Army Brigadier General Lee Dae-yong, who advanced to Chosan on the Yalu River as a vanguard unit of the ROK Army during the Korean War. [사진=국가보훈부]
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced on the 30th that it had selected Army Brigadier General Lee Dae-yong, who advanced to Chosan on the Yalu River as a vanguard unit of the ROK Army during the Korean War, as December’s Korean War Hero.
Brigadier General Lee Dae-yong, who was born in Geumcheon, Hwanghae Province in November 1925, entered the war as the commander of the 1st Company of the 7th Regiment of the 6th Division when the Korean War broke out.
From June 25 to 28, 1950, together with the 2nd Platoon of the Anti-Tank Artillery Company of the 2nd Regiment of the 6th Division, they stopped approximately two companies of North Korean troops in the Battle of Chuncheon, Gangwon-do after a fierce battle, thwarting the enemy’s attempt to occupy Chuncheon early.
In July 1950, he participated in the Battle of Mugeuk-ri, Eumseong, Chungcheongbuk-do and contributed to the destruction of an enemy regiment, but was injured during the battle and was transported to the 5th Army Hospital.
He returned to the battlefield after about 40 days and advanced to Chosan on the Yalu River as a vanguard unit of the ROK Army on October 26, 1950. Members of his unit planted the Taegeukgi high on the river hill, expressing their wish for unification.
However, the intervention of the Chinese army turned the tide of the war, and when the withdrawal order was issued on October 28, 1950, Brigadier General Lee said, “Soldiers cannot throw away their guns and swords. He ordered his unit members to “use your last bullet for yourself.” In the end, after numerous engagements with the enemy, they succeeded in withdrawing to the south.
After the Korean War, Brigadier General Lee, who was promoted to colonel in 1961 and to brigadier general in 1968, worked as a construction worker at the Korean Embassy in Seoul in 1975, and when South Vietnam was defeated, he made efforts to rescue Vietnamese Koreans.
The government of the Republic of Korea awarded him the Chungmu Military Meritorious Service Medal and the Hwarang Military Service Medal for his actions during the Korean War.
Reporter information Jaehyung Jo grind@ajunews.com
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