Hartwell Champagne
Bio
Hartwell Champagne was born on November 18, 1932 in Henry, Louisiana. He received schooling up to the eighth grade. He wanted to enlist in the Army at the age of seventeen but his father was against it due to having lost a brother in World War I. He managed to convince his mother to sign the papers, and he joined in February of 1950, just prior to the beginning of the Korean War and was soon stationed there. He arrived to a chaotic scene and quickly saw action in which he recalled bullets falling like rain. He was captured and taken as a prisoner-of-war. He spent time in Camp Three and Camp Five. He described having the duty of chopping wood and how he would focus on the task to help maintain his sanity and health. On the day of his repatriation, he recalled seeing more numbers moving north than moving south. His most memorable moment from the war was gaining his freedom and coming to the understanding that the greatest gift was not to be owned.
Video Clips
Thoughts on PTSD
Hartwell Champagne attempts to explain his definition of this frequent consequence of war. He shares how he has visions of the war as he is falling to sleep and there is nothing he can do to erase the images from his mind. He describes the day following these episodes as feeling as if he has no purpose.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2En1ONwBU8&start=535&end=687
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/hartwell-champagne#clip-1
Embed:
Harsh Realities of the POW Camp
Hartwell Champagne describes time spent in a Chinese POW camp during the war. He recalls having to store dead bodies throughout the winter because the ground was too frozen to bury them. He remembers the mass grave behind the hospital where they would put them come spring.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2En1ONwBU8&start=696&end=738
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/hartwell-champagne#clip-2
Embed:
This Was My Life
Hartwell Champagne describes his experience living in Chinese POW Camp 5. He shares his responsibility for gathering firewood for the camp and how that helped him balance his physical and mental health. He recalls understanding the only way out was to stay strong.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2En1ONwBU8&start=740&end=905
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/hartwell-champagne#clip-3
Embed: