Korean War Legacy Project

David Nevarez

Bio

David Nevarez joined the Marine Corps when he was 17 years old in an effort to see the world in 1982. He found himself stationed in Japan and traveling to Korea to see the Armistice in full effect. He describes the biting cold he felt as a soldier when camped in South Korean fields. He also explains the lingering tension he felt between South Korea and North Korea. David Nevarez describes his appreciation for South Korean culture, drawing parallels to his own Hispanic community. He speaks highly of his service in the Marine Corps where he feels he developed motivational and leadership skills and is proud to have served.

Video Clips

Korea: Taste of the Manchurian Wind

David Nevarez shares that he went to Korea for the first time in 1984 as part of the 3rd Service Support Group headquartered in Okinawa, Japan. He describes setting up camp in Korea. He remembers the temperature drop from 40 degrees to 40 below zero in the span of less than 30 minutes and recounts the cold winds that hit him in the camp. He expresses he then understood what the 1st Marine Division experienced at the Chosin Reservoir during the war and adds that the memory of that level of coldness stays with him to this day.

Tags: 1950 Battle of Chosin Reservoir, 11/27-12/13,Cold winters,Impressions of Korea,Living conditions

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More Observant of the World Around Me

David Nevarez describes his role as a combat support specialist and remembers walking around a South Korean camp with the pressure of North Korea looming. He recounts a time when a South Korean soldier cracked his gun and the shock sending him into a deeper appreciation for the possibility of war with the North. From then on, he describes his readiness to fight and awareness of the world around him.

Tags: Impressions of Korea,North Koreans,Rest and Relaxation (R&R),South Koreans,Weapons

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Impressions of the Korean People

David Nevarez describes his interactions and impressions of Korea. He expounds upon his appreciation of the food as well as the people. He draws comparisons between the Hispanic community and the South Korean people.

Tags: 1950 Pusan Perimeter, 8/4-9/18,Civilians,Food,Impressions of Korea,Orphanage,Pride,South Koreans

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqU02ipsznM&start=827&end=908

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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/david-nevarez#clip-3

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