Courage, valor of PEFTOK members remembered Wednesday

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 7): Courage, valor of PEFTOK members remembered Wednesday

The courage and valor of the members of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK) was remembered Wednesday as the nation joins in the commemoration of the 17th Korean War Veterans of the Philippines Memorial Day at the Korean War Memorial Pylon, Libingan ng mga Bayani, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Army officers and enlisted personnel headed by Brig. Gen. Robert M. Arevalo, Philippine Army (PA) chief-of-staff, joined the Filipino- Korean Veterans and Korean community in remembering the courage and heroism shown by the Filipino- Korean War Veterans who composed the PEFTOK.

His Excellency Kim, Jae Shin, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, was the guest of honor and speaker.

Meanwhile, a flag-raising ceremony and the 42nd PEFTOK Veterans Association, Inc. Annual Convention were also conducted at the Korean Memorial Hall along Bayani Road with AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Ricardo R. Visaya as the guest of honor and speaker.

PEFTOK’s mission was to defend the Republic of Korea against communist conquest.

The first PEFTOK, the 10th Battalion Combat Team (BCT) reached South Korea in September 1950.

They were deployed to South Korea in fulfillment of the Philippines pledge of assistance to the United Nation’s effort to stem North Korea’s Communist invasion of South Korea in 1950s.

Massively outnumbered, the 10th BCT with only 900 men withstood the night attack of an entire Chinese Army of 40,000 men during the Battle of Yuldong in North Korea on April 23, 1951.

Considering the strength of the Chinese, all UN forces retreated, except the Filipinos who engaged the Chinese People’s Volunteer (CPV) army in a bitter close quarter fighting. UN Command ordered the Filipino forces to disengage but was ignored and instead they engaged the enemy up to the last man.

The 20th BCT relieved the 10th BCT, which returned to the Philippines covered in glory as “The Fighting Tenth” on Sept. 5, 1951.

The 20th BCT again seized Hill Eerie, a strategic observation post that proves invaluable to PEFTOK in the coming battles against CPV.

The 19th BCT replacing the 20th BCT emerged victorious after a fierce four-day battle to defend Hill 191 and Hill Eerie in June 21, 1952.

This gory “Battle for Combat Outpost No. 8” inflicted heavy losses on the Chinese.

Triumphant Filipinos plant the national flag on the summit of Hill 191 to proclaim their victory over the Chinese.

On March 26, 1953, the 14th BCT took over the PEFTOK colors in Korea. It was then followed by the last PEFTOK contingent, the 2nd BCT, that arrived in Korea on April 19, 1954 and returned to the Philippines on June 1955.

Indeed, the PEFTOK soldiers fought on and inspired the whole UN effort to stem the communist attack.

This great Filipino victory helped deny the communists the decisive victory that would have ended the Korean War with their complete conquest of the Republic of Korea and the destruction of the United Nation Command.

It would be an understatement to say that they prevented the UN front from collapsing.

The Philippines and its 20 other UN allies paid in blood and pain for defending the democracy in South Korea. The war between democracy and communism took the lives of 112 Filipino soldiers, wounding 313 others and 16 missing.

This year’s celebration of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Day, the PA as well as people of the Republic of Korea remembered the heroism of the PEFTOK soldiers and their invaluable service not just to the country, but to the attainment of world peace as well.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=920967