Black and white war, now in living color

Dimitrious Gartrell, Baton Rouge, La. — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:10:19 GMT

Weren't their any black soldiers in Korea?

Black and white war, now in living color

Stephanie-Umbro, Maine — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:59:07 GMT

Love the story. I also recognized the ocean background Mr. Rich. That would be Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth and a great place to visit. I love black and white photographs, but colors from Korea are impressive. Thank you for sharing them! I also appreciated your sharing your photograph, Marisa.

Black and white war, now in living color

Jackie Rawlings Riverside California — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:58:40 GMT

Listening to McCain's story of his POW days one would think Blacks never served in the US Military. Funny thing my Dad served in the US Navy and he told us many stories and showed pictures. Now if we learned anything it should be that it was Americans of all colors that put their lives on the line for our United States. Today I am proud to say my daughter served in the US Military and I got to meet our soldiers first hand. I met soldiers that show no prejudice and work together. I am so proud that what my Dad saw is gone. Following my daughters tour of duty allowed me to learn a great deal about Afghanistan and Iraq.

John Yoo was a baby when his parents came to the US during the Korean War. They told their son of the torture and horror of the War. John Yoo grew up in the United States and worked as a lawyer with the Bush Administration. He listen to his parents very well has to wrote up the US Bush/Cheney Policy of Torture. Interesting to see how the Bush Administration is using the horror of pass Wars.

Black and white war, now in living color

Jim Griffin, Frisco, TX — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:22:59 GMT

Any chance NBC will post several of John Rich's color photos of Korea?

Black and white war, now in living color

Linda Parker Lavey — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:48:26 GMT

My father fought in the Korean War. He was a Marine. He died shortly after being discharged. I was 4 1/2 when he passed. I would love to see more photos just on the off chance of seeing my father. He died in 54.

Black and white war, now in living color

Linda Lavey Newport, MI — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:57:20 GMT

Please, does everything have to be made into a racial thing? A black man gave my father a pair of dry socks and probably saved him from frostbite. There have always been blacks in the military. Do they always have to have special recognition? What about the hundreds of thousands of white people who fought too? blah blah blah!! Give it a rest.

Black and white war, now in living color

Linda Parker Lavey — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:05:53 GMT

Why do American's get in such an uproar if they think we have tortured a terrorist? Why don't they ask some of the family's of the people they have be-headed in public then dragged their bodies through town? Ask the family's of the victims of 911. I could go on and on and on. It's just the cry babies that haven't any ties to any of the afore-mentioned that protest this. Let someting not even close to this happen to one of their children or loved ones and they will be the first in line to waterboard them.

Black and white war, now in living color

Herb Konowitz, Dover, De — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:58:42 GMT

Neat story. Grandpa Buck was my neighbor in Dover, Delaware. He was quite a guy

Black and white war, now in living color

Daniel Smith Alford Florida 32420 — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:24:11 GMT

I am wondering why someone did not correct the lady they were interviewing about her youngest son not joining the Army. Her comment was the black people do not think that this is their war.

Sincerely

Daniel Smith

Black and white war, now in living color

Chris Jensen — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:43:03 GMT

Dear Brian,

How can you spend the time talking with a liar from Iran. I cannot condon the news you report and will no longer listen to you. I cannot beleive you gave him that type of airtime.

Black and white war, now in living color

MK — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 03:52:24 GMT

No Linda Lavey or newport, MI, No special recognition, just recognition. To many history books show only photos of soldiers who happen to be all white. True hundreds of thousands of white people or maybe a person should just say hundreds of thousands of AMERICANS. What are you, answer: American. In fariness to the photographer the fact that none of his photos contain any black is a story in itself. I have seen photos of the Korean war that show men of all colors. The same could be said for the "greatest battle in WWII, D-DAY, were there any blacks, yes, many just like in the Pacific theater. But who would have thought then that America would be asking now. Well we al should be proud. We can blame the president, politicians but we have a true uniform war, IRAQ and After-ganistan, we have all races and even all sexes we now have a real war fought by real Americans. Where were we all when we all failed to voice our opposition. We were all happy when it was only the Iraq's dying and very few Americans had to go. The fact is all our American service personnel do what duty demands even if a fickle public never seems to get it right. Yeah, I know we all wanted to end terror and we were duped into believing WMD Weapons of Mass Destruction were in that country. What if they were there where was the proof they were pointed against us. We, the public, forgot After-ganistan. All we have to do is look in the mirror when we jump up and raise our pinky saying no. We are suppose to be the greatest country in the world yet we keep having to fight the same puppets we placed in power. I cold go on but, oh yeah the race thing. blah blah blah,

Black and white war, now in living color

Bill Gill, Grand Rapids, MI — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:24:15 GMT

As a Korean veteran trying to put together a bio for my
kids, I...and I know many others would deeply appreciate
one of two things: 1) Either post Mr. Rich's photos in a way we could use some of them, or 2) Tell us where we
can purchase them in some form. Many thanks.

Black and white war, now in living color

Ed Buckman Fort Worth, Texas — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:45:02 GMT

Yes there certainly were blacks in Korea. One of the groups that got hit the hardest was the 24th division I believe. During the Pusan Perimeter those brave men with a white commander (that was how it was done in those years) put up a heck of a fight with their backs to the sea. Shortly after MacArthur landed in Inchon in Sept. This broke the supply line to the south and our troops rapidly pushed to the North. President Truman releived him in the spring of 1951.
I was in a tea house in Yokahama, when I heard a ruckus outside with the news that MacArthur had been replaced with General Ridgeway.

I was a USNavy Electronics Tech on board the U.S.S. Princeton. My pilots and all those boots on the ground men were my heroes. We sent in close air support to the "Chosin Few " to get the Marines & Army out of Hungnam. I had a cushy job compared to most, but the "Coldest Winter" took no mercy on sailors on a flight deck. -50 degrees did much cold weather damage , I'm 100% disabled.
I've spent the last ten years of my life trying to get the KWVA their own Federal Charter with all the benifits that the American Legion, VFW, DAV have to offer. At 78 I plan to spend my remaining years helping other veterans. As of June 30th we now have our federalcharter signed by the President. I just got back from Washington D.C. a few members in Congress were kind enough to give us a "Reception"
I felt deeply honored to attend. Please let every person that has served their country in Korea since 1948 know we are accepting memberships, we have the best magazine of all the associations. We hope to double our membership this year. Just call me, Ed Buckman at 817-498-0198 or e-mail me your number . I know people throughout the organization. I did not say Korea out loud for forty years but it has really changed my life to help other veterans of all wars.
Thanks for reading.
Ed

Black and white war, now in living color

Jim Escalle — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:56:31 GMT

It's great that John Rich's photos are finally coming to light. I hope they are published in a book so everyone can see what the so-called Forgotton War was like in color. With that being said, however, my uncle, who was a U.S. Air Force F-86 Sabre pilot during the war, took several color photos, as did most of the pilots in his squadron. I have over a hundred of them on my website. There have been many colored photos of the air war published over the years, but unless a person is interested in that aspect, then Rich's photos will enlighten those who previously haven't been aware of what Korea was like during 1950-1953.

Black and white war, now in living color

R. Kim, Rio Vista CA — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:29:40 GMT

It was a tremendous, insightful collection of Korean War photos. Compared to how Korea looks today, you'd never know a war happened unless you visited the UN Memorial Cemetery or the Korean War Museum. I hope Smithsonian magazine will give a "heads up" if Mr. Rich's collection is published or shared with others who have a connection to the Korean War.

I wonder if Mr. Rich ever went back to Korea...

Black and white war, now in living color

Ed Buckman — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:55:37 GMT

I not only second the thoughts on the photo collection, but the Korean War Veterans deserve more than 12 feet of space in "The Smithsonian" in Washington, D.C.
Thousands of our grand children go to Washington, D.C. each year to view our history. What a misrepresentation of actual fact, just because some politician did not want to call it a war. Hopefully someday this wrong will be corrected.
Ed