Believe it or not, not a shameless plug but an original post. In honor of Korean Memorial Day I thought I would write this in honor of the American veterans who fought and served in Korea. It is a shame that few people are aware of the number of American veterans who are buried at Yangwhajin Foreign Cemetery (a religious organization that shall remain nameless - is shamelessly exploiting the missionaries buried there by using it as a Christian tourist site and even going so far as to change the name of the cemetery to the Missionaries’ Cemetery). Many of these soldiers did not die while in Korea but instead Vietnam, but having served in Korea and having family here; they elected to be buried here - forgotten even by their own government.
Many of you who know me, know that I buy and sell documents, pictures, and postcards dealing with Korea. I thought that it would be nice to transcribe a letter from an American soldier stationed in Korea just after the fall of Japan - the letter is dated Dec. 16, 1945. I haven’t done the research on the writer, SSgt William D. Beard, stationed with the 1108th Engineer Combat Group or the receiver, Sgt Dick A. Miller in Lancaster, Penns., and would appreciate any information about these two men. The letter is as follows:
Fuzan, Korea
Dec. 16, 1945
Dear Dick,
Received your letter of Nov. 26, and sure was glad to hear from you. It’s darn swell that you will be home for Christmas. I sure wish I could be too.
Dick, you said in your letter that if there is anything you can do to help me, I should drop you a line. Well, old pal, I’m going to ask a favor of you, so here goes!
You wondered what I have been telling Bob in my letters. Well, brother, I wonder too! He has been insulting Betty and saying things that are causing her to worry about our happiness. She keeps emphasizing in her letters that she is afraid something might come between us. Well by dern, Dick, you may be surprised to hear this, but I have been overseas 15 months, and haven’t cheated on my wife. I really love my wife and baby, nd I am determined not to let anyone come between us. To get to the point, I wish you would find out what you can about what Bob is up to, and tell me the whole story. I am convinced he is up to something, and I want to know what it is.
Well, old pal, I must say so long for now and hit the hay. Give my best to your folks.
Always a Pal
Bill
8 Comments
These two men may be long gone and dead, but is it really appropriate to post something this, uhum, personal? (and completely unrelated to Korea)
Corpy Carly:
I can fully appreciate what you are saying, but.., the thing that impressed me most about the letter was here was a young man who spent 15 months overseas in the Pacific - probably saw his share of combat and, unlike the common steriotypical image, did not cheat on his wife but instead remained true to her.
Soldiers overseas are often accused of infidelities and such accusations are unfortunately true in many cases, but not always. I can respect a man who is trying to keep his marriage together even when someone back “home” is trying to usurp him. A soldier’s enemy is not always the man/woman he is facing on the battlefield.
Great stuff Robert! A priceless snapshot from yesterday, and compelling reflection of how little things have changed.
Do you have any more correspondence between the two?
Corpy Carly, by posting this on the Internet, there is a greater chance that some light will come to bear on what happened to Betty as well.
I know its not fully related to this post, but I remember reading a letter from a Chuck to a Gary from about this time. Gary was stationed in Japan, but Chuck was still in Korea. It was about 1955, if I remember clearly. Anyways, the gist of the letter was how Chuck wanted Gary to send over a watch, because Japanese watches were getting a bitt of a name for themself. Chuck had been dating Elain before getting his orders, however as he stayed longer in Korea, Elaine started seeing Bobby, who had gone to the same school as Gary. Bobby was a mechanic, and he had really burly features, while Elaine was blonde, and quite slim. They both liked to go to the pictures together, and sometimes they also have a soda.
I wish I had the letter on me now, for I would post it up for all to see, and I’m getting too old now and my memory is failing me.
If any other people out there have similar tales form yesteryear, I’d love to hear them.
Robert Neff, please never apologize for your posts here. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, your historical anecdotes are one of the very few things that compel me to keep checking in with the Marmot’s Hole. (I’m tempted to make a joke here about the total depravity of man, but only Calvinists would get it….)
Sorry, my last comment might come across as “holier than thou,” which was not my intention at all. All the same, I don’t feel very edified most days after I walk away from this place….
“….;.Many of these soldiers did not die while in Korea but instead Vietnam, but having served in Korea and having family here, they elected to be buried here [in Yangwhajin Foreign Cemetery ?]- forgotten even by their own government…”
I see (from one of the linked earlier threads listed above) that Yangwhajin is a foreigner’s ceremony in Seoul, and that there was evidently some question last year about the permanence of the foreigners’ grave sites located there. If this is what you’re referring to by their being “forgotten”, has anybody formally called the attention of the US embassy to this problem?
Can you tell us how many US war dead graves, and what (if anything) you know of the indiv circumstances?
I’ll guess at the following “categories”:
1) American military who served in Korea, married a Korean girl, went to Vietnam and were killed, and then were buried in Korea at the wife’s request.
2) Korean-born citizens who became naturalized Americans, served in the US military in Vietnam and were killed, then were buried back in their original homeland at next of kin’s request.
3) Perhaps both above categories apply. And maybe there’s other possibilities I’ve missed (ie US military Korean war dead, American military accidental/ natural causes death while serving on active duty but in peacetime, etc).
It’s up to the immediate next of kin where a deceased servicemember is buried. If it’s in a private or non-official local graveyard, they’re only “forgotten” to the extent the next of kin allow them to be.
For category #1 above, I could see where a Korean widow might remarry, or die, having had no children, and then there would eventually be no next of kin left in ROK to remember them.
If by being “forgotten”, you meant only that there’s no annual ceremony to honor them — maybe USFK could be made aware of this, with a suggestion that they can arrange an annual ceremony to honor the US military servicemembers buried in Yangwhajin on US Memorial Day.
Or maybe a non-governmental US veteran’s organization could do some type of ceremony (assuming there is a Korean-based local post of such an organization, such as the American Legion).
To justify such an annual Memorial Day effort, there would probaby have to be a “substantial” number of Yangwhajin graves in this category (I’ll leave “substantial” as an undefined amount for the moment).
Whether or not anything can be done, somebody will have to start by calling attention to the “problem”. Even though I’m far away in CONUS, I’m at least interested in what exactly you see that to be.
Paul,
I don’t have my information with me at hand, but I believe the number I counted was 63 members of the American military, contractors, or State Department employees. The American Embassy was informed, as well as USFK, last year but apparently interest has been lost again.
I used the word “forgotten” because prior to my mentioning it last year none of the Embassy or USFK seemed to be aware of the graves. There are still some family members (probably Korean spouses and children) who do remember their fallen and occasionally flowers can be seen on the graves.
What is the problem? The organization that is now in control of the cemetery has made a number of the changes (not all bad) and seems to be profiting very well off their “plan” for the cemetery. I do not begrudge them the opportunity of making some money as long as they keep the cemetery relatively the same as it is…but rumors still persist (as early as a couple of months ago) to remove some graves. Let the dead rest in peace and with respect.
What exactly would be the reason for them to “get rid” of the graves? And what might they think they would do with the remains (or are they just thinking of putting up a building up over them when nobody is looking)?
If there is some sort of financial extortion being looked for here (ie they want US govt to purchase the ownership of the indiv gravesites?), then I suppose somebody in the US government is going to have to get interested in trying to appropriate the money. Or eventually these graves will just “disappear”, especially if US troops eventually leave the ROK.
I spent some time looking on-line for an organization that might conceivably take an interest in the problem (other than the US embassy/State Department).
No overseas posts of the American Legion/VFW in ROK listed on their websites (I thought American Legion might have a post/department in ROK, looks like there’s only one in the Phillippines).
American Battle Monuments Commission has nothing in ROK either. Looks like private graveyards aren’t part of their mission anyway; however, take a look at their website. See the last few questions in their FAQ’s, which relate to private “memorials”. Not sure if this particular situation fits their criteria, and in any case possible funding for a “caretaker” evidently has to come from private sources. The UN Korean War cemetary in Busan (judging from their website) is entirely Korean-run, but maybe someone in the administration down there would take an interest in the problem, or at least be willing to provide opinions/advice.
Only thing I can think of is to let the caretakers of the graveyard know formally (perhaps by a letter) that at least one local American is interested in exactly what their plans for the gravesites are.
You can make it “two” by adding my name to the signature block, if you think it will help (of course I’m not local). Or let me know your email address (couldn’t find it here) and I’ll communicte with you further about providing moral support (can’t do anything financially unless I happen to win the California lottery).
Only other thing I can think of is to try writing a letter to the US ambassador, soliciting his personal interest in the possible problem. If the owners/caretakers know that the US ambassador is watching, that might prove to be a deterrent to any sudden “disappearance” of the gravesites.
I suppose it would have to be “revalidated” each time the ambassador changes.