Issue 48: A Korean War Veteran’s Memoir: Honoring Yoon Young Jong
Immigrant Hustle: A Monthly Mini Memoir
The following piece, edited for clarity and brevity, is an excerpt from Yoon Young Jong’s memoir as a veteran of the Korean Liaison Office (KLO) during the Korean War. He details a daring rescue mission on October 12, 1950, when he, along with several other agents, were sent into enemy territory to rescue the captured Major General William F. Dean, Commander of the 24th Division of the U.S. Army.
The KLO was a military intelligence unit within the U.S. Army established by Major General Charles Willoughby, General Douglas MacArthur’s Chief Intelligence Officer. The group was primarily made of South Koreans, along with North Korean defectors, and their main objective was to collect information on enemy resources and movements, as well as to perform covert operations.
I'm grateful to have been introduced to Yoon Young Jong's memoir through my husband, one of Yoon's six grandchildren. With the permission and help of his family, I'm honored to share a small portion of his inspiring story with you. Thank you for reading!
“My Experience in the Korean War” by Yoon Young Jong
Yoon Young Jong was born on November 27, 1930 in Pyongyang, which would later become the capital city of North Korea. Having defected to the south just prior to the Korean War, Yoon joined the U.S. military intelligence unit under the Korean Liaison Office. For his courageous service, he was recognized as a “model of patriotism,” by the Republic of Korea’s Minister of Patriots and Veteran Affairs and awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel. In 1957, he married his wife, Kwang Hee, in South Korea and moved to the U.S. in 1976. He spent the rest of his life in San Diego, passing away in 2015, and is survived by his two children, six grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.
It was the middle of October, and the weather felt slightly chilly. I wore my uniform over only a thin undershirt. In the pocket of the navy-blue uniform, I had one jack knife and, hidden deep within my clothes, I kept a 100-won Joseon paper money bill and two bags of rice flour that I could mix with water and drink. I also had three packs of Peacock cigarettes even though I did not smoke.
After arriving at Gimpo US Air Force Station, the soldiers chatted in the waiting room and shared C-ration snacks to prepare for the night mission. After eating the canned food, we either slept or rested. Upon receiving the order to get on the plane, we boarded the Douglas C-46 and sat on the long bench with nine people in each row divided by an aisle.
We all looked like Buddhist monks praying. We were on our way to sacrifice our lives for our country.
Under the ceiling above the aisle, there was a long pipe that extended to the entrance door to secure the safety chain of the parachutes. The door closed, and the engine roared loudly as the plane took off. Thirty minutes after our departure, the red lights of the exit door turned on, and the alarm sounded causing my heart to jump in my chest.
Jump Master Captain Brewer shouted, “Stand up and hook up,” and the door opened. The five soldiers assigned to the Haeju area hooked up and stood close to the door. Standing to the right of the door, the Jump Master turned his head from side to side to check the ground. Blue lights turned on and the bell sounded with ear-piercing rings. “Go, go, go, go, go!”
Five of the soldiers jumped off within ten seconds before the door closed.
“God of Peace, please look after my fellow soldiers’ safety and help them succeed in the mission,” I prayed eagerly. We flew another ten minutes to a rugged area called Anak near Kuwol Mountain. Just as the soldiers had dropped off at Haeju, four soldiers dropped off at Anak in Hwanghae-do.
The third area was Suan in Hwanghae-do bordering Pyongan-Namdo, and two soldiers dropped off there after twenty minutes of flying.
Now only seven soldiers were left, and the last area was the enemy’s capital city, which was also my hometown. Out of the seven, I was the only person from Pyongyang and the first one to go. After ten minutes, the red light turned on with the loud alarm. At the Jump Master’s command, I stood and hooked my parachute’s chain onto the pipe. I stayed next to the door, and six of my fellow soldiers stood in a tight line behind me.
Captain Brewer lay down flat on his stomach with his head sticking out the door to survey the area below. I held both sides of the open door. The wind was so strong that it felt like my ears would be blown away.
The problem was that the sun had already risen, and the enemy could see us falling in the bright daylight of the early morning.
Below us, we could clearly see the roads between Pyongyang and Wonsan and the houses along the roads. The green light turned on with a loud sound, and Captain Brewer said, “Go,” hitting my calf.
I flew out into the air.
As the safety chain disconnected, the parachute spread out widely. My body, blown by the wind, stood straight and slowly began descending. I headed about five hundred meters away from the road to the village.
Around me, I could hear the sounds of a rifle, but could not tell if they were my enemy or ally. The gunshots sounded like beans getting roasted.
I tried to navigate the parachute to the middle of the mountain so I could land on the spot far away from the main road or the houses. Steering the parachute to avoid getting stuck on a tree branch, I landed safely on the ground.
Editor’s Note:
Yoon Young Jong was the only survivor out of the agents sent on this high-risk rescue operation. Unable to complete this difficult mission alone, Yoon made his way back south and continued to collect important intelligence for the U.S. Army. He faithfully served until the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement, which brought an end to the combat. During later negotiations, Major General Dean was released and safely returned home to the U.S.
Memoir Title: My Experience in the Korean War
Author: Yoon Young Jong
Publisher: Joy Printing Document Mission (Park Jun-Hee)
Editor: Yoo Ki-Won, Kim Jin-Young
Editor-in-chief: Jeong Sa-Drak
Published: October 19, 2014
Special thanks to Katie Song (Yoon Young Jong’s daughter) for translating the words from Korean to English, and Grace Song (Yoon Young Jong’s granddaughter) for facilitating the project. Photo and art credit to Grace Song and Peter Yoon.
Additional Resource:
Yi, Chang-gon. (2012, March). The Secret History of the KLO in the Korean War. Studies in Intelligence Vol. 56, No. 1. Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/resources/csi/static/Review-KLO-ui-Hangukchon.pdf
Slice of Life: Photos from Yoon Young Jong’s Family
Beautiful piece, Emeline! My stomach dropped as he jumped out of the plane, and made me think of my own father who was a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne. I can't imagine doing anything like that!