Saw this posted in my newspaper this morning so I thought I would post this, If I have posted this in the wrong category please feel free to move it to a more appropiate spot... thanks As time starts to run out for veterans of the Korean war, the president of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak, wants to send a letter to every surviving veteran, thanking him for helping save the country from being absorbed by North Korea 60 years ago. It is a unprecedented gesture of gratitude, and part of elaborate 60th anniversary ceremonies planned for this year in Korea. Every year, South Korea invites veterans (and pays expenses) to re-visit their rebuilt and prosperous country. In this special anniversary year, a commemorative coin or medallion is being considered for the 100,000 or so veterans from President Lee. Korean Veterans Associations (KVA) in the 21 countries that sent soldiers to help defend South Korea have been asked to locate veterans who don’t belong to any formal organization — roughly 80% of all who served. Terry Wickens, national president of KVA (Canada), is developing a database of surviving vets. Some 2,400 Canadians belong to the KVA. Of over 30,000 Canadians who served in Korea, maybe 8,000 are still alive. The Republic of Korea (ROK) Commemoration Committee is also planning a series of banquets in Canada for veterans, hence their interest in locating as many as possible. A key program in Korea will be ceremonies marking the 1950 Inchon landing at Seoul by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, that turned the tide of the war. One who participated was Bob Welland, captain of the destroyer HMCS Athabaskan at Inchon who was awarded the Korean Presidental Unit Citation, and eventually retired as a rear-admiral and Deputy Chief of Defence Staff. If he attends ceremonies, Admiral Welland will be 91 and the oldest veteran there. Almost certainly he is the last of eight captains of Canadian destroyers that served in Korean waters. Admiral Welland lives in Surrey, B.C. In the Second World War he won the Distinguished Service Cross, then earned a bar to it in the Korean war. Three Canadian destroyers (Athabaskan, Cayuga and Sioux) were part of a flotilla that rescued refuges by sailing up the estuary at Chinnampo — port for the NK capital of Pyongyang. The Americans awarded Welland the Legion of Merit. An aspect of South Korea’s long record of honouring those who came to its defence in war is that many who served as soldiers felt frustrated by the apparent stalemate and the UN policy of refusing to win (fearing war with China and the Soviet Union). Return visits have persuaded most veterans they won the peace. Terry Wickens says perhaps 50% of living Canadians who served in the Korean war are already on his data base. Vets who want to register, can contact terrywickens@sympatico.ca. Vince Courtenay of Koreavetnews, is one of the few non-Koreans who advises the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA). He hopes two of the VIP guests in Korea this year will be Bill Speakman, a former Black Watch soldier, and Derek Kinne of the Northumberland Fusiliers — both celebrated heroes of that war. Speakman won the Victoria Cross by leading a series of charges against Chinese who’d overrun his position in November, 1951, enabling others to safely withdraw. Kinne won the George Cross while a prisoner of the Chinese. He withstood torture and brutal treatment with “unbreakable defiance” that inspired other PoWs. Meanwhile, the hunt goes on for unregistered Korean veterans. Looking for Korean War vets | Peter Worthington | Columnists | News | Toronto Sun
kris you may want to look into my local regiment where I live now..the Gloucester regiment. They were decimated while allowing the other 2 Brit regiments you mention to withdraw. This battalion on its own with minimal support once armour escaped a chinese flanking move held the hilly area on main withdrawal route allowing with the other 2 battalions the retreat of all American forces in the area. They were given the Presidential medal of honour at the time by your pres I believe. The battalion of approx 600 men held off the entire Chinese army group before being overun. and fading into captivity. They are allowed to wear beret badges today on both sides of hat to portray all round defence earned in that and other actions.
I seem to have trolled the original posters thread....Apologies to Kris. Mods please remove my post if necessary. I think my post intended to add a little background does not really belong in his thread on vets.
