Purple Heart recipient returns to Korea

DOWNEY - Joseph Del Rio and his wife, Amanda, are pictured above displaying a copy of The Downey Patriot during a recent visit to South Korea on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of the Korean War as well as the 60th anniversary of the Armistice Agreement.For Del Rio, commander of the Long Beach Chapter (210) of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the trip to Korea was a chance to revisit the place where in 1951 he fought with his old unit, the 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Division. Honored at the weeklong commemoration were fellow Korean War veterans from 21 countries, highlighted by ceremonies at the DMZ, a visit to the Panmunjon Truce Village (which directly faced North Korea), as well as a visit to a large granite wall memorial on which were inscribed the names of all the U.S. servicemen who were killed in the conflict. The pastor in his Sunday Peace Prayer service sermon said that "in looking over South Korea, the Lord had sent his angels to protect them." The angels in this case, he said, were the U. S. armed forces and those of other nations. "It was the most memorable experience of our lives," Del Rio said. "The occasion was the more meaningful to me and my wife as we were just two weeks removed from celebrating our 60th wedding anniversary." The Purple Heart, which was first created by Gen. George Washington on Aug. 7, 1782, honors the wounded and the fallen soldiers of all the wars.

********** Published: Aug. 15, 2013 - Volume 12 - Issue 18