[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 84 (Wednesday, June 28, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TURKEY IN THE KOREAN WAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN P. MURTHA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 27, 2000

  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Speaker, as someone who joined the Marine Corps 
during the Korean War, I've always felt strongly about our allies in 
Turkey.
  As we mark the 50-year anniversary of the start of the Korean War on 
June 25th, the Turkish military's bravery and heroism deserve great 
praise. The Turkish Brigade demonstrated superior combat capability and 
courage from the critical moment it entered the battlefield in October 
1950, through the cease-fire agreement of July 1953.
  Turkey provided the fifth-largest military contingent among United 
Nations forces--5,453 soldiers at the peak of the war. The Turkish 
Brigade is credited with saving the U.S. Eighth Army and the IX Army 
Corps from encirclement by communist enemies, and the 2nd Division from 
total destruction during critical battles in November 1950.
  United Nations' Forces Commander in Chief General Douglas MacArthur 
said ``The Turks are the hero of heroes. There is no impossibility for 
the Turkish Brigade.''
  No enemy attack succeeded in penetrating the front of the Turkish 
Brigade, while British and American forces were forced to withdraw from 
defensive lines. Even though out of ammunition, the Turks affixed their 
bayonets and attacked the enemy, eventually in hand-to-hand combat. The 
Turks succeeded in withdrawing by continuous combat and carrying their 
injured comrades from the battlefield on their backs.
  Among the twenty U.N. Members contributing military forces in Korea, 
Time Magazine praised the Turkish Brigade for its courageous battles 
and for ``creating a favorable effect on the whole United Nations 
Forces.'' A U.S. radio commentary in December 1950 thanked the Turkish 
Brigade's heroism for giving hope to a demoralized American nation.
  Although the Korean War is often called ``the Forgotten War,'' partly 
because it ended inconclusively with no real winner, the fierce combat 
ability of the Turkish Brigade should never be forgotten. The 717 
Turkish soldiers killed in action, and the 2,413 wounded in action, 
represent the highest casualty rate of any U.N. element engaged in the 
fighting. The simple white grave markers in a green field near Pusan 
will eternally remind us of the heroic soldiers of a heroic nation.

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