Colin Thackery
Bio
Colin Thackery was born on March 9, 1930 in North London. He experienced a very difficult childhood which often led him to mischief. He was faced with a decision to attend reform school or join the army when he was just fifteen years old. He chose the army and learned to adhere to the discipline. When the Korean War broke out, he was sent to help the fight against communism, though he knew very little about where he was going. He endured hardships and brutal conditions, including frostbite and hearing loss. He especially loved cultivating lasting friendships through the extraordinary bonding experiences shared during the war. He later visited Korea and saw for himself the remarkable recovery and was proud to have helped save the South Korean people.
Video Clips
The Infiltrators
Colin Thackery describes the difficulties in finding and exposing infiltrators from the north. He recalls how they would dress in women's traditional dresses so that they could hide their weapons. He remembers their barbaric strategy of hiding behind innocent women and children.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nECkMsOu9oY&start=380&end=436
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/colin-thackery#clip-1
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Unexpected Segregation of American Troops
Colin Thackery discusses the relationship among foreign troops. He recalls being particularly surprised to learn American troops were still segregated. He fondly remembers the camaraderie between the troops from the various United Nations forces.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nECkMsOu9oY&start=709&end=785
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/colin-thackery#clip-2
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Britain's Got Talent
Colin Thackery reveals that he won Britain's Got Talent in 2019. He recalls that a friend dared him to enter the contest after a conversation in which he shared his love of singing. He remembers being completely amazed at winning and feeling astounded by the monetary prize.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nECkMsOu9oY&start=1860&end=2308
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/colin-thackery#clip-3
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