Korean War Legacy Project

Raymond Unger

Bio

Raymond Unger was born on November 5, 1929 in Chicago, Illinois. The son of Austrian immigrants, he graduated from Parker High School in 1948. After high school, he worked a crane operator for US Steel. He was drafted into the Army in 1951. After basic training and cook school at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, he was deployed to Korea via the troop ship, USS John Pope. As a replacement attached to the 2nd Army Division, his job was resupplying front line soldiers with supplies and evacuating wounded soldiers. While evacuating the wounded, he was captured by North Korean soldiers. During his captivity, he spent time in Pyongyang and in Camp #3 situated on the Yalu River. He remained a prisoner of war through the armistice after which he returned to the United States and was discharged from the Army.

Video Clips

Captured by North Koreans

Raymond Unger tells the story of how he was captured by five North Korean soldiers.

Tags: Communists,Fear,Front lines,North Koreans,POW

Share this Clip +


Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vLFgJNou8s&start=973&end=1103

Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/raymond-unger#clip-1

Embed:

I Thought My Life Was Over

Raymond Unger describes being interrogated during his first week as a POW.

Tags: Communists,Fear,North Koreans,POW

Share this Clip +


Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vLFgJNou8s&start=1237&end=1312

Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/raymond-unger#clip-2

Embed:

Life in POW Camp #3

Raymond Unger describes the living conditions in Camp #3 during his time as a prisoner of war.

Tags: Cold winters,Communists,Food,Living conditions,North Koreans,POW

Share this Clip +


Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vLFgJNou8s&start=1708&end=1824

Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/raymond-unger#clip-3

Embed:

I Knew I Was Going to Survive

Raymond Unger talks about his will to survive as a prisoner of war.

Tags: Communists,Depression,Living conditions,North Koreans,POW

Share this Clip +


Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vLFgJNou8s&start=2091&end=2145

Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/raymond-unger#clip-4

Embed:

Bittersweet Homecoming

Raymond Unger talks about coming home after spending most of the war as a POW and his treatment from family and friends.

Tags: Depression,Home front,POW

Share this Clip +


Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vLFgJNou8s&start=2601&end=2750

Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/raymond-unger#clip-5

Embed: