Letters: Korea more thankful than U.S. to veterans

By
Charles Brault.jpgKorean War veteran Charles Brault is shown at Camp Pickett in Virginia in 1950.

I was a combat infantry sergeant during the Korean War. By the way, I was drafted.

I received this letter from the president of South Korea on the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. This is a thank-you letter.

It was or should have been addressed to all Korean War veterans. This is much more than I or we ever received from former President Harry Truman, who sent us there in the first place — or actually any president since then.

Charles E. Brault

Ravenna

Here is a copy of the letter, personally addressed to Brault and dated Nov. 1, 2010.

This year as we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, we honor your selfless sacrifice in fighting tyranny and aggression. We salute your courage in enduring the unimaginable horrors of war. We pay tribute to your commitment in protecting liberty and freedom.

2charlesbrault.jpgCharles Brault

We Koreans made a promise to build a strong and prosperous country that upholds peace and freedom so that the sacrifices that you made would not have been in vain. We have faithfully kept that promise. Korea today is a vibrant democracy with a robust economy and we are actively promoting peace and stability around the world. Korea transformed itself from a country of received aid to one that provide aid to others. We are proud of what we managed to accomplish and we wish to dedicate these achievements to you.

The Korean government has been inviting Korean War veterans every year as part of its Revisit Korea Program since 1972. This year we will be inviting 2,400 Korean War veterans and their families. We Koreans and myself in particular look forward to welcoming you. We hope that you will see what you made possible and hope that your families will feel renewed pride in what you did for us many years ago.

Please accept, once again, our warmest gratitude and deepest respect. You will always remain our true Heroes and we assure you that we will continue to do our best to make you proud. On behalf of the Korean people, I would like to say “thank you.”

Lee Myung-bak

President, Republic of Korea

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