The Korean War began on June 1950 when the North Korean army crossed the 38th parallel and began its attack against South Korea. The US would enter into the war by the following month.
Drafted
Two years later, Him Thoon would receive draft papers notifying him to report to the army's military headquarters in San Francisco, California. On October 28, 1952, Him Thoon was officially enlisted into the United States Army. He would undergo basic training, then be deployed to Korea. He was initially drafted in as a cook, but would eventually become an army translator for Chinese prisoners once it became known that he could speak both Chinese and English well.
Army Life
He was assigned to the 9th Infantry Regiment in the rank of Private First Class. During his tour in Korea, he would be promoted to Private Second Class on Feburary 28, 1953. During his time in the army, he would buy and sell cameras illegally as a side job to make some extra cash. One memorable moment during his service overseas was the opportunity to see Marilyn Monroe perform and snap a picture of her on stage (see picture in slideshow below). She had traveled to Korea in February of 1954 to entertain the American Troops. The Korean War would end on July 1953 when the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Chinese People's Volunteers, and the UN signed an armistice agreement. However, it would take another year for the US to withdraw all of their troops from Korea. Him Thoon would be sent back on one of the last transports back home. He was honorably discharged from the army on October 1, 1954, having served in the military for almost two years; one year and 5 months of that was spent overseas. He left the army as a Corporal, awarded with the Korean Service Medial w/1BSS (Bronze Service Star), the UN Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and a Good Conduct Medal. He would be transferred to Reserve status for the next six years.
From the BBC History Website:
"No one knows exactly how many people died in this war. In a sense it was a civil war fought out with foreign participation on both sides. It was the first military test of the United Nations and also the last martial adventure of the old Commonwealth. The American Department of Defence acknowledges that almost 40,000 of its servicemen died, either in battle or of other causes. British casualties were 1,078 killed in action, 2,674 wounded and 1,060 missing or taken prisoner."
There are 7,704 American soldiers still unaccounted for from the Korean War as of April 2018.
Army Life Pictures
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