Myron Toback
Bio
Myron Toback was born in Manhattan, New York in 1930 and grew up to become a “voluntary inductee” into the Army in 1951. He was a Rifleman who was responsible for guarding the Prisoner of War Camps on several islands. He describes Pusan when he first arrived for his stay of fifteen months. He remembers the mindset of the North Korean soldiers in the camps, including their hopes of a Communist lifestyle. He shares a memory of meeting his cousin for the first time while in Korea.
Video Clips
First Impressions of Pusan
Myron Toback describes what he saw when he first arrived in Pusan in 1952. He remembers that there were no brick buildings except for the rail station. Additionally, he recalls that there were a lot of mountains.
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North Korean Prisoners of War
Myron Toback served as a guard for several Prisoner of War Camps throughout the war. He explains how the North Koreans were “brainwashed” and what they believed about the life they had under Communism. He states that there were about 4,000 North Korean soldiers in this camp.
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A Coincidental Family Reunion
When asked if he wrote letters home, Myron Toback said that he only wrote once per month, but he was able to make a phone call home. It was while waiting for his phone call that he met his cousin for the first time. That was certainly a coincidence, but he never saw his cousin again after that.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSb-G7WUMQI&start=3388&end=3481
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/myron-toback#clip-3
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