[UNFORGOTTEN HEROES] For Greek veterans, returning home wasn't so easy

Diplomacy

Published: 02 Aug. 2023, 17:24 Updated: 03 Aug. 2023, 11:41

[UNFORGOTTEN HEROES] For Greek veterans, returning home wasn't so easy

Relatives of the late Greek veterans who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War pose for a photo during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily in Busan. From left: Sokratis Boutsikaris, grandson of the late Greek veteran Socratis Boutsikaris, Dimitrios Chaudros, son of Theodoros Chaudros, Dimitrios Matsoukas and Panagiota Matsoukas, brother and niece of late veteran George Matsoukas [PARK SANG-MOON]

The Korean War, which raged from 1950 to 1953, was a crucial Cold War milestone as a fratricidal war between the two Koreas evolved into an intense proxy battle between the superpowers. Some 2 million personnel from over 20 countries came to Korea's aid, risking their lives fighting on the frontlines and tending to the fallen. As Korea marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, the Korea JoongAng Daily asked veterans, their relatives and government ministers about efforts to commemorate the conflict, the war's geopolitical consequences and its relevance in today's politically and militarily polarized world. — Ed.

The civil war that the Greeks experienced right before the 1950-53 Korean War was what made them so eager to fight the communists in Korea, said Dimitrios Matsoukas, the brother of the late veteran George Matsoukas.

First Lt. George Matsoukas came to Korea in August 1951 and was killed in action by a grenade thrown by a Chinese soldier on Oct. 7, 1951, just about three months after he set foot on the Korean Peninsula.

The Greek Battalion willingly volunteered to come to Korea to fight for the country’s freedom in 1950, right after the country emerged from its own war against communist insurgents that lasted from 1946 to 1949.

A total of 4,992 Greek soldiers and 67 airmen fought in Korea from December 1950 to the end of the Korean War in 1953, resulting in 196 deaths and 610 wounded Greek soldiers.

According to his brother, Matsoukas fought on Hill 313, also known as the Scotch Hill, in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi, one of the bloodiest battles of the war.

“It was a shock when we came to know about his death, especially for my parents,” the brother told the Korea JoongAng Daily during his visit to Busan, part of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs’ program to invite Korean War veterans from across the world to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice.

Along with Dimitrios Matsoukas, three other family members of late Greek veterans — Panagiota Matsoukas, niece of the late veteran Matsoukas, Dimitrios Chaudros, son of veteran Theodoros Chaudros and Sokratis Boutsikaris, grandson of veteran Socratis Boutsikaris — talked with the Korea JoongAng Daily during their visit to Korea to share the stories they heard from their relatives who fought in the war and their experiences living as their descendants.

Reminiscing the war

Matsoukas was only 22 years old when he volunteered to come to Korea.

“Unfortunately, we only have two photographs of him while he stayed in Korea,” Matsoukas's brother said, adding that his brother had them on him when he died.

The last time he heard from his brother was when he sent a message from Egypt with a photo of the ship he took to Korea. It took about a month for the Greek force to travel from Athens to Korea by ship.

“He didn’t even have the opportunity to go to Japan,” Dimitrios said.

The U.S. Air Force brought combatants from Korea to Japan for three to five-day leaves to let them rest and relax during the war.

Fighting in extreme weather conditions was one of the unforgettable memories the late veterans shared.

Boutsikaris’s grandson recalled how his grandfather told him about fighting in unbelievably cold weather of around minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit).

“My grandfather told me that he had to stay close to other soldiers [to beat the cold],” he said.

Members of the Greek Hellenic Air Force being decorated by the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division during the Korean War. [EMBASSY OF GREECE IN KOREA]

According to Chaudros’s son, even the rivers froze.

The veterans couldn't forget the dead bodies strewn on the battlefield, either.

Chaudros, who was 23 years old when he landed to fight for an unknown country, was terrified to see dead bodies on the ground.

“The soldiers were scared when they went to the villages and opened the doors of the houses, not knowing what they will find inside,” he said.

But during the battle, they had to use the dead bodies as shields to protect themselves.

“One of the most horrible things they did, he said to me, was collecting bodies of Chinese people and putting them on top of each other to protect themselves,” Chaudros said.

After nine months of fierce battles, Chaudros returned home safe, even after stepping on a Chinese mine — as a mine specialist, he was able to extricate himself.

The post-war life

The warriors returned home to a hero's welcome. But resuming their normal lives in Greece wasn't so easy.

“The years he spent [at war] made him a very closed person,” Boutsikari’s grandson said.

Boutsikari served in the military for the rest of his life, traveling across the country as a full-time officer.

Yet, memories of war directly affected his life afterward, especially after years of fighting in the Korean War and the Greek Civil War before that.

“He wouldn’t talk about the war, particularly on how the real tough situation was like because he didn’t want to remind himself of the memories," the grandson said.

Instead, the late veteran tended to share the softer stories of the conflict, he said.

For Chaudros, his experience in the war also influenced his post-war life.

“It took my father some time to return and start his own life,” Chaudros said.

Yet, the late veteran dreamt of coming back to the country that left him with such painful memories.

In 2010, he managed to come back to the land he fiercely fought for, just two years before he died.

Being remembered

Panagiota Matsoukas, the niece of the late Greek veteran George Matsoukas, never had a chance to meet her proud uncle, but said he still made a big impact on her life.

“My uncle’s story had an impact on me since I was young for I learned to appreciate the values of generosity, courage, offering and giving,” she said.

This marked her first time in Korea as she was told to escort her father coming to Korea upon the Veterans Ministry’s invitation. It was her father's fifth time visiting Korea.

But this was his first time visiting Busan, which he said is a very special opportunity for him.

Busan, the second largest city in Korea, became the wartime capital after the country lost its capital just three days into the conflict.

The family members of the Greek veterans also had a chance to visit the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan as part of the ministry’s program.

Greek servicemen at the inter-Korean border during the Korean War (1950-1953) [EMBASSY OF GREECE IN KOREA]

While they were proud of their brother, uncle, father and grandfather who faithfully fought for Korea’s freedom, they expressed deep appreciation to Korea for continuing to remember them.

“Would be there any other country that would show such gratitude although it has already been 70 years since the signing of the armistice?” George Matsoukas’s brother asked.

“I admire the civilization, the kindness and the respectfulness that Korea has consistently shown to us.”

After the armistice was signed in July 1953, an additional 5,589 Greek soldiers were deployed for peacekeeping operations through 1955. This year marks the 62nd year of diplomatic ties between Korea and Greece.

Relatives of the Greek veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War on July 26 pose for a photo in Haeundae, Busan, during their visit to Korea to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of the war. [EMBASSY OF GREECE IN KOREA]

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]