Richard Ekstrand
Bio
Richard Ekstrand was drafted into the United States Army in 1950. After completing a short ten to twelve-week basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri, he arrived in Korea in April 1951. After arriving in Pusan, his unit took a train to the northern part of South Korea. He was assigned to the 24th Infantry as a rifleman. He received the Purple Heart after being injured by a hand grenade in a battle with the Chinese. His younger brother, David, similarly served during this same period, including in the Battle of the Chosin (Jangjin) Reservoir.
Video Clips
Poverty in Korea
Richard Ekstrand recalls arriving in Korea in April 1951. He relays his first impressions of Korea. He speaks about poverty in Korea, including the poor infrastructure of the country and how many Korean homes had dirt floors but also had under-floor heating systems.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkAOGcgfbi0&start=697&end=948
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/richard-ekstrand#clip-1
Embed:
Purple Heart in Korea
Richard Ekstrand reflects on a battle north of the 38th Parallel where he was wounded by a grenade on July 5, 1951. He recalls crouching down and yelling, "Grenade!" as the grenade unfortunately landed next to him and exploded. He explains that shrapnel injured his back, penetrating his lung, and would ultimately end up forcing him into a MASH hospital and later a hospital in Japan.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkAOGcgfbi0&start=1209&end=1536
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/richard-ekstrand#clip-2
Embed:
Engineering in Korea
Richard Ekstrand explains how he was redeployed to an engineering outfit in Busan after his hospital stay resulting from an injury in the infantry. He presents an overview of the types of labor he did there, including bridge and road work.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkAOGcgfbi0&start=1731&end=1919
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/richard-ekstrand#clip-3
Embed:
A Visit From a Brother
Richard Ekstrand shares the story of his younger brother, David, coming to visit him while he
was hospitalized in Japan. He explains that David was also serving in Korea, including in the Chosin (Jangjin) Reservoir, but was also in Japan at the time. He recalls how they made it so that the two brothers could spend the night side-by-side in the hospital ward.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkAOGcgfbi0&start=2242&end=2610
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/richard-ekstrand#clip-4
Embed:
Photos
