Greetings from Busan, South Korea!
We began the day by loading up on the bus to head south to Busan. The trip began with our second "Round Table" discussion with our Navy and Air Force veterans. Mr. Kent began by telling us about his experiences in the Navy during the Korean War. One of his ship's primary roles was shore bombardment and one of their biggest accomplishments was knocking out the trestle on a bridge, which caused the enemy train to fall into the ravine. His division received the "Train-Buster" award for this achievement.
Next, Mr. Peters followed up on his Navy experiences. He attended Fire Patrol Technician School instead of immediate departure to Korea. In Korea, he spent most of his time in the Sea of Japan. He worked on a fueling vessel, which was vital to the war efforts in Korea.
Next we heard from Mr. Keller, who was sent to Pearl Harbor in June of 1950 where he was stationed for two years with the Navy. His primary role there was to train night pilots for Korea, where most missions were accomplished in the cover of darkness. He also inspected equipment before it was sent to Korea and evaluated pilot performance to ensure their readiness for war. He never saw the war firsthand, but his role was essential to the United States military efforts in Korea.
Mr. Nance then shared his experiences as a pilot in the Air Force in Korea from February to December of 1951. During this time, he flew 100 missions. During the roundtable discussion, instead of talking about his accomplishments in the war, he spent his time encouraging us to take responsibility for our lives and have no regrets. He even recited a little poem. Mr. Nance is a true American patriot, and we will discuss him more later in this post.
Finally, Mr. Tremblay shared about his time in Korea. He was commissioned as an officer in the Air Force in 1950, and, in Korea, he was based out of Seoul City Air Base. He specialized in missions of psychological warfare. For instance, he flew a C-47 dropping propaganda leaflets into North Korea. He flew a total of 75 missions in two months. Other missions included dropping supplies to soldiers and dropping flares to help illuminate battlefields during night warfare. Mr. Tremblay knew the hills of Korea like the back of his hand and was a vital member of the Air Force during the Korean War.
Our first stop of the day was a memorial to the first UN battle in Korea, the Battle of Osan. This battle occurred on July 5, 1950, just ten days after the North Koreans invaded South Korea. Task Force Smith of the 24th Division, who were stationed in Japan, met the North Koreans at Osan. However, the UN troops were incredibly ill-prepared. The North overtook the UN troops with T34 tanks and 105 mm cannons. Task Force Smith retreated after 3 hours of intense fighting with heavy casualties, This battle sent a message that the UN forces were now permanently involved in the war, regardless of the outcome of this particular battle.
Our second and final stop of the day was at Dabudong War Memorial Museum. Soldiers of the ROK/US Alliance defended this historical site during the Korean War with many making the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the Korean Peninsula and its people. This museum was opened on November 30, 1981 by the Ministry of National Defense to serve as a reminder of the sacrifice given by many and to educate the next generation about the tragedy of the Korean War.
This week, we had the honor to travel and explore Korea with Mr. Joe Nance. As mentioned above, he was in the Air Force and was stationed at a little town south of Incheon, called Pyeongtaek. He flew air to ground missions in an AT-6 plane. One of the highlights of this return to Korea for Mr. Nance is seeing the transformation of South Korea. When he left at the end of 1951, the country was absolutely devastated. He doesn't remember one building left standing. However, today the country has a booming economy, with a city rivaling New York City. High rises cover the country and the people are thriving. They have made a full recovery from the war and Mr. Nance feels honored to have been a part of making South Korea a better place for future generations. One of our favorite moments in South Korea is watching as the South Korean soldiers salute our veterans as they pass. What an honor to be accompanying men such as these...true American Patriots.
Although our day consisted of traveling, we had the opportunity to learn through the discussions with our veterans and the museums that we had the privilege to visit. We arrived safe and sound at Busan, which is the second largest city in Korea with the largest port. We will be staying one night and visiting historical sites in this area in the morning before heading back to Seoul.
It's been an incredible journey so far, and we cannot believe the trip is over halfway done. We can't wait to see what else is in store for us and our veterans as we continue to explore.
'Til next time,
Jed and Haylee
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