Dennis E. Hultgren
Bio
Dennis E. Hultgren was drafted into the United States Army in 1951 and served in the Korean War until 1953. He shares treasured memories of encounters and experiences while there. He recounts that his ability to type kept him from fighting on the front lines as he was selected for the graveyard station. Charged with transporting the dead, searching and documenting their belongings, and organizing the shipments home, he explains that taking care of the dead was the hardest part of service for him. He speaks highly of Korea and its advancements since the war and expresses that the Korean War should not be forgotten as no war since has produced such concrete outcomes.
Video Clips
Sandwiches in a War Torn City
Dennis E. Hultgren explains that a stop to transfer trains allowed him an hour or so to wander through a war-torn city. He describes a young boy who was watching him intently as he took a bite of his sandwich. He recounts that he offered the boy the rest of his sandwich, and with a deep bow, the boy accepted it and ran behind a building.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2i0Q5jFyKU&start=568&end=812
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/dennis-e-hultgren#clip-1
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Concrete Outcomes of the Korean War
Dennis E. Hultgren speaks highly of Korea and of his respect for the country. He expresses that the Korean War should not be forgotten and that it was a successful war as opposed to others. He agrees that no other war since the Korean War has produced such concrete outcomes.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2i0Q5jFyKU&start=1565&end=1919
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/dennis-e-hultgren#clip-2
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Most Difficult Aspect of Graveyard Service
Dennis E. Hultgren expresses that taking care of the dead was the most difficult aspect of his service during the war. He previously shares that his duty was to transport bodies, search them, collect their belongings, and document the findings for them to then be mailed home to the deceased soldiers' families. He recounts several deceased soldiers' wounds and one disrespectful incident carried out by a soldier underneath him.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2i0Q5jFyKU&start=1955&end=2208
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/dennis-e-hultgren#clip-3
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