Achille Ragazzoni
Bio
Gianluigi Ragazzoni, the father of interview subject Achille Ragazzoni, served in the Italian Red Cross during the Korean War. Gianluigi was the Director of Pharmacy for the Italian Field Hospital No. 68. This field hospital was located in Yeongdeungpo, southwest of Seoul, and it served both civilians and soldiers near the front lines. During one incident, Gianluigi was in a military caravan bringing supplies to the field hospital when an enemy MIG aircraft attacked the convoy, wounding him. Even though wounded, he remained in Korea working at the field hospital. He served in Korea until December 1954, but the hospital remained open after that time. Gianluigi Ragazzoni was made an Honorary Korean Citizen by President Syngman Rhee. He later revisited Korea and was amazed by the transformation.
Video Clips
Knowledge of Korea
Achille Ragazzoni shares the story of his father Gianluigi Ragazzoni who served as part of the Italian Red Cross in Korea from 1951-1954. . He recalls his father talking about learning little about Korea in school except how before World War II Korea was part of Japanese Territory. Achille recounts how after Stalin's death, his father realized that, in reality, Korea was more of a victim of the Japanese than a possession.
English translations begin at 14:58 and 16:30.
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Wounded While Serving the Citizens and Soldiers
Achille Ragazzoni explains that with the deployment of Italian troops to Korea, this became the first foreign mission involving Italian soldiers. He recalls how his father made preparations for deployment to Korea which involved learning to treat citizens in addition to the soldiers. He shares his father was wounded while transporting medicine and spent some time being treated in an American hospital. He recounts how when his father was offered the chance to go home to recover, he chose to remain in Korea.
English translations begin: 23:52 and 26:20.
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Hospital Work in Korea
Achille Ragazzoni shares memories of his father Gianluigi Ragazzoni when he initially arrived in Seoul. He explains that his father found no Italian embassy in the country as it was covered by the embassy in Tokyo. He shares his father knew little of the Korean language and recalls how there were many Japanese words used in Korea. He describes his father's role in working for an Italian hospital which used medicines provided by the Americans and shares that when given days off, his father and others enjoyed traveling around areas in Korea.
English translations begin at 30:50, 32:39, 35:52, and 37:11.
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Memories of Children in the Hospital
Achille Ragazzoni recounts stories Gianluigi Ragazzoni, his father, shared of the young children brought to the hospital. Many of these children were orphaned and, as a Catholic hospital, the facility made sure they were baptized and placed with new Korean families. He recounts how after the war, his father received many letters from those families.
English translations begin at 46:30 and 47:27.
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Learning to Understand the Korean People
Achille Ragazzoni shares his father Gianluigi Ragazzoni's desire to learn as much as he could about the Korean people. He comments on how his father took advantage of every opportunity to socialize with the Korean people, unlike many of his colleagues. His father noticed many similarities between the Korean and Italian people, notably the music. He adds that though his father left Korea in 1954, the hospital continued its operation.
English translations begin: 49:23, 50:32, and 50:41.
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Impressions after Return Trips to Korea
Achille Ragazzoni's father Gianluigi Ragazzoni returned to Korea ten or twelve times over his lifetime. His son shares how his father marveled at the improvements made, especially related to the sanitary situation of the country. He recalls his father expressing sadness that many Korean people had abandoned tradition and history but that Gianluigi Ragazzoni was impressed with one young woman he met along the way studying a medieval Italian map.
English translations begin: 51:05 and 53:46.
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