© Armée luxembourgeoise
On Wednesday, five Luxembourgish veterans were honoured in a ceremony at Herrenberg to mark the 70th anniversary of the Luxembourgish deployment in the Korean War.
85 Luxembourgers fought in the Korean War of 1950-53, with two losing their lives and 17 suffering injuries.
At Herrenberg, the site of Luxembourg’s military headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence François Bausch drew parallels between the Korean War and the current war in Ukraine.
While Bausch acknowledged that Ukraine and Korea could “not be compared”, he argued that both conflicts had some things in common. In both conflicts, the Minister stressed, “young people risked their lives for our values of democracy and freedom”.
General Steve Thull, the head of the Luxembourgish military, sid that Korean authorities had recently told him that the soldiers’ commitment is still highly valued in South Korea to this day.
The army stated that it was “proud” that five of these soldiers participated in the ceremony in Diekirch, whether in person, via video call, or represented by another person.
Addressing the veterans directly, General Thull described them as “pioneers regarding the participation of Luxembourgish soldiers in peace missions,” as well as “role-models for our military in terms of engagement, determination, and courage”. “Without a doubt, you are part of the pride of Luxembourg’s army,” General Thull concluded.
For their service, the veterans were awarded the title of “honorary corporal”. One of the five men, Jean-Michel Clement, described this as “a big honour”.
Léon Moyen, who emigrated to Canada in 1956, expressed his concern about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “I am worried,” Moyen stated, adding that “I am not afraid, not at my age, but it is serious, very serious, and I don’t know how this will end”.
The veteran’s concern is certainly shared by many people around the world.
The deployment of the 85 Luxembourgers is also the subject of an exhibition at the National Museum of Military History. The exhibition will open in the next few days and can be visited until March 2023.
The full report by RTL Télé (in Luxembourgish):
Knowledge Bites: Luxembourgers in the Korean War
Commemoratioun Koreakrich / Reportage Dany Rasqué