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Symbol of ROK-US alliance
Participants celebrate the 65th anniversary of the founding of the KATUSA program at Camp Jackson in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. / Courtesy of KVA
By Jun Ji-hye
KATUSA celebrates 65th anniversary at Camp Jackson
By Jun Ji-hye
CAMP JACKSON, Uijeongbu — The KATUSA Veterans Association (KVA) on Friday celebrated the 65th anniversary of the founding of the program, initiated during the 1950-53 Korean War for Republic of Korea (ROK) soldiers to be assigned to U.S. Army operations in Korea.
Some 260 participants, including four Korean War KATUSA veterans; Maj. Gen. Theodore D. Martin, commanding general of the U.S. Army 2nd Infantry Division; KVA members and KATUSA trainees, attended the event at Camp Jackson in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, which houses the KATUSA training academy.
KATUSA stands for the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army, a military program founded in August 1950 after an agreement between then South Korean President Syngman Rhee and U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
KATUSAs work with U.S. soldiers on a wide range of assignments, including administration, translation, supply, driving and combat.
“Aug. 15 is very special as it marks the 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule and the 65th anniversary of KATUSA foundation,” KVA Chairman Kim Jong-wook said in an opening speech.
Mentioning Korean War KATUSA veterans in attendance, Kim stressed that KATUSAs played a significant role in the Korean War, saying they led the war by being at one with U.S. Armed Forces.
Some 43,660 KATUSAs fought in the Korean War, with 6,415 killed, 3,823 injured and 1,667 missing in action.
“KATUSAs and the U.S. soldiers became one. They always worked together and became stronger,” he said.
Kim noted former KATUSA members are now engaged in people-to-people activities that improve the U.S.-ROK alliance.
Maj. Gen. Theodore D. Martin also recognized the role of KATUSAs, saying they stand as an integral part of the alliance of the two nations.
“They are indeed critical, the difference between victory and defeat, a cornerstone of the alliance,” he said. “Over the past 65 years, more than 200,000 KATUSAs have contributed to this common effort.”
Expressing his gratitude for the KATUSA veterans, Martin continued, “Thank you for your sacrifice and thank you for your dedication to the common ideals that bind our nations together.”
He also expressed his wishes for the speedy recovery of two South Korean soldiers wounded in the Aug. 4 explosion of land mines planted by North Korean soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone.
The KVA was initially formed in 2007 and legally incorporated in 2013. It has some 8,000 members.
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