2009 – It was a very good year, for planning the 2010 Commemoration programs

It has been a good year, overall, with respect to what has been accomplished. President Lee Myung-bak issued a Commemoration Order on April 3 and the Commemoration Office was operating by April 17. The 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee was formed on August 5.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Commemoration Office already were working on plans for the 2010 programs when the Committee was organized. It drew 14 other Ministries into the process.

Things have moved forward with considerable speed and thoroughness, despite some very unnecessary distractions from outside of the Committee and MPVA. In addition to working up the 2010 programs, the MPVA has continued its regular schedule of activity, including many international assignments not connected to the 2010 programs.

In November I had the honour of attending the British Embassy’s Remembrance Sunday service held in the Seoul Anglican Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Nicholas. I say the “honour” because I had been asked to read the Act of Remembrance.

I arrived alone by taxi. It was raining. In the foyer Canada’s Ambassador Ted Lipman recognized me and graciously introduced me to Australia’s Ambassador, Sam Gerovich, who took up his post in Korea this spring. We at once began talking about the 2010 commemoration programs.

Ambassador Lipman reminded me that his father in law served with the Chinese Army “on the other side” during the Korean War, although in a staff officer capacity.

I forget who directed me to my seat but I sat in the private pew of Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador to Korea, His Excellency Martin Uden. We were alone. The Ambassador’s wife was in the UK.

Earlier in the year we had exchanged e-Mail messages about the commemoration programs and also his interest in two highly distinguished British Korean War Veterans and other matters.

I also had been introduced to Ambassador Uden the previous November by Frank Fallows from the UK. Frank had been in Korea as Marshal of the Guard of Honour for the November 11 Tribute Ceremony for United Nations Fallen.

After the service Ambassador Uden invited me to his residence. It’s a short walk from the cathedral and so he dismissed his driver who had wanted to run us there in the Jaguar limo.

At his residence I met his aged dog, a retired leader dog with bad arthritis and the Ambassador made us some coffee.

The staff apparently was away or in hiding. He did a fairly good job of locating cups and spoons and things for brewing the coffee. He asked me not to use his title and to call him Martin and I did so.

We sat for half an hour and shared confidences about various aspects of the 2010 commemoration programs, and about Martin’s fund raising program to pay for the UK Memorial that will be placed in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan in 2010.

We talked about Bill Speakman, holder of the Victoria Cross, and Derek Kinne, holder of the George Cross. We acknowledged we both had been saddened that the national 2009 November 11 service planned for the United Nations Memorial Cemetery had been cancelled. Both Bill and Derek had looked forward to coming to Korea to participate in it.

They are invited for 2010 and both of them now have their sights on the April Commonwealth Revisit. The Ambassador is most enthusiastic about meeting them.

We then did get into the Jaguar and the driver took us to the residence of Brigadier Mathew O’Hanlon, the British defence attaché. Matt was holding his traditional curry luncheon and the house was already filled.

The Ambassador was most friendly with everyone and totally at ease and they seemed so with him. He explained cheerfully that he had to circulate and shake hands and so forth and said most of the people present worked for him and loudly advised to “watch your wallet.”

Colonel Stephen LaPlante, the Canadian Defence Attache, brought over a very tall, regal looking gentleman named Colonel Harry Cockburn, whom I had heard much about. Harry is the New Zealand Attache. Soon after we were joined by Commander Christopher Smith, the Australian attache and so all four Commonwealth attaches were assembled.

Colonel Kevin Madden, the very gregarious US Defence Attache also joined us. He was wearing dress blues and seemed quite at home among the Commonwealth attaches, and those from France and other nations.

Later, when we did have curry, I told Harry Cockburn that I had some trepidation as I had undergone major colon surgery in the US Military Hospital in Seoul a few years earlier.

Colonel Madden did me the favour of composing a song to the tune of “I left my heart in San Francisco,” and crooned as he spooned curry onto his rice, “I left my colon, at the Yongsan hospital…”

I was glad to see Mr. Chi Kap-Chong, the chairman of the United Nations Korean War Allies Association. He has done so much for Veterans of all nations over the past half century. He is responsible for most of the Monuments in Korea that commemorate personnel from the 21 UN allies that served in the Korean War.

Several years ago Chairman Chi was awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. It was on the occasion of a reception at the British Embassy during her birthday state visit.

I was pleased to recommend Chairman Chi for Canada’s Meritorious Service Decoration in 2002, which was awarded to him by Canada’s Governor General, but presented by Canada’s Ambassador at the time, Denis Comeau.

I had also recommended the great General Paik Sun-yup for the same decoration and he received his medal in the same ceremony. General Paik next year will be appointed Marshal of the Armed Forces, Korea’s first ever five-star general.

I run through all of this because it augers well for the 2010 programs. All of the attaches are eager to help in all ways and are doing it.

With approval of the budget by the National Assembly there will soon be money in the coffers to pay for things. A magnificent year of commemoration and tribute to the world’s Korean War Veterans should unfold.

It should be noted that the ambassadors and defence attaches from the various nations that participated in the Korean War are taking proactive roles in the commemoration events.

The attaches are coordinators for the extensive revisit programs and also are taking on other responsibilities. One gets the impression they want to dash ahead and perhaps feel that the Committee seems to have some inertia.

In Korea things are customarily done on a hurry hurry basis with very great events sealed and executed in shortness of time that takes the breath of most administrators from western nations. From the point of view of the Commonwealth attaches, they need a full year of lead time to get things done properly, because of the complex administrative procedures they must comply with in their own countries.

I recall in a previous year on another program a Korean committee not seeming to have anything tangible accomplished, and felt my stomach drop and had the feeling that things couldn’t possibly work out.

Yet on the day of the event it was as if somebody had waved a magical wand. There was a highly organized, intricate ceremony of highest caliber, more overdone than underdone, and everyone present was totally spellbound.

So now the Committee and the Ministry is rolling. Minister Kim Yang is on top of everything. The two chairmen of the Commemoration Committee, Prime Minister Chung Un-chan and former Prime Minister Lee Hong-gu have enormous senior executive experience and they both man the bridge.

The MPVA International Operations team that handles the Revisit programs and other matters, and the executives and staffers on the Commemoration Committee are brilliant, hard working individuals, totally dedicated to the job at hand.

I am proud to have some relevance in the programs and to work with such fine people. I am very proud to work with the very high calibre ambassadors and attaches who are immersed in the 2010 programs. I am more than proud to work with, and for, my fellow Korean War Veterans.

One thing astounding to me, and probably not so at all to anyone else, is that of all of the venerable people I have the privilege to meet or work among, of all of the ambassadors and attaches of long military or naval service and of the Minister of Veterans Affairs and the Prime Minister and former Prime Minister who chair our Commemoration Committee... I am the oldest of all of them.

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