Korea, The Forgotten War.

[Captain Kong]

Not to detract from the above Posts, Just Curious.

In WW2, we saw a lot of action, being bombed night after night, in the Blitz by the evil germans.
In the mornings, walking past dead friends and neighbours laid out with body parts being collected., Homes still burning and smoke everywhere. Mother buried under a pile of rubbles and trying to dig her out, placing her on a kids trolley, a plank on four old pram wheels, and dragging it to the Infirmary for treatment. No ambulances available, Too much to do, emergencies everywhere.
A german plane crashed through the house across, with the lady inside dead and crushed, the pilot dead in a burning cockpit,
this went on for a long time,
We saw more Action than many a Serviceman. We were Veterans of WW2
We got nothing, we had No house and no where to live,no clothes, no food, No money, NOTHING. had to walk for miles to grandma`s home for help.
No Benefits in those days. Nothing.
Our house, somewhere, in Ardwick Street,below

Brian

[Ivan Cloherty]

Hi Den.
The only way I see it is if you don't put a foot on the soil no credit. I suppose if there is anyone who served in the forces on site they maybe able to elaborate.
Cheers Des

A lot of RN and MN didn't put feet on the ground there, but they served and died there Des, so must be another reason, funny things medals, some never left these shores in many conflicts, but are festooned with ribbons galore

[eric fisher]

Korea, Sailed many times between Japan, China, and Korea during May to Dec 1950, not a pleasant time. Fukuoka in Japan was in bad shape, Tsingtao, Taggu, Dairen and Shanghai in China were not much better. Finally signed off in Moji Japan on Christmas Eve with a DR in my Disch Book for general conduct, soon after my 26th birthday. Even so, we were much better off than the UN forces in conflict. The DR is another story. Eric
.

[happy daze john in oz]

It is hard to comprehend Japan now considering the state it was in by 1945.
The efforts put in by the people, maybe under duress, has seen a bomb site turn into a fairy prince for want of a better description.
Every thing in Japan now runs like clockwork and is a credit to the people.

[Dennis McGuckin]

A lot of RN and MN didn't put feet on the ground there, but they served and died there Des, so must be another reason, funny things medals, some never left these shores in many conflicts, but are festooned with ribbons galore

Hi Ivan,
Once asked a Canadian service man what was his ribbon for.
Told me that he had been to the States for some training.

[Captain Kong]

Hi Dennis,
I went to a Military dinner a few years ago and got talking to a Young American Lieutenant Lady and she had a breastful of medals.
I asked her what she had done to deserve them, and she said , one was for going to Canada for training, another was for going to England where she was now based, another was for doing a two week exercise in Germany. and so on, Never been to a war zone. What a brave young lady she was.
Brian

[Ivan Cloherty]

Hi Ivan,
Once asked a Canadian service man what was his ribbon for.
Told me that he had been to the States for some training.

I counted the ribbons on a U S Generals chest once, they totalled 47

Apparently you get one for crossing the Atlantic also one for the return journey (everytime!) and same for Pacific. We certainly missed out lads! mind you we would have been walking with a list to port!

[Fouro]

Most British National Servicemen did their 2 years military service in the Army. They never knew where or what regiment they'd be joining until they had completed 6 weeks of squarebashing and general military training (GMT). At the end of this 6 weeks, they were then notified which regiment they'd be joining. A further 6 weeks of being taught an army trade was required before they were posted to their regiment. If that regiment was a fighting unit in a theatre of war such as the Korean War then the conscript knew he would be sent to Korea.
In the case of Den's friend, it appears he was posted to one of the British Occupational regiments which was serving in Japan. I'm sure British occupation in Japan ended between 1952-53.
I'd like to mention that many Commonwealth servicemen who died during the occupation and others who were kia fighting in the Korea War are buried in Yokohama War Cemetery.

Regards from,
Fouro.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Den,
Similar to the first and second war medals, like the Atlantic Star, Pacific Star etc, for Naval and MN personnel it was in the area served .
Cheers Des

[Harry Nicholson]

In 2004, I met a veteran of the Korean War at a friend's funeral in Whitby. I listened to his story. He was Russell Kennedy; model railway enthusiast and breeder of birds. I was moved to write these verses:

Grizzled Man

After a sudden funeral,
mid-morning in December,
we kept close by an old man,
going careful up the wet street:
'I’ve rheumatics in one hip and two
bayonet wounds in the other.'

Then, in the crumbling Catholic Hall
over tea, ham, and bread:
'Funny about John, found alone
in Mulgrave woods - dead.
He’ll be missed - used to go on
about the cage birds I breed.

My wife died four weeks ago,
she fell down the stairs. She’d
got up at half past two
in the morning.

I’m not Whitby, I'm Tyneside.
I was a regular
in the Durham Light Infantry -
The Duke of Wellington’s.
Don’t light that cigarette,
I told my mate, but he did
and a sniper in the trees
shot him dead.

I had a flame thrower -
I burned all those trees down
till I saw the Chinese fall.

When it was all over
and we were clearing up,
I delivered a Korean baby
and cut the cord.
The mother said she’d call
the little lad Russell -
after me.

When I watched the Seoul Olympics,
I wondered if he might be in the crowd.'