News-Info-Alerts

Re: South Koresan Remains Identified

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Date: July 30, 2002

"Remains of South Korean official returned

By Wayne Specht, Stars and Stripes

The Vietnam War finally ends Monday for a South Korean officer killed in the crash of an American Huey helicopter in Vietnam 35 years ago.

Major Woo Sik Park, serving as an allied military adviser to the U.S. Army, was a passenger aboard an American UH-1 Iroquois helicopter when it crashed in 1967, killing him and four U.S. soldiers.

Park’s remains will be repatriated Monday during a ceremony at the base of the Honolulu Memorial in Hawaii’s National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, said Ginger Couden, spokeswoman for the Hawaii-based Central Identification Laboratory.

Park was commander of the 3rd Company, 29th Regiment, 9th Division, Republic of Korea Army. The helicopter crashed in Phu Khanh Province, South Vietnam.

The American crew departed Phu Hiep Airfield to return Park to his unit about 25 miles to the south. At the time of the crash, no trace of the aircraft or wreckage could be located, Couden said.

Crew remains were recovered in March 1993 by a search-and-recovery team from CILHI and Joint Task Force-Full Accounting, working with their counterparts from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Park’s remains have been held at CILHI headquarters on Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, since they were recovered nine years ago.

“It’s somewhat unique that we identified an allied soldier, and in this case, we did mitochondrial testing with DNA samples obtained from two of his sisters in 2000,” Couden said.

She said CILHI also made a group identification of the American soldiers aboard the helicopter with Park. However, family members haven’t been notified yet, so the crewmembers’ names could not be released.

Republic of Korea representatives and Park’s relatives will attend Monday’s ceremony in Hawaii.

Park’s son will make remarks, along with Army Brig. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee, commander of 9th Regional Support Command, and the Honorable Ji Doo Lee Consul General, Republic of South Korea.

Park’s wife and granddaughter also are expected at the ceremony.

© 2002 Stars and Stripes"