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- [Small Archive of Korean War Correspondence]
[Small Archive of Korean War Correspondence]
[Small Archive of Korean War Correspondence]
A small archive of correspondence (25 different letters composed of more than 60 pages) written and sent by a William G. Rae (1922-2002) while stationed in Korea and Japan as a field officer for the Red Cross in support of the United States Army during the Korean War. Rae, a lawyer by trade, provides detailed and revealing accounts of circumstances in Seoul, various Japanese cities, and at the front lines near the 38th parallel, including two dispatches from the immediate aftermath of the battle at Heartbreak Ridge.
He also writes extensively of a young Korean assistant (a "house boy" as Rae calls him) named Chong who provides his own manuscript messages to a few letters and is shown in two identified photographs. A particularly poignant letter from September 9, 1951 describes a visit to Chong's hometown amid the fighting:
“Work has been steady and I have been kept pretty busy almost all the time lately. The war has grown in intensity. The nights are cold and noisier. The guns boom constantly in their missions of death and, yes, the casualty lists are increasing again as the prospects for success at Kaisong continue to fade and fade and fade.
Yesterday I went to Chuncheon to locate some units and while there I decided to go over to Hongcheon where Chong’s family lived before the war. Chong had not seen his family, except for one brother, in over a year. Naturally, he was quite excited over a reunion with them, however brief. For days after I told him of the possibility of taking him home to see Papa-san and Mama-san he counted his Korean money, “wan” and planned on how much he would have to give his Papa-san as “presents.”
Well, to make a long and arduous journey over terribly dusty roads seem short, we arrived at the site of his former home at about 3:30 in the afternoon. His home was completely destroyed. Nearly in tears, however, he spotted some neighbors who told him of the whereabouts of his family. Turning around, we jeeped back up the road a mile or so and cut off into a little valley containing several makeshift thatched huts. He was so excited now he tumbled out of the jeep & ran up to one of the huts. People and children swarmed out of the huts and one of them was Mama-san who grasped him and hugged him with tears in her eyes and called for Papa-san, who then came stumbling down the path from their “house” to meet his son. Both parents with tears in their care-worn eyes bowed profusely to me and shook my hand. They hadn’t seen their son in over a year and for all they knew he, too, was dead just as were two other of Chong’s brothers.
It seems that Chong’s home was destroyed by Chinese mortar fire, two of the boys were killed instantly and Chong’s mother was terribly scarred on the left side of her face with a searing wound. It was a heart wrenching home scene for Chong and almost equal so for me, although I was but a witness to a touching Oriental family scene. People, little people and children are the same the world over, believe me.
In his rejoicing Papa-son took the two packages of cigarettes Chong had given him and passed them about to all the elder Koreans who now flocked about us and the jeep taking in everything with their wide and curious eyes. He insisted that all share in his rejoicing. All this was done with such simplicity and dignity that tears were not far from my eyes, either. Later Papa-san brought out 6 ears of cooked corn for us to eat. This is a Korean delicacy and it was his humble way of thanking me for this reunion with his son. After a few more minutes of bowing and handshaking we drove away, back to North Korea. Chong silent but happy.” [sic all]
A worthy and uncommonly sensitive primary manuscript record of the American and Korean experience during the Korean War. A link to an additional document of passages transcribed by me is available upon request.
RAE, William G. : [Korean War]. [Small Archive of Korean War Correspondence]. Korea and Japan: (1951-1953). 25 separate postal covers holding more than 65 pages of manuscript correspondence ; approximately 7,500 words, conservatively. Three black and white snapshot photographs additional. All about very good condition, letters typically highly legible.
A small archive of correspondence (25 different letters composed of more than 60 pages) written and sent by a William G. Rae (1922-2002) while stationed in Korea and Japan as a field officer for the Red Cross in support of the United States Army during the Korean War. Rae, a lawyer by trade, provides detailed and revealing accounts of circumstances in Seoul, various Japanese cities, and at the front lines near the 38th parallel, including two dispatches from the immediate aftermath of the battle at Heartbreak Ridge.
He also writes extensively of a young Korean assistant (a "house boy" as Rae calls him) named Chong who provides his own manuscript messages to a few letters and is shown in two identified photographs. A particularly poignant letter from September 9, 1951 describes a visit to Chong's hometown amid the fighting:
“Work has been steady and I have been kept pretty busy almost all the time lately. The war has grown in intensity. The nights are cold and noisier. The guns boom constantly in their missions of death and, yes, the casualty lists are increasing again as the prospects for success at Kaisong continue to fade and fade and fade.
Yesterday I went to Chuncheon to locate some units and while there I decided to go over to Hongcheon where Chong’s family lived before the war. Chong had not seen his family, except for one brother, in over a year. Naturally, he was quite excited over a reunion with them, however brief. For days after I told him of the possibility of taking him home to see Papa-san and Mama-san he counted his Korean money, “wan” and planned on how much he would have to give his Papa-san as “presents.”
Well, to make a long and arduous journey over terribly dusty roads seem short, we arrived at the site of his former home at about 3:30 in the afternoon. His home was completely destroyed. Nearly in tears, however, he spotted some neighbors who told him of the whereabouts of his family. Turning around, we jeeped back up the road a mile or so and cut off into a little valley containing several makeshift thatched huts. He was so excited now he tumbled out of the jeep & ran up to one of the huts. People and children swarmed out of the huts and one of them was Mama-san who grasped him and hugged him with tears in her eyes and called for Papa-san, who then came stumbling down the path from their “house” to meet his son. Both parents with tears in their care-worn eyes bowed profusely to me and shook my hand. They hadn’t seen their son in over a year and for all they knew he, too, was dead just as were two other of Chong’s brothers.
It seems that Chong’s home was destroyed by Chinese mortar fire, two of the boys were killed instantly and Chong’s mother was terribly scarred on the left side of her face with a searing wound. It was a heart wrenching home scene for Chong and almost equal so for me, although I was but a witness to a touching Oriental family scene. People, little people and children are the same the world over, believe me.
In his rejoicing Papa-son took the two packages of cigarettes Chong had given him and passed them about to all the elder Koreans who now flocked about us and the jeep taking in everything with their wide and curious eyes. He insisted that all share in his rejoicing. All this was done with such simplicity and dignity that tears were not far from my eyes, either. Later Papa-san brought out 6 ears of cooked corn for us to eat. This is a Korean delicacy and it was his humble way of thanking me for this reunion with his son. After a few more minutes of bowing and handshaking we drove away, back to North Korea. Chong silent but happy.” [sic all]
A worthy and uncommonly sensitive primary manuscript record of the American and Korean experience during the Korean War. A link to an additional document of passages transcribed by me is available upon request.
RAE, William G. : [Korean War]. [Small Archive of Korean War Correspondence]. Korea and Japan: (1951-1953). 25 separate postal covers holding more than 65 pages of manuscript correspondence ; approximately 7,500 words, conservatively. Three black and white snapshot photographs additional. All about very good condition, letters typically highly legible.