The Kimchi Babies

Kimchi 5 and Kimchi 1 at Dr. Hyun Bong-Hak's memorial

At some point during the early stages of SS Meredith Victory’s December 22-25, 1950, voyage from Hungnam, North Korea, to Geoje Island, South Korea, a baby was born. The ship’s crew was astounded. The men had never dreamed that a baby would be delivered on a Victory ship, certainly not theirs. But with 14,000 refugees…

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Hungnam Evacuation – A Christmas Miracle

In December 1950, dramatic events unfolding in the rugged mountains of North Korea captivated the world’s attention. The Battle of Chosin, one of the fiercest engagements in U.S. history, was taking place in sub-zero temperatures and knee-deep snow. After days of horrific fighting, U.N. troops, surrounded by overwhelming Chinese forces and suffering heavy casualties, began an…

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He Never Forgot His Captain

Capt. Leonard LaRue, 1950

On December 14, 2017, I’ll have the privilege of joining J. Robert “Bob” Lunney at a lecture about the Hungnam Evacuation being held at The Korea Society in New York City. It’ll be a memorable event, one that I’ve been looking forward to for months. During two and a half years of researching and writing…

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