SEOUL – It was 60 years ago when former President Fidel Ramos wore his military insignia as a young first lieutenant after graduation from the West Point military academy in the US.
He was then deployed as a combat officer of the first Philippine peacekeeping force to the United Nations because of the outbreak of the Korean War on June 25, 1950.
Now, Mr. Ramos has decided to turn over his personal mementos to the Korean War Memorial Museum here in Seoul. The Ramos military artifacts will become part of the museum’s public exhibit of memorabilia of the Korean War from 1950-1953.
Philippine ambassador to Seoul Luis Cruz said the embassy will also hold a photo exhibit of the war exploits of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) taken by the late Filipino war correspondent Manaois.
Ha Tae-chul, museum curator of the War Memorial of Korea, revealed to The STAR yesterday that Mr. Ramos will attend the special ceremonies for the turnover of his donation sometime in the middle of August.
“President Ramos wrote to us about his desire to donate his military artifacts and we’re very grateful and honored to accept them to become part of our War Memorial Museum pieces for the Philippines,” he told the 19 visiting foreign journalists who were invited to the 60th anniversary of the Korean War.
The journalists came from 12 countries whose respective governments sent combat troops and humanitarian support to the UN-led coalition forces during the Korean War.
The STAR represented the Philippines in a special commemoration activity in honor of the international journalists who were killed and wounded at the battlefronts during their coverage of the Korean War.
Ha said the donation of Mr. Ramos, now 78, comes 10 years after the latter first visited the Korean War Memorial Museum. Ramos was president of the Philippines from June 1992 to June 1998.
Mr. Ramos was among the 7,420 Filipino soldiers who fought in the Korean War under the UN Command then headed by American Gen. Douglas McArthur. One battalion combat team from the Philippines arrived in Busan on Sept. 19, 1950 on board an American warship.
From the records of the PEFTOK, Ramos served a tour of duty from 1951-1952. He was with the Personnel Research Group, General Headquarters, Korea as a platoon leader.
From the annals of the museum, Ha cited Ramos as the “Recon” leader or the one in charge of reconnaissance before the main forces were sent out to the front. “What is the job of a recon leader? To recon the front line – no man’s land. And what did we do? I had to assault a fortified position of the Chinese communists and wiped them out,” Ramos was quoted as saying in July 1987 in response to questions about his combat actions.
Part of the museum exhibit features Philippine flags and the names of 112 Filipino soldiers who were listed as killed in action. Another 229 Filipinos were wounded during the battles of the UN coalition forces that drove back invading North Korean communist soldiers then backed by China and the Soviet Union.
The Philippines was the eighth among the 21 countries that participated in the UN-led coalition forces in the Korean War.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak led his nation last Friday in commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War and honored with solemn rites the veterans from 21 countries, especially the fallen soldiers who gave their lives in defense of peace in this part of the world.