SOUTH KOREA: AIRPORT FUNERAL SERVICE FOR FOUR UNITED STATES SOLDIERS KILLED IN AMBUSH AS UNITED NATIONS COMMAND LODGES PROTEST OVER KILLING WITH NORTH KOREA.

Record ID: 337153

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: AIRPORT FUNERAL SERVICE FOR FOUR UNITED STATES SOLDIERS KILLED IN AMBUSH AS UNITED NATIONS COMMAND LODGES PROTEST OVER KILLING WITH NORTH KOREA.
  • Date: 25th October 1969
  • Summary: 1. GV TROOPS WITH AMERICAN AND KOREAN FLAGS 0.05 2. SV U.S. TROOPS CARRY COFFIN 0.08 3. CU OTHER TROOPS LINED UP 0.11 4. SV COFFIN CARRIED 0.14 5. SV OFFICERS AT SALUTE 0.17 6. GV COFFIN CARRIED TO OTHERS ON TRAILERS 0.24 7. SCU OFFICERS SALUTE 0.27 8. SV FOREIGN GENERALS WITH BOWED HEADS 0.28 9. SV BUGLER PLAY
  • Embargoed: 9th November 1969 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SEOUL AND PANMUNJOM, SOUTH KOREA
  • Country: South Korea
  • Reuters ID: LVAB7XWQ3UWTBASW16J5XFP2JD0L
  • Story Text: A FUNERAL SERVICE WAS HELD AT KIMPO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SEOUL, ON THURSDAY (23 OCTOBER) FOR FOUR UNITED STATES SERVICEMEN KILLED IN AN AMBUSH LAST SATURDAY (18 OCTOBER) NEAR THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE DEMILITARISED ZONE BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA. AND THE 296TH MEETING OF THE MILITARY ARMISTICE COMMISSION HELD THE SAME DAY AT PANMUNJOM, THE KOREAN ARMISTICE VILLAGE, THE AMERICAN-LED UNITED NATIONS COMMAND LODGED A STRONG PROTEST WITH NORTH KOREA OVER THE KILLING.

    THE DEAD SOLDIERS ARE: STAFF SERGEANT JAMES GRISSINGER, SPECIALIST IV CHARLES TAYLOR JUNIOR, SPECIALIST IV JACK MORRIS, AND PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM GRIMES.

    THE MEN WERE RETURNING TO THEIR UNIT AFTER EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE NEAR THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE DEMILITARISED ZONE WHEN THEIR TRUCK WAS ATTACKED WITH HAND GRENADES AND SMALL-ARMS FIRE.

    UNITED NATIONS PATROLS BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE SWEEP OF THE AREA AND THE BODIES WERE RECOVERED.

    MAJOR-GENERAL ARTHUR H. ADAMS, AS SENIOR U.N. COMMAND ARMISTICE DELEGATE, CHARGED THE NORTH KOREANS AT THE MEETING WITH INTRUSION AND 'COLD-BLOODED' MURDER IN SHOOTING THE FOUR SOLDIERS THROUGH THE HEAD AFTER ATTACKING THE TRUCK.

    HIS NORTH-KOREAN COUNTERPART, MAJOR-GENERAL CHUN-SUN LEE, REJECTED THE CHARGES, SAYING THAT NORTH KOREAN HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ATTACK.

    THE ATTACK WAS THE SECOND FATAL ONE ON AMERICAN SOLDIERS NEAR THE DEMILITARISED ZONE THIS YEAR, WHICH HAS SEEN MARKEDLY FEWER CLASHES THAN IN 1968. ON 15 MARCH NORTH KOREANS ATTACKED A 10-MAN WORKING PARTY OF THE UNITED NATIONS COMMAND WHO WERE REPLACING DEMARKATION MARKERS IN THE ZONE, KILLING ONE AMERICAN SOLDIER AND WOUNDING TWO OTHERS AND A SOUTH KOREAN.

    THE DAY OF THE AMBUSH, 18 OCTOBER, WAS THE DAY SOUTH KOREA VOTED IN A NATIONAL REFERENDUM TO ALLOW A CHANGE IN THE COUNTRY'S CONSTITUTION AND PERMIT PRESIDENT CHUNG LEE PARK TO RUN FOR A THIRD TERM OF OFFICE.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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