BG Richard S. Whitcomb,'Going to the Future Together' Statue & Memorial
Details:
Along the edge of the Peace Park.
A painted statue of Brigadier General Richard S. Whitcomb along with statues of South Korean citizens mounted on an inscribed base in front of a marble curved wall with inscriptions that explain the Korean War.
The memorial and statue remembers General Richard Whitcomb who commanded the 2nd Logistics Command (previously known as the Pusan Logistical Command) in Busan during the Korean War. He was also was a significant player in assisting South Korea rebuild after the war.
From the Korean Herald (Nov 13, 2023):
A special ceremony unveiling a memorial sculpture of Gen. Richard S. Whitcomb, who served in the Korean War (1950-1953), took place at UN Peace Park in Busan, Saturday.
Titled "Going to the Future Together," the sculpture commemorating the US General was created by sculptor Kwon Chi-gyu, 57, who also created a sculpture of Ahn Jung-geun, an independence fighter during the Japanese colonial period, at the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Museum in Seoul. Gen. Whitcomb served as the commander of the 2nd Logistics Command in Busan and is known for his dedication to helping refugees in Busan after the Korean War. According to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Gen. Whitcomb distributed military supplies to help disaster victims who had to evacuate from a fire in front of Busan Station in 1953. Gen. Whitcomb also raised funds for building orphanages and the Maryknoll Hospital in Busan as well as persuaded then-President Park Chung-hee to allocate land to found Pusan National University. o honor his service to the country, the South Korean government awarded him the highest order of civil merit, the “Mugunghwajang," in 2022. "Unlike other bronze sculptures, I designed the height of the platform to be low and painted it colorfully as I wished it to be more accessible for ordinary people. I tried to reflect Gen. Whitcomb's philosophy that the way to recover from the scars of a war lies in education," Kwon explained."Going to the Future Together" was created through public donations that started being collected last year and will be donated to Busan Metropolitan City.
BG Whitcomb died in 1982 and is buried in the UN Memorial Cemetery adjacent to this park.
Monument Text:
The inscription under the statue reads:
RICHARD S. WHITCOMB LOVED KOREA MORE THAN THE KOREANS
The inscription on the polished black marble reads:
"WAR IS NOT WON BY GUNS AND SWORDS ALONE.
TRUE VICTORY IS ACHIEVED BY SERVING THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY"
-Richard S. Whitcomb
All inscriptions are written in Korean and English.
Commemorates:
People:
Units:
2nd Logistics Command
8th US Army
United States Army
Wars:
Korean War
Battles:
Pusan Perimeter
Other images :
