Death of a naval hero.

[happy daze john in oz]

Re # 4.
By not mentioning it, Louis has emphasized why the Korean War is known as the Forgotten War. Almost 100,000 British personnel fought in this war and I would add, most of them were National Servicemen. More than 1,000 British lives were lost in this no winners conflict.
In my opinion the US air crews who dropped the two Atomic bombs on Japan were heroes, as the two bombs they dropped forced the Japs to surrender quickly and end World War Two.

Regards from,
Fouro.

There is a memorial in Busan South Korea dedicated to the 840 British, South African, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand soldiers who have no known grave there.

[j.sabourn]

At what stage did the Korean War change from its original title of a Police action ?. Reminds me of the propoganda and camouflage put out by the press in the late fourties when advertising for the Palestine police. Was there any figures ever given out on the deaths of those and British forces for public consumption. Just prior to Israel becoming a recognised nation. ? JS

[Fouro]

885 Britons are buried in this cemetery, and for those who have no grave, their names are inscribed on the large stone Memorial within the cemetery.
https://goo.gl/images/LBj1uT

Regards from,
Fouro

[Rodney Mills]

Primarily I suppose I would have been classified as an 'Economical Emigrant' when I left England. I saw no hope for me busting out of what I was classified as "Working Class." I had minimal chance of becoming an Executive Chef. These positions were exclusively French, German, or Swiss. English cooks were treated as a joke within the shore-side industry as was English cooking.


I fell in love with a girl who like myself had family problems. Obtaining a cold water flat entailed joining in a waiting list of three to five years. Slipping a fiver (key money it was called) to the agent in charge, moved you to the three year list, a twenty pound bribe to the one year and a hundred could magically find you on the short-list. A hundred pounds was a fortune then...five months salary as an assistant cook in the M.N.. Of course there were exceptions. You could have just arrived from Jamaica and not only the key to a flat but a job as a bus conductor would be instantly available.


I did not want to be married and in the MN. Though my career path was mapped out by Union-Castle. I'd enjoyed my almost five years in, but it was enough for me. The thought of army life was abhorrent. Not realizing that my bum eye would have exempted me from the draft, I couldn't bear the idea of waiting until I was twenty-six and out of the conscription act.. I objected to being cannon fodder, as I objected to be doomed to keep in my place as "working class."


Since the second word war, there had been Malaya, Korea, Cyprus, Egypt. Kenya and probably a couple I can't recall...For what? A good friend of mine couldn't wait to get in the military. Sat down in outside café in Cyprus, a drive by shot him in the lung, lost a lung. Thank you very much, a handshake, a letter from the Queen (preprinted form letter), and a partial pension. Now go and find a job for the handicapped.


So I wasn't threatened, that leaves me as an economical migrant, probably like most on this site who emigrated. One could leave for another country for "greener pastures" or better opportunity, but you would still be classified as an "Economical Migrant." and as such, I can't think of one countrytoday that would give you entry under that category. You stand a chance if your life, or your children's lives are threatened, but the opportunities I had to emigrate was fantastic. New Zealand, Australia, Canada, South Africa and the USA. Today I could not enter the USA with the same qualifications and money I had then., I'd never get an immigrant visa.


I wonder how many classify themselves as an economical migrant into their current country and could or would be excluded today, as well as Fouro's wonder about being in the MN to avoid the Conscription Act?

[Rodney Mills]

The euphemism "Police Action' is for a military action undertaken without a formal act of war.

President Harry S. Truman referred to the US response to the invasion of South Korea by North Korea as a police action and the title stuck. It had been used many times, most recently prior to Korea, to describe the UK position in Malaya (1945-1950) as a police action.

[j.sabourn]

At least your honest Rodney. Times change and so. Do political stances of countries . The days of the 10 pound Pom are long gone. In 1967 I went out to Canada purely to join a ship. The vessel was under the Liberian flag, owned by an American company Alcoa, and managed by a Canadian company. I think I must have travelled out to Halifax under the guise of alanded immigrant, because had no passport, but had fulfilled all the requirements for landedimmigrant status which included tests for VD , chest X-rays, no Aids in those days which is part of the Australian requirements today.Harley street and jerym street specialists were utilised for these private requirements. Plus an ordinary GP for general health. This was in 1967. Today in 2018 I shudder to think of the protection of the borders of European countries and wait for the return of smallpox, measles ,chicken pox and a multitude of other ailments. It was a well known fact by the British government in the 50s and 60s it was most graduates desire To go to America with their new degrees where they were more appreciated , than their own country. The brain drain it was known as. In Australia it is considered to become an Australian citizen you have to get removed. Australia at one time was considered a country with a European culture, this is fast evaporating. Cheers JS..

[j.sabourn]

Something from the senators past written by obviously one of his many political opponents, ...
Was the son of an admiral .. his private life will not repeat only to say he was married twice..

Flew 23 bombing missions over North Vietnam. Each averaging half an hour. Total time 10 hours and 30 minutes.
For these brief excursions was awarded 2 Silver stars, 2 legions of merit, 2 DFCs, 3 bronze stars, the Vietnamese legion of honour,
US veterans dispatch reckons he earned a medal an hour.
He had many in US politics apparently who actively disliked him... don’t we all ?
JS

[happy daze john in oz]

We certainly did not arrive here in Oz as economic migrants, far from it.
Having sold two pubs nada restaurant we had enough money to but a house and still have some in the bank.
Both found work within ten days of arriving and worked until we retired.
Our contribution to the economy included building three houses, buying cars and holidays within Oz.
Unlike many who claim refugee status but are only here for what they can get, not what they can give.

Rodders, despite a couple not agreeing with the hero status for McCain I will say this.
In society today we hear it all the time, the hero who is nothing more than a footy player, or maybe a cricketer who scores the winning runs.
They are not hero's by any means,
John McCain, was and always will be to those who value the democracy we have today, be a genuine hero.
A man who did what he did for the benefit of his country, no truer hero's can we have.

[John Pruden]

Something from the senators past written by obviously one of his many political opponents, ...
Was the son of an admiral .. his private life will not repeat only to say he was married twice..

Flew 23 bombing missions over North Vietnam. Each averaging half an hour. Total time 10 hours and 30 minutes.
For these brief excursions was awarded 2 Silver stars, 2 legions of merit, 2 DFCs, 3 bronze stars, the Vietnamese legion of honour,
US veterans dispatch reckons he earned a medal an hour.
He had many in US politics apparently who actively disliked him... don’t we all ?
JS

john pilots of drones in the mid west of America are getting campaign medals for flying them on missions over the middle east? they don't climb into a tank a cockpit they climb into an armchair thousands of miles away and get medals for it?? jp

[Louis the fly]

#18 John in Oz I do not want to speak ill of a man who is dead and cannot defend himself but please explain your comments.


"A man who did what he did for the benefit of his country , no truer hero's can we have".


The war against Viet Nam was the biggest military blunder in US history , an ill conceived notion that all of South East Asia would fall under communist control in a domino effect.
This war did not benefit the US it cost them the lives of thousands of young American service men , average age 19. Mostly drafted into a war they did not believe in and did not want to fight. After the war ended the suicide rate in the States rocketed to levels never seen before as the young men who survived could not live with the scenes they witnessed. The death rate of Vietnamese civilians is unknown as more bombs were dropped on Viet Nam than in both world wars combined.

Viet Nam as with all recent wars which have followed was a war of choice none of the counties posed a threat to the US or the Western world. The wars of Bush , Blair , Obama and Cameron have given rise to Isis and international terrorism without an end in sight , a legacy we all have to live with.