There is a proverb: “Ten years is an epoch.” Foreign veterans of the Korean War visited Korea for the first time in 60 years. A statue of peace, entitled ‘Las Palomas,’ was unveiled on the 4th of this month in Imjingak Pyeonghoa-Nuri Park located in Paju City of Gyeonggi Province, during a ceremony in which the Brinkley twins (80, USA), veterans of the Korean War, participated.

A statue of peace, entitled ‘Las Palomas’, was unveiled on the 4th of this month in Imjingak Pyeonghoa-Nuri Park located in Paju City of Gyeonggi Province, during a ceremony in which the Brinkley twins, veterans of the Korean War, participated.

The Brinkley twins joined the U.S. Army together in 1950 and served in the same infantry unit. They took active part in the Korean War together in March 1951 4 months after the landing of UN forces in Korea. They were assigned to the same unit in Korea and served in the war for a year.

They knew nothing of Korea before the war. They just decided to serve to help repell North Korea’s invasion of South Korea. They recalled that, in those days, all the cities were in ruins because of the war, but now they say that Korea’s economic growth is marvelous and that the US and Korea differ little.

Rey F. Brinkley, one of the twins, said that he could not describe the Korea of those days other than as terrible, and he vividly recalled that many people were killed and war orphans fled in terror.

In addition to the Brinkley twins, approximately 180 foreign veterans of the Korean War, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-Soo, Dr. George F. Drake, Mexican Ambassador to Korea Martha Ortiz de Rosas and the U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Mark Tokola participated in the ceremony for the unveiling of the statue ‘Las Palomas.’

At the unveiling ceremony, Gyeonggi Province Govenror Moon-Soo Kim and veterans of the Korean War pose for the camera.

Las Palomas means ‘dove’ and the statue portrays a prayer for peace. The statue was made in 2008 by Sebastian, the world-famous Italian plastic artist, who is a friend of Dr. George F. Drake (80), a devoted supporter of Korean war orphans.

The statue ‘Las Palomas’ was unveiled on the 4th of this month in Imjingak Pyeonghoa-Nuri Park located in Paju City of Gyeonggi Province.

The statue ‘Las Palomas’ has a value of approximately USD 1 million. Last year Dr. Drake notified the Korean government of his intention to donate the statue. The Korean Ministry of Patriots and Veteran Affairs sought a suitable location for the statue and finally decided that it should be situated in Pyeonghoa-Nuri Park upon the request of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government.

At the unveiling ceremony, Governor Kim said that he was honored to participate in the unveiling of the statue, a symbol of liberty and peace as well as the joys and sorrows of war orphans, and he presented a plaque of appreciation to Dr. Drake and Sebastian on behalf of the 12 million residents of the province.

With autumn just around the corner, now is an ideal time to visit Pyeonghoa-Nuri Park – in the northernmost part of Gyeonggi Province and South Korea – to see the statue ‘Las Palomas’- and reflect on the meaning of peace.

By Yik-Hwan Kim

– Original Text: The Blog of Gyeonggi Province (My Sweet City, Gyeonggi) http://ggholic.tistory.com/1777