Adam McKenzie
Bio
Adam McKenzie enlisted in the British Army in 1945, then served in Palestine, where he joined his battalion in 1946. He was deployed to Hong Kong in 1949 to patrol the borders before being among the first British troops to arrive in Korea for service from 1950-1951. He shares a personal account of war-torn Korea, and reflects upon seeing its modernization since then. He offers opinions concerning decisions made my military leadership throughout the war and the continued division of Korea. He details the capture of roughly three thousand North Korean soldiers, and also recalls encountering Chinese soldiers after their entrance in the Korean War. He is proud of his service and expresses his dissatisfaction with the reality that the Korean War has truly been “The Forgotten War.”
Video Clips
A Picture of Before and After
Adam McKenzie offers a reflection on the Korea of 1950, compared to what he saw when he revisited in 2011. He describes a former Korea of ruins, and a modern society full of high rises and bullet trains. He shares his perception that South Korea has made advancements much more rapidly since the Korean War than the United Kingdom did during the Industrial Revolution.
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Clearing Sariwon
Adam McKenzie describes clearing the town of Sariwon, North Korea. Although they received no tank support from American aid, his battalion mounted their miniature tanks to make an advance. He recounts capturing roughly three thousand North Korean soldiers as a result of the advance.
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Back to the 38th Parallel
Adam McKenzie discusses having to turn around and go back to the 38th Parallel after reaching Pyongyang. He explains that the command to retreat came before Chinese soldiers entered the Korean War, and it was given at the direction of United States military leadership. He expresses frustration at having to retreat, and feels that Korea would be unified today if soldiers could have kept moving northward.
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Chinese Troops and a Rare Medal
Adam McKenzie describes his encounter with Chinese soldiers during the Korean War. He goes on to describe and show a rare Presidential Citation Medal that his regiment qualified to earn, yet he cannot wear along side awarded British medals. The rare medal was awarded to him by Syngman Rhee, President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea).
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pp28tUN8iI&start=2246&end=2486
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/adam-mckenzie#clip-4
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