Richard W. Edwards
Bio
Richard W. Edwards originally intended to join the Navy but was rejected for having lost all his front teeth. Dejected, he walked down the hall and was officially accepted by the Air Force. He describes his experiences with the cold winters of Korea upon his arrival, quickly developing a sore throat from the weather. He shares his photographs of Busan at the time, showing the area surrounding his camp as well as the physical destruction. He also describes his kinship and understanding of the Korean people’s struggle to rebuild having lived through the American Great Depression.
Video Clips
Pocket Warmer Scarf
Richard Edwards describes developing a sore throat from sleeping in a pup tent his first night in Korea. He explains that his First Sergeant ignored his concern and so in an effort to feel better, Richard Edwards improvised. He describes how he assembled a makeshift treatment by wrapping his pocket warmer around his neck.
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/richard-w-edward#clip-1
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A Picture Tells a Thousand Words
Richard Edwards describes the condition of Busan during the Korean War. He shows his photographs that illustrate how rural the city was at the time. He explains that the soldiers would use a laundry near their encampment and pay very little money for their services.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQev6GkksKg&start=994&end=1216
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/richard-w-edward#clip-2
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You Can Tell They Are Hard Workers
Richard Edwards describes his admiration of the Korean people and their survival during the Korean War. He explains that he grew up during the Great Depression so that he feels a little relation to the plight of the Koreans in such dire circumstances. He describes his legacy as a Korean War veteran being easier for him growing up on a farm so that he further understood what the Korean people had to do to survive.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQev6GkksKg&start=1552&end=1680
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/richard-w-edward#clip-3
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