General Richard Whitcomb, who devoted himself to restoring the ROKUnited Nations Peace Memorial
General Whitcomb loved Korea more than Koreans love Korea
Richard Seabury Whitcomb (1894-1982) was born in Kansas, US in 1894 Being commissioned after finishing the ROTC program, General Whitcomb fought in World War I and World War II. In 1953, he came to Korea for the first time as the commander of the US 2nd Logistics Support Base in Busan.
General Richard Whitcomb, who devoted himself to restoring the ROKUnited Nations Peace Memorial
Hope can be found in the ashes after a devastating fire
A great fire in Busan in November 1953. General Whitcomb, a blue-eyed foreigner, saved 30,000 victims. He provided military supplies, including tents and food. Due to his actions, he was summoned to the US Congressional hearing but received a standing ovation for saying the following words: “War is done by weapons and it remains undone, unless it is done for the sake of the people in the country.”
General Richard Whitcomb, who devoted himself to restoring the ROKUnited Nations Peace Memorial
"War is not done with sword not the rifle. Genuine triumph is for the sake of the people in the country."
A monument commemorating General Whitcomb’s serviceUnited Nations Peace Memorial
After the great fire, the citizens of Busan erected a memorial stone to honor him out of gratitude but only a photograph of it remains today.
President Syng-man Rhee encourages nursesUnited Nations Peace Memorial
Taking the lead in building hospitals
Seeing the need for medical institutions, General Whitcomb endeavored to build medical institutions, including Maryknoll Hospital. He exerted great efforts to raise funds for the Armed Forces Assistance to Korea (AFAK) and led the movement to donate 1% of the monthly salary with members of his unit to help build hospitals.
General Richard Whitcomb, who devoted himself to restoring the ROKUnited Nations Peace Memorial
Gentleman in Korea
To raise funds, he wore gat and hanbok (traditional Korean hat and dress) and conducted a fund-raising carnival. The event was introduced by the October 25, 1954 issue of Life magazine.
General Richard Whitcomb, who devoted himself to restoring the ROKUnited Nations Peace Memorial
Efforts to advance education
General Whitcomb showed much interest in education as well. Yoon In-gu, the first president of Pusan National University, invited General Whitcomb in 1954. During the visit, Yoon showed him a blueprint in the shape of a bell and asked the general to buy it from him.
The general readily accepted the offer and was instrumental in persuading the Korean government to provide 500,000 pyeong (1.65 million square meters) of land in Jangjeon-dong free of charge; he even paid 250,000 dollars for construction. Furthermore, he donated building materials and had army corp of engineers to help build the access road and to do site building work.
President President Syng-man Rhee and General WhitcombUnited Nations Peace Memorial
After retiring as a general in 1954, he stayed in Korea and served as a political advisor to President Rhee Syngman, and played a vital role in the Korea-US relationship.
General Whitcomb’s grave at the UN Memorial CemeteryUnited Nations Peace Memorial
Buried in Korea
General Whitcomb chose to stay in Korea even after his retirement and devoted his life to rebuilding and restoring Busan, building and sponsoring an orphanage. His wish was to remain in Korea even after his death. His wish was granted when he was buried in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan. He is the only general buried in the cemetery.
