SBS language | ‘Last wishes’: Disbanded Australian Korean War Veterans Association donates last funds to Busan memorial

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Strong points:

• This Saturday May 25 marks 72 years since the start of the Korean War, in which 17,000 Australians served
• The NSW Korean War Veterans Association ceased operations due to the consequences of death, illness and old age on its membership numbers
• The remaining members have pledged to donate the association’s last fund to the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan, Korea.

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Adventure-seeking 18-year-old joins the army

Seventy years ago, Johny Bineham joined K-Force, the last volunteer force raised by Australia to serve in a particular conflict.

One weekend, the 18-year-old left his home in Tully, Queensland, bound for Sydney.

In search of adventure, he enlists in the army, giving himself the age of 22 and avoiding having to ask for parental authorization.

“At that time, nobody cared. They were short of men to fight in Korea, so they didn’t care if you were a little too old or too young as long as you were fit,” said Mr. Bineham at SBS Korean.

After a year of training in Japan, he was finally sent to South Korea in March 1953 as an infantryman.

The Korean War veteran still has vivid memories of seeing the war-torn city of Busan for the first time.

“It wasn’t raining, but it was a gloomy day. All the buildings had been flattened and people were doing their best to make shelter with the best materials they could find,” Mr Bineham said.

It was a cardboard city, really a shocking scene.

Korean War Veteran Johny Bineham

Busan, a city full of hungry people and devoid of laughter or smiles, soon awoke him to the harsh reality of war, a far cry from the kind of adventure he had dreamed of.

What awaited him on the front line was even more brutal.

Mr Bineham discovered that his best army mate had been killed two days before he arrived at the camp, and he himself said he had killed three people in his first operation.

“It shook me up a bit. I also remember I had to shut down my emotions because I wasn’t in a situation where I could be emotional about these things, so I practically pressed the button. switch and put it in the back of my mind,” he said.

Fewer than 2,000 Korean War veterans still alive

Mr Bineham was one of 17,000 Australians who served in Korea between 1950 and 1953.

Three hundred and thirty-nine were killed and over 1,150 were injured.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, around 1,650 Korean War veterans are still alive in Australia as of June 2022.

With the likes of Mr Bineham, who faked his age to join the army, now 88, the average age of living veterans is thought to be easily over 90.

NSW Korean War Association closes

Mrs. Sylvia Mann is the proud daughter of a Korean War Veteran and served as Treasurer of the New South Wales Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA) for over 20 years.

Ms Mann said it was unfortunate they had no clear record of how many veterans are still alive.

We are not informed of veterans who have died or moved into care homes. Consequently, we have lost contact with so many of our members. Personally, I know 12 who are still alive.

Sylvia Mann, Treasurer of the NSW Korean War Veterans Association

That figure is a far cry from the Department of Veterans Affairs estimate of 460 veterans still living in New South Wales.

The Korean War is often called “the forgotten war”, but the NSW KWVA has worked hard to ensure that its members are not overlooked by donating war books to over 900 school libraries and installing some 2 500 plaques commemorating the conflict and 300 missing – plaques in action.

However, the association’s activities came to a halt when COVID-19 restricted its long-running monthly meetings at an RSL club in Sydney.

At the last meeting held in February 2020, the remaining members decided last year to close the association due to the consequences of death, illness and old age.

In doing so, the veterans decided to donate the association’s remaining funds to the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan.

“The remaining funds will go to a good cause. We didn’t want them to go to anything. So we will be donating the funds to the upkeep of war graves in Korea,” Ms. Mann said.

Veterans donate last funds to United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea

The United Nations Memorial Cemetery is a burial site for the United Nations Korean War Command.

It contains 2,300 graves, including 281 graves of Australian soldiers who never returned home.

The Republic of Korea’s Consulate General in Sydney helped connect veterans with memorial officials in Korea.

Sangwoo Hong, the Republic of Korea’s Consul General in Sydney, said he was touched by the gesture.

Even 70 years after the armistice of war, and even as they are about to say goodbye to the world, these veterans have never forgotten their comrades who are still sleeping far away in Busan.

Sangwoo Hong, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Sydney

However, the last wish of the veterans has not yet been granted.

After the deaths of two presidents in two years, President Emeritus Mick Kohlhoff took over the leadership of the association.

Sadly, Mr Kohlhoff also passed away last month following an illness.

Now Ms Mann, the association’s treasurer, says the donation is expected to be completed within the next two months.

SBS Korean has visited Mr. Kohlhoff before and learned how proud he was to contribute to Korea’s freedom and development, even from his hospital bed.

Fellow veteran Mr Bineham expressed similar pride, sharing his experience of being invited back to Korea in 2000.

“Everything was completely opposite [compared to during the war]. Every mountain was covered with green trees, and where they couldn’t plant trees, there were flowers, so it was like walking into a giant garden.”

It was literally a miracle, and it made me very proud to be part of it.

Korean War Veteran Johny Bineham

On behalf of the Korean government, Mr. Hong expressed his deep gratitude and respect for veterans.

“The noble sacrifices and dedication of veterans who risked their lives for peace and freedom on the Korean Peninsula served as the basis for the miraculous development of the Republic of Korea.”

“With their help, Korea has today become one of the world’s top 10 economic powers and has achieved a high level of democracy.”

“Never Forget the War”

Last year Mr Bineham posted a video explaining the Korean War on his YouTube channel.

He said he spent two years on the production collecting old photos taken by him and his colleagues and some other videos he had collected.

As a veteran, he said he felt a responsibility to ensure the war and those involved were commemorated.

“A video is a form of remembrance for those who have passed away and will still be around for years to come,” he said.

Ms. Mann also hopes that people will never forget the war.

Any war is horrible. And it’s important to remember that thousands of people have paid the ultimate sacrifice defending the right of the South Korean people to live in peace.

Sylvia Mann, Treasurer of the NSW Korean War Veterans Association