US and ROK commemorate the victory of Nakdong River Battle

Photo By Sgt. Sung-jun Lim | The 2nd Operations Command soldiers re-enact the pivotal battle of the Nakdong River against North Korean soldiers, in which U.S. and Korea combined forces defended the Busan perimeter along the Nakdong River. 2OC hosted the Korean 62nd Annual Nakdong River Battle re-enactment ceremony at Waegwan near Camp Carroll Oct. 18 to commemorate one of the major battles during the Korean War.  

27, SOUTH KOREA

10.19.2012

Story by Cpl. Sung-jun Lim 

19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command

WAEGWAN, South Korea - The Republic of Korea Army 2nd Operations Command hosted the Korean 62nd Annual Nakdong River Battle re-enactment ceremony at Waegwan near Camp Carroll Oct. 18 to commemorate one of the major battles during the Korean War.

The re-enactment was performed by hundreds of soldiers from the R.O.K. 201st Special Forces Brigade with help from Korean Augmentation To the United States Army and U.S. soldiers from the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command. The broad-scale event was to honor and commemorate the war veterans who fought in the battle.

"We are here at the Nakdong River where the fiercest battle had been fought, to commemorate the fallen soldiers 62 years ago,” said Gen. Kim Yo-han, 2OC commanding general. “It was the battle of life or death for the ROKA with nowhere to retreat, and was also the first major victory where the U.S. and R.O.K. allies defeated the North Korean army.”

The re-enactment started off with the recreation of the Waegwan railway bridge demolition. During the Korean War, the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division decided to stop the North Korean army from advancing toward Busan and subsequently decided to demolish the railway bridge at Waegwan.

The actors divided up into North Korea soldiers, South Korea soldiers and U.S. soldiers to re-enact the subsequent battle along the riverside of the Nakdong River. With hundreds of casualties on each side, the U.S. and R.O.K. combined forces defended the Nakdong River line which gave South Korea an opportunity to regroup for a full-force attack.

"I felt that the re-enactment helped me understand the sacrifices that the soldiers from Korea and the United Nations endured in order to protect this country,” said Cpl. Armando A. Navarro, Staff Judge Advocate military justice non-commissioned officer in charge. “The realistic fighting and being on the actual grounds of the battle made the re-enactment come to life, and I was able to picture just how truly frightening the battle must have been."

Before the re-enactment, soldiers from the 19th ESC and ROKA performed the street march parade to instill the sense of national security and unite the civil, government, and military participating in the event.

The ceremony concluded with skydiving by special force parachutists and celebration flying by R.O.K. Air Force which drew loud applause from the audience.

Meanwhile, 19th ESC provided logistical and personnel support to the event in order to celebrate R.O.K.-U.S. friendship, show its support, and enhance the commitment and relationship between the two nations on the Korean peninsula.

• Date Taken: 10.19.2012
• Date Posted: 10.19.2012 02:23
• Story ID: 96416
• Location: 27, KR