Korean War veterans hope peace talks are fruitful
Whether they served in the Korean War or not, military veterans of that era say they have an interest and hope that talks to finally bring peace to the peninsula will be fruitful.
The fighting ended 65 years ago but tension in the region has been a constant. And those who were there have a personal perspective on what happens next.
"I believe if both leaders have come this far and are willing to talk for the first time in over 65 years, something good will happen," said Navy veteran Francis Normoyle of Gurnee.
Normoyle was in combat as a corpsman attached to the Marines, and was awarded Bronze Star and Silver Star for heroism.
"I am very hopeful that the talks between North and South Korea will lead to trust and peace between the two nations," he said.
After the war ended, Lee Jensen of Mount Prospect spent about a year in Busan, South Korea, maintaining communication and transportation lines with the Army Signal Corps.
He recalls a landscape that was far from the modern images viewers saw during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
"The people were very, very poor. They had shacks, corrugated plywood, dirt floors," he said. "I would never recognize South Korea if I ever had the chance to go back."
Today, along modernization in South Korea is the shadow of nuclear weapons in North Korea, and what Jansen said is the fear of "somebody pushing the button." He is surprised the talks between North and South have come about.
"Maybe somewhere down the line they can solve their problems," he said.
"I don't know if they would ever unify (but) it's (the discussion) a good thing right now," he said.
Agreeing to share cultures would be a good outcome, he added as North Korea could learn from its neighbor how to grow free enterprise and have a more open society.
Retired Navy Cmdr. Robert E. Griffith of Arlington Heights, joined the naval reserve during the Korean War and spent three and a half years of active duty in Washington. He described himself as a student of military history and world affairs.
He is surprised at how quickly the situation has changed and that talks are underway.
"I'm totally wary. I'm extremely hopeful but when you think of the personalities of these two guys (North and South Korean leaders) I don't think they'll initially solve the issue," he said. "But I'm so hoping I'm wrong."
Griffith said talks leading to the Korean War armistice agreement in 1953 were slow going.
"I remember them negotiating for weeks what the table would be shaped like," he said.
Griffith hopes these talks progress more quickly.
"All this occurring today is just marvelous," he said.