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| Yu Yong-bong, a former KATUSA who served in the 1950-53 Korean War, is seen in 2018. / Courtesy of Yongsan Legacy |
By Kyung Lee
It was Aug. 16, 1950, when Yu Yong-bong, then 18, realized he would make direct contributions to the war effort.
Drafted and soon transported ― alongside his country brethren ― from Busan Port to Camp Fuji in Japan, Yu was headed for training with the U.S. Army 7th Division as one of the 313 soldiers to be outfitted under the founding Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) unit.
While undergoing intensive combat training, Yu believed he was being seasoned to aim his rifle at enemy troops, but fate aimed him in a different direction when he was assigned as a combat medic to the U.S. Army 7th Division's 17th Infantry Regiment.
"When they issued me an M1 Carbine at first, I fired it and my whole body was knocked back from the recoil," he said. "Later, I found it more suitable to carry a pistol so I could tend to the wounded."
Yu's training transitioned from killing to saving lives.
Following three grueling weeks of boot camp at Camp Fuji, Yu embarked on an expedition across and around the Korean Peninsula, marching into some of the fiercest front lines at Pork Chop Hill and the Yalu River up by China, as well as assisting in the evacuation of South-bound North Korean refugees stranded in Hungnam.
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| This 1952 Korean War photo provided by Yu Yong-bong shows Yu at 1062 Hill, somewhere near Cheorwon, Gangwon Province. / Courtesy of Yu Yong-bong |
"A lot of medics died from exposure to enemy fire because they couldn't crouch for cover while carting the wounded away from the fighting," he recalled. "Infantry would also take a step back because of mounting casualties in the front lines."
Though augmenting U.S. soldiers in combat was a central commitment required of a KATUSA, such a role didn't stop Yu from cherishing the camaraderie he maintained with his American counterparts.
Back at Camp Fuji, he was paired with Lt. Edward Guy, a medical student from Kansas. The two started out communicating through creative hand gestures and single-word sentences, eventually forging a brotherhood by December 1951 when they parted ways after Guy completed his one-year rotation as a combat medic.
After 58 years apart, Yu tracked down Guy through the American Veterans Association, and the two reunited over 50 years later in Montana in 2011 prior to Guy's death.
"On nights in our bunker, both of us kept awake on watch duty while other U.S. and KATUSA buddies traded shifts for a quick shut-eye," he said.
Following completion of his duty in 1954, Yu found it fitting to dedicate his career as an orthopedic nurse at the 543rd General Dispensary at Camp Walker in Daegu.
From that point on to his retirement in 2004, Yu incorporated what skills he had cultivated as a combat medic into a full-time role of administering injections and patching up soldiers ― both American and KATUSA ― who suffered broken bones and damaged spirits.
Dedicated to care for patients stricken with physical injuries while channeling a contagious display of empathy, Yu also received training at the 121st Evacuation Hospital in Yongsan Garrison in the 1970s and 1980s to perfect his skill in physical therapy and wound disinfection.
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| This 1952 Korean War photo provided by Yu Yong-bong was taken in a location labeled only as 'UG-dong.' / Courtesy of Yu Yong-bong |
And when his visits didn't involve work-related activities, he and his former KATUSA comrades would dine ― on $50 meals free of charge ― at Yongsan's Dragon Hill Lodge to commemorate all KATUSA, ROK, and U.S. service members who fought in the Korean War.
Now 86, Yu says he cannot forget what the U.S. presence in South Korea did for his life, career and country.
"U.S. military bases and other American influences have always been good for development of the neighborhoods in close proximity," he said. "If Yongsan turns into a park, it'd be great for people who love outdoor activities, but I'd be disappointed if it wasn't put to good use since it has more than 60 years of history and memories shared between our two nations."
Kyung Lee is a writer and researcher recording the U.S. military's history in Korea. Visit yongsanlegacy.org to read more about the history of Seoul's disappearing U.S. garrison or to contribute your own memories.
