Korea
Memories and stories from Minnesota’s Korean War Veterans.
Episodes
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Korea Shorts:
The Silent Generation
The men and women who fought in the Korean War were born when many farms still relied on horses. They have been eyewitnesses to massive societal changes. Born between the Greatest Generation and the baby boomers, they are part of an entire generation that is often often overlooked.
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Korea Shorts:
The Dieselman
The US Navy played a key role in the Korean War. Korea is situated on a peninsula, so control of the seas was essential. In today’s Veterans Voices, Minnesotan Robert Sorteberg spent his wartime service aboard a ship that supported fighting troops.
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Korea Shorts:
The Fight to Stop Communism
When American troops were sent to South Korea in 1950, it was with the goal of stopping the spread of communism there. Two former GI’s who served there explain the US mission that they were charged to carry out, and how the conflict still resonates in the geopolitics of today.
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Korea Shorts:
An Officer and a Dentist
Today, Marjorie Johnson is famous as Minnesota’s “Blue Ribbon baker.” She became a television celebrity and cookbook author after earning thousands of State Fair ribbons for her sweet treats. During the Korean era, she was a military wife, sweet on her husband who served in the Air Force, not on the battlefield but in the dental office, caring for American troops.
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Korea Shorts:
One Veteran, Three Wars
While many veterans who were drafted or enlisted during the Korean War did not understand the demands of the battle that they would face, for one Minnesotan, it was a return to service. John Hougen, whose military career stretched across three American wars of the last century, holds a unique perspective on the Korean conflict.
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Korea Shorts:
Cold Combat
Some of the most difficult situations in the Korean War came in two bitter winters when American troops were poorly prepared to face extended days of subzero temperatures and frostbite. Even Minnesota soldiers who grew up acclimated to months of wintry weather struggled in the harsh conditions.