Ralph M. Wilkerson
Bio
Ralph M. “Buck” Wilkerson served in the United States Army during the Korean War, starting as a private and returning as a Staff Sergeant. In January 1951, he operated a tank with a mounted howitzer, aiding the UN forces in expelling Communist forces from South Korea. After the Korean War, Wilkerson joined the Green Berets and was deployed to Vietnam in 1963. In 1971, he returned to Korea as a commander in Operation Freedom Vault, overseeing the strategic extraction of the 7th Division. Following his military career, Wilkerson helped secure funding for the State of Wyoming Veterans’ Memorial Park in Cody, Wyoming.
Video Clips
Surrounded by Enemy Forces
Ralph Wilkerson explains his initial combat experience occurred at Wonju, where he served in the first echelon of the artillery with more mobile weapons. Their mission was to support United Nations forces, which included not only Americans but also troops from the Netherlands, Turkey, Greece, and South Korea. The greatest danger, he recounted, came from incoming mortar and artillery fire. At one point, he found himself completely surrounded by enemy forces for an entire week, marking one of the most harrowing periods of his service.
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Post-War Special Forces Mission
Ralph Wilkerson highlights the stark differences between Korea in 1951 and 1971. When he returned in 1971, he was on a Special Forces mission called Freedom Vault as a Green Beret. He explains this decoy operation involved tactics such as false radio traffic, simulated landings along the coast, and attempts to mislead North Korea into believing agents were crossing the DMZ. The United States even dropped dummies made out of dry ice, which left traces of infiltration before melting away, enhancing the illusion of actual soldiers.
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Building a Korean War Memorial Park
Collaborating with Paul Rodriguez, Ralph Wilkerson explains their role in building the Korean War Memorial Park in Cody, Wyoming. He successfully raised over $2 million for the park's construction, which honors all veterans killed in war. To gather the necessary funds, he secured contributions from various sources, including the South Korean government. This ambitious project took eight years to complete.
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Early Days as a Korean War Soldier
Ralph Wilkerson vividly shares his early experiences preparing for deployment to Korea, starting with basic training at Ft. Lewis, Washington. After completing training, he traveled to the Korean peninsula. He recalls arriving in Busan, describing it as a muddy, rainy mess. Despite their arrival, significant guerrilla fighting continued in the Nakdong River area.
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