For first time, recognized Mexican vets return to Korea

Diplomacy

Published: 28 Jun. 2022, 17:57 Updated: 28 Jun. 2022, 19:15

For first time, recognized Mexican vets return to Korea

From front right, Antonio Lozano Bustos and Alberto Fernández Almada, Mexican-American veterans of the Korean War, view an exhibition dedicated to Mexican and Mexican-American veterans at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on Tuesday. Standing behind Fernández is Park Min-shik, minister of patriots and veterans affairs of Korea, and Bruno Figueroa, ambassador of Mexico to Korea. [PARK SANG-MOON]

From the North Korean invasion in June 1950 to the signing of the armistice three years later, a hundred thousand Mexicans fought for a nation and people they did not know.

The first to return to Korea as an officially recognized Mexican vet spoke at the War Memorial of Korea on Tuesday.

“It’s wonderful to be back for the first time in 70 years,” said Alberto Fernández Almada, a Mexican veteran at the war memorial in Seoul.

Fernández was born in El Paso, Texas, in 1930. His family moved to Mexico when he was five.

Having enlisted in the U.S. army before the 1950-53 Korean War broke out, Fernández was based in Japan when the North Korean soldiers came over the 38th parallel on June 25, 1950.

“He was flown in on the first Sunday after the invasion on June 25,” said Enrique Fernández, son of Alberto Fernández Almada, who accompanied his father to Seoul. “So he saw the worst of the worst.”

Engaged in battles for nearly a year, Fernández was seriously injured and sent home in May 1951.

Although Fernández and as many as 100,000 soldiers of Mexican origin are estimated to have fought under the flag of the United Nations, including U.S.-born Mexicans or Mexican citizens living in the United States, their sacrifice and service was not officially recognized because they did not come on an official military mission from Mexico.

That changed last year when both the governments of Mexico and Korea recognized the veterans’ valor and launched the first association of Mexican veterans of the Korean War.

At the time, the association was able to identify five surviving veterans, mostly in their 90s.

“It’s like an impossible dream to come back,” said Antonio Lozano Bustos, who saw action in one of the last battles of the war, the Battle of the Samichon River.

“I saw lots of terrible [things], hunger of the Korean population,” said Lozano. “It’s beautiful to see today what they have accomplished, which they really deserve after so much pain. I am happy for the Korean people. Viva Korea, Viva Mexico!”

Fernández and Lozano traveled to Korea with their relatives and relatives of other veterans who could not come. Also traveling with the group was veteran Roberto Sierra Barbosa, who arrived in Korea on the second day of the war and took part in the Battle of Busan Perimeter with his fellow U.S. marines. Posco Mexico supported the veterans’ visit.

Sierra donated to the war memorial a dagger he used to carry with him throughout the war.

Other personal belongings that the veterans carried during the war, including letters written home, U.S. Army identification cards, scapulars, drawings and photos, can be found at a special exhibition dedicated to the Korean War veterans of Mexican descent on the third floor of the War Memorial of Korea.

The exhibition, “Mexicans and Mexican Americans: The Forgotten Soldiers of the Korean War,” organized by the memorial and the Mexican Embassy in Seoul and supported by Posco, is running at the memorial through Sept. 28.

“Throughout the exhibition, you will find interesting objects and pictures that Mexican veterans have treasured, as well as heartfelt letters, sad songs about separations from mothers and girlfriends and extracts from films that mention their courage,” said Bruno Figueroa, ambassador of Mexico to Korea, who with the Mexican foreign ministry and his colleague in the United States assisted for years the efforts to trace records of the Mexican and Mexican-American veterans.

“Today the soldiers of the Mexican origin of the Korean War are no more orphans of history,” he said. “Everyone will know that those warm-hearted youngsters fought very courageously along with comrades from many other countries.”

The veterans’ visit also coincides with Mexico and Korea’s celebration of 60 years of relations this year.

“We express our deep respect and gratitude to all the Mexican veterans who fought for a country that was so far from home and for the people they had not met once,” said Park Min-shik, minister of patriots and veterans affairs of Korea, addressing the veterans and their relatives at the war memorial on Tuesday.

“The Korean government will continue to find ways to express our gratitude to Korean War veterans in the future.”

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]