Library wants all to remember ‘Forgotten War’ Published Aug. 20, 2010 By Pascual Flores Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- The Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst library currently has special displays set up in honor of the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War. In addition to the displays, the library also recently hosted a summer remembrance event featuring special guests who explained their views and knowledge of Korean War. Some of the knowledge shared was obtained through interviews with servicemembers who served and some by their actual participation in the Korean conflict. Tony Sobieski, a 87th Air Base Wing civilian employee and Air Force Reservist, presented information on the Battle for White Horse Mountain, otherwise known as Hill 395, as told to him in an interview with 2nd Lt. Paul Braner, a forward observer with the 213th Field Artillery Battalion, who was present during the battle. The battle for White Horse Mountain, fought mainly by Republic of Korea Army and the Chinese Communist Forces, lasted ten grueling days with the crest of the hill changing hands no less than ten times during Oct. 1952. "We have a duty to remember those that went before us," said Sobieski. "How will we, those of us from today's conflicts, be looked at and remembered sixty years from now?" Sobieski has also written two books titled "Fire Mission" and "Fire For Effect", which are about his father, Henry Sobieski, who served in Korea as an artillery forward observer with the 213th Field Artillery Battalion, XI Corps in 1953. He was present to witness the cease-fire of the Korean War 57 years ago. "The Korean War had an end point at 10 p.m., July 27, 1953," said Sobieski. "My father Henry witnessed it as fireworks on the Fourth of July as both sides were shooting as many rounds as possible so they wouldn't have to tow it back. Many were killed and wounded in those last hours of the war." Paintings depicting the Korean War currently on display at the library were provided courtesy of artist Francis McGinley. McGinley has won several awards since 1975 for his artwork. He also served in the Army from 1950 to 1952 and rose to the rank of corporal while serving with the 303rd Signal Battalion, though his art does not simply depict his own experiences. "My paintings are based on what others have described to me, and are stories through the eyes of an artist," McGinley said. "It is not a war painting, it is a story of someone's life. Someone lived this." Three local Korean War veterans - Elton Jordan, Russell Street and Robert Yancey - also visited the library to share their experiences. Jordan and Street are recipients of the Purple Heart for injuries sustained under combat while serving in Korea. Jordan served in the Army and participated in the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and the occupation of Okinawa in 1949 before being assigned to Kimpo Airfield, South Korea. "The worst part of the war was the refugees affected by the war," said Jordan. Enlisting in the Army in 1948, Street underwent 16 weeks of basic training at Fort Dix before deploying overseas. "We spent six-months picking up Japanese prisoners of war in China, Vietnam and Cambodia before shipping out to Korea," Street added. Street and his battalion of 1,200 Soldiers arrived in Korea during the monsoon season of 1950. "There were 157 men remaining when we were finally pulled off the line and returned to Fort Dix," said Street. "I was the only survivor from my company." Over the years, Street has been considered a hero by members of the local community. It's a title he disputes. "I'm not a hero; the guys who are heroes are all in the ground," added Street. Retiring in 1971 from the military, Robert Yancey also is no stranger to combat conditions. Yancey's military career began in the Navy in 1943, where he served for seven years, seeing action in Leyte, Luzon and Okinawa. In 1950, Yancey joined the Army and was assigned to the 24th Infantry Regiment in Korea. "I was a platoon sergeant assigned to a 'pack-train' that used Korean laborers to bring supplies to the frontline at the Pusan perimeter and was on the line for 129 days," said Yancey. With the United Nations forces' daring landing at Incheon Sept. 15, North Korean forces were driven back by the 8th Army and X Corp almost to the Yalu River. On Nov. 26, Communist China Army forces launched a successful counter-attack and entered the war in support of the North Korean Army. "My unit, Charlie Company, lost 75 percent - either killed or captured - when the Chinese came across the border," said Yancey. However, Yancey also explained that combat wasn't the only cause of death for soldiers serving in Korea. "It was cold, said Yancey. "You couldn't fire accurately because your fingers were so cold, and if you didn't put some insulation on the ground before you slept, some people just didn't wake up." "Our ultimate objective was to stay alive," he added Yancey left Korea with frostbite and wasn't able to stay in the infantry. He later transferred to Fort Sam Houston for medical training and, as a senior noncommissioned officer, stayed there two years before shipping out to Vietnam." Yancey retired from the Army in 1971, a veteran of three wars. Often referred to as the "Forgotten War" due to its being overshadowed by World War II and the Vietnam War, the Korean War was one of the first episodes of the Cold War involving some of the greatest personalities of the era: Truman, MacArthur, Mao and Stalin. Truce talks began in July 1951, but the fighting continued until July 27, 1953, when the negotiations at last bore fruit and the conflict ended in a cease-fire agreement. Nearly 37,000 American servicemen lost their lives in three years, the majority of losses concentrated in the first year.