Edward F. Foley, Sr.

Bio

Edward Foley Sr. enlisted in the Air Force in 1951 and served in South Korea during the Korean War as an electronic technician servicing aircraft. He recounts his first impressions of Korea and details his living conditions while there. He shares memories of an accident which took place at the airbase where he was stationed involving a grounded plane and firemen. He states that he harbors no resentment towards the North Koreans or the war itself and recounts his visit to modern Korea, comparing it to New York City. He closes with a few thoughts on the legacy of the Korean War and adds a few words specifically for younger generations regarding service.

Video Clips

Impressions of Korea

Edward Foley describes Korea as being primitive when he arrived. He recalls traveling by truck with other soldiers to view the surrounding area and remembers seeing villagers out and about and children asking for food. He recounts very little evidence of a war torn country where he was stationed as no buildings had been bombed.

Tags: Impressions of Korea,Living conditions

Share this Clip +

Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djiyZm848AQ&start=900&end=1031

Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/edward-f-foley-sr#clip-1

Embed:

Living Conditions

Edward Foley describes the living conditions while in Korea. He recalls the winters as "colder than blazes" but admits that he was lucky as he had warm clothes and a lot of downtime. He shares that it was hard for him to be away from home and that letters were sporadic.

Tags: Cold winters,Food,Letters,Living conditions,South Koreans

Share this Clip +

Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djiyZm848AQ&start=1280&end=1516

Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/edward-f-foley-sr#clip-2

Embed:

Worst Memory

Edward Foley recalls his worst memory while serving in Korea. He details an accident which took place on base involving an airplane explosion on the runway. He shares how he witnessed firefighters inspecting smoke at the tail of an airplane suffered the brunt of the explosion.

Tags: Physical destruction,Weapons

Share this Clip +

Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djiyZm848AQ&start=1518&end=1662

Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/edward-f-foley-sr#clip-3

Embed:

War Reflections and Impressions of Modern Korea

Edward Foley shares that he does not have bad dreams or resentment towards the war or even the North Koreans, stating that they were only doing what they were told to do. He comments on his revisit to Korea and the improvements made since he was there during the war. He describes Seoul as a Westernized city and compares it to New York City.

Tags: Masan,Seoul,Home front,Impressions of Korea,Modern Korea,North Koreans,Pride

Share this Clip +

Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djiyZm848AQ&start=1791&end=1957

Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/edward-f-foley-sr#clip-4

Embed:

Korean War Legacy

Edward Foley comments on the grateful attitudes South Koreans have towards the U.S. He shares that the legacy of the Korean War, despite it being called a police action and the Forgotten War, is being kept alive by the veterans associations and the Korean people themselves. He adds his thoughts on how young people should serve their country in some form or fashion for a few years.