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64
The Korean War: Forgotten Once Again
Walter Hinnichs saw an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer
written by Associated Press reporter Pauline Jelinek, entitled
“High Costs, High Safety.” The pull line read, “As the price to
equip troops with the best goes up, so do survival rates.” The article
compared soldiers’ protection in WWII, Vietnam, Current
Operations, and Future System. Notice something missing.
Hinnichs did.
“She jumped from WWII to Vietnam, of course forgetting the
Korean War,” he said. “As veterans of that war can tell you, we
had flak jackets. I had one in 1952 in Korea.”
“It gets annoying that they forever skip or forget altogether the
Korean War, which was one of the bloodiest,” he commented. “In
1952 the Marines alone were losing 25 KIAs a day.”
Unfortunately, Hinnichs is preaching to the choir. In some people’s
minds, the Korean War is indeed still the “Forgotten War.”
Reach Walter Hinnichs at 2195 Martin Dr.,
Gilbertsville, PA 19525
Chosin (Chosen?)Hotel
I want to hear from anyone who knew of, heard of, or had been
at the Chosin Hotel in Seoul, Korea during the Korean War for a
three-day R&R. I was sent there alone in the spring of 1951. I had
only been in Korea for 1-1/2 or 2 months when I was sent there,
which surprised me considerably. As I recall, it was located on the
same street as the burned-out capitol building. There was a muddy
river nearby where people were living in corrugated shanties.
I do not know where I was in Korea at the time. We moved
north and we were in the mountains. I was a member of 2nd
Squad, 81mm. Mortar Platoon, “M” Co., 27th “Wolfhound” Inf.
Regt., 25th Div. Besides Americans, there were men from other
countries.
I buddied up with a soldier from England. I enjoyed the three
days immensely, and I have never forgotten them. But, I have
never heard of the Chosin Hotel since.
Russell Buechler, 917 Hillcrest St.
Columbia, Illinois 62236,
(618) 281-5357
EDITOR’S NOTE: We operate on pure coincidence at The
Graybeards office. How else can we explain the arrival of the letter
below a couple days after Mr. Buechler made his request?
Speaking of the Chosen Hotel
I am a veteran of the Korean War, and I recently noticed a photo
of the Seoul Railroad Station in an article titled “Mystery Photos”
printed in your July/August issue of The Graybeards. As the text
of the article stipulates, this brought back memories of a few photos
I took in June of 1951 as I was transporting some troops to the
Kimpo Airport in Seoul for sorely needed R & R.
I’ve included the photos I took at the time in case they are of
some benefit to your photo archives. I was able to take these shots
The Chosen Hotel in Seoul
A building somewhere near the Chosen Hotel
because, as a driver, I was required to stay in Seoul until the troops
actually left on their scheduled flights out of Kimpo Airport. This
gave me ample opportunity to drive around Seoul and take pictures
of some distinctive buildings.
The first photo I’ve enclosed is of the Chosen Hotel. It was
impressive and in good condition at the time. The second photo
was taken of a building in the vicinity of the Chosen Hotel. Yet, it
apparently suffered substantial damage. The third photo is of the
November-December 2007
The Graybeards