The Blue House announced on the 11th that President Moon Jae-in sent a condolence message to the bereaved family of Colonel William Weber (pictured), a reservist of the Korean War veterans who passed away on the 9th at the age of 97.
President Moon paid tribute to the sacrifice and devotion of the deceased who worked hard for the freedom and peace of the Republic of Korea until the end of his life, saying, “‘I lost arms and legs in the Korean War, but I want to publicize the Korean War more widely for my colleagues who went to heaven first.’ express,” he comforted.
He also thanked Colonel Weber for contributing to publicizing the horrors of the Korean War as president of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation following being discharged from the military, and for contributing to the creation of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Park and Memorial Wall. President Moon said, “I still vividly remember the strength of the deceased I saw at the groundbreaking ceremony for the wall of remembrance last year,” said President Moon. During a visit to Washington in May of last year, President Moon met with Colonel Weber at the ‘Wall-breaking Ceremony for the Korean War Veterans’.
Colonel Weber participated in the Incheon Landing Operation and the Seoul Restoration Operation in September 1950 as an operational officer (captain) of the Parachute Airborne Forces.
In February 1951, at Hill 324 north of Wonju, he suffered serious injuries that lost his right arm and right leg. After regarding a year of surgery, he returned to active duty and was discharged in 1980.
After being discharged from the military, he served as the president of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation (KWVMF) from 1993 and led the construction of the Korean War Veterans Monument (19-inch) in Washington DC, and he also became one of the 19-inch models.
In 2006, the movement to build a wall to commemorate the Korean War began, and following three attempts to pass the bill, a groundbreaking ceremony was finally held last year.
In a video letter to commemorate Memorial Day last year, Colonel Weber said, “The United States has served in many wars to help the people of many countries, but it is the Koreans who have expressed our deepest gratitude to us.”
The deceased’s wife, Annally Weber, was also diagnosed with lung cancer and is battling the disease.
Meanwhile, the Korea-US Alliance Foundation will send a representative to the funeral of Colonel Weber, who has dedicated his life to the alliance.
We plan to publish Colonel Weber’s autobiography and establish and award the ‘Colonel Weber Award’.
[서동철 기자]
[ⓒ 매일경제 & mk.co.kr, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]
