The Puerto Rican veterans, in particular, are returning to Korea for the first time in 66 years. They were among more than 61,000 soldiers who fought alongside South Korea as part of the U.S. Army's 65th Infantry Regiment. The regiment consisted of three infantry battalions of about 3,900 soldiers each, solely from Puerto Rico, an artillery battalion and one tank company. Puerto Rican soldiers fought in nine major battles in the war, among whom 756 died and more than 100 still remain unaccounted for.
Sixteen Puerto Rican veterans from the regiment will return to Korea on Sept. 20, accompanied by 61 veterans from elsewhere in the U.S., too.
James McEachin, a well-known actor and director, is one of the U.S. veterans who fought in the Korean War. He is scheduled to arrive in Korea on Sept. 20 at the invitation of the Ministry of Patriots and Veteran Affairs, together with other veterans from both Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the U.S. Pictured is McEachin today (left) and as a soldier during the Korean War (right).
Among the invited American veterans is James McEachin, 87, a famed movie actor and director. McEachin is coming to Korea for the first time in 63 years. As a young man from North Carolina in 1953, he volunteered for the U.S. Army to fight in the Korean War. On Aug. 14, 1952, Private McEachin was ambushed by the enemy while trying to retrieve the bodies of his fallen comrades. In the attack, he received a life-threatening gunshot wound to the thigh. He was one of the only two survivors of the ambush.
“The most vivid memory of what I remember during the war is when I got injured,” said the former soldier. “It’s an unforgettable experience. I'm so grateful to the ministry for inviting me to this country again.”
On Sept. 21 on the first leg of the invitational tour, the group of veterans will visit the Joint Security Area (JSA) and Panmunjom, a place where the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement was signed, both in Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do Province. On Sept. 22, they will pay their respects at the Seoul National Cemetery and then will lay a wreath at the War Memorial of Korea.
The Ministry of Patriots and Veteran Affairs makes it possible for Korean War veterans from Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the U.S. to have their wishes fulfilled and to pay a visit once again to Korea. Pictured, Puerto Rican veterans and others salute as they lay a wreath at a monument dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the U.S. Army's 65th Infantry Regiment in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Dec. 15, 2014.
By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: the Ministry of Patriots and Veteran Affairs
jiae5853@korea.kr
