Korean War Legacy Project

Clayton Burkholder

Bio

Clayton Burkholder grew up in Hagerstown, Maryland and decided to enlist in the Air Force when he heard that he would be drafted.  Leaving junior college,  Clayton Burkholder was able to use engineering and drafting skills that he learned in school during his time in the service.  During the Korea, he would draft posters featuring pilots and servicemen that would be sent to the local newspapers in the United States as a way to boost morale.  Although he did not see any combat, Clayton Burkholder was proud of his time in Korea.  He marvels at how quickly South Korea has grown into a country with modern cities, buildings, and infrastructure.

Video Clips

Knowledge of Korea

Clayton Burkholder was going to junior college and worked at a grocery store in 1951 when the Korean War stared. He read about the war in newspapers and heard it on the television. After volunteering, he didn't know anything about Korea, but he did know about Japan. He knew that there was a conflict that needed to be taken care of in Asia, but that was it.

Tags: Basic training,Civilians,Home front,Impressions of Korea,Pride,Prior knowledge of Korea,South Koreans

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The Forgotten War and Korea Today

Clayton Burkholder felt that people call the Korean War the "Forgotten War" because people didn't know what to do with a communist country. He thought that great things came out of the Korean War because of the fortitude of its civilians. United States veterans are proud for their service in the war which led to South Korea's freedom today. Clayton Burkholder is surprised to see the change from dirt and huts to paved roads when he looks at Google Maps.

Tags: Suwon,Civilians,Impressions of Korea,Living conditions,Modern Korea,Physical destruction,Poverty,Pride,Prior knowledge of Korea

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Letter Writing to Family and Fighting Men of Michigan

Clayton Burkholder wrote letters home to his wife twice a week. In the letters, he wrote about the different propaganda posters that he made. He also made releases for US newspapers using sketches of pilots that he drew. These releases were used to publicize the war in the pilots' hometown.

Tags: Suwon,Home front,Letters,Pride,Women

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Pilots

Clayton Burkholder slept in metal huts and buildings with a cafeteria to eat. Since he was in headquarter staff, he was in that office most of the day. Clayton Burkholder made charts as an illustrator technician. He proudly shared pictures that he took while in Korea.
Some pilots that were stationed in Suwon with Clayton Burkhodler later became well-known such as John Glenn and Captain McConnell.

Tags: Suwon,Food,Living conditions,Pride

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Volunteer Before You Get Drafted!

Clayton Burkholder enlisted in the military because he was about to be drafted. The boss of a grocery store was also on the draft board and luckily Clayton Burkholder worked for him. HIs boss gave him a warning that he would be drafted Monday morning, so Clayton Burkholder volunteered on Friday afternoon before he was drafted.

Tags: Basic training,Civilians,Home front

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Video Transcript

0:00that Clayton Burkholder I was born in Hagerstown Maryland twelve-point

0:04December 23rd 1928

0:09Hagerstown

0:19 I went to

0:23home as the schools in town here I went to grade school when our streets call

0:28then make transfers for eighth and ninth grade

0:32dinner her seventh and eighth grade 2 Washington Street School

0:35many transferred is to within way school for

0:39the ninth grade and then the Hagerstown high school for the eleventh twelfth

0:4310th 11th and 12th grade then after I graduated in 1948

0:49went to Hagerstown junior college

0:54 I graduate in 1948 from Hagerstown high school

0:59and I went to Hagerstown junior college

1:03a year and a half until it joined the Air Force what is

1:07studied drafting

1:10drafting yes what is that I wanna be a

1:15engineering draftsmen when

1:19when an Air Force they I’m that took me three months to get assigned to my job

1:23as a

1:24a senior draftsman and that’s what I did the whole time I was in the Air Force

1:30will grandchildren his I didn’t graduate from Junior College

1:34I went then the service before graduated

1:41I was gonna be drafted so when I hadn’t joined

1:45so for your drafted you enlisted

1:48yes my the the person that I worked for over

1:53the a local grocery store rate in town here

1:57and he were he was on a draft board

2:01and he told me one on Thursday that I was gonna be drafted Monday morning so I

2:06joined the Air Force on Friday morning

2:08I was on my way to Texas

2:211950 there was January

2:24you Japanese January 19

2:28that see if wait there 50

2:31one here

2:38 50 1950 I had to think about it

2:45night from 50 yes it was people who are

2:50no Korean War

2:53knows this it was started then

2:56started in 1950 you know

3:00January

3:03after June later maybe no I don’t

3:06 1951 I’m sorry was 1951

3:10because I spent 51 and the state’s 52 in Korea and 53 in Texas

3:15 it’s been a long time

3:20rather sixty years ago yeah you resist

3:24really here

3:27you on me considering your age

3:32what were you doing when Korean War broke out

3:36during I worked at the local supermarket in town here

3:40HL males he was you were in the Junior College I was going to school and junior

3:45college and work

3:46after school a in the store

3:52well I knew it was going on and everything

3:56and because that that time I was really

4:01and then the things and and now course I saw on TV

4:05and read about it in the newspaper and everything

4:08and so

4:11when I joined a figure that that would be there

4:14the thing that the winding-up them be associated with that

4:19were you not afraid of loss of life

4:26a I thought about it

4:29but everybody’s gotta go

4:33and their it should be every young young boy out young gentleman I think should

4:38do that for at least a year in a service

4:40whether something going on now or not because

4:44a its good training I got good training in there

4:49and I was able to get into the field that I wanted to get in

4:54and yet more training as as an engineering draftsmen

4:58I got a lot of training and they’re working with the

5:02civil engineers

5:06travel and then when I came out

5:09went to the local arm per child aircraft

5:13and had a job there as a it

5:17that station growing

5:20parts up for

5:24catalogs for rejuvenating an airplane you know anything about Korea

5:30rounder nothing you are the only thing I knew there was

5:34Japan her there was a place located like the Japan

5:38that was it not many over

5:41was actually were through always around

5:44rural that highly-rated you know nothing about career

5:49I didn’t know a thing about Korea I don’t remember me

5:53saying anything about Korea and the history they might have mentioned it

5:58I might have seen them seen it on a map when I look at it

6:01and everything but know and anything else that there is a

6:05gonna become a north and the south korea I did not know that

6:09there anything I knew that there was

6:12some type of conflict going on over there

6:15and now and it had to be taken care of

6:19so on

6:25was your

6:28your parents reaction the you are going to enlist in Air Force

6:31in this your I really get any reaction problem when

6:38on their so they they there and a disturbing trend at that

6:42the if I was going to be drafted and I wonder doing

6:45that’s what I do you there

6:49or whose that the time

6:52a I wasn’t married when I got married a

6:55it was when they were get ray the send me over to

6:59Korea and now where

7:02the January ok now is a

7:06last party this summer and forget the I’m

7:09be as the last part in December because I went to Korea in January

7:14and night their nineteen got 1951

7:18is from December 1951

7:21and then 52 is when I headed for Korea

7:25on a slow boat I was sick as a dog but

7:31I didn’t want

7:35well I thought might be able to stay in the States a little well I went from

7:41I was only in

7:44The service a year and then I was going and now

7:47I thought at least be in there for a year because I did sign up for four

7:50years

7:51I did get out three years ago

7:54when the Korean War was over they come up with an overage in the crew feel that

7:58I was am

8:00and sets a and they sent me to Del Rio Texas on the Mexican border

8:06and I was able to get out I got out but a

8:09if they sent me we were given three choices

8:13when we came back and none other three choices did I get

8:18I want on the east coast and if I’d gotten on the East Coast had probably

8:22stayed in their retired

8:24in the air force because it was I really enjoyed it and they’re

8:28I learned a lot I was good training and their

8:33why would you choose Air Force rather than Army

8:37Alward on a

8:40I really didn’t think I would make a good soldier

8:44be truthful I I don’t think I could shoot anybody the first thing

8:50I know if your threatened with it everything you probably could not know

8:54that

8:55it took a lot of training for the ones that did have to go through it

8:59and i really respect them a

9:02when when i sat in our meeting room and everything I just

9:05a see all these guys around there like the gentleman just left here

9:09what they went through well they were over there

9:13and now it really makes me proud to send in there with them

9:17but them I I thought I get more training

9:23I want to finish school first thing

9:27and the when I went through my basic training in everything I had good scores

9:31at

9:32since I had some college and everything I want to go to

9:35officers training school and they said they were sorry

9:40I’m colored blind I can’t get in so

9:43but I did take some courses while was an I was stationed Mississippi first

9:48and that took sociology and and now psychology well with down there

9:53trying to finish up my at least get a BA degree

9:57so was your wife’s reaction that you are

10:03well the its reason machine like me going but

10:07her she had no choice but that this let me go and her family

10:11she still there went to their but their family so

10:15she was still well taken care of and and

10:18we didn’t have any children them and

10:22but then when I came back from Cree and then we did stay together

10:26and Texas we had an apartment down there

10:30your for you and your or you

10:33it was there was a little difficult

10:37being taken away from the town and everything but we did get back

10:41and fortune getting out a year early was a big help

10:45and there again him settled get back to buy a home in everything settled down

10:51so we’re where did you go to receive basic training for you

10:56we started out that and San Antonio that that time they were so crowded

11:00they had a sentence and the

11:04we stayed there for a week and then they took its own up turn airfield

11:08about 100 miles up have grown up for it which one it was now

11:12but the we finished our basic training up there

11:16then their point where at the their airfield up

11:19I I don’t remember which one that was really

11:23but it was about a hundred miles a North and

11:26Texas that we went to and

11:30What was you’re your specialty unit

11:34you a with this at that time was just basic training

11:39the finish the basic training there we had seven more weeks

11:43and after they finish that then they sent me down to

11:49on Mississippi Biloxi, Mississippi

11:52or that be a permanent base

11:55for me to get into my engineering drawing

11:59and went into engineering a

12:03department there on the base and

12:07I was probably in that for about six months and then they send

12:11sent me up to Amarillo, Texas there was a

12:14their base up there that had just opened up an ever-growing

12:18drawings for buildings and everything like that so

12:21up I’m I was there for about

12:24six or eight months and then they with sent over to Korea

12:29can figure out what they’re going to do with the and engineering draftsmen in

12:33Korea

12:34But you were with your wife the whole time

12:37or on all know ok now and I wasn’t with her until

12:42a I came back from Korea then we settled into

12:46an apartment you were in mississippi you are able to

12:50well known as in mississippi I want to marry yet I didn’t get married too

12:54where’s

12:55headed over to Korea also

13:00you started using military

13:03here are a few okay that’s the only

13:07you want yeah then you married

13:10and ever and December when a

13:14for 50 when I was getting ready to go to Korea in 52

13:35When did you leave for Korea and when did you arrive

13:37Well first they gave me a seven-day leave before I went over

13:41and then I caught the plane

13:44 to go to California

13:48that’s where we were getting out on the bay

13:51boat there down and California

13:55then went up the coastline to Washington

13:58to pickup some more

14:01servicemen and then headed across the Tokyo and like I say I was

14:09I was sick all the way over I mean

14:12sick to had to sit there and held my hand over bucket because I was so

14:17seasick

14:17I was sure ready to get on ground, steady ground

14:25and the Japan for at the airport there

14:29her airfield and then they processed us

14:33and we got a plain over to Suwon

14:37When did you arrive in Suwon

14:43sent someone over and or January 52 it had to be sometime in January

14:49of 52 as I spent the whole year a 52 in there

14:53went home december/january the the end of that year

14:58What was the first thing you remember you had when you arrived in Suwon about the city and the people

15:09well I really didn’t get to see

15:12anything around there all I saw was mountains and mountains and the

15:17rice paddies and different area

15:20farm so a different what I was used to see in over here

15:24and the but to

15:27I at pretty much stayed on a base one-time

15:31three times I was off of there a one time the

15:35we went down there with them um

15:39place where they they had homeless children they took care of

15:44our help that day in an orphanage I was down there one time I have a picture

15:50other than

15:51the folder here the other time

15:54I was up in the when a Lieutenant

15:57 checked out a jeep he drove us up to Seoul

16:01and then one time I was outside the

16:05the the base but I didn’t go in and very far because I’m

16:10on just wasn’t familiar with the area

16:14and I’m and in wanna get out get in trouble

16:18that knowing where to go or what to do so I pretty much stayed on the base all

16:22the time the whole year I was over there

16:24except I was able to go to Japan

16:27once a month would fly me over to

16:31Tokyo pick up supplies art supplies and everything like get that

16:36our office needed other in that time

16:41except for one time they that’s going R&R

16:44we went to Tokyo and now went down

16:48I got them pictures of the there is a resort

16:52South of Tokyo that we were on a train to get down there

16:57and stayed there for a week and came back went back to base

17:00 pretty good from from Seoul to Tokyo all once a month and get art supplies

17:10but one thing it happen I got picture

17:I 5just happened to get a picture of it when I got on the train

17:17and Tokyo and we’re going now the station

17:20the hit two people you will mean

17:26It ran over to people trained in and when you know that when the train stopped the

17:31one person was laying right outside the window where I was able to get a picture of it

17:35and that

17:36that was

17:40to I don’t know why they were on the track or anything like that

17:44of their workers or what

17:46there then the train went on to slowdown after that

17:52Tell me about a typical day over your service in Suwon

17:57well I guess that wasn’t really an exciting day

18:03accept them no get up get get started

18:06we was able to stay in

18:09a huts matter regular metal

18:14buildings they had a place for us to go eat

18:17and everything like that a thats have most in water and ran the whole yeah

18:23then just come in would go to

18:26or to the headquarters and Headquarters climb chart go to the office there

18:30and I had an assistant Wade Stanley

18:35And the two of us would stay in there all day and

18:38do the work that they had is assigned to

18:41and now then go back to the base

18:45 can you give me an example

18:49what you have you what you did like that

18:52Show me the pictures you have any

18:56example what you did

18:59see if I get it out here that’s as this one this one

19:03yeah I was going to see what else is in here’s the

19:08picture health me at the desk

19:13that’s has to be said that this

19:16is the desk that I worked at

19:26I was drafting

19:34that wasn’t the real drafting part that was making the charts

19:40what an illustrator technician would do

19:45wish I had brought a bigger picture of it

19:48have the three squadrons we had this

19:51the nineteen the 25th and 39th

19:54a Air Force squadron

19:58altogether there units that made up the 51st Fighter Interceptor wing

20:04that was in the commanding officers headquarters

20:08so he would see all the pilots and everything a lot of those

20:12pilots became astronauts in their written and senators there is no you

20:16told me that

20:16so this yeah picture of the pilots

20:19that’s a picture of all the pilots the commanding officer each wing

20:23commander and all the pilots under each of the wings

20:28home anymore the whole life with have the problem I would have to count him

20:32there

20:33there are quite a few of them and their told me that

20:36those pilots later became senator and astronauts

20:41can you tell me the names and so on

20:43well a John Glenn a was

20:47one time it was in there he was assigned to the Marine Corps

20:50find the Corsairs but he wanted to fly F86s

20:55so he got assigned to our outfit so he could fly

20:58F86s

21:02mcconnell a captain think

21:06cap your captain mcconnell a made

21:09a video mcconnell story

21:12that came out

21:15someone became test pilots

21:19colonel Kabraski was there commanding officer

21:22he was an ace and the second world war

21:26i think is shot down sixteen planes are and now

21:30he became an ace in the Korean War

21:33 anybody else

21:36a

21:41I should have brought a list with them some other names that I had intheir

21:45but the I don’t remember all

21:48the pilots names or anything I just wish that I would have kept that

21:52this

21:53I would had a very a historical

21:57piece a paper there with their names on

22:00if I had it but I do I didn’t know they were gonna become senators and

22:04astronauts and everything like that

22:15I really didn’t get to meet the pilots

22:19I seen them but I didn’t get to meet them because

22:23been and headquarters their units was

22:26over away from where we were at where they

22:30their units was to stay and everything

22:33we will see ’em go by once in a while but thats that’s about

22:36home within get the top down that much

22:42do you remember how many stories that this pilot have

22:46take home ordinary for example

22:50more than I know I i thinkI a

22:53yes I don’t know how often the

22:56the did take their shortage in everything I saw a movie on

23:00on there around operations and everything in it

23:04that mentioned how many shortages they would be taken and everything

23:08but the our commanding officer I think with credited with the

23:136 taking sown 6 fighters that he shot down

23:18and them we had one a

23:21one of our colonels was shot down

23:25and

23:28he was able to get back

23:31he was shot down over

23:38and he was able to get back on his own I have pictures of him

23:42and here colonel Shintz was his name

23:45and he’s the only 1i know that was shot down an able to get back

23:51lost a lotta weight but he lived off of bugs and

23:55worms and whatever he could get he said

23:59did you have a chance to go out of your airbase

24:03and all mingle with the Korean people

24:06no I didn’t a

24:09I say I wasn’t very adventurous person

24:13and I didn’t get off their a there was a

24:17a a young boy that would take care of for

24:21a our uniforms to get them washed and everything he were taken in town have

24:27and bring them back to us and now

24:31that’s about the only Association I did have

24:37so how often did you write back to your wife

24:40not as often as I should have probably once or twice a week

24:45I was right back on their that’s that’s about all there

24:48probably more than some of them I quess

24:53well about missing her and wishing I was home

24:57what was going on you know not work cuz

25:01doing the drawing this drawing have I’m working on this

25:05this board and going to Japan

25:08whatever I wouold see in Japan and everything

25:13yours to keep those letters

25:16no now and a half from I

25:20I they were a

25:24I did have them when I came home

25:27a we had some of them but

25:31when when the service my

25:36mother had moved from one house got her

25:39my brother got married they stayed with her for a while and then they moved to

25:44another house and she’s already got rid of my stuff but i wasnt

25:48going so I didn’t have any

25:51much when I came back

25:55 Was there enough work yes

25:58 organizational charts a for the different offices we made up

26:03I’m up

26:08I’m now for well heres one stuck in here we made these things up

26:12releases for newspapers on pilots

26:19this is all the pilots

26:22in Michigan

26:25we sent that to their newspaper a local newspaper we made

26:29releases have pictures of the kernel

26:34so they is all the pilots from Michigan

26:37was in that unit

26:39so you are actually making materials for

26:42 for newspaper territories paper

26:46yeah them now

26:49Kincheloe he on I think he became a

26:53test pilot or something up for our

26:56on do you have actual newspaper are that actually would

27:01your or published

27:04no I don’t I’m in it now because say they want the

27:08newspapers that out locations were I didn’t I don’t live in that location or

27:11 anything when I

27:13I got home

27:16I don’t know this is our commanding officer

27:21that was one of the things that were sent to his hometown

27:25and there he’s colonel Kabraski was a 51st wing commander

27:32members and their sold in you’re awesome other

27:37I’m see

27:41I got some more in the folder here

27:44don’t think I got them all out

27:48okay we’ll consider later

27:52you are the historian chapter 312 right

27:55 what do you do as art historian

27:59overture well less told me not to bring the other books along one of mister

28:05I do this this book air this I started up on my own

28:08overall them the members and their but

28:11I have to two other books

28:15that

28:18my friend Gene and I work on

28:21and the a all the activities that goes on from the start when we first started

28:28up-to-date anything that was going on when had the monument

28:33a would build a monument got pictures from that

28:36a all the that veterans

28:40meetings that we had for

28:43I get pictures at that point we keep in their and any visitors that we have that

28:49a at our meetings I gave speeches or anything like got took pictures from

28:53and we have I have one complete book like this

28:56real thick we had to start with the second one

29:00because we’re very active

29:03outfit we got to meet do the

29:08president of Korea South Korea I got those pictures and there I got home I

29:13meant to bring my blackberry along

29:17uh we for I’ll I want to ask you to scan all those

29:23though memorabilia and and give

29:27meta data on it so for example you can write his name

29:30okay but not in the picture you can just run it back

29:34 you cannot scan it right so

29:38all I can scan on scare I was going to scan all these

29:43and give them to you right but how are you going to put the meta data on it

29:51I was gonna write on the back see like I got on the back to this who it is and

29:54and some I have a on the back in the date

29:59up right so I if you can please right goals

30:02and awarded documents and typing it

30:07number this she does that for me and and the Word document and everything she

30:11does all that typing

30:13and you want to just take that and put the nail in the bottom of it

30:17are on the back or what all it yeah

30:21maybe at the bottom but who it is and what it is and they’re

30:29this here’s a picture each 10 the squadron so we had

30:33the 16th

30:37and now

30:43you got them

30:48this is very very well that’s the the 16th squadron

30:52this here’s the twenty-fifth squadron

30:56very good when did you leave

31:01or state when do you need to get it to go

31:07worked on all to come home yes a

31:11that was in January have 53

31:14when the assigned me to

31:19Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio Texas

31:22while you are staying in Suwon was there any

31:25are enemy attacks or bombing song

31:29we had one scare around Christmas

31:34of 1952

31:37a plane had strayed

31:40in into their radar and they had they sounded a

31:46air raid and they had us all to go out and

31:49and the same bag set-ups were

31:53where there was very outsider headquarters and it was right before his

31:57get couple weeks before you get ready to come home after

32:00home my that who’ve opened that they had all year

32:04nothing happened but they did find out what

32:07what happened to plane had strayed in there and they got him back where he was

32:11supposed to go

32:12so it wasn’t an enemy

32:15what many enemy fire anything so

32:20I really didn’t get in any actual thing

32:23right things going on and everything how much were you paid at the time

32:28as a draft man well

32:31I was a airman third class I had three stripes

32:35I think it was I know when we

32:39for starter was seventy-five dollars a month I think ways up to 125

32:4325 that is 125 hours a month

32:47so what do you do with that money now I

32:50well sample but no I didn’t gamble

32:53I didn’t drink and in smoke so I sent most of it home

32:57because it didn’t have any other place to spend it except the PX there

33:01and the only thing I spent a foreign a PX with buying a camera so I could take

33:05some pictures

33:06the sunset I gotta lotta slides

33:09over there and the sunset and over there was

33:13really beautiful you have I have slot

33:17slides that you have to remember that picture

33:21I have a a a gadget that diaper connected to my future

33:25and now and convert amend the pictures I wanted to be able to take ’em

33:30to the sixtieth anniversary that they had

33:33but unfortunately they had to go back home them because they were outta school

33:38and that was but them I’ll

33:42I’ve I’ve given up things up showing them some

33:45from the pictures things what the I have pictures what the capital looked like

33:50like at that time out was able to go up there

33:53in fact I was able to go up on topple the on capitol building it take pictures

33:57out over there

33:58the town there that was the only time I was a able to see

34:02any of the Korean town but a it really

34:07I’ve can I’ve got on a

34:11the computer and

34:14so that I could see what Korea looks like now

34:19from the air on

34:23the system that I have on their

34:27and is traffic place there

34:30is really a terrific a don’t know whether I’d wanna go back on one of the trips

34:37this tempting yeah I’ve never been back

34:41and I read in a book deal today that its filled up for this year

34:45people that want to go back to see

34:49work really could take care

34:52well even though you never been there up

34:55physically but you know what happened right

34:58yeah there about the Idaho or you feel about it well

35:01I didn’t know all the details a

35:06us I have video that

35:09up showed everything

35:12how they they were up they went north

35:17and then they were all forced back and they destroyed all the buildings on our

35:20way back

35:21a are are soldiers did their thing for a simple reason:

35:26they didn’t want anybody to hide in these buildings and shoot at them

35:31so most the buildings they destroyed

35:34and their and maybe

35:37in a way it’s it’s a good thing because what came out over it now

35:41this has really great the buildings that they have and now

35:45has learned that again really didn’t get to see that much

35:50the the land itself

35:55well now we are the 12th largest economy in the world that all that is correct

36:00most vibrant democracy in East Asia

36:03this shows you what you if you put your mind to it

36:06work on it and do the right thing

36:10so what do you think that is the legacy of the Korean War and veterans

36:14well

36:17I think they’re gonna see what came out of there

36:21labor’s and everything the results of it

36:25what could take place and everything

36:28I’ll to get things back on track the way they should be

36:32and to help other people out

36:36so its has been

36:40great to see what the results are and i’m glad to see that my son

36:44has been able to have someone that children over there coming over here

36:48to go on a school in everything and I’m amazed at their

36:52talent this one girl she can saying she can dance she can artist

36:59she does everything she plays the piano in the church

37:02she’s in the choir there and

37:06a just met a

37:09I forget what her name is in our church as the South Korean young lady

37:15that is in charge at the youth and their

37:18church that her husband is a preacher

37:22a in a town close by here

37:25and she gave a talk at our meeting and everything

37:28and what she did she’s the only one that came there to speak speak

37:31and she fixed food put forth for

37:35to eat Why do you think the Korean War has been forgotten

37:42Why forgotten

37:53 People just wasn’t sure what was going on over there

37:56what would have happened to the people with if the communists would have taken

37:59over and

38:01control them and I don’t think that they would be the can have the kind of

38:05country it is right now if they did

38:07course you got a good example in the north the way it is its

38:11its controlled and when you control

38:15people you don’t get

38:19that’s why you don’t know if they agree on worries forgotten

38:24yes they they just don’t know what what happens if the

38:28communist takeover and

38:32start dictating what to do and what not to do

38:35and they’d they just don’t get developed like they are right now

38:39because ur they’re held back

38:42on on what what they’re able to do

38:46but why people wants to

38:49to forget the Korean War as

38:55sort unknown I guess there why they wanna forget

38:58maybe they don’t want to they just don’t want to remember

39:02what goes on but it does

39:05and now we the ones I was over it

39:09remembers what was on

39:12something good came out of Korean War and their sacrifices

39:19so strong economy and democracy in

39:23Korea came good right yes very good

39:26their very good and they’re and ask what could happen

39:30all the places that that they have conflicts in

39:34if they just set your mind to it and don’t fight each other

39:38well unfortunately there are not many good examples

39:41the miserable wars Korea

39:45is a good example so I want to

39:48thank all the veterans for their fights & service

39:52otherwise we are who we are right now

39:57That is correct

40:00a proud what they did

40:03and we’re glad that they did help out and their I know I was not

40:08a soldier that got into battle on everything

40:11but I know it what little bit I did

40:15was help

40:18am I’m glad I got to see the country over there

40:23I have never known Korea is if never did

40:30 I’ll understand

40:34that the air base that was there is moved over

40:38and its ultra-modern now like to say I got it on

40:42I don’t know if Google air whichever one it is about bring up

40:46and I can see all over Korea what what is there in what’s been done

40:51that there was an the time believable what does not seem

40:55and that their the roads and everything outside of Suwon was nothing but

41:00dirt

41:01a huts and um

41:04people was just, it amazed me that they could take

41:09some of the war materials like the shells

41:13and everything and made things out of them

41:17I they made stuff out of that stuff and everything

41:21that a metal um because I don’t know I have one

41:32you know the model no yes yeah of

41:35how the wire

41:39I don’t know if they brought on my brotha the one that they gave us at the

41:4260th anniversary

41:44I i kno okay I got for of them these

41:47ever and the people understand wanna go over there

41:51the they just trying to do everything it possibly can for

41:55their appreciation is outstanding

41:58everybody that’s been over there and came back said

42:01that they couldn’t believe it they couldn’t believe how nice that people

42:04are

42:06I know these two young ladies at my son has their

42:09they’re very nice

42:12they tried to do the best the can and everything like getting a speak English

42:16better than I do

42:17that there but there

42:22well and yeah I guess one or him

42:25no I get I guess that’s that’s about it and

42:29and their and now I hope that I give me a

42:32right information she worked for a bookbinding place

42:36that did work like the book that’s how why it was

42:40so put together so nicely

42:43cause she knows what to do what’s your name

42:50Gene Eckstein

42:54Ive been working with Clayton and helping out since the

42:58 chapters started I was able to take my

43:02a two sons

43:05with me to the sixtieth anniversary and that they had

43:09down at the memorial and he did have

43:12 his granddaughter my granddaughter with them

43:17I thought maybe my son’s

43:20would try tried to familiarize them

43:24with what I did when I was growing up and was in the service

43:30because imagine a lotta children don’t know what their parents

43:34really went through

43:37a big lead us check and see if I can have that

43:41that because any anything it that comes up like that and they can

43:45they’re not in school they were able to go around the school

43:49unfortunately um they won’t have the

43:52two Korean students with them when they go

43:57i’m my my son takes them

44:01every where’s they they are really learn about everything over here

44:06and he takes them you know we’re disney world is

44:09he takes them down there everything he has a timeshare unit down there

44:13they go down there and stay

44:15and there’s

44:18thank you very much again okay on the thank you

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