The Graybeards - Korean War Veterans Association

On the cover...
A modern day photo of the orphans in
South Korea today. The veterans of that war
when they close their eyes and go back to
the 50’s, remember a much different appearance
of fear and hopelessness. Those faces
then were dirty and clothes were ragged and
many saw the destruction of family, home
and school. Although we all enjoy a better
life today, in their little minds and hearts a
similar loss is still there. On my last trip to
South Korea, I visited with these children
with four members of the 5th RCT (photo
below) and learned the following story.–Ed
Sam Dong Boys Town, still here forty
plus years later
Monetary donations to the Sam Dong
Boys Town orphanage began several years
ago when Kim, Yong Ho, YMCA secretary
general at Woolsan, and himself an alumni
of the orphanage, and Lee, Jae Won, an
interpreter for the 5th RCT during the war,
met members of the 5th RCT Association at
a reunion in Chicago. It was then the group
decided to renew their support to the boys
home.
After their first donation, the members
contacted the Association relaying the need
at the home. The 5th RCT Association plans
to make annual donations to the Sam Dong
home.
The association members lost track of the
orphanage for more than 40 years. Many of
the soldiers came back from the war and
started college or had families and I guess
most just forgot about it.
The Sam Dong Boys Town original
name was “The Korean Boys Town.” This
home was funded by the 5th RCT during the
Korean War. The orphanage, then located on
Nanjido Island in the Han River running
through Seoul, had an elementary school,
trade school, shops and living quarters.
At the original site the 5th RCT built 12
homes (including three school buildings) to
accommodate more than 300 orphans . It
moved to its present location in the 70’s. It
currently houses over 50 boys ranging from
ages three and up–see photo on page 37.
(It is my understanding that the home is
moving again in the upcoming months due
to an arena being built nearby for the World
Cup that is to be held in South Korea. Any
info please inform editor, The Graybeards. I
thank my new friends: 5th RCT, Col’s Jung
Mo Park, Woo Sang Koh and Kwan Jin Kim
for the great visit to Boys Town, Museum,
Dinner and Theater.–Editor.)
Sam Dong Boys Town visitors (l to r) are Walter Ade, Vincent Krepps, Keith Larson, Benard Scott and George
Pempek. Except for Vincent, all are members of Sangamon County Chapter IL KWVA and 5th RCT.
THIS ISSUE
Features
Beyond the Call of Duty 40
My Year in Hell 43
Seoul Mates Return to Korea 54
Para-Pants 56
Departments
President’s Message 4
National VA/VS Representative Report 6
Book Review 6
Update–Korean War-Ex-POW 7
Monuments and Memories 13
Letters 18
Veterans Services 22
Defence POW/MIA Weekly Update 24
Chapter Affairs 30
Korean War Veterans Educational
Grant Corporation 42
The Poet’s Place 47
Looking for... 50
Taps 55
Chaplain’s Corner 64
Reunions 66
News & Notes
16th Annual Reunion Registration 9
Thanks for Supporting The Graybeards 21
1999 KWVA raffle winner 23
Minutes–Executive Council Meeting 26
Proud Korean War Vets Display Tags 35
Massachusetts presented with
Korean War Flag 37
Congressman Ehrich replaces stolen
Medal of Honor 38
KWVA–Financial Status 41
Korean War For Freedom 44
11th Engineers Reunion 45
A Corpsman, a Brother, a Hero –
Joe Keenan, U.S. Navy 58
Korean War National Museum and
Library–Progress Report 61
Update Korean Revisit 69
USA Commemoration of the 50th
Anniversary of the Korean War 71
January/February, 2000 Page 3