Being a War Hero

War heroes are typically thought of as the guys that kept cool under fire and fought heroically against the enemy. Other war heroes were leaders that were able to inspire their soldiers to victory against overwhelming odds. Then yet you have other heroes that through cunning, detailed planning, and motivation were able to turn a defeat into a victory. A war hero that is less heard about are servicemembers who became heroes simply being a humanitarian. Being a humanitarian may not at first glance seem to be the proper criteria for someone to be called a war hero, but I think by the end of this narrative everyone will agree that Chaplain Russell L. Blaisdell is without a doubt a Hero of the Korean War.

Background

After the allies successful landing at Incheon and the recapture of Seoul in September 1950, thousands of Korean children in Seoul had been left parentless and homeless due to the North Korean capture of the city that led to many parents either dying in the fighting or being executed by the North Korean occupiers. These orphans lived in the rubble of the many destroyed buildings in the Korean capitol and subsisted on what little food they could beg from people passing by and particularly American soldiers.

These orphans wore rages, were filthy, and disease ridden which over time would only get worse as they lived in the rubble of Seoul with the rats that had become fat and happy from nibbling on all the dead bodies lying on Seoul’s destroyed streets. As American servicemen patrolled the streets of Seoul the bodies of dead orphans could increasingly be seen on the side of the roads as they died from cold, hunger, and disease. With the heart of winter approaching those that weren’t yet dead would soon be if help wasn’t provided for them soon.

Korean orphan found dead on the streets of Seoul during the Korean War.

When American forces re-established air operations at the Yeoido Island airfield near downtown Seoul, the airmen stationed with the 5^th US Air Force began to take in some of the cuter looking orphans onto the base to serve as unit mascot. Most of these orphans were aged around 4-7 years and received clean clothes and medical care on the base. Soon approximately 100 orphans were living on the Air Force base and proved to be many for the base to properly care for. A donation drive was held in order to raise money to create a new orphanage in Seoul to house the children in. $1,600 was raised and a prior orphanage was renovated in Seoul in order to move the children into. This orphanage could only house the 100 children and far more money and resources were needed in order to find homes for the approximately 6,000 more orphaned children roaming the streets of Seoul. Obviously much more needed to be done.

Korean orphan adopted by an American servicemember.

The Air Force chaplains spearheaded an effort to work with the American Red Cross, the Korean Red Cross, YMCA, Catholic Missions, Protestant Missions, and what was remaining of the local Seoul government to establish a large facility to house orphans. Seoul Mayor Lee Kyu-bong provided the Air Force with a large school to house, clean, and care for orphans in. The idea was that this would be a temporary location to process and care for the orphans as orphanages around Seoul were repaired and staffed to eventually move them to, to be housed permanently.

Children rescued off the streets of Seoul and transported to the 5th Air Force Orphanage.

Chaplains from the 5^th Air Force drove through the streets of Seoul daily picking up orphans to bring back to what became known as The Seoul Orphan Center. The center could process 50 orphans a day which meant it was going to take many weeks to process all the orphans remaining in Seoul’s streets. It was literally a race against the clock to find and process all the orphans before winter hit the country. One of the chaplains out there working hard to locate the orphans was Chaplain and Lieutenant Colonel Russell Blaisdell.

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