Korean War Legacy Project

Ralph M. Wilkerson

Bio

Ralph M. Wilkerson served in the United States Army during the Korean War. He went to Korea as a private but returned as a Staff Sergeant. His service came in January of 1951 when the United Nations forces pushed the Communist forces out of the South. Ralph M. Wilkerson was a driver of a tank that was modified to fit a mounted howitzer. The modification gave the United Nations more flexibility and the ability to be more versatile. After the Korean War, Ralph M. Wilkerson became a Green Beret, part of the Special Forces, inserted in Vietnam in 1963. In 1971, he was redeployed to Korea and was one of the commanders for Operation Freedom Vault that saw the extraction of the 7th Division from South Korea by using decoy operations. After his military career, he helped gain financing for the State of Wyoming Veterans Memorial Park located in Cody, Wyoming.

Video Clips

Ralph Wilkerson Uses Artillery and Become Surrounded by Enemy Forces

Ralph Wilkerson's first fighting experience was at Wonju where he was in the first echelon of the artillery, with the more mobile weapons. They supported the United Nations forces in addition to American forces, including Dutch, Turks, Greeks, and South Korean. He accounts the most dangerous part of his service was from incoming mortar and artillery fire. There was one moment when he was completely surrounded by enemy forces for an entire week.

Tags: Wonju,Front lines,Weapons

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Ralph Wilkerson Recounts a Special Forces Mission after the War

Ralph Wilkerson notes the differences between 1951 and 1971. He returns to Korea in 1971 on a Special Forces mission called Freedom Vault while a Green Beret. This decoy mission included false radio traffic, false landings on the coast, and tried to convince North Korea of sending agents across the DMZ. The United States even dropped dummies made of dry ice that would leave evidence of infiltration but the "soldiers" bodies melted away.

Tags: Osan,Impressions of Korea,North Koreans

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Ralph Wilkerson Works to Build Korean War Memorial Park

Ralph Wilkerson works with Paul Rodriguez to build the Korean War Memorial Park in Cody, Wyoming. He raises over two million dollars for the construction of the park to honor all veterans killed in war. He gathered funds from a variety of sources, including the South Korean government. The project took eight years to complete.

Tags: Pride

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