By Michael Ha
Staff Reporter
A U.S. veteran who fought in the Korean War made a return visit this week, courtesy of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and a long-time Korean friend who served in the same army unit during the conflict.
This was the first time that Albert John Koegel, 81, had visited Korea since the end of the war (1950-53). During the visit, he was awarded the ``Ambassador for Peace'' medal from the Korea Veterans' Association for his service during the war.
The tourism organization, together with the veterans' association and the Korean-American Friendship Association, has been inviting foreign war veterans who fought in the war to revisit the country. There are more than 500,000 U.S. veterans who saw action in Korea, according to the KTO.
Koegel and his wife Barbara wrapped up their five-day trip to Korea, Monday, and before their departure for Michigan, they sat down with The Korea Times to talk about their impression of Korea more than half a century after the war ended.
``Here during the Korean War, I was a first lieutenant in the United States Army, and that was in 1953. So that was 55 years ago,'' Koegel said. ``When I was in Korea during the war, it looked like the whole country was destroyed. Everything was destroyed,'' he recalled. ``Now, I come back and I cannot believe everything I have seen in the last few days. I am just overwhelmed with the construction and the architecture and the design,'' he said.
``How was Korea able to train so many architects and engineers to learn all of that so fast and accomplish and build so much? Korea must have put a lot of emphasis on education to accomplish all it did.''
Koegel, who had ROTC reserve officer training during high school, said he knew he would have to serve his country one way or another. But little did he know at the time that he would be sent half way around the world to fight in the Korean conflict.
``I graduated from high school on D-Day, when Normandy was invaded, on June 6, 1944. I was in the merchant marine for two years and then the Korean War came. Because of my ROTC training I had in high school, I became an officer in the supply unit stationed in the Punch Bowl,'' he said, referring to the basin along the Military Demarcation Line in Yanggu, Gangwon Province.
The area, surrounded by high hills, was the center of a number of fierce battles during the war because of its strategic location.
``I came to Korea in June 1952 and returned home June 1953, just a short while before the armistice. War is a very bad thing and nobody wants to fight in the war. But we had to help stop the spread of communism,'' he said.
``I guess it would have been better to go all the way to the Chinese border instead of stopping at the 38th parallel. But politically I guess there was a fear that the United States would get itself into a full-scale war with the Chinese.''
Koegel said that when he first arrived in Korea during the war, everything was in ruins. ``It looked like the whole country was destroyed. It was so sad because people lost their families, their homes and they were without food.''
``You know, the United States fought in some wars but always on somebody else's territory. So we never experienced land being destroyed by war in our country except our World Trade Center towers in 2001."
And it was during his time at the supply unit at the Punch Bowl that he struck up a friendship with fellow officer Kim Sang-mok that has endured for more than 50 years.
``Kim and I worked together at the time in the U.S. Army. We were in the same supply depot. I was in charge of the wholesale depot and he was the superintendent. We became good friends because he helped me so much in my job,'' Koegel said.
He said he and Kim have remained in touch over the years and Kim has visited Koegel's home in Flint, Mich., on several occasions over the years.
Kim, who had worked for the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, had been asking Koegel to make a return visit to Korea. Kim has worked together with the KTO to make this trip possible.
Koegel, whose family immigrated to the United States from Germany, said he hopes the two divided Koreas would soon be able to unite again, the way West and East Germany were able to reunite in 1990.
``I think most people don't want politics running their life. People as a whole just want to be able to feed their family; they want to be able to educate their children; and they just want peace in their lives. They want to have a job that is safe and continuous. North Koreans ― if they are ever rejoined with South Koreans ― would then be able to lead safe and peaceful lives,'' he said.