Check out Life magazine to see the photos.
From Daily Mail Online: Young faces of an old war: Unearthed photos of the Korean War show what the three-year conflict really looked like
The formal end of the war in Iraq earlier this month brings nine years of fighting in the country to a close. The images of war for much of the past decade have been largely filled with the sand of the Middle East.
But because of recently-released photos of the Korean War, the public can now visit a past battlefield from the past.
LIFE magazine published a collection of never-before-seen photos from the front lines of the three-year conflict that resulted in around 700,000 deaths.
Tensions in the region lingered after the Cold War, and the peninsula was divided on the 38th parallel.
The North turned Communist in 1948- which they have remained since- and the emotional and philosophical conflicts between the two countries turned physical on June 25, 1950.
In keeping with existing treaties that said that the United Nations would defend the South if they were attacked, and China and America were the biggest contributors of troops.
As a result, America- and all of the allies- paid a high toll for the fight in terms of human life. They lost 36,516 troops by the year the war ended in 1953.
The United Kingdom was the only European contributor and they lost 1,109 troops. Nearby Turkey lost 721 troops and the Canadians lost 516 troops. Australia
The biggest ally victim was China who LIFE estimates lost anywhere between 200,000 and 400,000 soldiers during the conflict.
Of those directly involved in the conflict, the North had more fatalities than the South, with each country loosing 215,000 and 137,899 respectively.
Many of the shots released by LIFE were done by the magazine's star photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White.
Ms Bourke-White was the magazine's first female journalist and her photo was the one that graced the inaugural issue in 1936.
In a rare move, one of the pictures even shows Ms Bourke-White interacting with her subjects, giving the viewer a sense of what the relationships on the front lines were really like.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
S. Korea to increase overseas development aid next year
From Yonhap News Agency: S. Korea to increase overseas development aid next year
SEOUL, Dec. 26 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government said Monday that it will increase next year's budget for aid projects for developing countries by 12 percent as part of efforts to return what it had received from the international community to rebuild its war-torn economy decades ago.
A total of 1.9 trillion won (US$1.64 billion), or 0.15 percent of the country's gross national income, will be earmarked next year for the country's official development aid (ODA), according to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
It is up from this year's 1.7 trillion won, or 0.13 percent of the country's total income.
The move is part of the country's efforts to double its international development aid to about US$3 billion by 2015 to give back after receiving help from the international community. With the help of international aid, the country has risen from the rubble of the 1950-53 Korean War to become a vibrant democracy within the ranks of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
While the ODA is designed to help underdeveloped countries across the world establish economic and industrial infrastructure, Seoul's assistance next year will be funneled mainly into the education, health, and green growth, the PMO added.
"To raise effectiveness of the country's aid with increased funds, the government needs to devise customized projects for each recipient while boosting cooperation among relevant departments," Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik said.
"We also need to devise follow-up measures to put 'the Busan Declaration' into practice," he added, citing the fourth high-level forum on aid effectiveness held in the South Korean port city early this month, where policymakers from about 160 countries agreed to establish a new worldwide partnership to seek better ways to spend annual development aid.
SEOUL, Dec. 26 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government said Monday that it will increase next year's budget for aid projects for developing countries by 12 percent as part of efforts to return what it had received from the international community to rebuild its war-torn economy decades ago.
A total of 1.9 trillion won (US$1.64 billion), or 0.15 percent of the country's gross national income, will be earmarked next year for the country's official development aid (ODA), according to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
It is up from this year's 1.7 trillion won, or 0.13 percent of the country's total income.
The move is part of the country's efforts to double its international development aid to about US$3 billion by 2015 to give back after receiving help from the international community. With the help of international aid, the country has risen from the rubble of the 1950-53 Korean War to become a vibrant democracy within the ranks of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
While the ODA is designed to help underdeveloped countries across the world establish economic and industrial infrastructure, Seoul's assistance next year will be funneled mainly into the education, health, and green growth, the PMO added.
"To raise effectiveness of the country's aid with increased funds, the government needs to devise customized projects for each recipient while boosting cooperation among relevant departments," Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik said.
"We also need to devise follow-up measures to put 'the Busan Declaration' into practice," he added, citing the fourth high-level forum on aid effectiveness held in the South Korean port city early this month, where policymakers from about 160 countries agreed to establish a new worldwide partnership to seek better ways to spend annual development aid.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Korean war film to play Tuesday
From Rome News-Tribune (Rome, Georgia): Korean war film to play Tuesday
One of the most anticipated films in Rome and Floyd County will premiere Tuesday night, and it doesn’t star Robert Downey Jr. or Tom Cruise.
Fifty-two veterans from Northwest Georgia are the film’s leading men. They share a collection of memories from the Korean War, which ended 50 years ago.
The film was compiled by Korean Americans Keon Lee and his son, Andrew Lee.
Lee is expected to speak to the group be-
fore the film. He is president of the Korean Association of Rome and Northwest Georgia and came to the U.S. 43 years ago when he was 12 years old.
The Lees have been interviewing veterans and relatives of deceased veterans since July.
The film will be screened at 6 p.m. at American Legion Post 52, 170 North Avenue, said veteran Charles Patterson. “This is a special showing for the veterans and their friends and family,” he said.
The film is one hour and 33 minutes long and features veterans from Floyd, Chattooga, Polk and Gordon counties. Fourteen of the veterans featured are deceased and are remembered in pictures and information provided by family members.
“This will be like a theater showing,” Patterson said. “We’ll have popcorn and Cokes.”
Each veteran featured will receive a copy of the film. Another copy will be given to the Rome-Floyd County Library.
One of the most anticipated films in Rome and Floyd County will premiere Tuesday night, and it doesn’t star Robert Downey Jr. or Tom Cruise.
Fifty-two veterans from Northwest Georgia are the film’s leading men. They share a collection of memories from the Korean War, which ended 50 years ago.
The film was compiled by Korean Americans Keon Lee and his son, Andrew Lee.
Lee is expected to speak to the group be-
fore the film. He is president of the Korean Association of Rome and Northwest Georgia and came to the U.S. 43 years ago when he was 12 years old.
The Lees have been interviewing veterans and relatives of deceased veterans since July.
The film will be screened at 6 p.m. at American Legion Post 52, 170 North Avenue, said veteran Charles Patterson. “This is a special showing for the veterans and their friends and family,” he said.
The film is one hour and 33 minutes long and features veterans from Floyd, Chattooga, Polk and Gordon counties. Fourteen of the veterans featured are deceased and are remembered in pictures and information provided by family members.
“This will be like a theater showing,” Patterson said. “We’ll have popcorn and Cokes.”
Each veteran featured will receive a copy of the film. Another copy will be given to the Rome-Floyd County Library.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
South Jersey Korean Americans, Korean War veterans, hope Kim Jong II’s death eases tensions
From Press of Atlantic City: South Jersey Korean Americans, Korean War veterans, hope Kim Jong II’s death eases tensions
The New Jersey Korean War Memorial in Atlantic City’s Brighton Park is engraved with the names of more than 800 people from the state who were killed or lost in the conflict more than 50 years ago.
In some ways, the battle continues today. Veterans of that war — as well as Korean Americans living in South Jersey — wondered Monday whether the death of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Il, would eventually ease tensions with South Korea and the rest of the world, or only intensify them.
“Our dream and hope has always been to be united in some way,” said Judy Yoo, who was born in South Korea and is now president of the Greater Southern New Jersey Korean American Association. “I can’t say whether there’s going to be a better chance of that.”
Kim succeeded his father, Kim Il Sung, in 1994, taking the reins of a radical totalitarian dictatorship that has controlled the northern half of the Korean Peninsula since 1948.
Before his death Saturday from an apparent heart attack, Kim named his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, to be his successor. But with little known yet about the direction of the isolationist country and its repressive government, locals hoped for the best, but also anticipated the worst.
“I think we have a bigger problem because (Kim’s) son’s unknown,” said Ed Marinelli, of Hammonton, a former mayor and Korean War veteran. “I think it’s going to be a long, tough road ahead.”
Marinelli was serving in the Army in Japan in 1949 after World War II when war broke out between North Korea and South Korea, the two countries a result of the United States and Soviet Union dividing up the formerly Japanese-controlled region.
Although an armistice was signed in 1953 that ended fighting, an alliance between the U.S. and South Korea was also signed that year, and nearly 30,000 American troops continue to serve there in its defense.
Brief attacks over the countries’ border have heightened tensions several times in the past half century. More than a year ago, when North Korea fired artillery shells at a South Korean island, killing four people and injuring nearly 20 others, those tensions reached a height some said had not been seen since the Korean War,
There was widespread international condemnation of the North Korean attack, which the country said was instigated by the South firing shells into the North’s waters, a claim South Korea disputed.
North Korea has also had nuclear weapons since at least 2006, when the country claimed to have successfully tested its first nuclear weapon.
“You never know what’s going to happen there,” said Tom Costa, of Hammonton, who served in the Army in South Korea from 1963 to 1964. “I think it’s worse now because they have nuclear weapons.”
Meanwhile, as South Korea has progressed into a modernized capitalist country since recovering from the destruction of the Korean War, North Korea has a state-controlled economy and is considered among the world’s poorest countries.
“Except for the capital, the rest of the country is starving,” Costa said.
Koreans make up a small percentage of South Jersey’s Asian population today. Of the approximately 30,000 Asian residents living in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Ocean counties, only about 7 percent are of Korean heritage, the U.S. Census Bureau says.
Ron Lee, of Egg Harbor Township, was born in South Korea and moved here in 1975. The owner of Sunshine Cleaners in Northfield, he also said he hopes the transition of North Korea’s leadership can lead to peace.
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen in the next couple of months, but there’s definitely a chance,” he said. “Hopefully, there’s a new change in the system.”
Yoo, who lives in Burlington Township, Burlington County, said she has been amazed at the progress of South Korea since she moved to the U.S. in 1983.
She said she doesn’t expect the death of Kim Jong Il to lead to such dramatic changes in the North, but would welcome it.
“We have to wait and see, but my hope is that it will bring peace,” she said.
The New Jersey Korean War Memorial in Atlantic City’s Brighton Park is engraved with the names of more than 800 people from the state who were killed or lost in the conflict more than 50 years ago.
In some ways, the battle continues today. Veterans of that war — as well as Korean Americans living in South Jersey — wondered Monday whether the death of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Il, would eventually ease tensions with South Korea and the rest of the world, or only intensify them.
“Our dream and hope has always been to be united in some way,” said Judy Yoo, who was born in South Korea and is now president of the Greater Southern New Jersey Korean American Association. “I can’t say whether there’s going to be a better chance of that.”
Kim succeeded his father, Kim Il Sung, in 1994, taking the reins of a radical totalitarian dictatorship that has controlled the northern half of the Korean Peninsula since 1948.
Before his death Saturday from an apparent heart attack, Kim named his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, to be his successor. But with little known yet about the direction of the isolationist country and its repressive government, locals hoped for the best, but also anticipated the worst.
“I think we have a bigger problem because (Kim’s) son’s unknown,” said Ed Marinelli, of Hammonton, a former mayor and Korean War veteran. “I think it’s going to be a long, tough road ahead.”
Marinelli was serving in the Army in Japan in 1949 after World War II when war broke out between North Korea and South Korea, the two countries a result of the United States and Soviet Union dividing up the formerly Japanese-controlled region.
Although an armistice was signed in 1953 that ended fighting, an alliance between the U.S. and South Korea was also signed that year, and nearly 30,000 American troops continue to serve there in its defense.
Brief attacks over the countries’ border have heightened tensions several times in the past half century. More than a year ago, when North Korea fired artillery shells at a South Korean island, killing four people and injuring nearly 20 others, those tensions reached a height some said had not been seen since the Korean War,
There was widespread international condemnation of the North Korean attack, which the country said was instigated by the South firing shells into the North’s waters, a claim South Korea disputed.
North Korea has also had nuclear weapons since at least 2006, when the country claimed to have successfully tested its first nuclear weapon.
“You never know what’s going to happen there,” said Tom Costa, of Hammonton, who served in the Army in South Korea from 1963 to 1964. “I think it’s worse now because they have nuclear weapons.”
Meanwhile, as South Korea has progressed into a modernized capitalist country since recovering from the destruction of the Korean War, North Korea has a state-controlled economy and is considered among the world’s poorest countries.
“Except for the capital, the rest of the country is starving,” Costa said.
Koreans make up a small percentage of South Jersey’s Asian population today. Of the approximately 30,000 Asian residents living in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Ocean counties, only about 7 percent are of Korean heritage, the U.S. Census Bureau says.
Ron Lee, of Egg Harbor Township, was born in South Korea and moved here in 1975. The owner of Sunshine Cleaners in Northfield, he also said he hopes the transition of North Korea’s leadership can lead to peace.
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen in the next couple of months, but there’s definitely a chance,” he said. “Hopefully, there’s a new change in the system.”
Yoo, who lives in Burlington Township, Burlington County, said she has been amazed at the progress of South Korea since she moved to the U.S. in 1983.
She said she doesn’t expect the death of Kim Jong Il to lead to such dramatic changes in the North, but would welcome it.
“We have to wait and see, but my hope is that it will bring peace,” she said.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Remains of Korean War soldier return home
From Newsday: Remains of Korean War soldier return home
t was a send-off Maximo Troche would have appreciated.
The calling out of orders, the raising of the American flag, the crisp white gloves climbing in salute: -- Troche would have been proud, said his sister-in-law Angie Mario, 84, of Brentwood. "He was so patriotic, he would have loved this," she said as a tear slid down her cheek.
Sixty years after his death in the Korean War, Troche's remains were returned to his family Wednesday in a military ceremony at Kennedy Airport.
Army Private First Class Troche, of Manhattan, had also seen battle in World War II, and re-enlisted for the Korean War. He was declared a prisoner missing in action in Korea in 1951. The 24-year-old's remains were recovered in 1993, but it wasn't until last month that his family learned a positive identification had been made.
Wednesday, more than a dozen of Troche's relatives gathered on the tarmac at Kennedy Airport as Delta Flight 2250 arrived from Hawaii. As Troche's flag-draped coffin rolled from the plane's belly onto a conveyor belt, family members gasped and embraced. American flags flapped in the breeze next to members of the Patriot Guard Riders -- a motorcycle group that honors fallen soldiers -- and Army Reserve members saluted before hoisting the coffin into a hearse.
The remains were taken in a funeral procession to the Michael J. Grant Funeral Home in Brentwood, where a service is planned Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Troche is to be buried in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, alongside other relatives.
With his grandson, Troche's second cousin Robert Arce -- who was 3 years old when he watched Troche go off to war -- approached the coffin at the funeral home. Kneeling, Arce closed his eyes and prayed. " 'You're almost home now,' I said," he recalled. "I can't wait for that reunion on Saturday."
More than 6,100 Korean War combatants remain missing in action, said DeWayne Reed, the Army's section chief for Korea and Southeast Asia at Fort Knox. To date, the Army has identified 155 sets of remains, he said. "It's not a simple process and it's not a hard process, but it is a time-consuming process," he said.
Family members Wednesday thanked the Army.
"They were relentless in their pursuit to find us and bring him home," said Troche's niece Jacqui Mario, of Patterson, N.Y. "When they say they don't leave anybody behind, they're not kidding."
t was a send-off Maximo Troche would have appreciated.
The calling out of orders, the raising of the American flag, the crisp white gloves climbing in salute: -- Troche would have been proud, said his sister-in-law Angie Mario, 84, of Brentwood. "He was so patriotic, he would have loved this," she said as a tear slid down her cheek.
Sixty years after his death in the Korean War, Troche's remains were returned to his family Wednesday in a military ceremony at Kennedy Airport.
Army Private First Class Troche, of Manhattan, had also seen battle in World War II, and re-enlisted for the Korean War. He was declared a prisoner missing in action in Korea in 1951. The 24-year-old's remains were recovered in 1993, but it wasn't until last month that his family learned a positive identification had been made.
Wednesday, more than a dozen of Troche's relatives gathered on the tarmac at Kennedy Airport as Delta Flight 2250 arrived from Hawaii. As Troche's flag-draped coffin rolled from the plane's belly onto a conveyor belt, family members gasped and embraced. American flags flapped in the breeze next to members of the Patriot Guard Riders -- a motorcycle group that honors fallen soldiers -- and Army Reserve members saluted before hoisting the coffin into a hearse.
The remains were taken in a funeral procession to the Michael J. Grant Funeral Home in Brentwood, where a service is planned Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Troche is to be buried in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, alongside other relatives.
With his grandson, Troche's second cousin Robert Arce -- who was 3 years old when he watched Troche go off to war -- approached the coffin at the funeral home. Kneeling, Arce closed his eyes and prayed. " 'You're almost home now,' I said," he recalled. "I can't wait for that reunion on Saturday."
More than 6,100 Korean War combatants remain missing in action, said DeWayne Reed, the Army's section chief for Korea and Southeast Asia at Fort Knox. To date, the Army has identified 155 sets of remains, he said. "It's not a simple process and it's not a hard process, but it is a time-consuming process," he said.
Family members Wednesday thanked the Army.
"They were relentless in their pursuit to find us and bring him home," said Troche's niece Jacqui Mario, of Patterson, N.Y. "When they say they don't leave anybody behind, they're not kidding."
Friday, December 16, 2011
Videographer Records the Life Stories of World War II and Korean Veterans
From Patch.com: Videographer Records the Life Stories of World War II and Korean Veterans
Dick Sutherland doesn't sit on his laurels. He's an active member in his church, Montrose Zion United Methodist, and he runs two businesses with his wife Beverly.
He is also active in the World War II-Korean War Roundtable, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. The Roundtable hosts guest speakers the fourth Thursday of each month at the Kiwanis Community Center in Fairlawn.
Sutherland is concerned that schools don't really teach kids about these wars anymore. "I'd like to see the schools teach this in social studies or American history," he says.
He'd also like to see schools take advantage of what the Roundtable has to offer. The public is invited to its monthly meetings, and the group encourages parents to bring their children.
For the Roundtable, Sutherland has been videotaping the life stories of veterans through the business that he and his wife run, Pic-Tur-This Video, since June of 2002. "This is like plasma for me, even though I wasn't active in combat," Sutherland says. His recordings are made available to the public through the University of Akron's Archival Services.
"We call this a living history," Sutherland says.
A Navy veteran of the Korean War, Sutherland didn't see combat. He enlisted in the Navy soon after graduating from high school in 1948. He always wanted to fly, so he went into Naval Air, where he eventually became an in-flight instructor.
He was discharged in 1952 and started working as a technician for AT&T in his hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio. The self-described country boy was promoted to sales and relocated to the "big city" of Cleveland, where he met his wife. Over his years at AT&T, Sutherland worked in Toledo and Columbus, and eventually found his way back to the area as a national sales manager in Akron.
"Every four to five years, you were moved someplace," Sutherland says.
When college graduates started taking all the big promotions, Sutherland was downsized. "I wound up making more money taking a step down." Five years later, he left the company and retired at 53 years old.
Since then, Sutherland and his wife have been juggling an Amway business and Pic-Tur-This Video.
The soon-to-be 82-year-old has been an active participant in Bath Township, more specifically the Montrose area, for the 32 years that he and his wife have lived here. He's helped coach football at Copley High School, where his two sons graduated, and he's been on the Bath Township's Trustees Advisory Council.
It was at Copley High School where he got his start as a freelance videographer. He used the school's equipment to video tape its wrestling matches and football games.
Incidently, that's also when he was tapped to help coach football games. While his two sons, who are 18 months a part, played football for the high school, Sutherland was a volunteer assistant coach between 1983 and 1992. "I enjoyed every minute of it."
Sutherland and his wife started videotaping weddings and receptions as a fluke. A friend asked if they would record her wedding and wanted to know how much they would charge. They didn't know at the time, so they settled for a meal.
Now, 25 years later, the business is flourishing. And it goes beyond the boundaries of Montrose. "Have camera, will travel," Sutherland says. "We've gone as far as Canada."
And it offers more than video recording. Beverly Sutherland carries along her needle and thread to help brides keep their dresses perfect for their special days.
Sutherland and his wife do everything together, he says. "We even went to the doctor together this morning."
They have lunch together every day. It's a habit they started about eight to 12 months before he retired from AT&T. "After work, there was too much happening with the kids.
"We both vowed that neither one of us are going to die. We are going together," Sutherland says. Besides, "I told her she can't die, because I don't understand her bookkeeping."
Dick Sutherland doesn't sit on his laurels. He's an active member in his church, Montrose Zion United Methodist, and he runs two businesses with his wife Beverly.
He is also active in the World War II-Korean War Roundtable, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. The Roundtable hosts guest speakers the fourth Thursday of each month at the Kiwanis Community Center in Fairlawn.
Sutherland is concerned that schools don't really teach kids about these wars anymore. "I'd like to see the schools teach this in social studies or American history," he says.
He'd also like to see schools take advantage of what the Roundtable has to offer. The public is invited to its monthly meetings, and the group encourages parents to bring their children.
For the Roundtable, Sutherland has been videotaping the life stories of veterans through the business that he and his wife run, Pic-Tur-This Video, since June of 2002. "This is like plasma for me, even though I wasn't active in combat," Sutherland says. His recordings are made available to the public through the University of Akron's Archival Services.
"We call this a living history," Sutherland says.
A Navy veteran of the Korean War, Sutherland didn't see combat. He enlisted in the Navy soon after graduating from high school in 1948. He always wanted to fly, so he went into Naval Air, where he eventually became an in-flight instructor.
He was discharged in 1952 and started working as a technician for AT&T in his hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio. The self-described country boy was promoted to sales and relocated to the "big city" of Cleveland, where he met his wife. Over his years at AT&T, Sutherland worked in Toledo and Columbus, and eventually found his way back to the area as a national sales manager in Akron.
"Every four to five years, you were moved someplace," Sutherland says.
When college graduates started taking all the big promotions, Sutherland was downsized. "I wound up making more money taking a step down." Five years later, he left the company and retired at 53 years old.
Since then, Sutherland and his wife have been juggling an Amway business and Pic-Tur-This Video.
The soon-to-be 82-year-old has been an active participant in Bath Township, more specifically the Montrose area, for the 32 years that he and his wife have lived here. He's helped coach football at Copley High School, where his two sons graduated, and he's been on the Bath Township's Trustees Advisory Council.
It was at Copley High School where he got his start as a freelance videographer. He used the school's equipment to video tape its wrestling matches and football games.
Incidently, that's also when he was tapped to help coach football games. While his two sons, who are 18 months a part, played football for the high school, Sutherland was a volunteer assistant coach between 1983 and 1992. "I enjoyed every minute of it."
Sutherland and his wife started videotaping weddings and receptions as a fluke. A friend asked if they would record her wedding and wanted to know how much they would charge. They didn't know at the time, so they settled for a meal.
Now, 25 years later, the business is flourishing. And it goes beyond the boundaries of Montrose. "Have camera, will travel," Sutherland says. "We've gone as far as Canada."
And it offers more than video recording. Beverly Sutherland carries along her needle and thread to help brides keep their dresses perfect for their special days.
Sutherland and his wife do everything together, he says. "We even went to the doctor together this morning."
They have lunch together every day. It's a habit they started about eight to 12 months before he retired from AT&T. "After work, there was too much happening with the kids.
"We both vowed that neither one of us are going to die. We are going together," Sutherland says. Besides, "I told her she can't die, because I don't understand her bookkeeping."
Monday, December 12, 2011
Last member of Holt dynasty lives up to name
From the Korea Herald: Last member of Holt dynasty lives up to name
ILSAN ― She’s known by many names, from the Mother Teresa of Korea to the Mother of all Korea’s Orphans ― and 55 years on she is still living up to them.
Molly Holt, chairwoman of Holt Children’s Services, was not only a witness to the nation’s rise from the ashes of the Korean War. Because of her selfless heart, she was knee deep in it.
“I kept on delaying my college, because there was so much to do here, so much poverty, so much ignorance and so many babies died,” said Holt, referring to when she first arrived here in 1956.
“The Busan city asked me to go to this one orphanage where they had a lot of deaths,” said the daughter of Harry and Bertha Holt, who founded the nation’s largest adoption agency at the time.
Armed only with her nursing skills, a pure heart and a selfless will to care for others, Holt simply could not leave the country in need, which is why she decided to spend the rest of her life here.
And at the Holt Ilsan Center’s 50-year anniversary on Thursday, volunteers, residents and special adoptee guests recognized how far the organization had come and what Holt has done for it.
“We truly appreciate her dedication, just like her parents,” said Kim Hanson, a 44-year-old adoptee.
“The whole focus of her life is what will be good for the children, that is the only thing that she thinks about. If it is good for the children she will be absolutely all over it,” said Lee Soo-yeon, a director at the center.
And it is that focus which means she will do anything for her residents.
According to some at the center, Holt has slept on the floor and given up her bed for residents in need.
“She is an angel, to have such a big heart to reach out to so many needed individuals, we cannot put into words,” said Kimberly Armstrong, unable to finish the sentence as she fought back tears.
The 55-year-old from Oregon is one of the first wave of Korean adoptees.
Living at the center, Holt still utilizes her medical expertise and love to help the some 300 adults and children with disabilities living at the center.
“She is part of the medical discussion when we first receive residents as to whether or not they require surgery or other special considerations,” said Lee.
“We have what we call evaluation clinics, where we determine what is for their (residents) future, because we want as many of them to become independent,” said Holt, who personally overseas the clinics.
And since she is the chairwoman of the board, the clinics are only the tip of the iceberg.
“I’ve put my nose into every little corner,” said Holt with a giggle, adding that her first priority has always been adoption for the children with disabilities.
But despite Holt’s efforts some things do not work out as hoped.
“We have to do our best when they can’t be adopted because they are too severely disabled or have personality problems, or mental problems,” said Holt.
By hearing her fondest memories one can see how much the children and residents really mean to her.
“When the young people come back and say thank you, and you can see how they have married and had children,” replied Holt when asked about her fondest memories.
But herein lies one of her biggest disappointments as well.
“I have yet to meet an adult Holt domestic adoptee, they are all secret,” said Holt, referring to the some 25,000 children adopted through the service.
However during the anniversary ceremony, Holt was able to meet adoptees of all ages, who came to celebrate the center.
ILSAN ― She’s known by many names, from the Mother Teresa of Korea to the Mother of all Korea’s Orphans ― and 55 years on she is still living up to them.
Molly Holt, chairwoman of Holt Children’s Services, was not only a witness to the nation’s rise from the ashes of the Korean War. Because of her selfless heart, she was knee deep in it.
“I kept on delaying my college, because there was so much to do here, so much poverty, so much ignorance and so many babies died,” said Holt, referring to when she first arrived here in 1956.
“The Busan city asked me to go to this one orphanage where they had a lot of deaths,” said the daughter of Harry and Bertha Holt, who founded the nation’s largest adoption agency at the time.
Armed only with her nursing skills, a pure heart and a selfless will to care for others, Holt simply could not leave the country in need, which is why she decided to spend the rest of her life here.
And at the Holt Ilsan Center’s 50-year anniversary on Thursday, volunteers, residents and special adoptee guests recognized how far the organization had come and what Holt has done for it.
“We truly appreciate her dedication, just like her parents,” said Kim Hanson, a 44-year-old adoptee.
“The whole focus of her life is what will be good for the children, that is the only thing that she thinks about. If it is good for the children she will be absolutely all over it,” said Lee Soo-yeon, a director at the center.
And it is that focus which means she will do anything for her residents.
According to some at the center, Holt has slept on the floor and given up her bed for residents in need.
“She is an angel, to have such a big heart to reach out to so many needed individuals, we cannot put into words,” said Kimberly Armstrong, unable to finish the sentence as she fought back tears.
The 55-year-old from Oregon is one of the first wave of Korean adoptees.
Living at the center, Holt still utilizes her medical expertise and love to help the some 300 adults and children with disabilities living at the center.
“She is part of the medical discussion when we first receive residents as to whether or not they require surgery or other special considerations,” said Lee.
“We have what we call evaluation clinics, where we determine what is for their (residents) future, because we want as many of them to become independent,” said Holt, who personally overseas the clinics.
And since she is the chairwoman of the board, the clinics are only the tip of the iceberg.
“I’ve put my nose into every little corner,” said Holt with a giggle, adding that her first priority has always been adoption for the children with disabilities.
But despite Holt’s efforts some things do not work out as hoped.
“We have to do our best when they can’t be adopted because they are too severely disabled or have personality problems, or mental problems,” said Holt.
By hearing her fondest memories one can see how much the children and residents really mean to her.
“When the young people come back and say thank you, and you can see how they have married and had children,” replied Holt when asked about her fondest memories.
But herein lies one of her biggest disappointments as well.
“I have yet to meet an adult Holt domestic adoptee, they are all secret,” said Holt, referring to the some 25,000 children adopted through the service.
However during the anniversary ceremony, Holt was able to meet adoptees of all ages, who came to celebrate the center.
Vandals destroy war memorial wreaths
From Action News 6: Vandals destroy war memorial wreaths
PENN'S LANDING - December 11, 2011 (WPVI) -- For the third December in a row, custodian James Moran says he's picking up the pieces by the war memorials at Penn's Landing.
This afternoon he called police after discovering five wreaths destroyed. They were placed by the Korean War Memorial on Veterans Day.
"We have young men and women dying in Afghanistan and Iraq for our flag; it's a disgrace this goes on every single year," Moran said.
Moran says flowers were torn off or stolen. Moran found what was left strewn across the plaza or stuffed in a trash can.
Moran is a custodian for the Vietnam Memorial, but also keeps an eye on the nearby Korean War and Beirut memorials. He predicts wreaths by the other two will soon be hit, as has been the pattern for the last two years.
Moran lost his brother, a Marine, in Cambodia; his only son is a Marine and served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As he cleaned up, Moran said more respect should be shown for the many men and women who have served our country.
"Our country don't ask anything of anybody, they want everybody to live in peace and harmony. Why take symbol of our memorials and destruct it," Moran said.
PENN'S LANDING - December 11, 2011 (WPVI) -- For the third December in a row, custodian James Moran says he's picking up the pieces by the war memorials at Penn's Landing.
This afternoon he called police after discovering five wreaths destroyed. They were placed by the Korean War Memorial on Veterans Day.
"We have young men and women dying in Afghanistan and Iraq for our flag; it's a disgrace this goes on every single year," Moran said.
Moran says flowers were torn off or stolen. Moran found what was left strewn across the plaza or stuffed in a trash can.
Moran is a custodian for the Vietnam Memorial, but also keeps an eye on the nearby Korean War and Beirut memorials. He predicts wreaths by the other two will soon be hit, as has been the pattern for the last two years.
Moran lost his brother, a Marine, in Cambodia; his only son is a Marine and served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As he cleaned up, Moran said more respect should be shown for the many men and women who have served our country.
"Our country don't ask anything of anybody, they want everybody to live in peace and harmony. Why take symbol of our memorials and destruct it," Moran said.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Time Keeps On Slipping Into the Future
Sorry for the dearth of posts recently...I've been working on a project, wanted to devote all my time to it, and kept telling myself...it'll be done today so I can get back to blogging here tomorrow.
The next day it was... okay, it's definitely going to get done today....
Well, today it is done... so back to posting here on a daily basis tomorrow. (With the first post appearing tomorrow afternoon while I'm watching football!)
Thanks for your patience.
The next day it was... okay, it's definitely going to get done today....
Well, today it is done... so back to posting here on a daily basis tomorrow. (With the first post appearing tomorrow afternoon while I'm watching football!)
Thanks for your patience.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Taunton Korean War vet reflects on U.S. S. Bennington ‘disaster’ Read more: http://www.tauntongazette.com/dcover/x1560333163/Taunton-Korean-War-vet-r
From the Taunton Gazette: Taunton Korean War vet reflects on U.S. S. Bennington ‘disaster’
Taunton —
Taunton’s Donald Scott recently revisited the memory of a near naval aircraft carrier catastrophe in the North Atlantic that he witnessed first-hand, ending in what many who witnessed it called a “miracle.”
Scott, a Korean War veteran, was aboard the U.S.S. Bennington on Sept. 23, 1953 when 42 U.S. and Canadian propeller planes became stranded in the sky as the result of heavy fog that prevented pilots from finding the aircraft carrier.
“Everyone was quite scared, but they were excited when they all got down,” Scott said. “There was plenty of prayers being said. There wasn’t supposed to be anyone on flight deck, but there was people all around on the catwalks watching them come in. It was quite a thing to see.”
The event, which took place in the context of a large NATO exercise called Operation Mariner, involved three aircraft carriers. Along with the Bennington was the U.S.S. Wasp and the Canadian carrier HMCS Magnificent.
The incident was recapped in the October 2011 issue of “Flight Journal.” The magazine dubbed it the “greatest peacetime disaster in the naval aviation history.”
While beyond the range of any suitable landing fields ashore (the nearest land was 460 miles northwest of Cape Farewell in Greenland), the NATO contingent launched a strike exercise.
The situation was complicated by conflicting weather reports, with a strong fog leaving 42 aircrafts circling the carriers with low amounts of fuel as the night set in.
Scott said many service members on the carriers believed the fog clearing just in time for everyone to land was a miracle.
“What was extraordinary was they couldn’t land for two hours,” Scott said. “One of the small planes — I was in the landing signal — was given the wave off. But the pilot knew he didn’t have enough gas for another circle, so he went ahead and landed. One pilot was so nervous he couldn’t get out of the plane.”
Scott said his role on the Bennington was to signal aircrafts to take off.
When Scott left the military in 1954, he was a Second Class Aviation Metalsmith Petty Officer.
Scott has lived in Taunton has resided in the Silver City since 1961 with his wife Catherine.
Taunton —
Taunton’s Donald Scott recently revisited the memory of a near naval aircraft carrier catastrophe in the North Atlantic that he witnessed first-hand, ending in what many who witnessed it called a “miracle.”
Scott, a Korean War veteran, was aboard the U.S.S. Bennington on Sept. 23, 1953 when 42 U.S. and Canadian propeller planes became stranded in the sky as the result of heavy fog that prevented pilots from finding the aircraft carrier.
“Everyone was quite scared, but they were excited when they all got down,” Scott said. “There was plenty of prayers being said. There wasn’t supposed to be anyone on flight deck, but there was people all around on the catwalks watching them come in. It was quite a thing to see.”
The event, which took place in the context of a large NATO exercise called Operation Mariner, involved three aircraft carriers. Along with the Bennington was the U.S.S. Wasp and the Canadian carrier HMCS Magnificent.
The incident was recapped in the October 2011 issue of “Flight Journal.” The magazine dubbed it the “greatest peacetime disaster in the naval aviation history.”
While beyond the range of any suitable landing fields ashore (the nearest land was 460 miles northwest of Cape Farewell in Greenland), the NATO contingent launched a strike exercise.
The situation was complicated by conflicting weather reports, with a strong fog leaving 42 aircrafts circling the carriers with low amounts of fuel as the night set in.
Scott said many service members on the carriers believed the fog clearing just in time for everyone to land was a miracle.
“What was extraordinary was they couldn’t land for two hours,” Scott said. “One of the small planes — I was in the landing signal — was given the wave off. But the pilot knew he didn’t have enough gas for another circle, so he went ahead and landed. One pilot was so nervous he couldn’t get out of the plane.”
Scott said his role on the Bennington was to signal aircrafts to take off.
When Scott left the military in 1954, he was a Second Class Aviation Metalsmith Petty Officer.
Scott has lived in Taunton has resided in the Silver City since 1961 with his wife Catherine.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Local Korean War veterans enjoy Valor Flight
From the Sand Mountain Reporter: Local Korean War veterans enjoy Valor Flight
The weather in Washington, D.C., was sunny and 62 degrees the day after Veterans Day.
It was a perfect day for a tour of the sights.
And a perfect day to remember the fallen of the Forgotten War.
The Rev. Willis Kelly, a Korean War veteran and Albertville resident, remembered one of the fallen in particular, a soldier from Cullman that he knew as Pfc. Mynatt.
"I was in Korea 13 months from April ‘52 to May ‘53," Kelly recalled. "A couple of months before I left Korea, the chaplain wanted me to drive the jeep for him."
Kelly declined, not wanting to change units with just two months left on his tour.
"He asked me if I knew anybody, and I knew a guy from Cullman," Kelly said. "He talked to him, and Pfc. Mynatt went to work for him driving the jeep."
Kelly later heard Pfc. Mynatt died when a shell exploded near the jeep.
"If I'd been driving the jeep, that would've been me," Kelly said. "You can't help but think about that. If you go through a war and come back, you have a lot to be thankful for."
Kelly was one of at least three Sand Mountain residents who journeyed to Washington, D.C., as members of the first-ever Valor Flight on Nov. 12.
Albertville resident Alton Hester and Horton resident Melvin Nixon also took the trip to D.C.
Valor Flight, a nonprofit organization based in Madison, is dedicated to providing a free trip for Korean War veterans who live in the Tennessee Valley, so they can visit their memorial in the nation's capital for a day of remembrance. The organization's goal is to reach veterans who served in the Korean War from 1950-53.
The organization provided the flight, daylong tour and meals at no charge to the veterans. The trip was funded by personal and corporate donations.
The flight departed from Huntsville International Airport about 6:30 a.m. and landed in D.C. around 10 a.m. More than 100 Korean War veterans toured the memorials, ate and returned to Huntsville by about 8:30 p.m.
Highlights included a stop at Arlington National Cemetery and a chance to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
But the reason the three men flew to D.C. was to see the Korean War Veterans Memorial. Dedicated in 1995, the memorial represents the 1.5 million Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard men and women who fought in the war, according to the Valor Flight website.
During the three years of hostilities from June 1950 to July 1953, a total of 54,200 Americans reportedly died.
"The Korean Memorial reminded us all of being in Korea," Kelly said.
Guardians escorted each of the veterans. Hester was visibly emotional when he talked about the guardians, many of them young adults volunteering their Saturday to make sure the day was special for the veterans.
"They treated us like royalty," Hester said. "I don't know how anybody can do more. Every time you turned around, somebody was thanking you for something you did 60 years ago. I wasn't accustomed to that. I can't thank them enough. I don't think you'd find one single solitary person on that trip that didn't enjoy it.
"The young person that greeted me in Washington had all kinds of alternatives to spend her Saturday, but she chose to spend it with one old GI that had been to Korea. It tells me our young people are a lot better than we give them credit for. I was very impressed. It's something that gets to you."
Hester had visited D.C. before but indicated the Valor Flight felt more meaningful.
"It's a lot different going back with a bunch of GIs with common experiences," Hester said. "I met a guy in the same regiment I was in."
Hester was "touched" by the receptions they received in Huntsville and D.C., noting the contrast from when he returned from the Korean War.
"We had a super reception in Huntsville and in Washington," Hester said. "It was a lot different when we came home from the war. When we landed in Seattle, not one single soul was there to welcome us. But I didn't care. I was back here."
The Valor Flight acknowledged the Forgotten War by calling the trip "Flight of the Not Forgotten."
"The country didn't pay much attention to the Korean War," Hester said. "I was drafted and went because I was supposed to go. I very willingly went. There are some experiences I wouldn't take anything in the world for, and there are some experiences I wouldn't want to go through again."
For Nixon, the trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He especially liked the portion of the monument where 19 stainless steel statues, each more than 7 feet tall, depict men on patrol.
"That was the first time I'd ever been up there," Nixon said. "When I saw that monument ... that was real touching. All these guys going to battle had on ponchos."
Hester was struck by the detail in the faces of the statues.
"That was the most realistic thing you've ever seen," Hester said. "That look in their eyes ... their eyes had a very intense look."
Valor Flight is planning another trip in 2012 and is requesting donations. One trip costs about $100,000.
Personal and corporate tax-deductible donations are accepted online using the donate button at www.valorflight.com or mail donations to: Valor Flight, P.O. Box 1353, Madison, AL 35758.
Kelly thanked the organizers for giving the aging Korean War veterans a chance to see their monument. Kelly, Hester and Nixon are all 80 years or older.
"It was an exciting trip," Kelly said. "We did it in remembrance of those that didn't come back."
The weather in Washington, D.C., was sunny and 62 degrees the day after Veterans Day.
It was a perfect day for a tour of the sights.
And a perfect day to remember the fallen of the Forgotten War.
The Rev. Willis Kelly, a Korean War veteran and Albertville resident, remembered one of the fallen in particular, a soldier from Cullman that he knew as Pfc. Mynatt.
"I was in Korea 13 months from April ‘52 to May ‘53," Kelly recalled. "A couple of months before I left Korea, the chaplain wanted me to drive the jeep for him."
Kelly declined, not wanting to change units with just two months left on his tour.
"He asked me if I knew anybody, and I knew a guy from Cullman," Kelly said. "He talked to him, and Pfc. Mynatt went to work for him driving the jeep."
Kelly later heard Pfc. Mynatt died when a shell exploded near the jeep.
"If I'd been driving the jeep, that would've been me," Kelly said. "You can't help but think about that. If you go through a war and come back, you have a lot to be thankful for."
Kelly was one of at least three Sand Mountain residents who journeyed to Washington, D.C., as members of the first-ever Valor Flight on Nov. 12.
Albertville resident Alton Hester and Horton resident Melvin Nixon also took the trip to D.C.
Valor Flight, a nonprofit organization based in Madison, is dedicated to providing a free trip for Korean War veterans who live in the Tennessee Valley, so they can visit their memorial in the nation's capital for a day of remembrance. The organization's goal is to reach veterans who served in the Korean War from 1950-53.
The organization provided the flight, daylong tour and meals at no charge to the veterans. The trip was funded by personal and corporate donations.
The flight departed from Huntsville International Airport about 6:30 a.m. and landed in D.C. around 10 a.m. More than 100 Korean War veterans toured the memorials, ate and returned to Huntsville by about 8:30 p.m.
Highlights included a stop at Arlington National Cemetery and a chance to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
But the reason the three men flew to D.C. was to see the Korean War Veterans Memorial. Dedicated in 1995, the memorial represents the 1.5 million Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard men and women who fought in the war, according to the Valor Flight website.
During the three years of hostilities from June 1950 to July 1953, a total of 54,200 Americans reportedly died.
"The Korean Memorial reminded us all of being in Korea," Kelly said.
Guardians escorted each of the veterans. Hester was visibly emotional when he talked about the guardians, many of them young adults volunteering their Saturday to make sure the day was special for the veterans.
"They treated us like royalty," Hester said. "I don't know how anybody can do more. Every time you turned around, somebody was thanking you for something you did 60 years ago. I wasn't accustomed to that. I can't thank them enough. I don't think you'd find one single solitary person on that trip that didn't enjoy it.
"The young person that greeted me in Washington had all kinds of alternatives to spend her Saturday, but she chose to spend it with one old GI that had been to Korea. It tells me our young people are a lot better than we give them credit for. I was very impressed. It's something that gets to you."
Hester had visited D.C. before but indicated the Valor Flight felt more meaningful.
"It's a lot different going back with a bunch of GIs with common experiences," Hester said. "I met a guy in the same regiment I was in."
Hester was "touched" by the receptions they received in Huntsville and D.C., noting the contrast from when he returned from the Korean War.
"We had a super reception in Huntsville and in Washington," Hester said. "It was a lot different when we came home from the war. When we landed in Seattle, not one single soul was there to welcome us. But I didn't care. I was back here."
The Valor Flight acknowledged the Forgotten War by calling the trip "Flight of the Not Forgotten."
"The country didn't pay much attention to the Korean War," Hester said. "I was drafted and went because I was supposed to go. I very willingly went. There are some experiences I wouldn't take anything in the world for, and there are some experiences I wouldn't want to go through again."
For Nixon, the trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He especially liked the portion of the monument where 19 stainless steel statues, each more than 7 feet tall, depict men on patrol.
"That was the first time I'd ever been up there," Nixon said. "When I saw that monument ... that was real touching. All these guys going to battle had on ponchos."
Hester was struck by the detail in the faces of the statues.
"That was the most realistic thing you've ever seen," Hester said. "That look in their eyes ... their eyes had a very intense look."
Valor Flight is planning another trip in 2012 and is requesting donations. One trip costs about $100,000.
Personal and corporate tax-deductible donations are accepted online using the donate button at www.valorflight.com or mail donations to: Valor Flight, P.O. Box 1353, Madison, AL 35758.
Kelly thanked the organizers for giving the aging Korean War veterans a chance to see their monument. Kelly, Hester and Nixon are all 80 years or older.
"It was an exciting trip," Kelly said. "We did it in remembrance of those that didn't come back."
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