GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -
Claude St. Julien served his country in the military for 25 years. He was in both the Korean War and Vietnam War, and his family has a long history of military service. These days, this native of Louisiana lives at Gulfport's Armed Forces Retirement Home.
In early September, we featured Mr. St. Julian on our Project Homefront. Claude's father served in WWI, he was a good soldier, who quickly earned a promotion.
That is, until the day the Army realized that despite his light complexion, he was a black man.
"They busted him down to private first class, and said that he lied about his race, which was not so," St. Julien said.
Despite that, Claude says his dad remained proud of his military service until the day he died. As for Claude, he joined the Army in 1953 and soon found himself in the midst of the Korean War.
"I was young and I was afraid," he said. "I have to tell it like it is, I was afraid. I was so frightened."
Eventually, the fear went away. But never far from his thoughts, were his three childhood buddies from back home in Louisiana, all of whom died in the war.
They were certainly on his mind just a few months ago, when Claude went back to Korea. He and some fellow Korean War veterans were there at the invitation of the South Korean government. It was that nation's way of saying, "thank you." Suffice to say, it was a time in Claude's life that he will never forget.
"It was quite a feeling, something very hard to describe," he told us.
Much like our Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, in Seoul there is a monument with the names of all the Americans who died in the Korean War.
On that wall are the names of Claude's three childhood buddies. He took a picture of each of their names, and brought those home to the dead soldiers' families. Fighting back tears, he called that a very emotional time.
Claude is a father, grandfather and great grandfather who knows that his life has been blessed. But even today, 58 years after the war ended, he still thinks about those three great friends who never made it home.
"Why did I survive?" he asked rhetorically. "How could I survive this? I mean, here I am at the age of 78 and still here, and those guys are gone. They never lived the life that I lived."
Friday, September 9, 2011
Korean War vet returns 58 years after the war
From WLOX 13: Korean War vet returns 58 years after the war
Thursday, September 8, 2011
60 years later, Korean War POW's fate told to Pulaski family
From New River Valley.com: 60 years later, Korean War POW's fate told to Pulaski family
PULASKI — After more than 60 years of wondering, the Lindsey family has finally gotten an answer to a question that's always weighed heavily on them: What happened to Freeman?
Freeman Hopkins Lindsey, called Corky by his family and friends, died in a prisoner of war camp in the Chosin Reservoir area of Korea in February 1951, according to military records.
But for all the years since, he was missing in action. Until two weeks ago. Lindsey's surviving family members, including his niece, Dee Ann Lindsey, received a letter from the Department of Defense that Corky Lindsey's remains had been identified.
It took a few hours to sink in for the family that had waited so many years for an answer.
"After a few hours, it hit me," Dee Ann Lindsey said. "I never thought they would identify his remains in my lifetime."
Lindsey was identified using mitochondrial DNA compared to blood samples from his brothers Charles and Robert Lindsey. Dee Ann Lindsey is Charles' daughter. He died in 2004.
Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the co-mingled remains of 200 to 400 United States military service members, according to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, the branch of the U.S. military that identifies remains of service personnel. Corky Lindsey's remains were spread among those boxes and other remains collected in 1997, according to a 200-page report received by the family from the Department of Defense.
At first, Charles and Robert Lindsey were hesitant to give blood for the DNA samples, Dee Ann Lindsey said, because they thought it might be a scam and because it brought up painful memories for the brothers.
"I told them, I don't want him forgotten," she said. "When we're gone, there may be no one left to remember him."
Some families have been wary of giving DNA samples, said Ted Barker, one of the founders of the nonprofit organization the Korean War Project.
"Because a blood sample had to be taken, people were leery, especially when it's for governmental use," Barker said. "For a lot of people, it reopens old wounds."
Barker and his brother Hal started the Korean War Project as a website in 1995, with a goal to self-publish Hal Barker's book, "Return to Heartbreak Ridge." The brothers soon began receiving requests for information. When Dee Ann Lindsey found the Korean War Project in 2000, she asked the Barkers for assistance in the family's search for information about Corky Lindsey.
"They've provided so much help to the family," Dee Ann Lindsey said. "I didn't know anything about the Korean War until I got online and looked it up, and I found the Korean War Project."
Analysis by JPAC determined that Corky Lindsey had died of malnutrition, as was often the case in the prisoner of war camps, Barker said.
"There were a lot of deaths from dysentery and malnutrition around that time," Barker said.
More than 2,000 were taken prisoner in the Korean War, and as of June, there were 7,993 service members unaccounted for, according to the Department of Defense.
Corky Lindsey was declared missing in action Dec. 6, 1950. But in a twist of fate, the family already knew before they were notified by the U.S. Army.
Robert Lindsey, who was 14 in 1950, was watching a newsreel at the time in a theater about the fighting in Korea when he saw his brother being taken prisoner on screen, said Kate Lindsey, Robert Lindsey's widow.
"He had to be taken home by the manager to his mother because he was so upset," she said. "He never got over that."
Because her grandparents, father and uncles are all deceased, Dee Ann Lindsey is Corky Lindsey's next of kin. When he died at 20 years old, he was unmarried and had no children.
Although Dee Ann Lindsey never met her uncle, she said she always knew of him. Her father and uncle rarely talked about him when she was growing up in Pulaski, but when they did, they recalled Corky Lindsey fondly.
"Daddy always said he [Corky] was the best of the brothers," Dee Ann Lindsey said.
Charles Lindsey grew up thinking of his brother, who was two years older, as a role model. The few times he talked about him with his family, Charles Lindsey recounted playing baseball and working in the fields cutting tobacco and sugarcane. They were part of a family of eight brothers, including Elmer Lindsey, who served in World War II, and one sister, and grew up very poor.
"There was a hole in the family, and a sadness," Dee Ann Lindsey said.
She said her father even joined the Army, hoping he would be able to find Corky Lindsey.
Although the brothers grew up farming in Indiana, Charles Lindsey requested that if his brother's remains were ever identified, he be buried with the family in Pulaski.
"We're the kind of family that believes they're together spiritually, but this means they're together physically," Dee Ann Lindsey said.
A service is tentatively planned for Sept. 30 at Seagle Funeral Home in Pulaski and a funeral with full military honors on Oct. 1 at Oakwood Cemetery, according to the family. A family member from North Carolina, Freeman Keith Lindsey-named for his uncle-and a minister, will perform the funeral service.
For the Lindsey family, the service will not only provide closure to a sad piece of family history, but also a way to honor other military veterans, they said.
"This service is for him, but it's also for the veterans who survived, those who died in battle, those who are still missing and those who have yet to be brought home," Dee Ann Lindsey said. "This is not just about him."
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Korean War vet buried in Arlington, 60 years later
From Detroit News, Sept 2, 2011: Korean War vet buried in Arlington, 60 years later
Arlington, Va. — After six decades of mystery, a Detroiter who died during the Korean War was buried here Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery just south of the nation's capital.
Under warm, sunny skies, a chaplain laid 27-year-old Army Cpl. A.V. Scott to rest and presented a flag from the casket to Scott's half-brother Rudy Caldwell.
The mystery of Scott's remains stretched more than six decades from his capture Feb. 12, 1951.
He was delivering supplies to coalition troops east of the South Korean capital of Seoul when Chinese soldiers attacked and captured him.
Scott was forced to march to a prisoner-of-war camp in North Korea, where fellow prisoners said he died in April of that year.
After decades of refusal, North Korea's notoriously secretive authoritarian government returned remains from that camp and other sites throughout the country to the United States between 1991 and 1994. As part of the Department of Defense's efforts to identify returned remains and bury the dead, forensic experts were able to use DNA and dental matches to confirm Scott's remains.
Scott, a native of Canada who moved to Detroit with his mother, Gladys Caldwell, survived a grueling march after his capture in 1951, defense officials have told his family. But he died of exhaustion and dysentery shortly after arriving in a prisoner of war camp.
His family was told he was missing in 1951, and then two years later that he had died. For nearly six decades afterward, no more information was available.
The Pentagon positively identified Scott's remains in June. At the time, Rudy Caldwell, 70, told The Detroit News that learning Scott's fate would have comforted his mother, who died in 1996 without knowing how the serviceman died.
"She didn't talk about him a lot," said Caldwell. "It really bothered her. It tore her apart."
Scott's remains were among hundreds turned over by the North Koreans. More than 2,000 POWs died during the war; nearly 8,000 servicemen remain missing from the conflict.
Arlington, Va. — After six decades of mystery, a Detroiter who died during the Korean War was buried here Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery just south of the nation's capital.
Under warm, sunny skies, a chaplain laid 27-year-old Army Cpl. A.V. Scott to rest and presented a flag from the casket to Scott's half-brother Rudy Caldwell.
The mystery of Scott's remains stretched more than six decades from his capture Feb. 12, 1951.
He was delivering supplies to coalition troops east of the South Korean capital of Seoul when Chinese soldiers attacked and captured him.
Scott was forced to march to a prisoner-of-war camp in North Korea, where fellow prisoners said he died in April of that year.
After decades of refusal, North Korea's notoriously secretive authoritarian government returned remains from that camp and other sites throughout the country to the United States between 1991 and 1994. As part of the Department of Defense's efforts to identify returned remains and bury the dead, forensic experts were able to use DNA and dental matches to confirm Scott's remains.
Scott, a native of Canada who moved to Detroit with his mother, Gladys Caldwell, survived a grueling march after his capture in 1951, defense officials have told his family. But he died of exhaustion and dysentery shortly after arriving in a prisoner of war camp.
His family was told he was missing in 1951, and then two years later that he had died. For nearly six decades afterward, no more information was available.
The Pentagon positively identified Scott's remains in June. At the time, Rudy Caldwell, 70, told The Detroit News that learning Scott's fate would have comforted his mother, who died in 1996 without knowing how the serviceman died.
"She didn't talk about him a lot," said Caldwell. "It really bothered her. It tore her apart."
Scott's remains were among hundreds turned over by the North Koreans. More than 2,000 POWs died during the war; nearly 8,000 servicemen remain missing from the conflict.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Korean vets ‘ambassadors for peace’
From Commercial-News.com: Korean vets ‘ambassadors for peace’
DANVILLE — After 60 years, the Republic of Korea government still appreciates the efforts of the Americans who helped restore and preserve its freedom.
Several Korean War veterans in the area have received a medal, a pin and a certificate declaring them “ambassadors for peace.”
The items were distributed this summer during the Illinois convention of Korean War veterans in Springfield. Heechang Woo with the consulate general in Chicago presented Peace Ambassador Medals to representatives of Korean War veterans organizations.
Vermilion County brought about 20 certificates home. Some local veterans had already received the certificates in the past, including those who have gone on trips to revisit South Korea.
For three Army veterans, receiving the medal and other items recently was a thrill.
“It’s the first recognition I’ve had since I’ve been home from Korea,” said Paul Jaynes of Danville, who served in the Army field artillery.
However, he recalled a recent time when he was in public, wearing his Korean War cap, and a young man approached him. “He said ‘I want to thank you for your service,’” Jaynes said.
Robert L. Hart of Fairmount and Raymond Thompson of Oakwood also said they were pleased with the recognition by South Korea.
Ken Cook, a Korean War veteran, received his honor in 1995, at the dedication of the Korean War monument in Washington, D.C. He went on a revisit program to Korea in 1998. In 2000, he represented the United States at the International Federation of Korean War Veterans gathering.
He presented Hart, Jaynes and Thompson with their medals recently at the Korean War memorial on Hazel Street.
David Thornsbrough, president of the local Korean War Veterans Association, also had a limited number of certificates and medals, which he gave to association members.
The honorees included: Hershall Lee, Monroe Melzer, Dennis Turner, Bill Crouch, Bill Steffy, Victor Hix, Gerry Holycross, Harold Bott, Samuel Schlorff, Henry Thornton, Richard Nicoson, Barney Baroff, Frank Hoskins and Warren Thomas.
The men were given a folder with two certificates — one in Korean and one in English. The English one notes the everlasting gratitude of the Republic of Korea and its people for the service provided in restoring and preserving the country’s freedom and democracy. It also states, “We cherish in our hearts the memory of your boundless sacrifices in helping us re-establish our Free Nation.”
It’s signed by the minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the retired general of the ROK Army.
In addition to the certificate, the men received a medal on a colorful ribbon, a small medal and a lapel pin.
DANVILLE — After 60 years, the Republic of Korea government still appreciates the efforts of the Americans who helped restore and preserve its freedom.
Several Korean War veterans in the area have received a medal, a pin and a certificate declaring them “ambassadors for peace.”
The items were distributed this summer during the Illinois convention of Korean War veterans in Springfield. Heechang Woo with the consulate general in Chicago presented Peace Ambassador Medals to representatives of Korean War veterans organizations.
Vermilion County brought about 20 certificates home. Some local veterans had already received the certificates in the past, including those who have gone on trips to revisit South Korea.
For three Army veterans, receiving the medal and other items recently was a thrill.
“It’s the first recognition I’ve had since I’ve been home from Korea,” said Paul Jaynes of Danville, who served in the Army field artillery.
However, he recalled a recent time when he was in public, wearing his Korean War cap, and a young man approached him. “He said ‘I want to thank you for your service,’” Jaynes said.
Robert L. Hart of Fairmount and Raymond Thompson of Oakwood also said they were pleased with the recognition by South Korea.
Ken Cook, a Korean War veteran, received his honor in 1995, at the dedication of the Korean War monument in Washington, D.C. He went on a revisit program to Korea in 1998. In 2000, he represented the United States at the International Federation of Korean War Veterans gathering.
He presented Hart, Jaynes and Thompson with their medals recently at the Korean War memorial on Hazel Street.
David Thornsbrough, president of the local Korean War Veterans Association, also had a limited number of certificates and medals, which he gave to association members.
The honorees included: Hershall Lee, Monroe Melzer, Dennis Turner, Bill Crouch, Bill Steffy, Victor Hix, Gerry Holycross, Harold Bott, Samuel Schlorff, Henry Thornton, Richard Nicoson, Barney Baroff, Frank Hoskins and Warren Thomas.
The men were given a folder with two certificates — one in Korean and one in English. The English one notes the everlasting gratitude of the Republic of Korea and its people for the service provided in restoring and preserving the country’s freedom and democracy. It also states, “We cherish in our hearts the memory of your boundless sacrifices in helping us re-establish our Free Nation.”
It’s signed by the minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the retired general of the ROK Army.
In addition to the certificate, the men received a medal on a colorful ribbon, a small medal and a lapel pin.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Korean War veterans invited on trip
From Lebanon Daily News: Korean War veterans invited on trip
Twenty-four local veterans of the Korean War will join 24 Lebanon County high school students on an all-expenses-paid trip to the Korean War Memorial in Washington Oct. 26, thanks to the Lebanon County Salute to Veterans program.
Any Korean War veteran interested in participating should call Bob Black at 507-8907 or email him at tessnbob@comcast.net.
Each veteran is paired with a student for the day and is encouraged to meet with the student prior to the trip.
The program, which is affiliated with the Richland American Legion, honored World War II veterans last year.
The trip will leave from D.B. Fisher Bus Co., 1715 Grace Ave., North Lebanon Township, at 5:30 a.m. Oct. 26. Included will be a tour of the U.S. Capitol, a stop at Old Ebbitt Grill restaurant near the White House for lunch, and then a visit to the Korean War Memorial. The group will depart Washington at 6:30 p.m. and stop at Old Country Buffet in Laurel, Md., for dinner.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the program can send donations to: Richland American Legion, Attn. Korean War Veterans Trip, 8 W. New St., Richland, PA 17087.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Korea's Separated Families
From Airang.co.uk (Fro Aug 12, 2011): Korea's Separated Families
The Korean War began in 1950 and tore apart the Korean peninsula for three years.
The war caused unbelievable damage and killed thousands, but the most lasting injury was inflicted upon separated families.
[Interview : Yang Mu-jin, Professor
University of North Korean Studies] "Separated families remain a social issue because they are the scars of the Korean War. Separated families are the symbols of division on the Korean peninsula and the scars of war."
After the war, family members who were in the South were able to find each other with the help of personal networks and the media, but those whose family members were lost in the North could not even confirm whether they were alive.
People continued to shed tears over the hopeless situation.
Separated families became part of a sad history.
[Interview : Choi Su-won, Seoul resident
] "You miss your family even if you're apart for just a little while. Family members who are separated must be so sad, and miss each other so much."
Recently, the U.S. announced that it would work with North Korea to reunite separated family members in the two countries.
However, family reunions between the two Koreas are still facing obstacles.
The first inter-Korean family reunions happened not so long ago.
[Interview : Yang Mu-jin, Professor
University of North Korean Studies
] "Discussions of reuniting separated families began during the inter-Korean Red Cross talks in 1971, but at that time the discussions ended after a long debate about the definition of separated families. Then, in 2000, separated families were able to visit each other three or four times a year through the inter-Korean summit talks."
In the late 1990s, South Korea adopted the so-called "sunshine policy," a diplomatic strategy of peace and engagement towards the North.
This diplomacy lead to the historic first reunion on August 15, 2000.
Between then and October 2010, about 2000 members of families separated by the DMZ were able to reunite through 18 meetings and 7 video conferences.
[SOV]
[Interview : ] "My wish was to return to my hometown before I died, but it won't happen."
[SOV]
[Interview : ] "I can't believe this is real. If I can't believe this is real, it probably doesn't feel real for you either, Mother."
[SOV]
[Interview : ] "Please be well. We'll be together again when Korea is reunited."
But not everyone can enjoy this kind of luck. There are still many families separated by the inter-Korean border who are waiting to reunite.
[Interview : Kim Gyeong-jae, Displaced person] "The entire nation became excited while watching separated families reunite. I was excited. The scene on TV stayed vivid in my mind for a few days. I was envious of the families who reunited."
[Interview : Moon Yong-chun, Displaced person] "I miss them so much. It hurts that I can't meet them. I don't even know if they're dead or alive, and that always hurts."
The reunions are granted to those chosen through a lottery. Since the reunions are strictly limited in size, the number of people who are reunited with their families is far less than the number of those waiting.
[Interview : Heo Jeong-gu, Division of Inter-Korean Exchange
Korean Red Cross
] "Currently 127,000 people are registered with the Integrated Information System for Separated Families hoping to be reunited with their family members in the North. Excluding those who have died, the number of applicants still waiting to be reunited is at about 87,500."
Another issue is that the people who were separated in the war are growing older. 80% of registered separated family members are over 70, and every year, 3,000 of these applicants pass away.
There is not much time left.
[Interview : Lee Sang-cheol, Chairman] "Korean Assembly for Reunion of Ten-Million Separated Families Over the last decade, about 48,000 applicants for reunion have passed away, so only about 80,000 applicants remain. The worry is that the remaining applicants are also aging rapidly, so we do not have much time to reunite them with their families."
After the Korean war, a new kind of separated family also came into being - North Korean families separated by defection.
[Interview : Kim Nam-jun, Staff member
Ministry of Public Administration and Security] For North Korean defectors, it's even harder to find their families remaining in the North. In a lot of cases, the families aren't even aware that their family members have defected. Even if the families are found, the revelation of the defectors' identities may put their families in danger.
The government has rolled up its sleeves to help resolve this issue. The South Korean government has pledged to do all that it can to help reunite separated families.
[Interview : Oh Chung-seok, Head of Separated Families Division
Ministry of Unification
] "South Korea passed a law in 2009 making it an official responsibility of the government to help separated families confirm the life or death of their family members in the North, as well as pursue reunion. When inter-Korean relations allow it, we hope to push ahead with reunions at meeting places for separated families."
Technology is also used to help bring families together. Video reunion centers are installed in 5 locations in South Korea and 10 in the North. Those who have had trouble moving around can now meet their families via the Internet.
[SOV]
[Interview : ] "Let me officially say hello."
[SOV]
[Interview : ] "I wouldn't recognize you if I saw you on the street."
However, the fundamental way to ease these families' pain is reunification.
[Interview : Jeong Seung-il, Displaced person] "My wish is to return to my hometown, pay my respects at the graves of my family members there, and meet the rest of my family just once before I die."
There still remain many people in both North and South Korea who spend their days, longing for their loved ones across the border.
We hope for the day when all of these families will be reunited together again, as part of a reunified Korea.
The Korean War began in 1950 and tore apart the Korean peninsula for three years.
The war caused unbelievable damage and killed thousands, but the most lasting injury was inflicted upon separated families.
[Interview : Yang Mu-jin, Professor
University of North Korean Studies] "Separated families remain a social issue because they are the scars of the Korean War. Separated families are the symbols of division on the Korean peninsula and the scars of war."
After the war, family members who were in the South were able to find each other with the help of personal networks and the media, but those whose family members were lost in the North could not even confirm whether they were alive.
People continued to shed tears over the hopeless situation.
Separated families became part of a sad history.
[Interview : Choi Su-won, Seoul resident
] "You miss your family even if you're apart for just a little while. Family members who are separated must be so sad, and miss each other so much."
Recently, the U.S. announced that it would work with North Korea to reunite separated family members in the two countries.
However, family reunions between the two Koreas are still facing obstacles.
The first inter-Korean family reunions happened not so long ago.
[Interview : Yang Mu-jin, Professor
University of North Korean Studies
] "Discussions of reuniting separated families began during the inter-Korean Red Cross talks in 1971, but at that time the discussions ended after a long debate about the definition of separated families. Then, in 2000, separated families were able to visit each other three or four times a year through the inter-Korean summit talks."
In the late 1990s, South Korea adopted the so-called "sunshine policy," a diplomatic strategy of peace and engagement towards the North.
This diplomacy lead to the historic first reunion on August 15, 2000.
Between then and October 2010, about 2000 members of families separated by the DMZ were able to reunite through 18 meetings and 7 video conferences.
[SOV]
[Interview : ] "My wish was to return to my hometown before I died, but it won't happen."
[SOV]
[Interview : ] "I can't believe this is real. If I can't believe this is real, it probably doesn't feel real for you either, Mother."
[SOV]
[Interview : ] "Please be well. We'll be together again when Korea is reunited."
But not everyone can enjoy this kind of luck. There are still many families separated by the inter-Korean border who are waiting to reunite.
[Interview : Kim Gyeong-jae, Displaced person] "The entire nation became excited while watching separated families reunite. I was excited. The scene on TV stayed vivid in my mind for a few days. I was envious of the families who reunited."
[Interview : Moon Yong-chun, Displaced person] "I miss them so much. It hurts that I can't meet them. I don't even know if they're dead or alive, and that always hurts."
The reunions are granted to those chosen through a lottery. Since the reunions are strictly limited in size, the number of people who are reunited with their families is far less than the number of those waiting.
[Interview : Heo Jeong-gu, Division of Inter-Korean Exchange
Korean Red Cross
] "Currently 127,000 people are registered with the Integrated Information System for Separated Families hoping to be reunited with their family members in the North. Excluding those who have died, the number of applicants still waiting to be reunited is at about 87,500."
Another issue is that the people who were separated in the war are growing older. 80% of registered separated family members are over 70, and every year, 3,000 of these applicants pass away.
There is not much time left.
[Interview : Lee Sang-cheol, Chairman] "Korean Assembly for Reunion of Ten-Million Separated Families Over the last decade, about 48,000 applicants for reunion have passed away, so only about 80,000 applicants remain. The worry is that the remaining applicants are also aging rapidly, so we do not have much time to reunite them with their families."
After the Korean war, a new kind of separated family also came into being - North Korean families separated by defection.
[Interview : Kim Nam-jun, Staff member
Ministry of Public Administration and Security] For North Korean defectors, it's even harder to find their families remaining in the North. In a lot of cases, the families aren't even aware that their family members have defected. Even if the families are found, the revelation of the defectors' identities may put their families in danger.
The government has rolled up its sleeves to help resolve this issue. The South Korean government has pledged to do all that it can to help reunite separated families.
[Interview : Oh Chung-seok, Head of Separated Families Division
Ministry of Unification
] "South Korea passed a law in 2009 making it an official responsibility of the government to help separated families confirm the life or death of their family members in the North, as well as pursue reunion. When inter-Korean relations allow it, we hope to push ahead with reunions at meeting places for separated families."
Technology is also used to help bring families together. Video reunion centers are installed in 5 locations in South Korea and 10 in the North. Those who have had trouble moving around can now meet their families via the Internet.
[SOV]
[Interview : ] "Let me officially say hello."
[SOV]
[Interview : ] "I wouldn't recognize you if I saw you on the street."
However, the fundamental way to ease these families' pain is reunification.
[Interview : Jeong Seung-il, Displaced person] "My wish is to return to my hometown, pay my respects at the graves of my family members there, and meet the rest of my family just once before I die."
There still remain many people in both North and South Korea who spend their days, longing for their loved ones across the border.
We hope for the day when all of these families will be reunited together again, as part of a reunified Korea.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Black Medal of Honor recipients memorialized at revamped park
From the NY Daily News, from Aug 17, 2011: Black Medal of Honor recipients memorialized at revamped park
Leroy Archible stood in his Marine beret before a crowd of servicemen in a picture-perfect park laced with rose bushes, lilies and American flags Tuesday, his voice wavering.
"This is a wonderful day and I'm happy .... It's been a rough road getting here."
The decorated Korean War veteran spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly revamped and renamed Charlton-Thompson Memorial Garden on Cauldwell Ave. in Morrisania.
"We had no money. We had a dream," he said.
That dream was to turn a 60-year-old eyesore named after the only two black Medal of Honor recipients of the Korean War into a fitting tribute.
With the help of fellow veteran Robert Gumbs and city and park officials, that dream was realized.
"What I hope is that we just don't cut a ribbon today," Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said. "That this garden becomes a civic lesson for our children."
Archible, a life-long Bronxite, said he had spent much of his time in the rundown playground, but was unaware of the men behind its name, Sgt. Cornelius Charlton and Pfc. William Thompson, who grew up in the neighborhood.
"Out of 87 African-American recipients of the Medal of Honor, two are from the Bronx," Gumbs said.
On a lush half-acre of oak trees and flowers, a towering flagstaff bears the stories of two hero's valor.
"What a joy to always have uncle Corny with us," said Charlton's niece Zenobia Penn, 60.
For James Thompson, 79, the hero's last living cousin and also a Korean War veteran, the day was "very moving, very, very moving," he said. "It tells me they haven't forgotten."
Charlton's nephew and namesake, Cornelius Charlton, came up from Maryland. He said his family is eternally grateful to Archible and Gumbs.
"We can't thank them enough ... because up until then, I didn't think many people cared that much," Charlton said.
Leroy Archible stood in his Marine beret before a crowd of servicemen in a picture-perfect park laced with rose bushes, lilies and American flags Tuesday, his voice wavering.
"This is a wonderful day and I'm happy .... It's been a rough road getting here."
The decorated Korean War veteran spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly revamped and renamed Charlton-Thompson Memorial Garden on Cauldwell Ave. in Morrisania.
"We had no money. We had a dream," he said.
That dream was to turn a 60-year-old eyesore named after the only two black Medal of Honor recipients of the Korean War into a fitting tribute.
With the help of fellow veteran Robert Gumbs and city and park officials, that dream was realized.
"What I hope is that we just don't cut a ribbon today," Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said. "That this garden becomes a civic lesson for our children."
Archible, a life-long Bronxite, said he had spent much of his time in the rundown playground, but was unaware of the men behind its name, Sgt. Cornelius Charlton and Pfc. William Thompson, who grew up in the neighborhood.
"Out of 87 African-American recipients of the Medal of Honor, two are from the Bronx," Gumbs said.
On a lush half-acre of oak trees and flowers, a towering flagstaff bears the stories of two hero's valor.
"What a joy to always have uncle Corny with us," said Charlton's niece Zenobia Penn, 60.
For James Thompson, 79, the hero's last living cousin and also a Korean War veteran, the day was "very moving, very, very moving," he said. "It tells me they haven't forgotten."
Charlton's nephew and namesake, Cornelius Charlton, came up from Maryland. He said his family is eternally grateful to Archible and Gumbs.
"We can't thank them enough ... because up until then, I didn't think many people cared that much," Charlton said.
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