Paul Ohlsen
Bio
Paul Ohlsen was born in Orsa, Sweden, on January 15, 1924. He was the youngest of seven brothers. After graduating high school in 1943, he went to medical school to become a doctor. Upon completion of his schooling, he was sent to Korea with the Swedish Red Cross Hospital in the fall of 1953, just after the armistice was signed. He was in charge of the x-ray department at the hospital and was afforded the unique opportunity of having his wife assigned to work alongside him as a nurse. Due to his service coming at the close of the war, he witnessed the operations of the hospital shifting from treating soldiers to the treatment of civilians, offering medicines that were unavailable outside of the hospital for many of them were suffering from tuberculosis and worms. He experienced Korea when the country was decimated by war and was glad to see the recovery and growth when he revisited later in life. He looks back fondly on his time there and is proud to have served his country and the people of Korea.
Video Clips
Korean Medical Experience
Paul Ohlsen describes the ailments of the civilians treated by the Swedish Red Cross Hospital. He shares tuberculosis and worms often accompany poor and/or crowded living conditions. He notes he was the only doctor in the camp with experience reading and understanding X-Rays.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UODd6txKeVg&start=1106&end=1280
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/paul-ohlsen#clip-1
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Photos around the Swedish Red Cross Hospital
Paul Ohlsen provides pictures of the Swedish Red Cross Hospital. He describes living conditions at the hospital and how free time was spent. He provides photos depicting life around the hospital in Busan. His photos also share glimpses of the civilians he treated, offering rare insight into what life looked like following the Armistice.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UODd6txKeVg&start=563&end=776
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/paul-ohlsen#clip-2
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Life Within the Confines of the Hospital
Paul Ohlsen describes life inside the Swedish Red Cross Hospital. He recalls not being allowed to go outside the converted high school due to the enemy being close at hand. He remembers various lessons and lectures provided to the doctors as a source of entertainment and intellectual stimulation. He reflects on how his experience was different from other doctors because his wife was stationed with him.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UODd6txKeVg&start=794&end=972
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/paul-ohlsen#clip-3
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