2010 revisit program is open to all who served

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Some Veterans have asked if it is necessary to belong to a KVA unit in order to be eligible to participate in one of the 2010 Korean Veteran Revisit programs.

The answer is “No.” The program is open to all Korean War Veterans, and does not require membership in a veterans organization.

The reason: Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs wishes to reach out to as many veterans as possible in 2010. The MPVA is cognizant that in some countries less than 20% of the surviving veterans belong to KVA’s and that 80% or more do not.

The MPVA relies on the major KVA’s to organize the revisit groups and greatly appreciates the fine work that they do in supporting the program. However, they want to make sure that as many Veterans as possible have a chance to benefit from the 2010 activities. So they want the KVA's to sign up non-members who apply and meet the Korean War service criteria.

This information has been expressed by the MPVA and the Commemoration Committee to ambassadors and attaches in briefings in Seoul, with the request that it be forwarded to relevant veterans groups in their home nations.

All Veterans should apply through the KVA that is handling the revisit applications in their country. In some cases this may lead to the Veteran voluntarily joining a KVA to establish contact with fellow Veterans.

This same openness policy applies to the President Lee Myung-bak’s letter. President Lee will send a letter of appreciation to all Korean War Veterans, probably in June, 2010.

The Commemoration Committee, which handles the program, is asking KVA’s and other veterans groups to help. The Committee wants them to develop comprehensive data bases that list all of the veterans it is possible to locate, along with their addresses and if possible, some of their service particulars.

Again, membership in a KVA is not a requirement for being listed. In Canada, for instance, KVA Canada president Terry Wickens and national vice president Paul Rochon report they aim to develop a list of 6,000-7,000 veterans. That is more than double the number of KVA Canada active members.

The Commemoration Committee is also asking the major KVA’s to organize tribute events for veterans in their home countries.

Again, it is not necessary for a Veteran to belong to a KVA to be invited to attend or to register for such events. The events usually will take the form of a banquet, complete with Korean entertainment, Korean food and presentations to the Veterans by the Korean sponsors.

It is noteworthy that the Commemoration Committee will provide financial support for the receptions or banquets. The expectation is that the Veterans Affairs Ministry or Veterans Affairs Department in each country will agree to participate, along with the Korean delegation and the KVA’s.

The Committee, in its briefings to ambassadors and attaches, has asked that the overseas be held to commemorate the June 25, 1950 start of the Korean War and the July 27, 1953 signing of the armistice.

The Committee has asked that the events be held in major cities where Korea has an embassy (capital cities) or a consulate. Other venues would be cities that are visited by Korean warships in 2010.

The Committee wishes its delegations and the Korean missions abroad, to visit Veterans who are being cared for in long-term hospitals, nursing homes or retirement homes.

The KVA’s are being relied upon to work with Veterans agencies to develop lists of the patients.

While it is not practical to expect the Korean delegations to visit all of the Veterans hospitals, they will make a strong effort to do so in the cities in which the banquets are hosted.

In cases where they cannot visit the hospitals, the Veteran patients will receive letters from President Lee Myung-bak and visits from members of the local KVA’s.

The Commemoration Committee has noted in its presentations that, because of the age of many Korean War Veterans, this may be the last opportunity to pay a really meaningful tribute to them on a significant anniversary of the Korean War.

For that reason these “local” banquets and ceremonies are expected to be major events that draw many veterans.

In Canada, for instance, two celebrations are being planned. One is the traditional Korea Day ceremony held in the Canadian capital of Ottawa on June 25. That event is hosted each year by Korea’s Ambassador to Canada and by Canada’s Minister of Veterans Affairs.

The other special 2010 event is the July 27 Armistice ceremony, which will be held at the Korea Veterans Wall of Remembrance in the Toronto Suburb of Brampton.

The Commemoration Committee should know that in 2003, when the Monument to Canadian Fallen was dedicated and Consecrated in Ottawa, more than 1,000 Veterans were present. They traveled from all across Canada at their own expenses to participate in the meaningful national ceremony. Attendance at the 2010 events could repeat such stellar turnout.

Canada may also receive a visit from a Korean warship in July. This is still under consideration. However, if a ship is scheduled to call, then a similar reception would be held at the port of call, probably Vancouver.

Warships from Korea may also be assigned to visit other nations. The attaches all have been advised.

One of the good things about involving the defence attaches directly is that they can present the interests of their nation’s Veterans to the MPVA, which has responsibility for the Revisit Program.

Every revisit has a planned trip to the DMZ, as well as visits and services at locations where major battles took place.

For the United Kingdom, a ceremony commemorating the Battle of the Imjin River (April, 1951) will be held at Solma-ri for UK Veterans. Canadian and New Zealand Veterans will hold services near Gapyeong, commemorating the Battle of Kapyong (April, 1951).

French Veterans of the Bataillon français de l'ONU probably will visit Wonju (January, 1951) or the Twin Tunnels site and Chipyong-ni (February, 1951). There are many battle sites for the famed BF-ONU to visit. During the Korean War the Bataillon received six US Presidential citations.

US Veterans (and perhaps some British Veterans from the 27th Brigade) will participate in the Naktong River defence and breakout ceremony.

US Veterans also can visit other battle sites, depending on the arrangement worked out with their attache and with the MPVA or Commemoration Committee for a particular revisit program.

The Commemoration Committee has not overlooked the superb contributions of naval and air forces. Acknowledgment will be made in the Incheon Landings Ceremony in September and the Air Force Ceremony in October.

A very good question. In Korea, tour guides are college graduates who have spent an additional year studying and training in a government-required program. Gratuities are expected to make up approximately 40% of their income. It is part of the culture.

When most Koreans go on a vacation, they sign up in tour groups. Gratuities at respectable levels are customary.

The guide works both before and after the tour is completed. She works very long hours and she works very hard.

The bus driver also by custom receives a generous gratuity from the passengers. The amount received is a matter of honour and the drivers compare notes.

Every revisit group has an ambulance and attendant physician and nurses with them 24 hours daily.

Any case of sickness or injury requiring hospital service is handled promptly and efficiently.

Korea has excellent medical services with world class hospitals located in all of the provinces.

The major hospitals in Seoul are staffed by physicians of all medical specialties. They are on par with leading North American hospitals.

There is one cultural difference for in-patient care that all visitors to Korea should be aware of.

The Korean hospitals expect the family of a patient to provide a 24-hour caregiver to assist the patient with washing, eating, changing clothes. This is a long established custom. In many hospitals a cot for the caregiver is located next to the patient’s hospital bed.

A Veteran with proper insurance will be admitted with full hospital service. The insurance company usually will fly over a family member to be with the patient, if this is deemed necessary.

Surgical and other specialty services can be provided in the hospital and the patient is then air evacuated to his home for recuperation. In cases where the patient can undergo air travel before treatment, the patient is transported to a hospital near his home by air ambulance.

Sometimes consuls in embassies may try to arrange to send a disabled Veteran to his home by buying a row of seats on a regularly scheduled airliner. This is a clumsy way of handling a medical situation and the airlines balk at it. So should the Veteran and his family. An air ambulance in which he receives proper medical care throughout the journey is the approach to take.

As expected, Korean food is served in the hospitals. Many patients receive meals and bottled water brought in from the outside by their caregivers. Generally speaking the hospitals are cheery places.

Every revisit coordinator should insist that each Veteran has a valid full-service medical insurance policy. They are not terribly expensive. A fee of about $150 usually suffices. No Veteran should travel abroad without such coverage.

Canadian Veteran Vince Hollingsworth fell and broke his hip in a revisit in April of this year. It was touch and go for Vic for several days. He elected to have surgery in Canada and was air evac’d to London, Ontario. Vic’s condition deteriorated in Canada and he went into the ICU. However, the 80-some year old Veteran of The Royal Canadian Regiment rallied and then underwent the required surgery. Vic’s injury occurred in line of duty on the night before his revisit group departed Korea. Wouldn’t you know that he was in the company of a Veteran from the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and several young serving soldiers from the Patricias Regiment who were on duty in Seoul with the United Nations Honour Guard? The writer made sure Vince had all of his possessions and received the very best medical treatment possible. The lady shown is a caregiver provided by the Canadian Embassy. She did the job that a family member caregiver would otherwise do. With broken hip and in considerable pain in the Seoul hospital Vince was saying he was looking forward to going to his summer place and opening it up for the season.

Above article provided courtesy of the Korean War Veteran, koreavetnews@aol.com