Korean War Memorial Under Snow

Korean War Memorial, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010,
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Snow covers the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, Friday, Feb. 5, 2010.

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

When you read about or hear stories about the Korean War,
there is always discussion of the sleet, the snow, the bitter cold.
I think the statues look like I think of the Korean War in these pictures.

Previous Korean War Memorial Posts:

Visiting the Korean War Memorial with an Iraq Vet
http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2009/07/visiting-korean-war-memorial.html

Korean War Armistice ~ 56 Years Ago
http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2009/07/korean-war-armistice-53-years-ago.html

Oregon Korean War Memorial
http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2006/09/oregon-korean-war-memorial-with-honor.html

Visiting the Korean War Memorial with an Iraq War Vet

I visited the Korean War Memorial in Washington, DC a few years ago. I had gone to the east coast for a homecoming ceremony for an adopted soldier 'son'. He and I spent a day on the Mall and visited the major monuments. Neither of us had seen the Korean War Memorial.

We approached it from the back. The life size figures appeared to be moving, their ponchos being blown by the wind. Walking between the field of soldiers and a black wall etched with faces from the war and reflecting the figures was a very powerful statement.

But, the most powerful moment of all, was watching a group of Korean tourists standing by our flag at the front of the monument - their faces full of emotions that only those who were there could possibly feel. One elderly woman stood staring at the soldiers with tears running down her face. She looked over at a group of high school kids and pointed at the inscription on the reflecting pool -- FREEDOM IS NOT FREE -- and said, "Remember." I don't know if they understood the significance of the moment, but I did and it was profound.

When I turned to look at my friend, I could see that he was fighting the tears, as I was, and he said, "one day there will be a monument to Iraq and Afghanistan and they will send tourists that will understand all we gave for their freedom." I believe he is right.

Korean War Armistice ~ 56 years ago

Korean War Memorial
Washington, DC

Generals Sign Armistice for Korean War

Gen. W. K. Harrison, Jr., left table, signs the armistice ending the 3-year Korean conflict.
On the right, North Korean Gen. Nam Il also signs documents.

The Korean War began on June 25, 1950 and ended with a signed armistice on July 27, 1953.
The armistice is a cease-fire, not a peace treaty, and left the Koreas divided and technically in a state of war. This was the beginning of wars that the United States engaged in and did not finish.

It was a brutal environment and the first conflict of the Cold War. Casualties were high, though most numbers are merely estimates. Yet, with all of this death, it is known as the "Forgotten War" and people have lost sight of it and the veterans who served there.

On one side was South Korea and with UN resolution 84, the following countries joined: United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Columbia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, Japan, Denmark, Italy, Norway, India and Sweden. The other side was North Korea, joined by the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China and Czechoslovakia.

Today, the United States still maintains bases along the DMZ (demilitarized zone) dividing North and South Korea. Recently, North Korean disavowed the armistice and threatened South Korea and the United States, as well as other democratic nations in the region.

Casualites:
South Korea
137,899 KIA
450,742 WIA
32,838 MIA/POW
United States
36,516 dead (2,830 non-combat)
92,134 wounded
8,176 MIA
7,245 POW
United Kingdom
1,109 dead
2,674 wounded
1,060 MIA or POW
Turkey
721 dead
2,111 wounded
168 MIA
216 POW
Canada
516 dead
1,042 wounded
Australia
339 dead
1,200 wounded
France
300 KIA or MIA
Greece
194 KIA
459 wounded
Philippines
112 KIA
Netherlands
123 KIA
Belgium
106 KIA
Luxembourg
2 KIA
New Zealand
33 KIA
South Africa
28 KIA and 8 MIA
Total: 776,000+

North Korea:
215,000 dead,
303,000 wounded,
120,000 MIA or POW
China
(Chinese estimate):
114,000 killed in combat
34,000 non-combat deaths
380,000 wounded
21,400 POW
(U.S. estimate):
400,000+ dead
486,000 wounded
21,000 POW
Soviet Union:
282 dead
Total: 1,190,000-1,577,000+

Total civilians killed/wounded: 2.5 Million (est.)
South Korea: 990,968
373,599 killed
229,625 wounded
387,744 abducted/missing
North Korea: 1,550,000 (est.)

133 men received the Medal of Honor in this conflict. To read their stories, go here.

Farewell Marine Corps Col Kenneth Reusser

Retired Marine Corps Col. Kenneth L. Reusser
January 20, 1927 - June 20, 2009

Veteran of WWII, Korea, Vietnam
Considered the most decorated Marine Aviator in history

Retired Marine Corps Col. Kenneth L. Reusser has passed away and been laid to rest in the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. The Patriot Guard Riders were there to honor him -

Reusser was called the most decorated Marine aviator in history and was shot down in three wars in the Pacific theater - World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Colonel Ken Reusser's distinguished combat record:

-flew 253 combat missions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam and was shot down in all three, five times in all.
-59 medals included two Navy Crosses, five Purple Hearts and two Legions of Merit.

Ken Reusser enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve as a seaman recruit on August 23, 1941, and entered flight training. In April 1942, he completed flight training, was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, and in May 1942 left for the Southwest Pacific. Upon arrival at Guadalcanal, was assigned to VMF-122, flying the F4F-3. On his first combat mission, he was credited with a probable kill of a Mitsubishi "Betty." In October of that year, he was injured during a ditching and spent 6 months in a hospital.

Ken returned to the Pacific in 1944 flying F4U's from USS Hollandia, (CVE 97) off Okinawa. He led a flight of Corsairs intending to shoot down a Japanese KI-45 "Nick" high-altitude photo reconnaissance airplane gathering information for the day's Kamikaze flights. With altitude frozen guns, the only weapon left was the Corsair itself. Ken and his wingman severely damaged the tail of the KI-45 with their propellers. It entered a graveyard spiral, breaking up before hitting the water. Ken and his wingman shared the kill. Each was awarded the Navy Cross.

In 1950, Ken found himself again in combat, flying F4U's from USS Sicily, (CVE 118). He was awarded a second Navy Cross for making two very low-level passes down a street to identify, through a building's windows, what was hidden inside. He then led a flight back, destroying the target. Exiting the area, with only 20mm guns remaining, he made a firing pass on a ship moored to a camouflaged pier. Loaded with fuel, the ship exploded, flipping the Corsair inverted. After righting the airplane, Ken returned to USS Sicily where the severely crippled F4U was pushed over the side for being too damaged to repair.

During the Vietnam War, Reusser flew helicopters. He was leading a Marine Air Group in a rescue mission, when his own "Huey" was shot down. He needed skin grafts over 35 percent of his badly burned body. He retired from the Marine Corps in July 1968 due to his combat wounds.

Reusser raced motorcycles to help pay for college and earning a pilots license before World War II. After retiring from the Marine Corps, he worked for Lockheed Aircraft and the Piasecki Helicopter Corp. He remained active in veterans groups.

Reusser is survived by his wife, Trudy; and sons, Richard C. and Kenneth L. Jr.

UPDATE:
To view the photos of his service at Willamette Cemetery go here:
http://www.wwiiwarheroes.org/kenneth_reusser/index.htm
Thank you, Q.

To read Q's story of how we don't remember our heroes and the service for this hero:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=16565528&blogId=497180920

Farewell Ed McMahon

Edward Peter Leo McMahon, Jr.
March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009

Farewell to Ed McMahon - long known as Johnny Carson's sidekick and host of Star Search. But, more interesting that his illustrious show business career was his career in the Marine Corps.

During WWII, Ed McMahon was a fighter pilot in the United States Marine Corps serving as a flight instructor and test pilot. He received six Air Medals and when discharged in 1946, he remained in the Reserves. He was recalled to active duty and sent to Korea in February 1953. He flew 85 tactical air control and artillery spotting missions in the OE-1 Bird Dog.

He remained in the Marine Reserves and retired in 1966 as a full colonel and was then commissioned as a Brigadier General in the California Air National Guard.

Ed McMahon did far more than entertain us... he also fought for us and protected us.

Thank you, Mr. McMahon!

Coalition Engineers Work Together in Afghanistan

Korean Sgt. Chi-Keun Lee interprets for Korean Capt. Bo Geol Choi as he meets with U.S. Army Capt. Eric Parthemore of Task Force Pacemaker, to discuss engineering work.

Korean engineers work on welding K-Spans, metal building systems, as part of expanding Forward Operating Base Sharana, Afghanistan.

Polish soldiers work on a culvert that will keep the Forward Operating Base Sharana, Afghanistan, from flooding during the next rainy season.

Korean soldiers work on a 20-foot K-Span metal building structure that will improve maintenance support for Forward Operating Base Sharana, Afghanistan.

Polish Pvt. Piotr Oparski works on the final touches of a culvert in Forward Operating Base Sharana, Afghanistan, as a scoop loader hauls the rest of the dirt.

Photos by 1st Lt. Kenya Virginia Saenz, USA

International Military Engineers Work Together in Afghanistan

By 1st Lt. Kenya Virginia Saenz, Task Force Pacemaker Public Affairs Office

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan, Aug. 27, 2007 - Afghans and multinational forces are working hand in hand on a variety of construction projects here.

Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 864th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy); 1st Construction Company, 100th Republic of Korea Engineering Group; and Polish 1st Engineer Brigade are working together to construct metal building systems, known as K-Spans; roads; ditches; culverts and sewage lagoons.

Task Force Pacemaker Headquarters Support Company soldiers led by Army Capt. Eric Parthemore support the battalion and manage multinational force missions.

Polish engineers provide additional capacity and leadership to multiple construction projects. Polish soldiers led by Polish army 1st Lt. Radoslaw Telezynski are working to improve roads by ensuring that proper drainage and sewage structures are constructed before the rainy season begins. The Polish army has been deployed in places such as Lebanon, Syria, and Africa to support many humanitarian missions since the war on terror began.

"I didn't know what to expect or what missions we would have, but working with American soldiers has been a great experience. They have been very helpful," Telezynski said. "I have been able to learn different training techniques from the American soldiers and compare them to our techniques. I changed our technique to what works best to accomplish the mission successfully."

Polish Pfc. Rafaz Sobon agreed. "This is my first time deployed," he said, "and it has been a new and interesting experience. We learned about different cultures in class, but it is better to learn from first-hand experience."

First Construction Company from the Republic of Korea focuses on K-Span construction. Korean engineers are especially meticulous and bring a "vertical construction" capability to the command that it did not have, Parthemore said. The company is commanded by Korean Capt. Bo Geol Choi.

Once completed, the K-Spans will enhance maintenance operations and provide more space for supply support activity here. Even though K-Spans are not common in Korea, the soldiers were previously trained by civil engineers in their country, Choi said.

"We are very proud to be part of this mission. Our main goal is to bring the proper engineering assets for future coalition forces," he said. "There have been a few challenges over the language gap as well as different working systems, but overall, the construction progress and the relationship with American forces are going well."

Korean soldiers Sgt. Chi-Keun Lee and Cpl. Min-Gi Kim agreed. They said it is fun learning about different cultures, even though sometimes they have to use hand signals to communicate.

"The addition of Polish and Korean engineers along with Afghan contractors gives our task force a tremendous capability that we do not normally have," Parthemore said. "Simply working on a single job site with engineers of four nationalities working together toward a common goal is very satisfactory. Also, our common understanding and respect for safe operations keeps us accident free despite the communication difficulties."

Words Have Meaning.... Multilateral

Throughout the debate on the Great War on Terror, the words unilateral and multilateral have been thrown around carelesly and repeated far too often, and they have been misused.

UNILATERAL - done or undertaken by one party or country

MULTILATERAL - involving several parties or countries

Regardless of your political stance, the word MULTILATERAL is the correct definition of the coalition that is fighting the Great War on Terror. 290 members of the coalition countries have lost their lives in Iraq and 226 in Afghanistan. I defy you to look at their families and tell them that their sons or daughters were not contributing to the fight against the War on Terror when they lost their lives.

This is the beginning of a series on the MULTILATERAL forces who are serving alongside the American forces. Thank you, all.

Albania - here
Armenia - here
Australia - here and here
Azerbaijan - here
Belgium - here
Bulgaria - here
Bosnia and Herzegovina - here
Canada - here
Germany - here
Great Britian- here
Japan - here
Korea - here
Italy - here
Poland - here and here and here

If the links do not work, click on the labels on the left at the bottom of the page.

Updated 8.18.07

Oregon Korean War Memorial ~ With Honor

When we travel on business, we attempt to see the historical things that are in the area - if we can find the time. This trip, we were able to visit the Oregon Korean War Memorial in Wilsonville, Oregon. This beautiful memorial is a gift from the Korean War Veterans Association, Oregon Trail Chapter. It sits in the midst of a beautiful park. When we visited, the park was nearly empty, but we saw several people stop and pay their respects. Just south of Portland, Oregon, it is a visit worth making.

The 94' long Wall of Honor contains the names of the 298 servicemen from Oregon killed in the Korean War. It also contains a remembrance and honor to the Oregon Medal of Honor winner, SFC Loren Kaufman, from the Korean War. The large area is paved with story boards of the highlights of the war and paver stones from donors. The flags of the United States, MIA/POW, Republic of Korea, State of Oregon and the United Nations fly above the memorial. It is a place of honor - serene and respectful. It makes you value and remember the sacrifices made for us.

SFC Loren R Kaufman

July 27, 1923 - February 10, 1951

U.S. Army, Company G, 9th Infantry Regiment

Earned The Medal of Honor During the Korean War For Heroism

September4 & 05, 1950 at Yongsan, Korea

Citation: SFC Kaufman distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action. On the night of 4 September the company was in a defensive position on 2 adjoining hills. His platoon was occupying a strong point 2 miles away protecting the battalion flank. Early on 5 September the company was attacked by an enemy battalion and his platoon was ordered to reinforce the company. As his unit moved along a ridge it encountered a hostile encircling force. SFC Kaufman, running forward, bayoneted the lead scout and engaged the column in a rifle and grenade assault. His quick Vicious attack so surprised the enemy that they retreated in confusion. When his platoon joined the company he discovered that the enemy had taken commanding ground and pinned the company down in a draw. Without hesitation SFC Kaufman charged the enemy lines firing his rifle and throwing grenades. During the action, he bayoneted 2 enemy and seizing an unmanned machine gun, delivered deadly fire on the defenders. Following this encounter the company regrouped and resumed the attack. Leading the assault he reached the ridge, destroyed a hostile machine gun position, and routed the remaining enemy. Pursuing the hostile troops he bayoneted 2 more and then rushed a mortar position shooting the gunners. Remnants of the enemy fled to a village and SFC Kaufman led a patrol into the town, dispersed them, and burned the buildings. The dauntless courage and resolute intrepid leadership of SFC Kaufman were directly responsible for the success of his company in regaining its positions, reflecting distinct credit upon himself and upholding the esteemed traditions of the military service.

Five months later, SFC Kaufman was killed in the action in Korea. He was from The Dalles, Oregon and had also served in WWII. Never forget his sacrifice, his honor, his courage.