subject: A Tribute to the Heroes of the Korean War [print this page] A Tribute to the Heroes of the Korean War
The valor and nobility of Filipino warriors from different eras are forever enshrined in the annals of Philippine history Lapu-Lapu and his troops, the Katipuneros of the Philippine revolution, and most especially the heroes of the Second World War. But whatever happened to the story of the more than 7,400 soldiers who left for the Korean Peninsula 60 years ago to fight for the freedom of a land and a people they barely knew?
In 2010, the South Korean Government, through the media, sent formal letters of gratitude to the countries and people that fought side by side with them during the Korean War. It is a testament to the deep-rooted friendship that has ever since developed between the Republic of Korea and the 21 countries that came to its aid when it waged a battle against the invading forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from 1950-1953.
It was an era of great tension. After failures to hold free elections and to bring together the divided Korean Peninsula, the 38th Parallel that separated North and South Korea quickly became a stage of hostilities. The cross-border offensives soon intensified into warfare when North Korea's troops and war engines invaded South Korea on the 25th of June 1950.
The United Nations condemned the invasion and soon rallied troops from different countries to come to the aid of the South Koreans. Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and the Philippines sent officers and soldiers, while Denmark, Italy, India, Norway and Sweden also sent medical personnel.
The Philippines was the only Asian country apart from Thailand to send troops, because the communist People's Republic of China, along with the U.S.S.R and some Eastern Bloc Countries from Europe, chose to side with North Korea.
During the Korean War, more than 100 Filipino soldiers were killed in action. Many more were wounded or became missing in action or prisoners of war, never to return home again to their families. They were members of a group known as the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea, composed of the 2nd, 10th, 14th, 19th and 20th Battalion Combat Teams from the Philippine Army.
The Filipino soldiers took part in important battles like the Battle of Yultong at North Yuncheon, and the Battle of Hill Eerie, which was won in part because of the bravery of a platoon lead by 2nd Lieutenant Fidel V. Ramos. The young commander will later become the president of the Republic of the Philippines.
It is also worthy to note that Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr., one of the Philippines' most renowned statesmen and leader of the opposition during the regime of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was once a journalist and a Korean War correspondent for the Manila Times. A simple examination of a current 500-peso bill will give you an insight about Aquino's past, because at the back side of the bill, you will see an illustration of the newspaper, where Ninoy is depicted as a Korean War correspondent.
Not a lot of Filipinos now know about the involvement of these two famous Philippine leaders in the Korean War, and a great many more don't know about the involvement of any Filipino in the Korean War, or about the Korean War itself at all.
But many South Koreans, especially those from older generations, have never forgotten about the sacrifices of their own people and of the more than a million troops and personnel from other nations who fought for their freedom.
Such a sacrifice was never in vain, for only because of the selfless bravery of the allied forces did it become possible for the world to witness the Miracle on the Han River. Sixty years ago, no one would have ever thought it possible that South Korea would rise to become the world's 15th largest economy today. Its infrastructure was in ruins, millions lived in poverty, and famine was a perennial problem. Today, Korea is an influential global economy, a seat of corporate power and a leading cultural exporter. And for this, Korea is also eternally grateful to its friends and allies.
Filipinos should likewise be proud of their Korean War heroes and veterans for the part they played in the battle for the Korean Peninsula. The Filipino people, especially the younger generations, should always honor the memory of heroes from every war ever fought, including the Korean War. Moreover, they should also always carry with them, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, "the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom."
