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4 UN war veterans to receive national merits

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  • Published Jul 21, 2015 4:47 pm KST
  • Updated Jul 21, 2015 4:47 pm KST

By Kim Hyo-jin

Four veterans who served in the United Nations Command during the 1950-1953 Korean War will be awarded national merits next week, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said Tuesday.

The Ministry said about 150 veterans and their families from 15 countries will visit Korea from July 23 to 28 on its invitation. The invitation was made to mark the 62th anniversary of the participation of U.N. troops in the Korean War, which falls on July 27.

Among the visitors, four veterans -- Hector Cafferata, Thomas Hudner, Edward Mastronardi and William Speakman -- will be awarded the Order of Military Merit Taegeuk in recognition of their services.

In 2013, the government proclaimed July 27 as an official day to honor veterans who fought alongside South Koreans during the Korean War. The first awards were made last year.

The three-year war ended with an armistice signed by the U.S.-led United Nations Command on behalf of the international community.

Soldiers from 21 countries helped South Korea fight off communist troops from North Korea and China during the war. Tens of thousands of U.N. troops were killed in action.

One of the recipients, Hector Cafferata, 86, was a rifle soldier in the U.S. Marine Division who fought in the Changjin Lake Campaign, also known as the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, one of the fiercest battles of the Korean War. Cafferata enticed enemy to the peak of a position, knocking down more than 15 of them with a grenade and rifle fire.

Thomas Hudner, 91, a former American fighter pilot, will be awarded for bravery in the same battle. He risked his life while making a crash landing to save a fellow pilot who was shot down.

Edward Mastronardi, 90, a retired veteran of the Royal Canadian Regiment, will be recognized for fighting off the Chinese Communist army in the 1951 battle of Kowang-San.

Another recipient, William Speakman, 88, is a former British sergeant who helped secure a line of defense in a battle against Chinese troops near the demarcation line in 1951. With six other soldiers, he fought hard, even using beer bottles as grenades, until the enemy retreated.

Veterans will attend commemorative events on U.N. Forces Participation Day and visit the Korean National Cemetery in Seoul to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers.