Page 9 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2023 - Online Magazine

Comparison to Vietnam: Should the Korean War still be called the “Forgotten War”?
Ask the people of South Korea. They have never forgotten
• 58,000 Americans were killed during 15 years of war the sacrifices made by the thousands of U.N. forces who
in Vietnam (3,866 per year). helped save their country and are still standing guard today.
I witnessed an example of just how thankful they still are to
• 54,000 Americans lost their lives in three years of war the U.S. and its U.N. allies on this year’s Texas South Plains
in Korea (18,000 per year). Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. After some of our veterans
placed a wreath at the Korean War Memorial, an entourage of
Iwo Jima is thought to be the most ferocious battle ever sharply dressed South Korean generals approached our group,
engaged in by Americans—yet compared to the battle thanked our Korean
of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War: War veterans, had

• Iwo lasted 36 days; Chosin was 15 days. their pictures taken
with them, shook their
• Iwo: 6,135 Americans killed in action (175 per day); hands, and bowed.
Chosin: 3,115 Americans killed in action (208 per day) After that, they took
a group photo next to
• Iwo: 17,841 wounded (510 per day); Chosin: 14,000 the words “Freedom is
wounded (933 per day) not Free” etched on the
War officers thank Korean War wall of the memorial.
• Iwo: 60,000 Marines utilized; Chosin: 20,000 Marines veterans at the Korean War Memorial Those generals know
(17,000 Marines, 3,000 U.S. Army, and 1,000 British what the words mean
Royal Marines) to their country, and
they were honored
• Iwo: 22 Medals of Honor awarded (one for every to show their
2,727 men); Chosin: 17 Medals of Honor awarded appreciation. Korea
(one for every 1,176 men) knows the value of the
sacrifice these veterans
• Iwo: Marines outnumbered the Japanese 3 to 1; offered, and it would
Chosin: Chinese outnumbered the Americans 10 to 1. be appropriate if their
own countrymen
• Iwo: Marines killed 20,000 Japanese (571 per day); recognized it, too.
Chosin: Americans killed 28,000 Chinese (1,867 per
day).

According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting
Agency, as of June 23, 2023, following are the latest Kincaid Roofing
statistics on missing personnel from the Vietnam and
the Korean Wars:
• Vietnam missing in action (MIAs) – 1,579 Proudly Salutes

• Korean War missing in action (MIAs) – 7,479
By no means do I list these statistics to downgrade or our Veterans
denigrate the sacrifices during WWII and the Vietnam
War. One of my unclef was killed in WWII, and a high
school buddy was killed in Vietnam, but the story of
my uncle, Corporal Charles A. Williams, is even more
meaningful to me. Charles was killed at the Chosin
Reservoir on November 27, 1950, the first night of
the battle.
Approximately
20,000 Chinese
troops overran
3,000 U.S. Army
and South
Korean Troops
on the east side
Ft. Knox Honor Guard standing
at Charles Williams' casket of the reservoir.
My uncle’s
remains were found in the fall of 2003 and returned for
burial in Kentucky in July 2004. My then 80-year-old
father was able to bury his brother at long last.

Lubbock Senior Link 9