잊혀진 듯 잊혀지지 않은 전쟁

59년 전 오늘 6.25 전쟁이 일어났습니다. 수많은 젊은이들이 피를 흘리며 죽어갔습니다. 우리네 아버지와 아버지의 형제, 친구 분들이 세상을 떠났습니다.

아버님은 함께 전쟁에 참여하였던 친구가 죽은 것을 알았지만 돌아와서 그 가족 분들께 차마 말할 수 없었다고 마음 아파하셨습니다. 더 아팠던 건 가족 분들이 사랑하는 아들이, 형제가 살아 돌아올 것으로 믿고 애타게 기다리는 걸 보는 것이라 하셨지요.

전쟁이 일어나자 사람들은 꼭 필요한 것들만 챙겨 피난길에 나섰습니다. 머리엔 보따리를 이고 한 쪽 손엔 또 다른 보따리를, 한 쪽 손엔 어린 자식의 손을 잡고 무작정 떠났습니다. 끝이 없는 피난길이 이어졌고 전쟁은 삼년이나 계속 되었습니다.

아버님 어머님 형제자매들이 모이면 자주 피난 시절 이야기를 하셨습니다. 전쟁 후 태어난 저는 어른들의 이야기를 이해할 수 없었지만 이야기를 듣는 것이 싫지는 않았습니다.

전쟁이 일어난 지 반세기도 더 지난 지금 우리는 그 전쟁에 대해 많이 잊어가고 있습니다. 매년 유월 이십오일이 되면 전쟁 발발 기념일 정도로 알고 있고, 전쟁이 있었다는 사실만 기억할 따름입니다. 속속들이 어떤 일이 일어난 것인지 알지 못합니다.

역사로부터 교훈을 얻지 못하면 다시 그런 일을 당할 수 있다고 하지요? 예리한 시각으로 역사적 사실을 고찰하고 역사로부터 교훈을 얻어 현재를 살고, 미래를 대비하는 우리가 되었으면 좋겠습니다.

유엔군으로 참전하였던 미국 젊은이 들은 36,000명이 생명을 잃었고 캐나다에서 참전한 젊은이 512명도 낯선 땅에서 죽임을 당하였습니다. 이런 희생 끝에 우리는 다시 일어설 수 있었습니다.

우리네 아버지 세대, 할아버지 세대의 희생이 없었다면, 다른 나라 젊은이들의 고귀한 희생이 없었다면 지금 우리는 북한 사람들처럼 살고 있을지도 모르겠습니다. 삼대 째 권력을 승계해가며 국민들의 눈을 멀게 하고 그러한 지도자들의 영도(?) 아래 살아가는 곳이 지상의 천국이라 말하는 이들을 지도자 섬기며 말입니다.  

 

<'Forgotten war' had big impact in South Korea>

Fifty-nine years ago today the Korean war started with North Korea invading South Korea, determined to make the Korean peninsula communist.

Over 26,000 Canadians served in the nasty, three-year war that started with Second World War fluidity, and ended along the 38th parallel in First World War trench war -- static, deep bunkers, hard rations, night patrols, being mortared and shelled around the clock, ever alert to enemy attack.

Ceasefire negotiations bogged down at Panmunjom, but the endless talks prohibited an allied offensive. This was frustrating to our soldiers.

I was a lieutenant with the Princess Pats during the last year of the warfare -- first as a platoon commander, then battalion intelligence officer, and ended the war with a U.S. Air Force "Mosquito" squadron, flying in a two-seat Harvard plane to mark enemy targets with coloured smoke for strike bombers.

The Americans had a tougher war than we Canadians of the Commonwealth Division. Compared to their 36,000 battle deaths, Canada's 512 killed is small potatoes. But our three battalions lost not an inch of ground, and won every battle fought against the Chinese.

Unlike today, the Canadian public paid little attention to its soldiers in Korea. The Vancouver Sun ran the same Korean war story on the same page every day for a week -- and got no complaints. In those post-Second World War days, soldiers expected neither publicity nor appreciation - and got none. The country was weary of war.

Troopships left the west coast without fanfare, and after a year in Korea, soldiers returned without fanfare and disappeared either into civilian life or their regiments. Ever since, Korea has been the "Forgotten War." For young soldiers, the static war was rather like being on a hockey team with only goalies and no forwards. The politics of Panmunjom negotiations precluded our side going on the offensive.

It made soldiers wonder if the war was a waste of time. Disillusion and cynicism were inevitable. Speaking personally, and for most front line soldiers, the war was often boring, always frustrating, occasionally exciting and periodically terrifying.

I think it's fair to say that we of the Commonwealth Division would have relished being let off the leash to attack the enemy. The fighting core of the division were British, Canadian, Australian soldiers, supported by New Zealand artillery, with other Commonwealth troops in lesser support roles.

It's also fair to say most Canadian soldiers left Korea feeling frustrated and wondering if the war was worthwhile.

The South Korean government has a policy of inviting -- cost-free -- those who served in that war to visit and see the country they defended from communism. Regardless of their frustrations as young soldiers, virtually every returning veteran sees firsthand that although the war ended in stalemate, the peace was certainly won. It suddenly makes the war worthwhile.

More than that, Koreans recognize that allies saved their country. Returning vets quickly realize what they did was not only worthwhile, but their sacrifices are still appreciated.

I suspect most veterans are impatient at how the West tries to appease North Korea's nutbar dictator Kim Jong Il. Concessions don't work, and too often are seen as appeasement.

China has some leverage with North Korea, but there's little incentive for China to intervene. President Barack Obama is being "tested" and enemies and allies watch what he may do with curiosity and some trepidation.

Arguably, a satisfying development would be Kim Jong Il deciding to die, or being helped towards this end. Maybe North Korea's generals will be more cooperative when Kim is no more.

As for the likelihood of North Korea attacking the South now that it has revoked the 1953 armistice and is technically at war again -- forget it. Veterans see it as all bluff. And if it isn't bluff, well, next time we should ensure there's no North Korea left to negotiate with.

(Source Toronto sun, 25th June 2009, page 21 By PETER WORTHINGTON)