Sickbed Memoirs of Soldier Lee Hak-soo
Unerasable memories of war, about the unforgettable pains of war
In 2005, when the late Lee Hak-soo, who was a veteran of the Korean War and a father, passed away, his bereaved family could not fight back their tears seeing a piece of metal that came out from his cremated remains. What was the story behind this small piece of metal?
Photo of the late Corporal Lee Hak-soo while serving in the military (Estimated in 1951)War Memorial of Korea
Soldier Lee Hak-soo joins the Marines
The late Lee Hak-soo voluntarily joined the Marines (8th class) to protect his country in 1951, at the height of the Korean War, when he turned 20.
Landscape of the Hill 610War Memorial of Korea
Fighting on the hills and injury
In September of 1952 when there were bloody battles for hills, Corporal Lee Hak-soo took part in battles in the Jangdan region. The battles for hills were tough for both the UN Forces and Communists due to the rugged terrain and punishing weather near the 38th parallel.
A soldier climbing a mountain with radio equipmentWar Memorial of Korea
Back then, most of the wartime equipment had to be moved by soldiers to the mountains, and right before the armistice was signed, the UN and Communist forces fought hard to gain more territory.
Soldiers marching with the Taegeukgi(donated by Kim Mi-seong) (1950-10-10)War Memorial of Korea
This was the same in the Jangdan region in Gyeonggi-do near the ceasefire line. Corporal Lee Hak-soo fought in the war as a marine and in 1952, he suffered a huge injury in a battle at Jangdan, and was transported to the military hospital with the risk of losing his vision.
Memorandum of the late Corporal Lee Hak-soo
Corporal Lee Hak-soo always enjoyed writing, and after recovering his sight while being treated at the naval hospital, he wrote a 93-page memoir on his sickbed. These memoirs contain his thoughts about his comrades and the war that he experienced in his 20s.
Part of the Sickbed Memoirs of Soldier Lee Hak-soo
The first page of his memoir includes records on his fellow soldiers and he writes about being sorry for not being able to bring back the bodies of his fallen comrades who were killed during the Battle for Hill 67, which was a fierce fight in Jangdan in 1952, as well as his longing for them. He also expresses his sorrow of having to say goodbye to Shin, whom he became close to at the hospital.
In July of 1953, as negotiations for a ceasefire drew near a conclusion between the UN and Communist Forces, he wrote his thoughts about the ceasefire agreement. Here, Corporal Lee Hak-soo pleaded to the UN that all of the people on the Korean Peninsula wanted a unified government and that the cries of the public will spread to all 2.5 billion people in the world to evaluate the discussions on the war and peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Part of the Sickbed Memoirs of Soldier Lee Hak-soo
The late Corporal Lee Hak-Soo with his comrades on naval ship (Estimated in 1951)War Memorial of Korea
Unerasable pains of war
While being treated at the hospital, Corporal Lee Hak-soo was discharged after receiving a diagnosis that the fragment stuck in his head during battle could not be removed with surgery. This was a huge price for a young man's decision to protect his country. After the war, Corporal Lee Hak-soo got another job and formed a family, but the pains from the fragment in his head lingered even as he aged, and the pains would sometimes become so severe that he could not sleep at night properly. Finally, in 2005 when he closed his eyes for the last time, he was able to become free from the unerasable pains of war.
Corporal Lee Hak-soo's story shows that the war, which could have been forgotten to some of us, could be a source of ongoing pain and suffering to others, and that it could still have a deep impact on the lives of some of us even today. Even if the goal and start of the war are justifiable, it reminds us that its process and result will leave a lasting scar and there will be everlasting pain for all of us. This is why we should remember and reflect on the tragedy of war.
* Rights to all data used in this story are reserved by the War Memorial of Korea.
Planning/Editing: Shin Yoo-jin
Original Release: Choi Moon-joo
Artifact Filming: Sung Min-joo
Host: Jung Seo-hee
The War Memorial of Korea is a comprehensive museum on war and military history that collects, preserves, manages, and services various materials related to the history of the war in the Korean Peninsula. The War Memorial of Korea's Open Archive is offered to share historical resources with citizens. Check out more archive materials of the War Memorial at the Open Archive.
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