Korean War veteran revisits battlefield memories by donating handwritten wartime records
SEOUL, June 24: Han Hee-na, a 96-year-old Korean War veteran, wiped away his tears as he traced with his fingers the name of a beloved comrade engraved on the hall of fame at the military headquarters in South Korea.
Han, who volunteered to fight in the South Korean Army as a university student during the 1950-53 Korean War, still vividly remembers what he experienced with his comrades on the battlefields.
On Monday, he was invited to the Army headquarters in Gyeryong, some 145 kilometres south of Seoul, as he donated handwritten records of his memories about the war to the Army Archives Management Group in charge of restoring and preserving military artefacts, reports Yonhap news agency.
“We believe this is Msg. Kim Byung-chil, you have been looking for, given the date of his death on June 5, 1951, which matches the last battle he fought in early June,” an Army official explained to Han.
As he was helped out of his wheelchair, Han silently saluted his fallen comrade, whom he described as a “caring and compassionate superior” and whose death he witnessed firsthand during the 1950-53 Korean War.
Han, who was born in North Hamgyong Province in 1930, fought a number of battles while affiliated with the armoured regiment of the Capital Division, including the battle of Hyangnobong, where South Korean troops succeeded in repelling the communist forces from Mount Seorak and the peak of Hyangno in June 1951.
Han said he began writing down his memories of the war in his 30s, and some of his writings later became the basis of his book, titled “The student ID card left behind by the war.”
An Army official said they found Han’s description of Korean War battles well matched the military’s official records of the war.
The Korean War, the deadliest conflict in the nation’s history, took an especially heavy toll on the Army, with nearly 98 per cent of the 137,899 deaths from the three-year conflict involving Army troops.
Han said he remembers facing a series of life-or-death situations throughout the war and thinking it a “miracle” that he was alive through it all.
“Not once, twice or thrice, but many times I faced death but came out alive,” he said.
He said he hopes his story will inspire future generations to embrace a spirit of selfless service and dedication to their country and fellow citizens. (IANS)
