PORT ANGELES — South Korea’s top regional diplomat extended thankful hands Monday to a table full of U.S. Korean War veterans.
Consul General Moon Duk-ho, accompanied by four staff members, presented the Republic of Korea’s Ambassador for Peace commemorative medal to 10 veterans during a luncheon at Kokopelli Grill that included wives and well-wishers.
Moon’s Seattle office is responsible for South Korean immigration, visa and passport affairs in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska, where more than 170,000 Korean-Americans reside and whose interests are represented by the consulate.
But Moon’s attention Monday was trained on more than a dozen North Olympic Peninsula veterans — some of whom had already received the medal — and their guests.
Ever appreciative
More than once, he was effusive with appreciation for their sacrifice in turning back North Korean, Soviet Union and Chinese forces after South Korea was invaded in 1950.
“I feel extremely happy to have you here,” Moon said. “I will always appreciate your efforts. You saved my country.
“The Korean War is often considered the forgotten war, but it is never forgotten by the Korean people.”
The conflict between 1950-1953 took more than 33,000 American lives and caused more than 2 million North and South Korean military and civilian deaths.
Moon lacked rancor toward North Korea.
“I feel very sorry for my North Korean brothers,” he said.
He also noted his own country’s sacrifices fighting “along with our American allies” in Vietnam and other military theaters.
“We shed our blood,” Moon said. “We are global partners. We always try to do our share of responsibility.”
The event was organized by the Olympic Peninsula Korean War Veterans Association Chapter 310, established in 2007 as the state’s first such group, said, Gerald Rettela, 80, who was an infantry division staff sergeant.
Chapter 310 has 30 members, though Rettela estimated there might be another 200 Korean War veterans in Clallam County who are not affiliated with the group.
Legislative resolution
Rettela presented Moon with a laminated copy of the state legislative resolution that dedicated portions of state Highways 112 and 113 in honor of Korean War veterans as the Korean War Veterans Blue Star Memorial Highway.
The legislation designated for the honor a section of state Highway 113 between U.S. Highway 101 and state Highway 112, and a section of Highway 112, from its junction with Highway 113 to the Makah tribal reservation in Neah Bay.
Don Roberts, 89, of Port Angeles, was an infantryman in World War II.
Then he served two tours in Korea and three in Vietnam.
Roberts was among the medal recipients Monday.
“I appreciated it, and especially since it was from a Korean,” Roberts said later.
Fleeing conflict
He recalled the suffering of the Korean people, particularly women, as they fled the tide of battle while death and destruction swept north to south to north again.
“They were trying to stay away from the fighting, but every way they turned, they would run into it,” Roberts said.
“Everything in the world, they had on their head or back, toting two kids, one in each hand, in January and February, those kinds of months.
“The misery those people went through.
“Most of the refugee columns were women and children, or old men and old women.”
Richard Smelling, 84, a lifelong Port Angeles resident and former letter carrier, was a sergeant in the Air Force during the Korean War.
He recalled the conflict while his fellow comrades in arms punctuated war stories with laughter that had to hold back some sorrow.
No doubt Smelling spoke for all more than just himself before he heard heartfelt thanks from one of the United States’ closest allies.
“We were fortunate to come home in one piece,” he said of a war none around that table could forget.
“I wish everyone came home.”
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.