Mar/Apr 2013 - Korean War Veterans Association

18
Misfires
Occasionally, we make mistakes in The Graybeards. We try to be as
accurate as possible, and we apologize for any errors that slip through.
We do not have the funds for a fact checker, so we miss a fact or two
now and then. Here are a couple clarifications. Incidentally, we rely on
readers to inform us of any “misfires” that need correcting. We will print
corrections in the next available edition.
Member Not Dead As Reported
Our Membership Office received a phone call from Duane G.
Kupersmith’s wife to tell us that he is alive and well. Since a
member of his chapter notified us that Mr. Kupersmith was
deceased, we included his name in the Jan/Feb 2013 “Last Call”
list. We wish him continued good health.
I Was In St. Louis
I see in the minutes of the Jan/Feb 2013 issue that I was not listed
as being in attendance at the convention in St Louis. No big
deal—but I was there.
John T. (Sonny) Edwards, National Recruiting Chairman, kvetedwards@yahoo.com
Jogye, Not Joggle
On p. 75 of the Jan/Feb 2013 edition, in “Korean Minister of
Patriots and Veterans Affairs Honors Medal of Honor
Recipients,” there is a photo caption titled, “LTC Tim Stoy
retired and Won Jang Su Nib at Joggle Order Headquarters in
Seoul.” The correct order name is Jogye.
Missing Attachment
In the “From the Secretary” section of the Jan/Feb 2013 edition,
there was a reference to an attachment from Annelie Weber
regarding when the “Korean Conflict” was changed to “Korean
War.” The attachment was not included.
The attachment referred to Public Law 105-85 and Public Law
105-261, which direct the Korean Conflict be designated
“Korean War.” We have covered those laws in previous editions
of The Graybeards, and have pointed out that they are merely
directives to change the wording from “Conflict” to “War.”
Neither law is a “Declaration of War.”
What is the appropriate way to view duty in
Korea, peacetime or wartime?
Over 1,200 U.S. servicemen have lost their lives and some 90
have been captured and held prisoner since the fighting ended in
1953. At least 13 aircraft and 4 ships have been lost. To give a few
examples of the wartime status in April 1958, hostile fire pay was
awarded for those personnel stationed above the Imjin River.
In June 1975, North Korean guards attacked the United
Nations Command Joint Security Force Commander Joint
Security Area. In August 1976, two U.S. Army officers were murdered
with pick axes in the ”tree-trimming” incident. Four other
U.S. personnel were wounded, along with 4 ROK personnel, and
5 North Korean personnel were wounded by the U.S. response
force.
In 1983, the American Cultural Center in Taegu was bombed.
In November 1984, North Korean guards opened fire on JSA
guards. In April 1996, hundreds of North Korean soldiers conducted
military exercises in the DMZ with mortars and machine
guns. This was after NK announced that it would no longer
observe the rules of the armistice.
Acts of war were not restricted to Korea. In October 1983,
North Korea attempted to assassinate ROK President Chun Doo-
Hwan during his visit to Myanmar (Burma). Time bombs killed
17 Korean officials, including several cabinet ministers, and
wounded others. Myanmar severed relations with North Korea
and expelled North Korean diplomats from Rangoon. Three North
Korean Army officers were involved—acting under direct orders
from Kim Jong-Il. One captured officer who was later sentenced
to death confirmed this.
Since the 2nd ID no longer mans a one-mile sector of the
DMZ, JSA forces conduct the only U.S. patrols. As a result, the
number of incidents involving the U.S. has declined greatly. Not
that the life of a U.S. soldier is worth more than that of a ROK soldier;
this action was in response to North Korea’s deliberate targeting
of the U.S. sector.
Armed combat has taken place on the Peninsula every year
between either the North Koreans and South Koreans, or the
North Koreans and U.S. units, or both. There have been over
40,400 breaches of the armistice by North Korea.
It is worth looking at the statistics for recent military operations:
Combat Other Total Wounded Total
Grenada Invasion 1983 18 1 19 119 138
Libya Bombing 1986 2 0 2 0 2
Panama Invasion 1989 23 17 40 324 364
Gulf War 1990-91 113 148 258 849 1231
When you consider that these operations were recognized with
combat decorations, it begs the question as to whether or not
awards in Korea should not be considered for the wartime version
if in response to a hostile act by the north. Ground support personnel
in the United Kingdom during the bombing of Libya in
1986 received Bronze Stars for their efforts. Since no information
could be found at the time this was written, no statement can be
made as to whether or not the Purple Heart was awarded to the
commander of the UNC JSF, for example.
Likewise, no statement can be made as to whether other combat
awards should be made, since we do not know if they have
been made or not. Without a doubt, those who do get individual
decorations for post-armistice service generally do not get the
wartime version.
Of course, this can be challenged, since many awards are both
wartime and peacetime and the issue of hostile fire pay would be
raised. The response is that personnel stationed in Thailand did
not get combat pay (unless they served in the air or on the ground
in Cambodia or Vietnam) and got the Bronze Star.
March - April 2013
The Graybeards