I just watched a 2 hour documentary on the Korean War. There is so much i didn't know! But what is a common theme in all wars is how big egos and politics in so-called "leaders" drive men and women like us into their wars, and how so many civilians and military are killed, so much destruction, and none of those "leaders" ever have to account for their roles. I am screaming! Sorry. 

Here you go hat:

 

Thanks, Cal. There's a lot of realistic truth in that song. 

If you ever get to Washington, DC, be sure to see the Korean War memorial. It is unforgettable.

5 minutes ago, lew said:

If you ever get to Washington, DC, be sure to see the Korean War memorial. It is unforgettable.

So is the memorial that has the life like soldiers slogging through paddies. I can't remember it's title. 

That's the one I was referring to, Gene.

 

It was a wet cloudy day when we were there and the weather really accentuated the mood of the monument.

I got my first Summer job with the Forest Service in 1963 spraying bark beetles on the Uinta NF. I started in mid-June, and was assigned a tent for quarters. When I walked in, I saw a guy dressed in Army fatigues, wearing his boots and field jacket, arms folded together with a blanket wrapped over his shoulders, sitting on his bunk next to the stove. It was really hot. He slept in his clothes every night, wrapped up with blankets. I asked about him and learned he was an infantry veteran of the Korean War and he was on an experimental work program with the VA. In the PBS special, you will see guys sleeping on the ground, covered in snow, with night-time temps well below zero. We were on different crews and didn't talk much. I remember him saying he was always cold.     

34 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

So is the memorial that has the life like soldiers slogging through paddies. I can't remember it's title. 

No paddies. It was a squad just emerging from the forest. Korea is mountainous and very cold in winter. Depending on where you are, Summer monsoons put down heavy rains with scarcely enough room in between drops to catch a breath. Seeing how people lived there really opened my eyes to the reality of the world. 

Edited May 19, 20197 yr by hatuffej

You're right, Hat. It's been a while. So, that was the Korean War monunent, then? 

Korea War Monument

https://www.aviewoncities.com/washington/koreanwarmemorial.htm

 

 

What stuck with me most was the almost ghostly appearance of the faces on the statues

Thanks Hat, Lew and, John. That's the one, alright. 

So much truth in the song.  Thanks for that.