By Jolene Farley
Hills native Wendell Bengtson and his wife, Wilma, traveled to San Antonio, Texas, April 11-15 to reminisce with some of the many veterans who, like Wendell, served in the Korean War.
Bengtson and his wife met more than 490 veterans and their spouses at the Korean War Veterans Reunion.
Most of the vets served in the Army, but the only qualification to attend the reunion was service time during the months of the Korean War or immediately afterward.
The Wednesday through Sunday event was pulled together by the effort of many people. The veterans reminisced about their days in Korea, and pictures were taken of all who attended the reunion.
This year's Korean War Veterans Reunion was the third such event the veterans organized. The reunions are usually planned for every five years.
"We had a great reunion," Bengtson said. "It brought back to mind some of the things we experienced, both pleasant and not so pleasant."
The accommodations at the Adams Mark Hotel in San Antonio were vastly different from accommodations in Korea. Bengtson remembers living in a tent during his 14-month stint in Korea.
Wendell was drafted into the Army's 3rd Infantry Division Medical Battalion, Clearing Company, in May 1951. He served very close to the front line.
An ambulance platoon brought wounded soldiers back to Bengtson's battalion, and doctors made the decision whether they would stay at the battalion or be sent to a MASH Unit or Evac Hospital for more extensive medical services.
As an enlisted man, Bengtson's duties included loading and unloading the wounded and he also served as clerk for a psychiatric unit.
"It was nothing like you would see if you were on the line, but you saw the end result of it," said Bengtson about the fighting.
During the last four or five months of his tour, Bengtson said his unit performed more difficult surgeries because the front line didn't move, making his unit more stable.
Korea is a mountainous country, and Bengtson clearly remembers craters in the terrain from bombings and bare areas where trees were blasted away.
"We could hear the artillery going in and coming out," said Bengtson. "We could tell whose it was by the sound."
Bengtson said the Korean War was devastating for him and the Korean people, but he thinks the war was a necessity to protect the Korean people from Communist takeover. "I am not a promoter of war," said Bengtson. "Those poor people didnÕt need to be overrun."
Bengtson knows civilians were killed during the conflict, but he said anyone who saw combat would understand how it could happen.
"War is war, and war is hell. There is no question about that," he said.
Bengtson said attending the reunion was therapeutic for him and other veterans. They were invited to share their experiences with each other. Anyone could go up to the microphones and say anything they wanted.
There were several veterans who stood at the microphone and shared things even their spouses hadn't heard before, Bengtson said.