Annual Veterans feast set for Nov. 9
Scott Csernyik
11/8/2002 12:00:00 AM
To honor those who have served the United States in times of peace and war, the Anishnabe Ogitchedaw Veterans and Warrior Society will have their annual Veterans Feast on Nov. 9.
The 6 p.m. event in the Soaring Eagle Ballroom will honor those who served during the Korean War-a civil and military struggle fought on the Korea Peninsula that reached its height between 1950 and 1953.
The war originated in the division of Korea into South and North Korea after World War II. In 1948, the South proclaimed the Republic of Korea and the North created the People's Republic of Korea. After over a year of border fighting between the two entities, North Korean forces crossed the dividing line on June 25, 1950 and invaded the South. Shortly after, the U.S. joined the fighting under the United Nations with help from British, Canadian, Australian and Turkish forces. China joined the war on the North in October of 1950.
By the time a cease-fire agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, about four million Koreans-two-thirds of them civilians-died throughout the peninsula. The U.S. suffered 36,934 dead and 103,284 wounded. China lost up to one million soldiers. Other U.N. nations had 3,322 dead and 11,949 wounded. To this day, Korea remains divided and the possibility of a new war exists at any time.
"I feel we should honor all the veterans who have fallen before us-they are the ones who have protected our freedoms," stated Neuel "Denny" Denman, who served in the U.S. Army from 1948-1954. The District 3 (At-Large) Tribal member enlisted when he was 17-years-old and was stationed in Japan during the Korean War. "After World
War II, a lot of the guys were enlisting at the time, at least in my neighborhood. I was in communications at the time and we were 100 percent volunteer when Korea broke out, they cut us down to 30 percent and took the other 70 percent. Radio teletype repair at the time was big stuff."
Anishinabe Ogitchedaw Veterans and Warrior Society Weekaun Don Otto also served in communications during the Korean War in the early 1950s. The 18-year-old, who was stationed in Germany, maintained wire and radio communication between the command post and 155 howitzers. He was responsible for forwarding and confirming coordinate locations . His 18-month tour of duty proved helpful in finding employment opportunities once he returned to the states.
Otto said young warriors return with experiences that make them a valued member of society. "The military provides educational opportunities that allow veterans to return to their community with productive job skills to improve the quality of life," he said. "If I had to do it over again, I'd do the same thing. I was there for a purpose; I was there for my people."
Harrison Henry, interviewed for a story on Veterans Day in the Tribal Observer four years before his death, said he was honorably discharged from the service as a sergeant after serving about 18 months in Korea. Henry-a
District 2 (Saganing) Tribal member-spent 12 years of being in the service, including World War II.
As a member of the 21st Infantry of the 24th Division, he entered Korea as a rifleman. He said he left the service because he had seen "too much war."
"I though a lot about war and all the killing and stuff I saw over there...like the mass executions and what the Koreans were doing to their own people," he stated. "It had a negative mental effect on me and I can look at it like it happened yesterday. Those types of things you don't forget, even though I tried very hard. I'll never forget it I probably won't until the day I die."
Veterans Day honors all of the men and women who have served in the military on Nov. 11 Originally established as Armistice Day in 1926, it commemorated the 1918 signing of the truce ending World War I. On June 1, 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day and is a federal holiday.
"It is very important we honor our veterans," added Denman. "They are the ones who got us what we have today. We should never forget this."