European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 19, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes tuesday november 19, 1985 seeking recognition for the veterans of Korea America s forgotten War by Clyde h. Farnsworth new York times some things have not changed in Inge. South Korea after 32 years. Searchlights still play every night Over the fingers crags and ravines of old Peninsula mountains in the demilitarized zone. The loudspeakers still blare out the metallic music and propaganda messages from the regime of the North korean Leader Kim ii Sung. Bunkers still honeycomb the Hills. They Are made of reinforced Concrete now instead of sandbags piled helter shelter on top of engineering stakes. Some bunkers Are painted Blue and Green. Flowers grow nearby. Hid 930, about 100 mites Northeast of Seoul ust above the Village of Wontong towers Over a Region still called the Punchbowl because that is what it looked like to gis during the korean War. Not All gis fought in the mountains however. Until the War stable died in 1952. It raged up and Down the 600-mile Peninsula reducing it to rubble. The United Stales and 15 other members of the United nations came to the Aid of South Korea. Opposing them were the Large armies of North Korea and its ally China. By the time a cease fire was signed at Panmunjom on july 27,1953, the United states had Tost almost 55,000 soldiers. Now Many american veterans Are returning to the Punchbowl Inchon the Pusan perimeter Taegu and elsewhere to visit the old places of Battle. Lwy Era to campaigning in Washington for a memorial to Mark what they Call America s forgotten  Many korean War veterans say they Are seeking National recognition of the kind that was recently granted to the veterans of Vietnam. The korean War is to All accounts and purposes  said Rudy Basurto of Lompoc calif., who was a medic 33 years ago in the Punchbowl. One reason was that the korean War was never officially a War. Ii went Down in the records As a police action of the United nations. Basurto who retired from the Justice department is one of the veterans trying to change that. Thousands like Basurto have revived their memories of the War with visits to Korea. Basurto was with a group of 40 veterans and their wives. It s a sentimental  said Meli Paule a tour escort from los Angeles. Many of them were teary eyed before in was  the visitors Rode around the country on a bus with banners identifying them As american veterans. The korean veterans association a korean association was the Host. Old men saluted the bus at every town and children  Paule said. Although Little has changed in the Punchbowl the americans have seen elsewhere almost a Brand new country and one of the fastest growing in the developing world. We went Back to Inchon said John . Morrison who was in the 11th Marine regt of the 1st Marine div on sept. 15, 1950, when a bold amphibious Landing was staged under the command of Gen. Douglas Macarthur. Morrison said that he barely knew Inchon because of All the commercial development and that Volmi do. The offshore Island where his unit had landed was unrecognizable because it now had some Trees on  we d blown most of the foliage off he said. The Inchon Landing was a dramatic and immediate a photo Korea War veterans a fill Ift King recognition. Military Success. But Hill 930 in the Punchbowl was taken lost and taken again in bloody cycles that went on for two years. It used to be known As Heartbreak Ridge. To other High ground in the Region. Gis gave other names that have been seared into the military record names like pork hop Hill Christmas Hill Dagmar. Old Baldy. This was one go s chronicle of the scene As fresh soldiers of the 179th in regt of the 45th div moved into place on Christmas Hill in july 1953 to relieve the division s badly mauled 180th regt the dust the constant of Tang on the hard wooden benches inside the two 12-ton trucks and the heat jagged the nerves of the troops More than the Distant rumble of artillery and the thought of combat. We approached a Rok artillery unit. Korean artillerymen were stirring in one emplacement near the Road. A round flamed from the muzzle of the 105 howitzer just As we passed. We were All shaken a bit. Lifting a Side Flap of the truck one go shouted obscenely at the Rok soldiers. The reaction was another explosive discharge. A Katusa inside the truck nudged his go squad Leader. Tucson chinese maybe have a yes " the dramatic names of those Hills have now disappeared. On the South Korea army maps they have All become numbers denoting meters of Elevation. Tensions Are still High up Here said it. Col. . Moon of the 65th arty in of South Korea s 12th division As he pointed through the wire Fence that Marks the Southern Boundary of the demilitarized zone. Four Kilometres to the North along another Ridge line was another Fence. There could be tour North korean soldiers behind there or 40,000," he said. In 1953, the same Hills were were nearly Bare pockmarked by Shell holes. Trees had Long since been Cut to stumps and looked like rotting Teeth. Now he Flage has returned but the South korean soldiers who live in the bunkers and Man the watchtowers say that they still do not see Many animals. Pvt. Soon Chul aum a draftee from Chinchon with a month left in his 30-month period of conscription said there May be a Lew  today s crossword by Eugene Sheffer across1 asterisk 5 morning moisture 8 Pagan god12 Rich fabric13 Mara 14 opera highlight15 footless animal16 old line state 18