Jose Tamayo
Bio
Jose Tamayo was born on November 7, 1929, in the Philippines, where military service ran in the family—his father and two brothers also served. In 1950, Jose joined the military and was deployed to South Korea in 1952. During combat, he was wounded by mortar shrapnel and evacuated to Japan for treatment, where he remained for two years. Although he never returned to Korea during his service, he later visited as a civilian. During that visit, he searched for an errand boy named Kim, with whom he had formed a deep bond during the war.
Video Clips
Poor but Beautiful
Jose Tamayo recalls the bitter cold upon arriving in Korea. He observed the widespread poverty among the Korean people. However, despite the harsh conditions, he came to see Korea as a beautiful country.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SsDxdsNEaI&start=250&end=412
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/jose-tamayo#clip-1
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Errand Boy
Jose Tamayo often told his family about children scavenging for food and begging to help others. Years later, when he returned to Korea, he searched for his errand boy, Kim, whom he had practically adopted. He feels proud of his efforts to support Korea during and after the war.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SsDxdsNEaI&start=846&end=1053
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/jose-tamayo#clip-2
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