The army made a coup and overthrow the king and kill him, and they become communist influenced, so the developed countries were not supporting us. We had done also some mistakes. The army did some mistakes also, and we lose the war and the new government, the present government have won the battle, and now we are under the new government, and after this government has come, we have our friends, the South Koreans, come to us, come to help us, and through us, they were introduced to the new government. >> Did you see Korean civilians? >> And we also were not allowed to wear the medals which we got from the Korean War. >> Why? >> Because they were communist influenced, and they said you were not democrat and you fall to the communists. They said that, and we are not allowed to wear, and we were supposed to be a communist, but the west won at last because they help them, and they lose, and our friends come to help us. They build this. They build this building, the office. They build a monument for us, the same monument in Korea, the only monument for those who fought in Korea. They have one here and then here. They didn't build for others, and we have a respect for the Korean people and the government. >> Did you see Koreans when you were there fighting? What year did you go, 1953? >> '54. >> '54. >> Yeah. >> Did you see Korean kids, children, women? Did you see civilians? >> Yeah. We have met Korean people, the civilians. We were introduced after especially we come back, and we had friends also, but especially the 4th Battalion was helping the young, the students of the Korean people. We were helping. We donate some monies and specially the religious group. They had contact with our religious or the father of our religion with us who was with us, and we had contact. And even there was a boy who don't know how he is, whether he died or alive. We call him Samtayo. >> Who is that? >> A champion man. >> He was Korean? >> He was a Korean. He write Amharic. He speak Amharic within that short period. >> Wow. He learned. >> Yeah, and he was intelligent. He was intelligent. >> Was he a houseboy? Was he a houseboy, young? >> No, we were helping them. No houseboy with us. We have only those who cook foods and people, chefs, Korean chefs. >> What did they cook for you? >> Huh? >> What did they cook for you? Korean food? Ethiopian food? >> No, European food, and Ethiopian food, we don't get it. We have the C-rations and also some other foods which we receive from the UN. They cook that, prepare for us, and we eat that. They were Korean chefs with us. We never forget them. >> When you went to Korea to visit, they must have been so welcoming you, you know, welcome you, right? >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> They welcome us. Even the president was present when we reach in the port, the president was Mr. Syngman Rhee. You will see it in our museum if you ... >> Yes. >> ... if you walk to the museum. >> Yes, yes. >> You will see him. >> He greeted you. >> Yeah. He was coming to the port where we land, and then he gave salute and he received us. He was Mr. Syngman Rhee. >> Yes, first Korean president. >> Yeah, the first ... >> Yes. >> ... Korean president. >> Yes. I would like to go to the museum, yes. Let's go. >> Yeah. >> I think this is great for ...
Ethiopia Addis Ababa (4)
>> 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]
India New Delhi (1)
>> My name is Levinjel A. Banaje. I had joined the Army in 1948 and retired in 1986 as a lieutenant general. When I joined the Army, I had volunteered for parachute duties, and so I had the opportunity of joining 60 Parachute Field Ambulance as a lieutenant in 1950. This unit, 60 Parachute Field Ambulance, was India's contribution to the United Nations in the war against North Korea. North Korea had invaded South Korea, and the case was taken up, and as such, the United Nations send help to South Korea to fight the North Koreans. India's contribution to this was a field medical unit, and 60 Parachute Field Ambulance was selected. This unit sailed in a U.S. warship [INAUDIBLE] Johnson on 8th November '50 and landed at Pusan, the present Busan, on 20th November 1950. This unit proceeded to Daegu, and then as the war was supposed to be finishing, we were rushed to the front area to join the 8th Army, which was there at Pyongyang. So having spent a few days at Daegu, the unit moved to Pyongyang, and we landed in Pyongyang on 29th November 1950. We hardly stayed at Pyongyang for a few days when the Chinese troops moved in, and the whole 8th Army had to move back. So we went back south of Seoul in a train, as well as with our [INAUDIBLE], and we are told to join the headquarters of the 8th Army, the Yongsan as we called it, on 4th of December. Sixth of December, we came back to Seoul, and we were allotted to give medical cover to 27th British Brigade. This British Brigade was the second brigade with us counterrouted by the British Army. They had the 28th Brigade also. The 60 Field Ambulance, which was named 60 Indian Field Ambulance in Korea, was allotted to British Brigade, and throughout that in Europe and Korea, it remained with the British Brigade. The field ambulance provides medical cover to the fighting troops in the forward areas. It's mobile. So you can move back and forth, but the advantage of this parachute field ambulance is that it had two surgical teams, so we could do life-saving operations right at the forward areas. After moving back from Seoul, the war went as a ding-dong type, sometimes going up, sometimes down, and we had been looking after the British, American and Korean troops as well as some prisoners of war. The unit was not fully mobile in the sense that the vehicles which was with the unit could not move the whole unit at a stretch, so the unit divided into two parts. The forward section stayed with one surgical team, and the other rear went back to Daegu with the other surgical team. That happened sometime in January 1951. The forward unit became a part of 27th Brigade and moved on further from Seoul to a place called Uijeonbu. The rear detachment, which was the mediant supply stores for this medical unit, went back to Daegu. They also had a surgical team, and they started looking after the civil hospital at Daegu. So by 9th February '51, a fully functional civil hospital at Daegu was being done by the rear troops of the 60th Indian Field Ambulance. The forward detachment after that went on various movements, at times forward, at times retreat, giving support to the 27th British Brigade. Being a parachute unit, the commanding officer warranted the services of his surgical team to the 187 RCT, the Regimental Combat Team of the U.S. Army, for any operation which they desired, which took place on the 18th March in Operation Tomahawk at Munsan-ni, a surgical team of the England field ambulance took part in the same operation, along with 187 RCT, Regimental Combat Team, and did a good job there. The other detachment, the forward detachment, which was with the 27th Brigade, took part in the operation throughout their tenure in Korea. There have been few important operations, one at Kapyong in which a lot of casualties were looked after by the Indian Field Ambulance. By the middle of year 1951, the Commonwealth Division was formed, and the Indian Field Ambulance became a part of the Commonwealth Division, giving medical cover to the same 28th Brigade, instead of the 27th British Brigade. Commonwealth Division was formed on 28th July. The unit took part from Operation Tomahawk with various operations which was given to the British Brigade and the Division for which they were given the Meritorious Unit Citation by the U.S. Army. This took place on 17th August at Daegu, and the Meritorious Unit Citation was given to the 60 Indian Field Ambulance. On the 17th, similar citation was given by the Korean Army. I don't remember the name of the general who did it, but this happened there at Daegu in a parade, the citation by the Korean Army was given to this unit. After that, there has been various operations, one of them being Op Commando by the Commonwealth Division in October of '51 in which this Indian Field Ambulance took a major part and did a good job looking after two important battalions, the 3rd Royal Australian Regiment and the Northumberland Fusiliers. The rear detachment has been looking after the particular hospital and have treated more than about 40,000 patients, outpatients, looking after the civilians in this particular period. >> Wow, 40,000? >> Yeah, they were as outpatients. >> Wow. >> That was ... After that, the war has been on a ding-dong type advance-and-retreat, and the forward detachment was involved in looking after this British Brigade. I was particularly lucky because I was all the time along with the forward detachment, and so I have been taking part in most of the operations which the Commonwealth Division and the British Brigade had to do. >> So you were a surgeon? >> No, as a general duty medical officer. >> General duty medical. >> There you go. >> So as a general duty medical officer, what did that entail? What did you do? >> It was more of a life-saving first aid which you do, bandaging wounds ... >> Wounds. >> ... splints and giving general surgeons [INAUDIBLE] >> So immediate. >> Immediate, and evacuating to the rear. >> Why is it called a parachute, 60th Parachute? >> Because all the troops are paratroopers. >> Oh, really, everybody? >> Everybody. >> Even you? >> Yes. >> Wow. >> Oh, I have it, see here. My son also joined the Army later, and he is also a paratrooper. >> Really? So you are trained as a paratrooper ... >> As a doctor. >> ... and a doctor. >> A doctor, yes, that is the advantage of the ... >> You need to learn how to parachute. >> Yes. >> You know, the paratroopers. >> So right now the 60th Ambulance in Agra, they do ... They parachute ... >> Yes, all are paratroopers. They all qualify. >> Oh, but not medical? >> Medical, yes. >> Them, even now? >> Yes. >> Not only there in the Korean War, even now? >> No, they have because we have to fight ... and it has to stay. Anytime an operation ... >> So they're paratroopers and medical officers even now? >> Yes, yes, even now. They go on changing. They're all doctors, and they are trained. So if there is a requirement, straight away they are brought. >> Wow. Did you know that? >> Yeah. >> That is how the commanding officer volunteered our services ... >> Yes, I wanted to ask. So how many total went, and how many were wounded, and how many had died? >> We had been there for nearly 3 years. >> Okay. >> So I won't be able to give you all the figures, but we had our troops. I remember no one was killed during the war, but a driver lost his foot, blown up by a mine trying to evacuate divisions. Another driver lost his arm by a mortar, and there were a few other minor injuries, but these two major injuries I remember. >> And how many, do you think, in total, Indians went to fight for Korea, at least in the field unit? You know? >> In this, 317. >> Three hundred seventeen. >> Out of us, there were 17 officers, 10 JCOs and 304 other ranks. The JCOs is Junior Commissioned Officers. >> Okay. >> And the rest are troops, various, as you call it in America, sergeants, corporals, lance corporals, that sort of thing. >> And what was your rank when you went? >> I was a captain. >> You were a captain. >> Captain. >> How old were you when you went? >> I joined '46. I was, let's see, 26. We went in '50, so I was 24. >> Twenty-four. >> I was 24 at that time. >> And you went in 1950. So you are now 91. >> I'm 91 now. >> Did the soldiers, did the military people who went to Korea, did they volunteer, or were they drafted? >> Here we volunteered for parachute duties, and after that, when a unit moves, you move anywhere. >> Okay, so the ... >> You don't have to volunteer for parachute duties. >> Okay, you volunteer for parachute, but the military sent you to Korea. >> And then what anybody wants us to do, we are sent. >> Okay. So most of the people that went to Korea, when they came back, they still served? >> They went to different places. >> But they all stayed in the military? >> They stayed in the military. Yes, they are all regular troops. >> So if you really think about it, the Indians that went to Korea were very experienced. >> Yes, they had been in the Kashmir War before that. >> The reason why I say that is I interviewed many veterans, right. >> Mm-hmm. >> They were 16, 17. They volunteered. They didn't know anything about war, and they were just young soldiers sometimes seeking for adventure, but I think Indians were different. They sent serious, experienced ... >> We had a part of the unit, and then you hold the unit. >> Wow, that's amazing. So when you came back from Korea ... >> Yes? >> After 1 year, right? >> No, I stayed there 3 years. >> You stayed there for 3 years? >> Nearly 3 years. >> Wow. >> The unit, this was what they do. All the units which went to Korea from the rest of the countries, they used to go back after 1 year, but this Indian Field Ambulance stayed for nearly 3 years. >> Everybody? >> Not everybody, the people went on coming back, some of them. I'm one of the longest, but there was some ... >> Who decided for you to stay 3 years, you or the military? >> Military. >> Uh-huh. >> Unless ... >> So you were high-ranking? >> No, not high-ranking. They decide who will come back. >> Well, maybe they wanted you to stay because you are really good at ... >> No, not particularly. Partly I will say that is correct because they have to get officers volunteering for doing parachute duties and going to Korea. When we went, our doctors ... I won't say the whole unit was, but about 60 to 70 percent of the troops, they're qualified paratroopers. The rest had joined, but they had not qualified so far. >> It's incredible because I know, so for example, in America, 1.8 million went, okay? And 54,000 died. So, of course, it's a big war, but even in America, Korean War is called the Forgotten War. You know? >> Yeah. >> But in India, I know it was right after India was independent. Right? India gained independence, and then shortly after, you went to Korea. >> Yeah. >> But why do you think very, very, very, very, very, very few people know about India's contributions in the Korean War? >> It's just a small unit. Actually, it depends on the number of troops given because apart from India, there were about 12 nations that took part. >> Yes. >> Some of them also, as you said, Norway, Sweden, they got a hospital ship or a MASH ... >> Yes, Jutlandia, Jutlandia, yes. >> ... and the Philippines. There's so many other troops. They just sent a battalion. Battalion being about 600 or 700 troops, fighting troops, mind you. >> Yes. >> Yes, except for ... >> Who flew your plane? >> The American ... >> British? >> Oh, went we went to Korea? >> No. We went by ship. >> I know. I know, but you're paratroopers, right? >> That was the Italian-American operation. One, as I told you, 187 RCT, the Regimental Combat Team. That's ... >> So you flew with them and then jumped with the Americans? >> Yes, the Amerns. We volunteered because we had a surgical team. The Regimental Combat Team had their own medical supply, but they didn't have a surgical team, so we volunteered. So our surgical team, one surgical team, went with them, and then ... >> How many people in one? >> Twelve. >> Twelve? >> Twelve. >> Twelve. >> Surgeon anesthetist and two doctors. >> And ... >> There's others helping him. >> How often did you go with them in combat? >> No, no. That was only operation [INAUDIBLE], Operation Munsan-ni. >> Munsan-ni? >> Yeah. >> So for 3 years, okay? Describe to me maybe your everyday, typical, average day. You stayed there for 3 years. >> Three years. >> Yeah, so, you didn't ... Did you have to take care of the patients every day? I mean ... >> The patients are there. We had a small ward. The patients come here. You look after them. They may be outpatients. Just give them medical care, and they go back. Of if they had, sort of, to be kept as a patient, we had wards where the patients are kept and looked after. Or if they are still serious, we send them to go back to the MASH. >> To the MASH? >> Yes. >> And then the MASH sends some ... >> MASH looked after ... Anyway ... >> So you are even more urgent care than that? >> Yes. We're the earlier care. >> Okay. >> The first time ... >> This is so interesting. >> So it's a ... >> So you were like the emergency room? >> Yes. The first, what we look after ... >> Yes, yes. >> ... giving the life-saving treatment and evacuate ... >> And then send to MASH? >> As soon as possible because being a field unit, we had the bigger ambulance and the smaller Jeep ambulance, so we quickly second them back. >> Okay. >> That drove to the MASH. >> Okay. So you had American and British patients, but did you see other patients from other countries? >> No. It was mainly British, British and Australian, New Zealanders, being a part of the Commonwealth Division. >> Part of the Commonwealth ... >> And some Americans, when we were part of the American operation, and also sometimes Koreans who had ... the South Koreans, not bad ... >> Not civilians though? >> Civilians? Yes. >> Really? >> Civilians also, if they are wounded. Villagers, they came. Civilians ... Now that is entirely different from the civilian hospital being done at Daegu. That was separate, running as a hospital. Half the unit was there at Daegu, and we used to alternate them. Same people used to go to the forward areas, and the others from the forward used to come back to the rear for a change and stay, and then we can go to the forward areas. So forward, so it changed all the time, wherever the ... >> Yeah, wherever the troops ... >> But you had a base at Daegu? >> Base at Daegu. >> Daegu. Oh, this is so interesting. >> Our resources of field rations and others, which used to come from India, used to go to Daegu and then send forward. >> Daegu, okay. So you ate Indian food? >> Yes. >> Because I asked Ethiopia, because I came from Ethiopia here. I said, "What did you eat?" >> Yeah. >> They couldn't eat Ethiopian food. >> No, no. >> Yeah, they didn't. >> Yeah, but ... >> But you did? >> Yes. >> Yes. >> No Korean food? >> Korean food? No. Because ... >> So you had cooks and everything there? >> Cooks? Yes. The unit consisted of everything, all types, the tradesmen we called them. We had cooks. We had barbers. We had washermen washing clothes. >> Really? >> Because, you know, some, I think American, many other troops, they had Korean houseboys, Korean ... >> Yes. >> Yes, right? But you didn't? >> No, no. We didn't have any because we ... We had everything, including barbers. We had a dentist also. That was ... >> You had dentists? >> Dentists also. The 17 officers, we had two dental surgeons. >> Really? >> Yes. >> For both the wounded and for you? >> Yeah, yeah. Dentist was there. >> Wow. >> Looking after and also because they ... And a field ambulance has this dental officer also. >> Yes, yes. Oh. >> Yes. >> And nurses? >> No. >> No women? Nothing else? >> We used to call nursing orderly. They used to do the nursing jobs. They're specially trained, like operation groom assistants, physiotherapies, laboratory technicians. We have all these things, but they've all been trained as paratroopers. >> So were you married before you went to Korea? >> No, I was not married. >> So you married after? >> We had married persons also there. I'm not. >> Well, good, because you stayed there for 3 years. If you were married, that would have been difficult. So you came back and you got married and you had ... >> Yes. >> Yes, and your son is also a paratrooper? >> My son is also a paratrooper. He's in the Army. >> Really? Even now? >> Yes. He's a brigadier in Lucknow. >> In ... Where? >> At Lucknow, in the UP. >> But not in the 60th Field Unit. >> No. He served in 60 Field Unit. >> Oh, he did? >> He was a part of 60 for quite some time. >> Wow, wow! So do you have other children that are also ... >> No, just one son. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Left side [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Do you have ... Did you ever go back to Korea? >> Yes. >> You did? >> I did. >> When? >> I have been ... I went ... The first batch of revisit to Korea took place in 1991. >> Yes? >> And I was the only chap from India that went there. >> Wow! >>Because I had been there. >> 1991? >> 1991. >> What did you think when you went to ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> This is, of course ... >> Of course, [INAUDIBLE] >> This is ... >> Your son? >> That's my son. >> Oh. >> And my wife. >> Okay, and you? >> And me. >> Wow! >> This was while I was serving, and this is when I returned. That was my family, but unfortunately ... >> A little higher? Okay. Thanks. >> This is ... And unfortunately I lost my wife and my grandson. >> Oh. I'm so sorry to hear that. >> So that is ... >> Well, I know you lost your grandson, but we have ... You have a new, one more Korean granddaughter. I say ... I call all the Korean War veterans around the world my grandpas because ... >> This is lovely. >> Yes, because I say if you didn't go there in Korea and fight for Korea, I wouldn't be here. >> So nice of you. >> And I really mean it, and that's why ... You know, I used to work for the United States Congress for 7 years. I was chief of staff to a member of Congress. He represents [INAUDIBLE]. He was a Congressman for 46 years, and he decided to retire when President Obama retired. And before I start a new career with a new Congressman, I said, "You know what? God has been so good to me. I've been living the American Dream, you know? How many child, women, young person of an immigrant family in America were in politics?" As you know it's still white-dominated, men, and here I was, and I said, "Wow. I'm so grateful." So I said, "I am going to take a break, and I am going to visit all my grandpas all over the world." >> So nice of you. >> All over the world and say thank you because many of you are very old now. You're not young anymore, and I wanted to say thank you, but also I wanted you to remember that me, not only me but my friends, my family, even Koreans in Korea and all over the world, we don't forget. >> Yeah. >> You know? Right? We don't forget. >> So nice of you. So nice. >> Yes, yes, and I know when you visited Korea in 1991, I'm sure they said thank you. >> Very happy now. They're happy too. >> And maybe the Korean embassy here, right? >> Yeah, no. They have been looking after ... given so many sort of citations and others. It is very, very rewarding, and it is another thing. >> Yeah, so, I said ... >> And the best part is, having seen the country that time in 1950, '51 and '52, '53 and visiting Korea now: What a difference! >> You must be so proud! >> Yes, proud! How can a country which was in that state at that time, within these few years, come up to this height? >> It was in rubbles, nothing. >> There was one bridge over the river in Seoul those days. >> Yes, the Han River. >> Han River. >> Yes. I think now ... >> Unfortunately I have donated recently my personal album to the museum. It's the Korean Embassy at Lucknow, and these are all there. There's all the pictures of the Korean thing. >> Oh. >> What I did was, they wanted my father, when he was here. He kept all the paper cuttings of the period. >> Wow. >> Of the ... >> Oh, when you were in Korea. >> When we were in Korea. >> All the paper. >> In the newspaper, and he wrote down even the announcements on India Radio. >> Wow! >> And when I came back after 3 years from Korea, he gave it to me as a booklet. >> Oh! >> And that, along with my own personal album ... >> That is ... >> ... which I had from Korea taken, I hand it over to the Korean Embassy. >> Wow! >> It's there now in Seoul in their national museum. >> Museum, War Museum! >> War Museum in Seoul, it is there. >> You know, after my last, final destination is Seoul. I go to, first, Busan, where the cemetery is. >> Yes. >> And then I go to Seoul, where the War Museum is. I will go and find your ... >> Yes, you'll see! >> Wow, that's so amazing! >> I have been to Korea three times. >> Wow. >> The last time of course was the year 2000 when it was the 50th anniversary. >> Yes, yes. It was huge. >> So the 50th anniversary. >> So my boss, he's a congressman, but he also was a Korean War veteran. And he went to the 50th anniversary too. >> That's really ... >> Yes. >> That's the last time I went. That was in 2000. >> Well, thank you, so I think I saw some pictures over there of you when you were a soldier. Can you show? Can we go and see? >> Yeah. Unfortunately ...
India New Delhi (2)
>> Well, actually, I really don't know from where to begin. It's all the same. I was a young captain with Second Battalion of the Parachute Regiment when we got orders to move by air to South Korea to supplement the effort of Custodian Force India, which consisted of five regular battalions with the brigade headquarter. Perhaps Custodian Force was part of Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission with its headquarters at Pyongyang, and they [INAUDIBLE] because our job was essentially to repatriate the prisoners of war. No decision had been taken how to dispose of the prisoners of war. So we ... The brigade went there by sea, but having reached there, they realize that the force was not adequate to look after and manage the prisoners-of-war camps, so we, my battalion, which was the parachute battalion, was moved, and the Globemasters were provided by America. I had never seen a Globemaster because the biggest aircraft we had was a Dakota with a capacity of 20 and a Fairchild Packet, which was the World War II vintage aircraft with a capacity of about 15, 30 to 40, and this Globemaster could carry in two tiers about 130 troops fully with their kit, so it was a great experience really. We stopped at Clark Air Base in Philippines early in the morning. Now it was an eye-opener. It was about, I think, 3 or 4 a.m., and the troopers were already lining up to have their breakfast, and we, you see, the Indians had by and large in that period of that stage of our development was hardly 5 feet, 7 inch, 5 foot, 6 inch, and there we saw Afro-Americans lining up, and it was a tremendous experience, and the amount that they could eat for breakfast, it was really ... From there, we were taken to Japan, and I think it was Tachikawa or some airport, and then we were transferred to a battleship, which took us to the Incheon airport. There Mr. Syngman Rhee was the President of South Korea. He thought that Indians were pro-communist. Although India was the chairman of Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission, which consisted of India as chairman, and we had a very famous general officer, General Thimayya, who later on also served in the United Nations. Besides India, there was Poles and Czechoslovakian representing the communists and I think if I recollect Norway or Sweden ... >> Sweden. >> ... [INAUDIBLE] the other part of this force, of this headquarter, and Custodian Force India under the general officer consisting of five battalions I mentioned earlier, so Syngman Rhee refuse to let us go by train from Incheon or go through South Korea to the demilitarized zone where we were destined, our Custodian Force was placed. Again, it was a great experience for me as a young officer. Helicopters were unknown in India in those days, but seeing helicopters from the ship like you see ... It was an experience again. The helicopters were small. Just they could take about four or five along with their complete as we call kit [INAUDIBLE] operational kit. Everybody goes with it. And we were put in the demilitarized zone, and we landed there. I was then [INAUDIBLE] rifle company, which generally consists about 18 men, and it was about 5 in the evening, and it was getting bit dark when I was given orders to relieve another company and take over straightaway the prisoner-of-war camp. There was no head count. I was just told that about 500 prisoners of war were in that camp. There was about five or six camps there. And lo and behold, lo and behold, middle of the night, and it was a subzero kind of temperature. We were not equipped really for the Korean climate. We were not equipped. There was a breakout, and our sentries on the [INAUDIBLE] were firing to stop the exodus. It was a nightmare. We were in our under [INAUDIBLE] sleeping, and suddenly this commotion was taking place, and perhaps they had timed it also. They knew they were very seasoned, those who had fought the war, but some of them were hard-core communists who never wanted anybody to either go to South Korea or to any Western countries, and they were creating terror in the camp, so any way to continue with this breakout, lot of them got through. They were very keen to go to South Korea or to go to south or to [INAUDIBLE] anywhere else, but it was a major setback for me that this happened when I was in command of the camp. That's a different story. I had to face a bit of disciplinary action for that. Then we were taken. You see, I appreciated the amount of hard work put by the generals of the American army to prepare a camp for about 800 soldiers and officers and be centrally heated. That itself was quite an experience that they were able to set up, and it was just [INAUDIBLE] canvas sheets and with some kind of heating arrangement in the center where perhaps diesel was being burned to keep the warm and also the ... You had the wooden floors and things like that and ... But one thing was that our senior commanders never wanted us to take on the United Nations, the American dress. They wanted us to remain ... They permitted the troops to wear clothes to be comfortable, but to officers, whatever we were entitled to, then what we had taken, which was certainly not ... wasn't adequate but to set an example that the leaders themselves were being given Indian rations whereas the troops were allowed to have rations with the other United Nation troops were. Initially we [INAUDIBLE] because we were uncomfortable. >> Mm. >> The clothing wasn't warm enough. Neither was the food. It took us hours by pressure cookers to cook the [INAUDIBLE] and the [INAUDIBLE] and all that whereas the troops were being fed the Californian oranges and the lamb and the ... all that frozen lamb and nice cheese. Anyway, gradually we were able to convince the senior [INAUDIBLE] that it is not [INAUDIBLE]. It's all right to set an example, but an example should also be related to the actualities on the ground and the situation. Now the ... We had also ... A hospital was also there to cater for. Let me concentrate first on the behavior of the core communist leaders. They had created cells in the compound, deep cells, wanted to give you protection against the climate, and second was that they used to torture those perhaps who were very keen to break away ... >> Mm. >> ... and torture them so badly that they will kill you, and in the morning, what you saw was two, three bodies being put on the gate of the ... which was a barbed wire kind of gate. It was a very tough situation, and you could do nothing. We could do nothing against the torture that was going on in the camps. Once we settled down, then I'm relating to what my job was. I was given the job of presenting prisoner of war from my camp to the team of NNRC, Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission, team, and each prisoner of war was exposed to them in a tent or something like that [INAUDIBLE] tent. >> Mm. >> And there each ambassador are part of that team will bring messages and those recorded messages but played requesting these fellows to come back to their own motherland, go back to North Korea, to China, wherever. But there was no force involved in this whole exercise, but as luck would ... bad luck for me. And these prisoners used to restrict so that they carry no weapons or no sharp ... to harm the ... There is a bit of representative of the NNRC. And we used to strip them, and as I said, my bad luck came. One of the prisoner had kept a blade somehow. I don't know where. And he slashed one of the faces of [INAUDIBLE]. There was a commotion. >> Wait. This is very ... >> He had hidden a blade, a shaving blade, somehow, which we didn't know this, and he slashed the faces of one of the members of the Neutral Nation Repatriation Commission's team member. Anyway, he was overpowered, and of course I had to face the music later on through my normal army channels, but the officer who was conducting an inquiry into the whole thing was very considerate that it wasn't something intentional. There was no motivation on my part to relax, and therefore I was honorably ... And it was quite a bit of tension [INAUDIBLE] as a young officer I had then about 6 years service, and I was about 26 years old then. >> Mm. >> These were the ... But the life generally was very made reasonably comfortable. Later on, they permitted us to have the [INAUDIBLE] and all those facilities with the other United Nation troops were having. But what ... As a young officer, it was an eye-opener, and you match yourself professionally and otherwise in smartness, in alertness, in [INAUDIBLE]. We ... I thought, "I am as good or even better in a sense than officers from the other ... some of the other countries," so it built a lot of confidence in me as an individual, and perhaps that's the reason that I rose to be the vice chief of the army later on in life. >> Wow. Vice chief of the army? >> Right. Right. >> Wow. >> So we used to have ... Once I was taken off from that and I was made adjutant of the battalion, that means I was not involved in the looking after the prisoner of war but managing the affairs of the unit. We had a comfortable stay there. Our officers' mess was there. All the facilities were given, even [INAUDIBLE]. >> Mm. >> And we used to naturally sit in a huge transport carrier and which was warm enough to [INAUDIBLE]. I remember seeing a movie of Nat King Cole, the great singer of those days, and the son I remember, "What a Beautiful World," "What a Beautiful World," which was a great song in those days. Then we celebrated our festivals, Diwali and all that, and showed to the rest of the [INAUDIBLE] of the [INAUDIBLE] and the others. Perhaps it must have been explained to you that we were five battalions. That means a brigade nearly would service about 5,000 troops. Indian troops were there, which is quite a contribution. Do not [INAUDIBLE] but later on. >> For how many years? For how many years? How long? >> Oh, yes. It was in 1953, '54. That means we came back about 10 months, 10 months. We were ... >> In 10 months, there were 5,000 of you? >> Mm-hmm. >> There were 5,000 of you? >> Yes. >> Five thousand? >> Yeah. >> For 10 months? >> Ten months. Yes. >> Wow. >> Yes. >> Because before the war, the unit was very small, less than 400. >> [INAUDIBLE] it was [INAUDIBLE] which was part of the ... But this was ... I'll show you the plate I have. >> Mm-hmm. Later. We can ... >> Later. We have a plate for that. Then also we got a chance to visit the NNRC headquarter, which was at Pyongyang, North Korea, and now North Korea, and there was again a world of difference between the attitudes, the reading of the situation. It was entirely [INAUDIBLE] aggressive. You could see there the aggressiveness on the part of ... The Chinese were still there too, but we were dealing with only prisoner of war. >> How long did that take, that process? So the armistice is signed, okay? >> Mm. >> And then so ... Then you start negotiating, right? >> Mm. >> The army, not negotiating. The negotiation was already done. >> Unite ... You see, United Nation was part of the fighting, so this was a ... I think under Geneva Contention or some, a Neutral Nation Repatriation Commission. Repatriation, which is a self-explanatory thing, was to repatriate or give an opportunity to the prisoner of war where they want to go, but again, it may be premature. Unfortunately, we were not able to achieve our task. No final decision was taken, and we had ... We returned the prisoners of war back to the neutral nations, and we came back ... >> So that ... >> ... without achieving the aim. >> And it took 10 months? >> Yeah, less than 10 months. >> Mm. So what happened to the person that slipped or slipped a person, the POW? >> I wouldn't know because that [INAUDIBLE] was taken by the Neutral Nations Repatration Commission. >> Was he Chinese or North Korean? >> Again, I wouldn't know. >> Mm. >> I wouldn't know because there was not written that they are North Korean, or they are Chinese or whatever. >> Because I know POW is still a very ... That's why the war lasted 3 years. >> Yeah. >> I heard ... >> Yeah. >> ... that after 1 year, by 1951, the battle was already kind of decided. It was all within the 30 ... along the 38th parallel. >> Parallel, yes. >> And it was just up and down and up and down, up and down, not different parts, but the reason why it dragged was because of the POW issue. >> Mm, mm. >> And it was hard to come to ... >> You would be surprised that I think [INAUDIBLE] came to India. >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> And ... >> Who did? >> And ... >> POWs? >> Uh-huh, and they were now ... They are part of our association, and they are businessmen there in Delhi. >> Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. What do you mean? The two are Koreans? North Koreans? >> South Koreans. >> South ... Okay. After the war. >> South ... >> After the war. >> South Korean prisoner, they came to India. >> Oh. >> They opted for India. [INAUDIBLE]. >> They were captured by the enemy. >> Yes. >> And then when they were repatriated, they said they want to go to India. >> Yes. >> Interesting. So they are ... >> Actually, this fellow, the [INAUDIBLE], should be able to tell you exact name of this person. He was a businessman. >> Oh. >> Yes. >> Well, I guess ... >> But I don't think he is ... I don't know, but we keep on meeting him. We have get-togethers, association get-togethers, and he attends that. Whether he has given up his citizenship, that I am not aware whether he is [INAUDIBLE]. >> So the association has members of both the parachute, the ambulance and the ... your unit, right? >> Not mine only. Custodian Force India was the executive branch of the Neutral Nations Repatration Commission. >> And that was 5,000? >> That was 5,000 troops with a [INAUDIBLE] hospital, big hospital, not only an ambulance [INAUDIBLE] ambulance but a big hospital with all facilities. I think they could maintain ... The back strength was about 50 or so, big, big hospital. >> So all together less than 6,000 Indians went to Korea? >> Yes. >> And luckily only one died, luckily. >> Mm. >> How did he die? >> Hmm? >> What kind of accident? How did he die? >> How did he die? >> Mm-hmm. >> I don't know the ... >> The one Indian ... >> ... actual ... But again, while we were there, I mentioned their aggressiveness. They even want the General Thorat. He was a general officer of the Indian army who was the head of the Custodian Force. They were maltreating some prisoners, so he went in to see for himself, and there this aggressive lot, must be North Koreans or Chinese, they made him captive ... >> Hmm. >> ... a general officer, and then a big operation was ... More force was brought, and he himself was a seasoned World War II veteran. >> Hmm. >> So he was able to convince them that they cannot keep holding onto him. He will be free, so it is better that they do it in a peaceful manner rather than bloodshed. >> Hmm. >> And he was able to convince to them because the troops have then ... We were part of that to take action if something goes wrong. >> Hmm. >> So these kind of situations were ... Then we had ... On a Diwali day, I remember I led the ceremonial parade of the normal ... And we put up Malcolm ... I wonder if you ... You may not have heard. Malcolm is a martyr. How long you been in India? >> Two days, 3 days? >> Malcolm is an exercise. It's to strengthen your muscles and things like that. A greasy pole taller than this, about 15 feet, which you climb, a greasy pole, so you climb by maneuvering your body in a manner, and you reach on top, and then in a pyramid sort of fashion, more will join like that, then display ... And it was subzero. I think it about minus 10 or 15, and they are absolutely naked. >> Mm. >> [INAUDIBLE]. So what I mean is that a cultural sort of exchange was also there besides the military parade and things like that [INAUDIBLE]. >> Because there were so many different cultures there. >> Yes. >> So many different cultures. >> Rest of the countries were there. >> Yes. So it was very interesting. >> Have you been back to Korea? >> Yes. I went there in 2002. >> For the first time? >> No, 2002, yes, only once. I went there once. >> That was during World Cup. >> During the [INAUDIBLE] so was absolutely ... There were nothing. There was nothing standing in the capital, and one was really surprised to see in 2002 the development which had taken place. I think its credit goes to the South Korean or Korean as a whole, I would say, that the sense of discipline, the sense of dedication and also perhaps motivation through their education, through their parents, through their teachers, through the general society that they have been able to achieve wonders. >> I think Koreans have a strong sense of duty, and we are very grateful people, and I believe that we recognize that so many foreigners came to Korea to defend our freedom and that we owe it to all those who served to really rise above, rise from the ashes of war to become successful and prosper, and I ... Although I'm Korean American, I'm very proud when I hear that the Korean government really treats the veterans with the utmost respect ... >> Oh, yes. >> ... and gratitude. >> We've been receiving signed by the president of South Korea messages of this gratitude and also this system of ... And it is maintaining the link with the next generation and the next generation. Already the grandchildren are ... They go on this kind of program where they are taught. They mingle with people from all the countries, and also, I think they are even offered now scholarships. >> Yes. >> Yes. Thereby, you can opt to take a job even after to learn Korean language, and, yes, all these facilities are being given. >> Yeah. >> And we are really surprised that while ... Even China, China in 1949, '50, was much behind India in its GDP, and even throughout [INAUDIBLE] reign, it's only [INAUDIBLE] or somebody. When he became president, I think he became president after [INAUDIBLE] that he brought the technical know-how. Firstly, they were so proud that they disconnected. They thought that the Soviets were too overpowering and neutralizing their character, and so they gave that up, and then they had all the technology made up with Americas and see what they have achieved. They have become ... They are a superpower now. >> Mm. >> And so is South Korea. They are known as five tigers of Southeast in development in technology, in all sphere of activity. >> Mm-hmm. >> I wish that we in India could also somehow become a little more disciplined [INAUDIBLE] because, through discipline, we can achieve. It also moderates your character, your integrity, but in spite of our teachings, we are really civilizational, somehow the ... I shall be saying, but somehow the leaders, the political leaders and the bureaucrats have affected the development side. >> Mm. >> But it is improving. >> Yeah. >> It's improving. >> Yeah. >> Yes, and there is a hope. >> Yes, and I have so many Indian-American friends that they're ... The diaspora, they're very, very, very prosperous, and they'll bring back that kind of knowledge and ... because that's what Chinese ... >> Where are you staying in? >> I ... >> Stay USA? >> Washington, D.C. >> Washington, D.C. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> And there's an Indian-American congressman because I worked in Congress for a long time, and, yes, I think all over the world with many of the diaspora bringing back the knowledge and just the sense of, I guess, more discipline, like you said, because when you go abroad and you're not in your home country, you have to work as harder. >> Harder. >> And that's why I feel like I've achieved the American dream because, for my parents who sacrificed their life to come to America for us, we think we got to succeed, right? I think that's the same analogy of the Korean people. The parents all over the world, the veterans, came and sacrificed, so the Korean people think, okay, for them, to honor them, the people and the country, they have to succeed, and so I hope that ... I'm very glad you got to see modern Korea with the tall skyscrapers. >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> Yes. Everybody says there was only one bridge over Han River. Now there's 16 bridges, and I ... There's Samsung. There's Hyundai. There's ... all over the world. And I hope when you see that, that you feel very proud, that you were part of that making. >> Yes. >> Mm. I really hope that, and that's why I wanted to come, and I wanted to just ... I know you know, and you are proud, but it's also nice to hear it again, to say thank you again. >> Tremendous, tremendous. >> Yeah. >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> So I do want to say thank you. >> Yeah. >> Oh, in the Korean custom like in New Year or when you pay respect to the elder, we bow. >> Mm. >> That's the proper way of saying thank you, so I wanted to actually do that because this is ... I tried ... This is not sorry, but I tried to wear something a little bit kind of Indian to pay respect for you, so I'm going to do that because that's what we do, and I will say thank you the proper way that I was taught to do.
Ireland Castlebar, Mayo (2)
>> [INAUDIBLE]. >> Okay. Well, you can go. Okay. Ready? Go. >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> Hello, everybody, from Mayo County in Ireland. I am here at the Mayo Park Garden of Remembrance with many people, but particularly I'm here with the council members of the Mayo County, Mr. ... >> Gavin. >> ... Gavin and ... >> Ger Deere. >> ... Ger Deere. So thank you so much. Please say a few words about this beautiful town and the significance of having this Peace Park here right in the middle, the heart. >> First of all [INAUDIBLE] deputy mayor [INAUDIBLE]. >> [INAUDIBLE]. We both do. >> A thousand, 100,000 [INAUDIBLE]. Myself and councillor here were delighted to present you with [INAUDIBLE] very, very proud of this Peace Park here [INAUDIBLE] many, many years ago [INAUDIBLE]. We have people coming here from all over the world. [ Chatter ] So we're delighted to be involved. [INAUDIBLE] our municipal district are delighted to be involved, and we've been involved with this Peace Park right from the start. You can see all the names on the wall. >> Yes, I love this inscription in particular, that, "Dedicated in memory of all who served and died in the cause of world peace," because everybody, at the end of the day, we remember the fallen to hope for peace and unity. So ... >> [INAUDIBLE] by our president [INAUDIBLE]. >> By the president [INAUDIBLE]. I want to introduce Mr. Feeney, who is a chairman of the committee, right? So please come and ... So, Mr. Feeney, as you may have seen yesterday, he not only came to Dublin, took me everywhere yesterday, to all the visits, but he also escorted me to Mayo, which is almost 4 hours away from Dublin. But he is the one who thought of building this memorial, and this entire town supported it, got behind and actually made it into a reality. So please, what inspired you?? >> What inspired me was forgotten generation [INAUDIBLE] Korean War [INAUDIBLE] so many other wars. It was something that needed to be done at that time, and with the support of [INAUDIBLE] Council, our own committee, there was a lot of people involved [INAUDIBLE]. And we are proud [INAUDIBLE]. And so many people, such as yourself, come here who are proud of it, too. It's a tourist attraction. It's a memorial, heritage site, but it remembers the fallen and gives respect to all who served and died and gives respect most of all to the families who were left behind. >> Yes. >> [INAUDIBLE] ... >> That is ... >> ... people here had to go to Belgium and France [INAUDIBLE], but the graves are still out there. >> Yes. >> But at least we can remember them here [INAUDIBLE]. >> That is ... Thank you for pointing that out. This is not only to honor the fallen, but it's also for those left behind, right? The families and the town, the friends to come and remember. Of course, you don't need a wall or a memorial to remember them, but it is something where the community can come together and ... >> Ma'am? >> Yes? >> I would like to add Mr. Jim Casey, the National Executive Chairman of the Irish United Nations Veterans to give a small presentation to you. >> Oh, presentation. [ Chatter ] Oh, wow! So thank you. Wow! Thank you. What an honor, the Irish United Veterans Association, United Nation ... So as you know, the Korean War was a United Nations effort, and so Mr. Casey has come on behalf of the United Nations Irish Veterans Association. Thank you so much. If I'm correct, I'm going to ... [ Chatter ] Yes. Oh. >> On behalf of [Indistinct], another badge. >> Wow! [ Chatter ] I'm having a lot of badges, everybody! This is a Mayo Peace Park Garden of Remembrance badge. >> Yeah. >> The doves. >> Aw. >> The doves were made in Germany. >> Oh, wow, the doves were made in Germany. How symbolic is that? >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> Yes, yes, thank you. >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> Yes. So I just wanted to point out, remember the hearts that I've been pinning to all the grandpas? Well, I laid them at the marker where it actually lists from this town alone four who died, so I'm going to just take you over there. In fact, I'm going to bring the Columban Fathers, so remember yesterday I visited the Columban Fathers in [INAUDIBLE] Park? It's a little loud there. They're having construction, but, the fathers, would you like to join me when [INAUDIBLE] Korean War [INAUDIBLE]? [ Chatter ] >> So ... [ Chatter ] ... they lived in Korea for 40 ... >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> ... years. Can you believe that? And they speak Korean fluent, and they came today, and I want to point this out, so these are Irish who fought with the Americans and died, so in the Korean War, Sergeant Mark Brennan .. >> Fitzpatrick. >> ... Mr. Michael Fitzpatrick, Michael ... >> Gannon. >> ... Gannon and Michael ... >> Hardiman. >> ... Hardiman, so I laid these four in their honor, and we laid these wreaths, so, everybody, I just want to show ... Oh, you said you wanted to present something. >> [INAUDIBLE] yes. >> Yes. >> We'll go over there because it's so loud here but ... >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> [INAUDIBLE] seven Columbans that died in the Korean War. >> Oh. >> And I produced this. [INAUDIBLE] Smith is my name. >> Wow. >> We have a little piece of poetry here in English and in Korean remembering the seven Columbans that died. >> Wow! >> Seven who died and left the life [INAUDIBLE] with no word of farewell, seven great [INAUDIBLE] busy green truly fell [INAUDIBLE] to the green return, and when it came, have already [INAUDIBLE] rigid in the ground. >> Wow, and you can read it in Korean, too? >> Yes. Yeah. >> Let's go over there. It is raining, so we're going to go inside, but ... >> But anyway ... >> ... these are the seven Columban Fathers who died in Korea during the Korean War. They could've fled, but they chose to stay, so I'm going to just show you guys quickly this place, and then we're going to go in, so it's okay. [INAUDIBLE]. So look at this. It's of course a cemetery in the back, and this is the garden with all the different conflicts that ... and alliances, right? >> Yeah. >> The Irish alliances. I'm okay. And I'm okay. I'm okay. >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> Yes, I'm okay. And this is where it lists more than 1,000 Irishmen who died in World War I, but of course over there that includes the Korean War and Vietnam War. Everybody, I cannot thank God enough for ... Just continue to bless me, bless everybody that joined me on this journey, so thank you very much, and I am going to be making my way back to Dublin later today and will soon be in Belfast where ... in Northern Ireland where I'll also be hoping for peace and unity there as well as meeting Korean War veterans, Irish who fought in the Korean War, so thank you, everybody. Bye.
Ireland Castlebar, Mayo (4)
>> 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].
Ireland Dalgan Park
>> Everybody, I am inside this gorgeous chapel, the sacred chapel of the Columban Fathers. It's in Dalgan Park which is about an hour away from Dublin. I am here with very ... three extremely special people. They are three Columban Fathers who served in Korea as missionaries for, three of them combined, more than 100 years because, Father O'Brien, you were there for how many years, 50? >> Fifty. >> Father O'Brien was there for 50 years. >> Twenty-five. >> Twenty-five and ... >> Fifty-seven years. >> Fifty-seven ... >> Fifty-seven, wow. >> ... years. He ... They ... Well, for sure, they lived in Korea longer than they lived in Ireland, so thank you so much for your service. So Columban Fathers were ... You tell us. When were they first in Korea? >> 1933. >> 1933, and, everybody, 1933 was still when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule. 1945, Korea was liberated, gained independence, but that's when there were two differing sides of two ... communism versus democracy, and as we all know, in 1950, June 25th, the Korean War broke out, and when the Korean War broke out, approximately how many Columban Fathers do you think were there at that time? >> Thirty. >> Thirty. >> Thirty. >> Twenty, 30. >> Well, yes, about 20, 30, and very sadly and tragically, seven who had an opportunity to flee chose to remain, right ... >> Yeah. >> ... and were very sadly killed and murdered, so here we are inside this chapel because they are here, memorialized here. Can you point them out? >> Monsignor Patrick Brennan here, Thomas Cusack, John O'Brien, Tony Collier, Patrick Reilly. >> So that's one, two, three, four, five. Oh, and maybe ... >> Two there. >> And there was James Maginn and Frank Canavan. Frank Canavan was taken North Korea and died in North Korea. >> Mm. >> He was taken up with two other Columban priests or three of them taken over the border up to North Korea. He died in North Korea, so his remains would still be in North Korea. >> Ooh! >> He was on the death march. >> Prisoner of war. >> He was a prisoner of war on the death march. >> Oh, but you said something ... >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> Oh, my god. Yes. They all [INAUDIBLE]. >> Death march. >> But [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Oh, my. Actually ... Okay. You said something that really ... So you're right. Two of those who died in North Korea, their remains were never found. >> One. >> Just one. >> Just one. >> Just Frank Canavan. >> Frank Canavan. >> Those remains were never ... >> He was very young. >> His remains were never recovered. >> Very young. He was only 40. >> Oh, my. That breaks my heart because of the current situation between North and South Korea. There are at least ... Or there are still about 7,000 remains unaccounted for, okay, veterans unaccounted for in America, but Father James Maginn would be one of many across ... >> Also these are unaccounted for. They're buried in a common grave in Taejon ... >> Oh. >> ... those three ... >> They think they were ... >> ... one, two, three. >> ... marked in Taejon. >> Oh. >> And their bodies ... There's no graves. We don't know. >> In Taejon, we don't know where the graves. >> Oh, but the others, where are they buried? >> They're buried in Chuncheon. >> They're buried in Chuncheon. >> Oh, my god. >> We have them in Chuncheon. >> Chuncheon. >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> So they never really physically ... >> Found the bodies. >> ... made it. >> No. >> No, even ... They're not even buried in their homelands. >> That's right. >> Oh, no. >> Oh, no. Buried in Korea, Korea somewhere. >> That breaks my heart. That breaks my heart. Oh. Well, I am very glad I came to Dalgan Park on their behalf. Although it's not their hometown, I know they all left ... They were trained here, right? >> Mm-hmm. >> And they left from here and ordained, of course, from here, right? >> Yes, ma'am. >> And they were only 35 at the time when they went to Korea and ... >> And they died. >> They died. [ Chatter ] >> They could've left Korea. >> Thirty-five. >> They could've left Korea. >> So ... >> Less than 35. >> But they stayed in Korea. >> Yes. >> They stayed with the people. >> And that is actually many of the veteran stories. They didn't have to go. >> Mm-hmm. >> They didn't have to serve, yet they chose to, and I guess, in a very, very weird way, I completely understand because when I started doing this visiting veterans, honestly I thought I would do it once around the world, and that would be it. That would actually fulfill my promise to God and myself and to just this universe that I would do it, but the reason why I did it again across America, did it again across the Pacific and again now is because I choose to. I choose to. It's not even I feel obligated to. It's not even that anymore. It's I choose to because I want to, and I think all three of you as missionaries. What they said was ... because I thanked them for their service, and they said they actually gained more from serving than going there, so thank you so much to the three of you Fathers for your service to just the people of Korea and to this world, to take love, to spread message of hope and peace and love. So, everybody, wow. This is just only my second day, and I am just overwhelmed with so much, just so much emotion and gratitude, so thank you, everybody. Continue to follow me. Tomorrow is a big day also at the [INAUDIBLE] Peace Park. Thank you. Bye. >> Thank you. >> Thank you very much.
Ireland Dublin
>> ... from Dublin, so I am at a church. It's called the St. Mary's, and there is a beautiful cross here, a memorial, that lists the names of those who died in World Wars I and II and Korea, and so we were just gathered here, but I have not just two but four Korean War veterans. God always doubles my prayers, by the way, so thank you, God. So here is Grandpa Walter. Oh, Elizabeth! Please come! Come! >> Oh, no, no, no. Just records. >> Well, Grandpa Walter, when did you fight in Korea? >> I went to Korea in 1952 with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers, and I fought in Korea for 1 year from '52 to '53 and until the cease-fire. I was in the front line when the cease-fire was sound, and then we moved off of the position and put wire up around the hill and then moved off, and then we went home. I was wounded there in Korea in the first few weeks. >> You were? is that why you have a Purple Heart? >> Yeah, I have ... >> Oh, okay. >> Can you believe that I did get a Purple Heart given to me when I was ... >> Wow. [ Chatter ] >> Oh, he lost his Purple Heart. >> Grandpa. [ Chatter ] >> Oh, can you say your full name, Grandpa Walter? >> My name is Walter Leslie Cout. >> So you have a long name. >> And, Grandpa, what is your full name? >> James Doyle. >> James Doyle. >> Yep. >> Oh. Everybody, look. I gave him my shamrock pins. Yay! Okay. When did you fight in Korea? >> It was in 1953. >> 1953 towards the end? >> Mm-hmm. >> Yes. >> And I was Royal Engineers. >> Royal ... With the Royal Engineers, yes. Okay, and so you did a lot of work with the equipment. >> Yeah, on the bridges. >> Bridges. >> Clearing minefields. >> Yeah, clearing minefields. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Very important. Yes, it is. >> A dangerous job, but we go through it. >> I'm so glad you were able to come today. Thank you. Grandpa Ray. Well, I gave him an American heart because he fought in the American Army. >> Yep. >> Yes. When? >> In the 40th Division in Company G of the 224th Infantry. I was stationed in [INAUDIBLE] gateway to Seoul in South Korea. [ Chatter ] >> [INAUDIBLE], and there were a mile and a half on the inside, and we were [INAUDIBLE]. It was that way for, I would say, maybe 4 or 5 months. [ Chatter ] >> [INAUDIBLE] and I thought, "Jeez, get me the hell out of here and see a different sight than this." So I got back [INAUDIBLE]. [ Chatter ] >> Were you born in Dublin, or were you born in America? >> America. >> Where? Which state? >> New Haven, Connecticut. >> New Haven, Connecticut, everybody. I was there in Connecticut in Danbury. And last but now least, Grandpa ... I think he's the oldest grandpa here, right? >> Yes. >> How young are you? >> Ninety-one. >> He's only 91 years young, and he looks great. Where and when did you fight in Korea? >> '50 and '51. >> 1950, 1951. Yes. >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> Wow. Were you born in Ireland? >> Oh, yes. Definitely. >> Where? In Dublin? >> In Dublin. >> Oh, and you left from ... Where did you leave from? >> Belfast. >> Belfast. Okay. Well, I'm going to go to Belfast on Friday. Yes. >> Yes, are you? That'll be fine. >> Yes. Well, like I said, everybody, since I'm going to go to Belfast, I am here in Ireland because I think it's not only important to thank the veterans who fought, the Irish veterans who fought, but I do really want to, as a Korean who knows well about the pain of division and separation, and I just commiserate it with the Irish pain of division and separation as well and praying for peace and unity for all, okay, so that is one thing I do want you to know. I also want to You'll hear and meet a lot about Mr. Michael Schafini, who came and traveled all the way from Mayo, Castlebar, where I'll be tomorrow, so you'll hear a lot about him, but, Elizabeth ... Well, and then before we go to Elizabeth, I have two people from the British Legion to welcome here which was a pleasant surprise and a great honor. >> Oh, our pleasure. >> Yes. Oh, and I want to show you what he gave me because this ... I don't bear ... This, I take it very seriously. He requested that I take this and plant this at the Korean War Memorial in Washington on behalf of the legion which ... [ Chatter ] >> Yes, in Ireland, so that is a huge task, a huge honor, and I am very, very proud to bear the cross. Yes. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> And any words to say about from on the behalf of the British Legion? >> Well, we're very proud of all our veterans. There are so few of them left, and most of them ... Don't forget, every one of them was a volunteer if they left the Republic of Ireland which is something else. They weren't necessarily on scripts. They were volunteers. >> And you? >> I think the ... Korea is called the Forgotten War. I think in this situation, it's not even known about, and that's such a challenge to us as a nation here now to make better known of what these chaps did in the '50s. So ... >> So thank you so much, gentlemen ... >> My pleasure. >> ... for coming here and representing and thanking on behalf of the legion, and last but not least, this is Elizabeth, everybody. >> Oh, goodness. >> Yes. I was so surprised because she said she had actually known about me even before she met me today. >> I did. >> Yes, because we have many, many ... >> Many friends all over the world and in particular in Australia, Ray Rogers, Raymond Rogers. He keeps me in contact with all that Hannah is doing and also Edgar Green who is in London, and we keep contact. >> So I was amazed because she said that she has seen me and received their newsletters and e-mails as I was traveling to South Africa, Canada, London, New Zealand, Australia, so that was very amazing. >> Keep up what you're doing. >> Aw, thank you. Thank you, and last but not least, I want to give a shout-out to Ashley from the Korean Embassy who is here to represent the Korean Embassy as well because as you all know, I am here not as an individual but on behalf of all grateful Koreans. The rector is not here, but I want to give a shout-out to the rector who actually ... This beautiful church, as you can see from the back, is closed today, but he made it an exception to open it for us, so thank you to the fathers of the temple. And last but not least, I want to show you where it says Korea, and we will ... So on the side of the cross, it says, "Korean War," and I guess Mr. John David Foster had passed away, so, everybody, thank you so much for joining me on this journey. This is my official day 1 of my "Remember 727" journey to honor veterans and promote peace, so thank you. Bye.
Italy Rome (1)
>> Hello. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Wow. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Tell him ... Ask him, Korea War broke out after World War II, very shortly after. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> So ... [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> So, he must ... [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> He must have been tired of war, seeing war, so why did he volunteer to go to Korea? >> Okay. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Thank you very much, yes. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> What is that? [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> The Land of the Morning Calm. >> Of the Morning Calm, okay. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Samsung, IKEA. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> There were Italian ... [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ask him if he ... Has he ever seen pictures of modern Korea? >> Okay. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> No. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Tell him, when he came back ... [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] [ Chatter ] >> ... because there were so few nurses and doctors ... >> Mm-hmm. >> ... remember how many there were, very few? That when he came back ... [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> ... did they keep in touch? >> Okay. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> No. >> No? >> No. >> No. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> What kind of patients did he treat in Korea? >> Okay. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Like women, children, old ... [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Soldiers? [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ethiopia. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Did he ... Does he know about other medical units from Sweden, Norway? >> Okay. >> Denmark? [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> NORMASH, NORMASH. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Denmark. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Only Italian doctors in his unit. >> No, I know. I know, but did he know about the other doctors? [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Did they ever meet him? [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Had he ever met them because ... Tell him because when I went to Sweden and Norway, they said that they went to each other's places like the Norwegian doctor went to the Swedish hospital to visit. >> Mm-hmm. >> So has he ever visited other hospitals? >> Okay. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Just Sweden. >> Sweden. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Can you tell him to tell us maybe a story that he remembers like a touching story, a moving story about a patient ... >> Okay. Okay. >> from the hospital, not necessarily personal, but just from the hospital. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> In a gist, what did he say in a gist? >> In a gist? >> In a gist. >> What is an a gist? >> Gist, like the gist of what he said. >> Oh. >> Summarize briefly what he said. >> So he basically described the hospital and the patient. He mentions the sicknesses that existed like it was lepers. >> Leprosy. >> Leprosy, and he also ... Yeah. He mentions leprosy. >> [INAUDIBLE]. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Yeah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Wasn't it in mice or something? Or ... >> No, it's in the Bible something. It's ... Now what did he do when he came back. How was his life after he came back from Korea? >> Should I ask him that. >> Yes. >> Okay. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Normal, like it was before. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ask him what ... he must ... Is he proud of his contribution, his service? [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> What did he say? >> So yes, he is proud of fighting for Korea because ... [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Yeah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Yeah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> When did he get married? >> Okay. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> How did he meet her? [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Oh, they knew each other when they were young. >> Yeah. He said that she was older than he was by 6 years. >> Oh, wow. How did they meet? >> They met in Turin. That's all he said. >> Ooh, la, la. >> Ooh, la, la. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Mm-hmm, so he basically has a total of seven kids, two girls and two boys in second marriage, and the one boy died in his first marriage, and I believe in the first marriage there was another boy. >> Oh, wow. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> So he ... [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> So he basically ... He returned back home poor just like ... >> Just like he was before. >> Just like he was before, and he's very interested in history, so rather than getting whatever, $10 million or whatever, and he also said ... Yeah. That's what he said. >> Ask him finally if there's any pictures that he wants to show us. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Any special one, special, special? [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ask him when his birthday is. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Oh, the 20th of August. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> What year? >> Oh, 1924. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> And then when was it, his birthday? >> August 20th, 1925. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> You? Really. No guitar, piano. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> You have harmonica? You have? Can you play for us? [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Wow. Wow. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> What did he say? >> This is ... he's ... This is yours. >> Ooh. Mine? [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> I'm checking. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> I don't know if he wants you to take it or what or I don't know if he meant that. >> I don't think so. >> I don't think so. I wouldn't do it because saying take it could also be just to look at .. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> So yeah, so ... >> Okay. Let's go. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Okay, concert. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Very good, grazie. >> Grazie mille. >> Grazie, grazie. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]
Italy Rome (2)

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> So he’s the colonel lieutenant of the …

>> Claudio …

>> … Claudio …

>> … de Felici …

>> … de Felici …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … of the military corp …

>> Italian Red Cross.

>> … of the Italian Red Cross.

>> And we are in [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> Okay. We are in the [INAUDIBLE].

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> We are in the room of the Red Cross where the personnel departed for the war in 1964.

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> October 16th, 1951.

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> So the hospital was operated from December 1951 to 1954 …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … and the personnel …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … were repatriated in …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … until the 10th of January …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … of 1955.

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> Mm-hmm. The hospital was composed of paramedics …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … medical officials …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … and …

>> Paramedic.

>> Paramedics, yeah.

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> Voluntary nurses …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … and Korean personnel …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … for the services …

>> Of the hospital.

>> … yeah, of the hospital.

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> The Korean authorities …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] the American authority.

>> … and the American authorities …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … of the …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … oh, of the coalition …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … oh, appreciated …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … the work …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … the work done by the Italian personnel …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> … of hospital number 68, yeah.

>> Why was it called the hospital number 68?

>> I don’t remember.

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> Sixty-eight …

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. Now I don’t remember in this moment, but there is [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. I don’t remember now because …

>> I’m very curious.

>> … this number.

>> I’m curious. I want to know, yeah.

>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> Okay.

>> My name is Claudio de Felici. I am a lieutenant colonel of Italian Red Cross, and now we are in [INAUDIBLE] of headquarter of Italian Red Cross. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE].

>> How many people went to Korea?

>> One hundred people went to Korea to serve the fine hospital number 68 during the Korean War, and the hospital stayed in Korea from November 5 [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] 1951 to 1954 December. Italy went. They sent the hospital in Korea. Italy was not a part of the United Nation, but Italy is member wholly de NATO. Mamma mia.

Japan Tokyo
>> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] 1927. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] participation in [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. Yeah. In 1945, he was a young sailor ... young [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> {FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> In the navy. He was a sailor in the navy. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Right after the war, he was being assigned to carry, to take back all those war ... soldiers of Japan all stationed in Southeast Asia. He was carrying them by ship. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] He was also helping to carry some of the people captured in Siberia, yeah ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> ... up to 1950. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah-ha. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Just about 1950, June, the Korean War broke, and he was ordered to go back to a port right away, and his ship was remodeled to carry war [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] ... some of the war weapons to carry those to Korea. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah, just being remodeled, the ship was going to be used for the war. The older navy [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] marine ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> ... marine. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. They came into the ship not knowing that they're going to go to fight, so they have lots of gifts from Japan. They did not know, and he also did not know. Yeah. >>[FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Those Marine Corps ... >> Marine Corps. >> ... Marine Corps did not know they are going to fight. So when he carried them to near Busan, they were right away being smashed by North Korean soldiers, and most of them died. Yeah, and just maybe one or two person came out of this terrible fight, told him that they are all killed because they are not prepared for fighting. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] A truced, it was okay because they are just carrying the war cans and the [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] bombs. Not bombs, the ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]? That you would use for shooting. They're just carrying some of those items for fighting, and maybe they can hear the explosion of this bombing far away, but since then, the war was getting more. No. They were fighting more and was getting more dangerous, and then they are put in front of these [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] critical fight. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Frontline, yeah. Yeah. They didn't realize that going to be in, but they are put into the front line. How many? [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> About 50 sailors, Japanese sailors, not knowing that they are to be involved in the war. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Because Japan was end occupation, they were told nothing. They were just thinking that they are going to carry some of the materials that is necessary. Was because they are under the occupation they were just told what to do. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Wow. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Wow. At that time, the South Korean soldiers are not very strong. They are being defeated and pushed into this small area at the edge of ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> ... a peninsula, like a boot, the heel of the boot. Yeah. They are all pushed back. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. At that place, the Korean soldiers, American soldiers and refugees and some of the people from Japan carrying materials, so the small town was just overflowed by people. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] There was no factory to bake bread or other things, so Japan had to make all those bread and other food and carry to Busan, taking about 8 hours by camel. Yeah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. Ah. Some of the cash, also, they sent from Japan to Korea. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. It was a very high price in Korea because the banks are all being destroyed and closed. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] confusion. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. General MacArthur thought maybe they should go behind, not the southern part but behind the North. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Yeah. Yeah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. They started to carry more war tanks rather than jeeps and some things which are more critical for participation in the war. The Japanese sailors were very uneasy because not knowing what is going to happen. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. Forty-three percent of his [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] people who are older than him were killed during the war, and he was a remaining sailor because he was not a soldier, but they were all asked to participate in war, carrying things. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. Their death rate was much higher than navy or army Japanese soldiers because they were not prepared to fight, and they had to carry things. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> They were very unhappy because it was after 5 years of defeat of Japan by United States and other troops. The constitution said we shall not engage in war anymore, and how come we have to be in war again? So they're very unhappy. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. Ah. So ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> All those sailors were very unhappy, and they wanted to go home, but because Japan was under occupation, they are being told by the minister of Japan that they had to be obey the American Army, no, [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] All the orders came. They were put blind. Nothing, they knew, but all the order came by special sign. They are being told at that moment what they had to do, so they are not told anything about the future. Yeah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> The Harbor of Inchon, when they went, they were about 200 ships all gathered in Inchon. Maybe they are making a secret plan to attack North Korea from behind. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. Yeah. At first, during the day, they [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. They fire, fire. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> They attack. They attack Inchon and all the fire going up, and then when they came, they are being told to land on Inchon, Inchon landing. That's what. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> At night, September 15. Yeah. Yeah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] They are renowned, but they had to carry tank with the soldiers on to land Inchon, Inchon landing. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. North Korean soldiers are waiting to shoot at all those unarmed Japanese sailors and the tanks with the armed American soldiers. They're not prepared, either, to fight. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> In landing, they had to land the tanks and open them, put all the soldiers going to the Inchon, yeah, yeah, and all the things, they did not expect, but they had to do just like soldiers. Yes. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> When he followed the soldiers' land, the North Korean soldiers all burned up just like a charcoal, and he could see only the mouth, but anyway, there was some pamphlet, so he realized this must be someone a little bit higher rank in a North Korean soldier. But it was very striking, all burned down black body with a white pamphlet nearby. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah, and he realized Japanese sailors also were participating in the killing because they were being attacked by American from the ship, and so there are lots of dead bodies, North Korean soldiers. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> They are very shocked because they thought they are going to just carry things, tanks and people and some necessary weapons, but lo and behold, they were also participating in killing, killing people, so they are very shocked. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. After this, they had to go. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Northern part. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Underwater weapon that would explode when the ship hits in the water. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. Sorry. I didn't know the name, but anyway, yeah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. See, this underwater weapon in the water, if the ship was over, and if they catch, then the ship will explode, so the two Korean ships, one American ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> ... one Japanese ships all exploded by this. Yeah. Yeah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. Twenty-three Japanese sailors also died by this explosion. Yeah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. Until the treaty between the United States and Japan are being made ... Sorry. You have to find the name of the treaty, right? In '47, no, how to conclude the war, Japan and America, after that treaty, then the 23 people who were killed were recognized because of war, but until then, they were supposed to be just unknown death. Those remaining sailors were not allowed to say how their friends were killed because of Allied occupation. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] for the north. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. Much further north, at Pandong, the Chinese communist soldiers and North Korean soldiers surrounded the Americans and South Korean soldiers, all surrounded. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. They had to evacuate because of this enemy, and then only about four people can get on tanks. There are thousands of people trying to escape, so they had to carry all of those people in the tank to that boat ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> ... in northern sea. Yeah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> You are very cold there. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> And they were just having terrible time. Yeah. Everybody is ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> America, those soldiers are so hungry, so they had to come to sailors' ship and try to get some of the Japanese food. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah, 20th of December, it was cold and no food, terrible. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> They tried to eat Japanese pickles. They say they didn't like it, but anyway. When they are hungry, they have to eat something. Yeah. American? >> Mm-hmm. >> American soldiers. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. Yeah. Those American Marines, when they had to be taken care of by Japanese sailors, yeah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> It was very miserable. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. Of course, it was near Christmas, so those soldiers sung, "Jingle Bells." >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. Northern Korean people wanted them to carry to other refugees to carry on to South, southern part of Korea, so they were, again, being asked to carry some of the things that they didn't expect. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. It was just too full by their ship. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> They all beg to, "Please take us away to south." >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Yeah. Yeah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> There was no place because there are too many American soldiers to carry first. Yeah. Yeah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Mm-hmm. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]. They all wanted to escape from North Korea to South, but there was no place, and those. There were some Japanese women who married to Korean men. They also had to remain there, and he still feel the ache of pain in his heart that all those Korean people and some Japanese women who married to Koreans, could they live through that terrible war and the hunger and cold? Yeah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. Some of the young North Korean men were being kidnapped by some Korean police because if they remained there, they would become a soldier, so they wanted to take them to South ... >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> ... back to fight against them. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. So young North Korean men were being kidnapped, then on the family, on the seashore, they cry and call name being the family are being torn. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> They're saying, "Oh. Don't go," and so forth, and young North Korean men being carried to South Korea are saying, "Go." It was very heartbreaking. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> So the ship was made for carrying war tanks. >> Mm-hmm. >> So there was no bed. People had to stay in there just sitting while they were young because it was not made to carry people. >> Mm-hmm. >> Yeah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> The North Korean army, navy, took South Korean young people when they escape. They took those young people from South Korean. They kidnap and take to North, so when the nation is being divided, all these terrible thing happen. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> They did not know what kind of terrible fighting going on inland, but at least around the seashore they had to carry, and they didn't have food. They didn't have facility, but they had to carry some of those people from north to south, and the North Korean soldiers were kidnapping young people from South Korea to their land. So those experiences just remain in him with the terrible memory. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Three times, they had to go here and there under the order of American GHQ. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Every time they did, they experienced their heart were torn by terrible events. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. When American army or navy evacuates, they burn everything. They fire that whole village. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Factories and a hospital or school, everything. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> No building are remain. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Two thousand people, two thousand Japanese soldiers? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> More probably, two thousand men landed during that war, and how long are [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Two years? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Two years, from 1950 to 1952. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> How many died? Ah. Yeah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> How many died? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Twenty-three, he can't remember because they were just near him. >> Yes. >> But more. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Probably more than 50 died. >> Yeah, but they do not tell them, the Japanese, that how many died. >> But what would then they tell their family? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. They told them they were unknown. They are missed by unknown reason until [FOREIGN LANGUAGE], peace treaty. No? So ceasing the fight until the treaty was made, the family were told their sons are just disappeared by unknown causes, and after this treaty was made, then they were told they died. >> So the Russian, I heard that they had to sign to secrecy for 25 years. >> Mm-hmm. >> How about them? Did they have to sign anything to keep a secret? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] those people who are taken by ... >> Served. No, who served in the Korean War. Russian, they had to sign that it was a secret. >> Ah. Mm-hmm. >> Japanese, it was kind of secret, too. Did they have to sign saying that you cannot tell anybody? Ask him. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. They were kept secret even during the diet of the parliament, a decision in the parliament, and some representative asked, "What is going on in North Korea?" No, Pyongyang, yeah? The prime minister, Yoshida, said, "We have no comment on them. We cannot comment on," so they are all being kept secret. >> So what does he feel like Japanese probably young people don't know about their contributions in the war, and in South Korea ... >> Mm-hmm. >> ... or other people, they always thank Americans for their participation, right? >> Mm-hmm. >> But Japanese, he doesn't get thanked. >> Mm-hmm. Yeah. >> They get no recognition. There's no memorial that honors the 23 that died or more that died. >> Mm-hmm. >> What does he feel about that? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> That makes me sad. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. There was no acknowledgment, even after the treaty was made. The only one was a person who was in a so-called defense navy. There was one person died. This person was acknowledged, but all those 23 or 50-some people who died had no acknowledgment. >> Even now? >> Even now, yeah. >> I think we should change that. >> Yeah. >> Tell him I think they should get recognized. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> So out of the 2,000, how many does he think are alive today? >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. The sailors have a very hard working task, so when they retire at the age of 55, they may not last more than 5, 6 years. Yeah, so probably most of them have passed away. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. Because the old Japanese failed, we shall not engage in another war again in 1945, so those sailors who survived felt kind of pain in their hearts that they had to be involved in the war even though they did not want to, so they do not say aloud. >> Mm. >> So that's why this is not open too much. >> Mm. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> But now, it's been a long time. >> Long time, and only Mr. Sandomere or some few others are in pain. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> Ah. Only five or six people who spoke out, his colleagues, spoke out, they all passed away, and the list of these naval workers, there may be some kind of pressure. Their list is never disclosed. Yeah. Yeah. >> Mm. >> They aren't disclosed, not open, so they cannot get in touch with each other. >> Yeah. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> They cannot get in touch with each other, and here he is alone. >> Mm. This was fascinating. >> [FOREIGN LANGUAGE]