Russell King
Bio
Russell A. King grew up in Syracuse, New York where he studied architecture at the university level. When he was 17 years old, he joined the Naval Reserve and was sent to Korea in March 1953. He served in Korea until the end of the war. He remembers a time that his LSM (Landing Ship Medium) transported ROK (Republic of Korea) soldiers and officers. He also recalls seeing civilians suffer and thinking that this was “senseless.” While in Korea, he was most impressed by the Korean civilians and the organization of the Chinese military. He served many roles on his ship and is proud of his service.
Video Clips
ROK Solders on the Ship
Russell A. King remembers a time when he and the men had to transport ROK officers. He recalls that they took all of the food with them, this included live animals. He describes how the ROK officers were amazed by forks, the water cooler, and other differences on the ship.
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Suffering Civilians
Russell A. King explains how the Korean civilians suffered. He remembers that people did not have a lot of food, especially in Incheon which had been badly damaged. However, the civilians were extremely grateful for what they received. He states that he thought it seemed senseless that the civilians suffered.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9OSIAprcHI&start=1760&end=1905
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The Chinese Military Was Impressive
Russell A. King was impressed the most by the civilian population. He was also amazed by the discipline and the organization of the Chinese military. He remembers taking Chinese prisoners from one prison camp to the other. With ingenuity, and they made their own communist style uniforms out of the clothes they were given.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9OSIAprcHI&start=2150&end=2272
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/russell-king#clip-3
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