Richard Ekstrand
Bio
Richard Ekstrand was drafted and arrived in Korea in April 1951 after finishing boot camp in Missouri. In this interview, he discusses his first impressions of poverty in Korea as well as the country’s later miraculous development. He also speaks about his injuries in the war. After a grenade blew up next to him, he was brought to a hospital to be treated for shrapnel wounds in his back. Ekstrand recovered in Korea and Japan, later returning to the war front to continue his service once he made a full recovery. His younger brother, David, similarly served during this same period, including in the Battle of the Chosen Reservoir.
Video Clips
Poverty in Korea
In this clip, Ekstrand relays his first first impressions of Korea. He speaks about poverty in Korea, including the poor infrastructure of the country and how many Korean homes had dirty floors and under heating.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkAOGcgfbi0&start=700&end=950
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/richard-ekstrand#clip-1
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Purple Heart in Korea
Ekstrand reflects on a battle north of the 38th Parallel where he was wounded by a grenade on July 5, 1951. Crouching down, he yelled "Grenade!" as the grenade unfortunately landed next to him and exploded. Shrapnel injured his back, penetrating his lung, and he believes that if he had been standing, he would have been killed.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkAOGcgfbi0&start=1217&end=1425
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/richard-ekstrand#clip-2
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Engineering in Korea
In this clip, Ekstrand explains how he was redeployed to an engineering outfit in Busan after his injury in the infantry. He presents an overview of the types of labor he did there, including bridge and road work.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkAOGcgfbi0&start=1731&end=1919
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/richard-ekstrand#clip-3
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