Girma Mola Endeshaw
Bio
Girma Mola Endeshaw was part of the Third Kagnew Battalion in the Ethiopian military during the Korean War, where he served as a medical assistant aiding injured soldiers. He later revisited Korea and was impressed by its transformation, gaining a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices of so many people during the war. When Communists took control in Ethiopia, he lost most of his belongings due to his Korean War service. Nevertheless, he remains proud of his contributions during that conflict.
Video Clips
Medical Assistant
Girma Mola Endeshaw describes serving as a Medical Assistant during the Korean War. He observes that Ethiopian soldiers were not assigned a doctor. Instead, there were six medical assistants designated for every shambles, which consisted of two hundred fifty men. He confesses to still having nightmares about many of the wounded he helped treat.
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Not Heroic
Girma Mola Endeshaw discusses the challenges Ethiopia faced after the Korean War. In 1974, Communists took control of Ethiopia, leading to the government confiscating the possessions of Korean War veterans. This action was taken because these veterans fought in a war against communism. Interestingly, even now, it is South Korea, not Ethiopia, that continues to provide assistance to these veterans.
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"Not the Worst"
Girma Mola Endeshaw recounts his time during the Korean War, where men resided in bunkers without access to hot meals and suffered from sleep deprivation due to frequent attacks. The constant barrage of mortar shells would shake the ground at any given moment. Additionally, soldiers were only allowed to shower every ten days under orders from the Americans. Despite these hardships, he still considers his Korean experience as "not the worst."
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Serving as a Medical Assistant
Girma Mola Endeshaw remembers arriving in Korea in 1952 and noticing the poverty and extensive destruction in the country. He then delves into his role as a medical assistant, specifically serving Ethiopian troops. He acknowledges the difficulty of administering first aid to injured comrades during his service.
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