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Newsletter - October 26, 2003Member and Sponsor Last Name Search
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Newsletter for October 26th, 2003
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Table of Contents
1. Korean War Project Continues Pledge Drive
2. Unforgotten - a Poem for Korean War Veterans
3. Bookstore | Film | In Progress
4. This Mailing List Subscribe | Unsubscribe
5. Father Emil Kapuan, a Korean War Hero
6. Korean War tribute on the USS Intrepid, NYC
7. Flight Line at K-9 452nd Bomb Wing
8. More Australian War Memorial information
9. Irish Immigrants who died in the Korean War
10. Education Center at Vietnam War Memorial site
11. Youngstown, Ohio Korean War Veterans Memorial
12. Technology Resources for Groups
13. USMC 1st Marine Division Honors
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1. Korean War Project Continues Pledge Drive
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Thanks again to all of the groups and individuals who
continue to provide financial support for the Korean War
Project.
All donations are on a voluntary basis. The website is free
for all to use!
The site continues to exist solely due to those who have
expressed an interest in our mission.
If you have not become a member or sponsor, do consider
coming on board.
Our original goal was to publish Hal's manuscript "Return To
Heartbreak Ridge", online. That goal changed very quickly as
people found their way to our "doorstep".
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2. Unforgotten - a Poem for Korean War Veterans
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UNFORGOTTEN
Dedicated to all the UNFORGOTTEN
Veterans of the Korean War
I can't imagine fighting with people I don't know
Or going to a country because they said to go
I don't know what it's like to see the things you saw
Or killing complete strangers just to see another dawn
I have no understanding of the horror that you hide
But it would be an honor to share the tears you've
cried.
So, I cry for the pain and I cry for the lost
I cry for your heartache and I cry for the cost
I cry for all the heroes we forgot when they returned
I cry for the hatred and I cry for what we've learned
I cry for the memories of the things you left unsaid
I cry for the wounded,the survivors,and the dead
I cry for how you've managed to hide what you had to
do.
I cry for my hero,DAD,because my hero is you.
Written by Denise L. Green December 8,2002
Editor Note: Denise wrote this for her Dad, Edward L. Green,
K Co 23rd Inf Rgt. Marlene, her Mom and proud wife of Ed,
submitted the poem.
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3. Bookstore | Film | In Progress
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===a.===
"Short Stories By John",
by a Korean War Veteran, John Kronenberger
My book is a compilation of stories covering a large part of
my life including military time. There are twenty-two
stories in this military time section.
Memories of strange and unusual happenings! Some weird
things too!
A wonderful traveling companion. Easy reading for a break
from today's fast paced society. Takes you back to your own
experiences in life.
Mail check or money order to:
John Kronenberger
102 Williamsburg Dr.
Belleville, IL 62221-3157
phone: 618-277-2311
email: skronen266@aol.com
Price: $15.00 plus $2.50 S & H
Allow 2-4 weeks for delivery
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4. This Mailing List Subscribe | Unsubscribe
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We began this newsletter mailing in December of 1998.
To join or leave the list: email to:
Ted Barker
tbarker@kwp.org
with Subscribe or Unsubscribe in the subject line.
Note: if you received this from us directly, you are already
subscribed.
Consider forwarding the Newsletter to your friends.
Many of our older newsletters can be found below:
https://www.koreanwar.org/html/newsletter_archive.html
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5. Father Emil Kapuan, a Korean War Hero
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Excerpted from the Catholic Standard, Archdiocese of
Washington, USA sent in by our pen-pal, John L Maurath.
Father Emil Kapaun, a military chaplain who died in 1951 as
a prisoner of war in Korea serving soldiers, was the kind of
hero that Catholic schoolchildren remember from the mid-20th
century. He wanted to be a missionary at one time.
Fellow soldiers witnessed to what they called his
"miraculous" healing of wounded troops. He gave his life
serving his fellow men under the most austere of
circumstances.
Now his old friend, Archbishop Philip Hannan, a Washington
native who is the retired archbishop of New Orleans, has
helped make a video documentary about Father Kapaun, whose
cause for canonization has been initiated in Rome.
Archbishop Hannan, who served as an auxiliary bishop of
Washington from 1956-65, knew Father Kapaun at the Catholic
University of America, and Archbishop Hannan himself was a
chaplain of the 82nd Airborne in World War II. .....
Archbishop Hannan tracked down many of the men who knew
Father Kapaun for his video. A former POW in the notorious
Camp 5, Captain William "Moose" McClain tells how the Korean
communists used people as shields in their invasion.
But he recalls in the video that Father Kapaun was
"fearless on the battlefield."
He remembers the priest as weaving in and out of enemy fire
doing his job without flinching. It was McClain who claims
to have seen a miraculous recovery of a soldier after Father
Kapaun prayed for him. "I witnessed that," McClain insisted.
Another man who served as a medic recalled how the chaplain
carried a wounded Sergeant Herbert Miller, who had a broken
ankle, "30 to 40 miles" on a forced march because if he
hadn't, the communists would have shot the soldier.
Father Kapaun also implored other soldiers to carry the
wounded as well so they would not be left behind and shot to
death.
Another man who was in the presence of Father Kapaun
remembered how he would wash the soiled underwear of
soldiers who were sick from dysentery.
Soldiers were freezing to death at night in temperatures
that went down to 40 degrees below zero.
McClain said that the communists were respectful of Father
Kapaun for a long time because of the charisma he seemed to
exude. As an estimated 1,400 prisoners died in the winter of
1950-51, Father Kapaun was credited with raising their
morale. "Father Kapaun relished helping his fellow men,"
said one former soldier.
Then at one point Father Kapaun got dysentery and pneumonia.
On Easter 1951, he planned the "last great event of his
life," as one man said. But he was distressed that he
couldn't give all the Catholic men the Eucharist at
Mass.
Shortly after he collapsed and the communists came to take
him to what they called the "hospital," which was a death
house. He died there May 23, 1951 as one man remembered,
"alone with God."
Archbishop Hannan said that the priest's "fellow officers
and G.I.s (mostly Protestants and Jews) begged me to make a
documentary of his life. 'We think he was a saint, and we
want the Catholic Church to give him sainthood,'
is the way they expressed it."
The office for Father Kapaun's canonization is headed by
Father John Hotze, Diocese of Wichita, 424 N. Broadway,
Wichita, Kansas 67202.
For information on the video, please see:
https://www.cathstan.org/news/06-05-03/1.shtml
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6. Korean War tribute on the USS Intrepid, NYC
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Mike Dobrzelecki created an exhibit "Korea - The Forgotten
War" back in 2000, for the Intrepid Sea-Air Space Museum in
New York City.
It has now become a permanent exhibit aboard the museum
ship.
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7. Flight Line at 17th Bomb Wing
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John Darby submitted the picture below:
37th Bomb Squadron of the 17th Bomb Wing (L/NI) taken in the
Spring of 1953. Original Kodachrome photo by C.O. Smith. Home page: https://www.geocities.com/bombgroup17
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8. More Australian War Memorial information
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As often happens when we publish information about
Memorials, response to the
salute of Mr. Jack Bligh in the Oct 12th version came in:
" G-Day Hal and Ted, thanks for printing the letter from
Jack Bligh about the Australian War Memorial - or more
correctly thanking him for his complimentary remarks about
us..."
Allan Murray - Publicity Officer - KVAA Inc ( Korea Veterans
Association of Australia Inc) and ( Ex British section ,UN
Platoon, 8th US Army Honor Guard, Korea.
(Allen met the men of the 187th RCT who came to Australia in
2000 for the dedication of the Australian
Korean War Memorial in Canberra, handing out poppies.)
Allen continues:
"The National War Memorial is in Canberra (Australian
Capital city), as is the National Korea War Memorial (on
ANZAC PARADE- Canberra ).
The Largest and in my opinion, the best State War Memorial
is in Melbourne ,Victoria, it covers all wars and has
separate sections to each, it now also has a visitors
gallery under the main building showing the military history
of Australia."
" The addresses for Sydney ( NSW) - Canberra ( ACT )and
Melbourne (Victoria) are as I put them in the last e-mail to
you yesterday. However for the other States they are as
follows,
State City
Tasmania -Hobart,
South Australia -Adelaide,
West Australia -Perth,
Queensland -Brisbane,
Northern Territory -Darwin.
Also, in every State of Australia , most, if not all country
cities and towns have their own local Memorial.
We, of the Korea Veterans Association of Australia Inc, have
underway at the moment a project to discover memorials that
do not have a Korea mention, and will try to rectify it.
But as with all Veterans Associations - we are short of
money - so it will be a long process but we will get there
in the end.
Just out of interest to your US Navy members - did you know
there is a special US Navy Submariners WW2 memorial in the
SWAN River Observatory Park of PERTH ,West Australia,
dedicated to those that were lost from that base. I have
seen it , a full size torpedo mounted on a granite plinth ,
with inscription.
Allan Murray kvaainc@optusnet.com.au
Our web site is https://www.austkoreavets.asn.au
Allan is looking for the following information.
"I would appreciate any photo's of Americans and Australians
together in Korea (any period 1950 - 1960)."
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9. Irish Immigrants who died in the Korean War
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Our pen-pal, Deanna Shlee Hopkins forwarded this:
Marilyn Knapp Litt webmaster@illyria.com wrote:
On October 30, 2003, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (CIS), a component of the Department of Homeland
Security, will hold a posthumous citizenship ceremony for 28
Irish immigrants who died in service to the United States
during the Korean War. In honor of the fallen soldiers,
Irish in Korea also is arranging a Catholic Mass at the
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington,
D.C., as well as a wreath laying ceremony at the Korean War
Memorial.
TENTATIVE AGENDA:
9:30 - 10:30 AM Mass at the National Shrine
400 Michigan Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20017
11:30 - 12:30 PM Posthumous Citizenship Ceremony
Senate Dirksen Office Building, Room SDG-50
Corner of 1st and C Streets, NE Washington, DC
12:30 PM Reception
Senate Dirksen Office Building, Room SDG-50
2:00 PM Wreath Laying at Korean War Memorial
French Drive, SW Washington DC
This is a tentative schedule. The final version will be
posted on https://www.IrishInKorea.org
I am proud to have been able to do the website for these
lads. Of the 28 who died in Korea, 27 had family members
who furnished photos for me to post. I didn't do any work
here, other than the technical end - but I will be in DC for
the ceremony. When I heard there were families coming from
Ireland; I just thought, I have to be there too . . .
Marilyn Knapp Litt
https://www.IrishOnTheWall.com
https://www.IrishInKorea.org
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10. Education Center at Vietnam War Memorial site
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Many Korean War Veterans also served in Vietnam. One of
those men, Gerald Merna, asked the KWP to post a letter he
recently wrote to the Washington Post regarding a dual
purpose facility.
He requests comments to be directed to him.
"Ted:You are probably aware that the Vietnam War Memorial is
trying to have Congress build an underground "Visitor's
Center" near their Memorial. As a Vietnam Veteran I
wholeheartedly support that effort.
However, I am also a Korean War Veteran and feel very
strongly that any such Visitor's Center, using public funds
and donations from many of the same supporters the Korean
War Memorial would have, should build a joint "Korea and
Vietnam War Memorial Education Center."
Sincerely,
Gerald F. Merna
1stLt USMC (Ret.) (Korea)
gmerna@adelphia.net
Dear Editor:
Monte Reel's excellent article "Scrugg's Underground
Movement" (Wash. Post, Fri., Oct. 3, 2003) outlines the
Vietnam Wall Memorial founder's efforts to have an
underground visitors center built at the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial. As a Vietnam Veteran (1966-67), I fully support
Jan Scrugg's proposed visitors center.
However, I am also a Korean War Veteran (1952-1953) and
strongly urge that this "visitors center" be expanded to
include the Korean War Veterans Memorial just a short
distance from the Vietnam War Memorial (as the map with the
story shows), and be renamed "The Vietnam and Korean War
Visitors Center."
Not nearly as well known as the Vietnam War Memorial, the
Korean War Veterans Memorial, authorized in 1986, was
dedicated on July 27, 1995 by President Clinton and Kim
Young Sam, president of South Korea. The memorial features
19 stainless steel statues of American troops marching in a
wedge formation as if on patrol. The statues represent an
ethnic cross-section of the United States.
Since congressional approval is required for the proposed
Vietnam visitors center, to avoid a future request from
Korean War veterans for their own "visitors center"
(including soliciting donations from the same sponsors), it
makes sense politically and economically, not to mention
fairness, to build a joint visitors center co-located
between the two war memorials while it is still in the
planning stages.
The Korean War is more often than not referred to as The
Forgotten War because it occurred chronologically between
World War II and the Vietnam War. It began June 25, 1950
when North Korea invaded South Korea, resulting in U.S. and
U.N. forces (22 nations provided military personnel, medical
support and supplies) immediately joining the conflict.
(Only five years before the Korean War our country was in
World War II). As a result, Korean War veterans are
considered the "middle child" of those who served in prior
and following conflicts.
For these very reasons, it makes sense to "piggyback" on Jan
Scrugg's plans for a Vietnam War visitors center.
Especially with his avowed justification for this to invite
teachers from across the country ...to...help them prepare
study plans for classes dealing with the Vietnam War and its
aftermath," Including the Korean War in the visitors center
is especially pertinent considering that in only a three
year span, more than 7 million U.S. troops served, some
34,000 Americans were killed in battle (with nearly 37,000
American deaths in Korea overall) and more than 103,000 were
wounded. The estimated numbers of South Korean military
casualties ranged from 50,000 to more than 400,000 dead and
hundreds of thousands wounded. Civilian casualties are
estimated to have been in the millions. While many in this
country may think it is a forgotten war, Koreans don't think
so, calling it a victory that created a free and
economically independent democratic nation.
Korean War veterans are passing away as rapidly as those
veterans of World War II. So before it's too late, we need
to give these veterans this lasting tribute in the form of a
"Korean and Vietnam War Education Center" to educate not
only the youth of America, but also our nations' visitors to
these stirring memorials.
Respectfully,
Gerald F. Merna
1stLt USMC (Ret.)
Potomac Falls, VA
703-406-3590
Oct. 4, 2003
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11. Youngstown, Ohio Korean War Veterans Memorial
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From Charles Stephan:
Youngstown, Ohio has a new Korean War memorial, sited in
Austintown, a suburb of Youngstown.
The memorial has a Walkway of Honor with bricks inserted
honoring Korean War veterans and their families.
The memorial is not yet completed as the local KWVA Unit,
Mahoning Valley Chapter 137 is presently raising additional
funds to install a life-sized Korean War soldier on the
monument. It's hoped the project can be finished by next
year.
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12. Technology Resources for Groups
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The KWP has been using several very good resources for our
technology needs.
Steeply discounted pricing for qualified organizations has
helped the KWP to maintain our Internet window on the world.
HP, Microsoft, BEA, Macromedia are just a sampling of
companies and Foundations providing much needed support.
Gifts in Kind International
See: https://www.giftsinkind.org
This organization provides a wide offering of items for
service oriented groups.
Compumentor.org
See:
https://compumentor.org
TechSoup.org
See: https://www.techsoup.org
Both TechSoup and Compumentor work together with the
DiscountTech part of their websites provide the gateway for
obtaining these discounted items.
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13. USMC 1st Marine Division Honors
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Here is a great link on the 1st Marine Division Association website.
https://www.1stmarinedivisionassociation.org/1MarDivHonors.html
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Thanks to all who have made this possible.
Hal and Ted Barker
Korean War Project |
