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Article: A Korean War veteran's story: ferrying POWs to Panmunjom.(COMMENTARY)
- Article from:
- Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA)
- Article date:
- November 11, 2008
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Worcester Telegram & Gazette. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Albert J. Belmonte
As a young Army infantryman, I was stationed at Koje-do Island, South Korea, in the weeks leading up to the armistice finally signed between the United Nations and North Korea on July 27, 1953.
Koje-do Island, site of the main prison camp in South Korea, held many North Korean prisoners, along with some Chinese. Soon after the truce was signed, my regiment, the 21st Infantry Regiment, was initially responsible for guarding and repatriating the North Korean and Chinese prisoners of war.
For the prisoner transport mission, I was assigned to LST (landing ship for tanks) No. 1107. Seven makeshift prison cells were ...