필리핀 마닐라 (4)

>> Hi, everybody. This is the last stop, last video in the Philippines, but I want to tell the story of the president during the Korean War. The president sent his only son and ... >> Son-in-law. >> ... his son-in-law to also fight alongside the 7,500 who volunteered to go to Korea. >> Yes. >> Talk about really believing in something. He really believed that it was more the defense, the democracy and freedom that it was worth sending his own son, so I am here at PEFTOK, the Korean War Memorial Hall with the director here, Mark, who is a good friend now. [INAUDIBLE] in touch, but he's going to give us more explanation of this center, so let's go in. >> So before, I explained what is the reason for this wall. So the center was inaugurated, or the museum was inaugurated in March 29, 2012, so it's about 7 years old. >> Wow. >> PEFTOK was established under the administration under secretary Ernesto Pernia, so up to [INAUDIBLE] office. >> Wow. >> Yeah. This was inaugurated by no other than the president then, President Benigno Aquino III and along with the Minister of Patriots and Veterans of Korea, Minister Park Sung-Choon. >> Yeah. You know, again, the Philippines has the best center of Korean War veterans I have seen anywhere in the world. >> Thank you for that. >> Yes, so thank you, and again, of course, this is a most renowned, most well-known saying, that freedom is not free. It is paid for with the blood of fighting men and stained with the tears of loved ones left behind, and ... >> That's also Philippines Expeditionary Force to Korea, 1950 to '55, so for 3 years, we fought the North Koreans. We fought the Chinese. We fought the Russians. For the last 3 years, from '53 to '55, we help rebuild South Korea. >> I know. So we're going to go on the tour through this way. So this is very well-done with a lot of detail, a lot of detail, so ... >> This is the general side tour stating the Korean War history, and this will give you dates, of course. >> Yes. >> A general information about the PEFTOK, so about the fight battalions that we sent during the war, beginning in September 1950. >> So September 15 is when the war started getting very ... I'm seeing a lot of action. >> Yes. >> Remember Inch'on Landing ... >> Inch'on. >> ... took place September 15th, so here, the five battalions are ... >> The tenth, so the tenth battalion combat team, the first Filipino battalion to be sent during the war. >> And they, in the Battle of Yultong, I visited the memorial in Korea honoring Filipinos. >> In Yeoncheon. >> Yup, in Yeoncheon, and there, the Battle of Yultong, the Filipinos were outnumbered, like, 900 to, like, 40,000. >> Forty-thousand. >> Yes. I wasn't making it up, and they stood ground, and that one was a good one for them, right? >> So we lost just 26 soldiers. >> So the second ... >> Battalion, it's the 20th battalion combat team, so ... >> Mm, and [INAUDIBLE]. Okay. I want to point out something here that I have never seen anywhere, okay? I've never seen the entire roster of troops in any country. >> So only us. >> Yes. I've never seen it. We have the names of those who died. >> Okay. >> But we don't have names of those who served. >> Served. >> So all 7,500 are here. >> Are here. >> Oh, my gosh. Yeah, and their number. >> Yes, their serial numbers, their military special here are all included. >> That is so wonderful. I just love that, and so here again ... Oh, I just wanted to show this one because it gives you an idea of the total number of troops. America, 1.8M. Philippines sent almost 7,500, so that was actually ... You're the, maybe, one ... like, the fifth largest? >> Yeah. >> Yeah, right? >> Fifth. >> Yeah, the fifth largest, and 112 did not come back, so ... >> Some of the prisoners of war. >> Oh, okay. How many were there? >> Forty-one were prisoners of war, and we were able to get back in 1953. >> Wow. Okay. So here is, again, the 19 battalion. >> Nineteen. >> They fought in 1952 to '53. >> So this is where president's giving of son belongs. He's with the 19, and his son-in-law as well. >> Yes. The son-in-law, right, or son, they were not in combat, but they were doing signal, and he requested that he see action, right? >> Yes. >> Because he wanted to prove to the president that he would not be spared, but he was also brave enough, but luckily, he made it home alive. >> Yes. >> Oh, another thing, and I immediately sobbed. It made me cry when I [INAUDIBLE]. It was the most poignant movie, but was it the son or the son-in-law where he was diagnosed with cancer? >> The son-in-law. >> Yeah, the son-in-law, and he wanted to go visit the [INAUDIBLE] >> The [INAUDIBLE] >> Yeah. >> That's his last request. >> That was his last request. That really broke my heart. Oh, my god. Oh. >> And his name is First Lieutenant Gonzalez, the air force pilot. >> Oh, wow. And this is president Quirino ... >> Son, son-in-law. >> Son-in-law, yes, and so this was the last remaining battalion, right? >> Yeah, the fourth battalion. >> Oh, fourth battalion, and they stayed until '54. Oh, yeah. And here's the last. >> Yes, so this organized to reveal Korea. >> Yes. >> These are the engineers, the teachers, the nurses, the doctors. >> Yes. Another thing I was touched with in the video was that when everybody left, there was one officer and 14 men that stayed for 3 more months ... >> Yes. >> ... to just help kind of pack things, right? >> Yes, logistics. >> Yes, but when the 15 of them were departing home to come back home to the Philippines, they were given full military honor and send-off, and I remember in the video him saying that was the spirit of the United Nations and democracy. >> Yes. >> Yeah. That was another heartfelt moment for me, so again, major Filipino [INAUDIBLE] victories are. There are five [INAUDIBLE] >> So that's [INAUDIBLE], so that's November 11, 1950. This is where the battle [INAUDIBLE] Young got his gold cross. >> Yes, yes, and then ... >> And then Yultong, of course, which is very proud moment for Philippine military history, and then we have Battles of Hill Eerie so where president Ramos became known. >> Okay. >> Then the next one is ... >> Oh, yeah. What that means is that he was a second lieutenant at the time, but later, becomes the president of the Philippines. Yes. And then ... >> Yeah, Battle for Combat, August number 8. That's a 5-day battle between the Chinese and the Filipino soldiers. >> Okay. And the last one ... >> And the last one is the Christmas Hill Battle, June 15, 1953. >> So these are not the only battles they won. These are the major battles that they won. >> Yes. >> Yes, so the Philippine Air Force and Navy as well as the battalions were also in the Korean War. >> Yes. >> Right. >> The Korean War was the first armed forces of the Philippines joint operation, so each battalion [INAUDIBLE] air force officer [INAUDIBLE]. >> Wow, so that is awesome, everybody! And last but not least, here is their uniform. That does not look warm enough for the cold, okay, because that looks like a raincoat almost, because as you know, the Philippines are islands, and it's hot here, so imagine going to Korea where they've never seen snow probably. >> Yes. Actually, that's the one thing that they encountered that [INAUDIBLE] the snow. >> Yes. Yes. >> They could fought anything, but not against the snow. >> Yes. They said they were also fighting against the cold. Here are their weapons. Again, warm clothes that don't look warm. >> So these two are still alive. Lieutenant Batolas is around 90, and lieutenant Bachele is still 89. >> Wow. I'm telling you there's longevity here. I need to move to the Philippines. And here, I will end by saying thank you, Philippines. The Republic of Korea, of course, came here and always thanks you, but here as a person that is an individual, forget being American. Forget being a Korean American. As a human being, I said it's a love story that the president will say, "I believe in this cause. I'm going to send my only son and my son-in-law to fight for this cause." I think that just really symbolizes love, the greatest love of all that one would risk his life for a friend, and so thank you so much, Mark. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you to the veterans and veterans all over the world. Yeah. It's a reminder. I'm just reminding all of you, okay? Freedom is not free, so thank you again, and remember 7/27. Bye!