Fidel Diaz
Bio
Fidel Diaz volunteered for the Army as a 17 year old in high school, describing himself as a patriot. After his training in the US and being sent to Japan to begin his time in the Army, the Korean War broke out. Fidel Diaz’s regiment was partnered with South Korean soldiers. Their job was to go south near Busan and cut off the communication in addition to logistical lines. Fidel Diaz relayed the scary moments he experienced and how he was so naïve at that age. He shared how he was injured by a land mine and how he was able to get assistance from his peers. He explained how the Bible literally saved his life. He was able to recover and graduated from college in 1966.
Video Clips
A Scary Place
Fidel Diaz describes how scary it was his first few nights in Korea after the Inchon Landing. He shares he was part of the Incheon landing and had North Korean forces trapped between them and Buson. He remembers seeing other soldiers that had been captured by North Koreans and how they were tortured was an effective form of psychological warfare. He shares North Koreans got frighteningly close to his foxhole as they had knifed the soldiers in the next foxhole over.
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Land Mine - Almost Pronounced Dead
Fidel Diaz shares when he traveling on foot when his South Korean partner stepped on a land mine, killing the other soldier and seriously injuring his own legs. He indicates the land mine completely shredded his legs and shrapnel entered many other parts of his body. He notes one large piece was lodged in his Bible, likely saving his life.
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Only Seventeen
As a seventeen year old boy, Fidel Diaz says he really did not have any other experiences to draw upon and was really unsure of what he was doing. He describes firing on a friendly tank as the unit headed down to Taegu. He shares a woman and her child were interrogated by American soldiers, but as soon as they turned she took out a machine gun and fired on the soldiers but was herself killed.
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Proud of Service Despite Hardships
Fidel Diaz is proud of his service. He says the United States had a reason to be in South Korea, liberty and to stop communism. He recalls the most difficult thing while in Korea was the unknown; not knowing what every click could mean, fears of being shot from above, and psychological attacks. He is proud of his duty and how South Korea has prospered nevertheless and would like to return to Korea if he could afford the trip.
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