Priscilla+Kim+KRW+Interview

//**INTERVIEW **// //My Grandfather during the Korean War...

//  **Interview Questions...**  I. To start off the interview, please elaborate on your current family background, name, occupation, etc. II. How old were you during the war, and how much knowledge did you have about the situation of Korea at that time? III. In what way did you contribute to the war? Explain your duties. IV. To what extent were your actions obligatory? V. Were there divisions amongst your family? If so how was the rest of your family affected by the war? VI. What were your thoughts about the Americans' entrance into the war? VII. How did your physical position in Korea change through the span of the war? VIII. North Korea claimed America had begun the war, what is your thoughts on this, having experienced it first hand? VIV. If you were in the battlefield what thoughts ran through your head as dead corpses stenched the air? X. If you did, how were you able to communicate with the American soldiers? XI. How was life after the war had ended? Did you still consider North Koreans as your brothers? XII. Overall what lasting thoughts do you hold when remembering this period of destruction?


 * Release Form...**

In view of the historical value of this oral history interview, I, 장윤태 (Yun Tae Chang) knowingly and voluntarily permit Priscilla Kim, Asian Studies Block D, Korea International School, the full use of this information for educational purposes.

Date: December 7. 2008

**Podcast of Interview...** media type="file" key="interview.mp3" media type="file" key="interview.2.mp3"


 * Summary of Interview...**

My name is Yun Tae Chang and I was around eighteen when the war began; it continued till I was twenty. At the age of eighteen I had become eligible to fight as a soldier. Soon enough I received a letter from the military to come out and fight against the North Korean forces. There was a certain letter that they sent out, one with a red line across the front, and so I left. I worked to put the huge cannon missiles into the fireshoots and hear them being fired. It was hard labour and I lost my sense of hearing for quite some time. This is because one should plug his ears before standing in front of a cannon, but due to the hectic times I was unable to do so. Thus all I could do was work enduring the loud reverberations they would create. After I joined the armies in opposing North Koreans and Chinese I began to see more of what was happening. The battlefield was a better place to understand what exactly was happening, because you were part of it. Not just Americans, but other nations of their allies came to fight as well. We moved up and down throughout Korea conquering areas only to be chased back down. If a soldier failed to catch up with his troop he would most likely die. This easily happened seeing the chaotic atmosphere and the many people working to move down to the south.

When I left to enter the war the rest of my family members fleed from Seoul. I had four siblings one of whom was a girl. All the others were boys, but being underage to go fight as a soldier, they remained with the family. After that I never heard of them or where they were. There really was no time to think about that in the midst of war. All I knew was that I had been separated from my family, to be out in the war alone.

As a soldier all those around me felt grateful to the Americans and we still do now. If it weren't for them our country wouldn't have stood a chance against the North Koreans and Chinese. I'm not sure what other people are saying but I personally was grateful for their contribution in this war. Although they had the motive of keeping communism out rather than assisting us as a priority it turned out beneficial for us. We now don't live under communist rule and were able to grow so much after the destructions during the war. Nonono, the north definitely began the war first. The south had no idea until they began attacking. At that time the south was completely defenseless, they held no weapons with the exception of guns; but the north having clearly planned this out came down at us with multiple tanks and weapons. They had begun to build up their military by bringing in such weaponry quite some time before the war began. The south knew of this fact and yet doubted that they would actually consider attacking their own country, brothers. They were wrong, and so when they attacked the south wasn't ready. This is the point when the Americans came to aid us causing the level of power to shift.

There were many dead corpses everywhere. Planes known as b-29s flew around dropping huge bombs in the middle of streets as people died in hundreds. Being my young age, I felt no great horror or pain, merely pity towards those that have died. The number of corpses were so great that trucks would come and take them, truckloads left each day. Not only did I witness bodies on the streets, but I saw them dying first hand as I shot the cannons or saw other soldiers shooting and being shot. It was a horrendous sight and yet at the time people were in such a daze that they were unable to feel the great loss. There was no need to communicate with the American soldiers for all we had to do was load the cannons and kill. However, I did learn a great amount of curse words at the time; for example bulls***, son of a bi***, etc.

After the war had ended I reunited with my family through an organization that helped you find lost family members. They had been hiding away safely in a far off place. After that we moved back to Seoul and tried to make a living off of selling vegitables. I would go out and sell these vegis, mostly bought by the Americans. We are still one nation, just divided by a physical border and mental border with our clashing ideals. If you ask me if I still consider them my brothers after all the murders they've caused, i would not be able to answer. Its not only a tough question, but it is not my place to really say. All I know is that, if something like this were to happen again, our nation would not be able to withstand it. It would definitely collapse, to never get back on its feet. Our country is small and although rich people will flee to other places, those that are less fortunate will be left behind. This should never happen again and it is important that we work to prevent it. Do not repeat history, prevent future generations from having to deal with such chaos and horrendous sights. There has been enough deaths, we do not need more.

Essay...


 * Analysis Questions...**

**I.** How does your interviewee's testimony fit in with what you have learned about the experience of civilians?

My grandpa mentioned the B-29 planes that were made to carry bombs and how they bombarded the streets. These planes were mentioned in Mr. Osterweil's lecture and in the readings. This has been confirmed and the existence of these planes during the war and their roles have been proven true. My grandpa also mentioned the crowds of people that fled south as he moved north with his army troop. Many civilians were trampled upon as they could not keep up with the pace of the crowd. The amount of people migrating was imaginable and often got in the way of the military trucks. Although he hasn't mentioned any times when civilians were accused as communists, he did mention that previous soldiers or policemen would be taken and lined up to be shot.


 * II.** Using your background knowledge try to contextualize their testimony. How do you think major events of the war affected their life at the time?


 * III.** Hypothesize or explain how you interviewee was able to stay out of danger.

Well during the war because my grandpa was part of the military troops that fought against the north communist powers, he had a greater risk of dying. The military was in the direct path of the opponents attacks. He mentioned many soldiers that died due to their separation with their troop. He stated that once they were separated, their death was already confirmed. I'm assuming he was able to remain close to his troop throughout the years. Also because his job was to load and shoot the cannons he wasn't the first line of offense. Because cannons were shot at quite a distance it decreases his chance of being shot.