Bristol veterans remember Korean War

BRISTOL — As a young man, Frank Parker wanted to join the U.S. Army, but at 96 pounds and just shy of 5 feet tall, he was considered too small. However, the military later decided it needed small men who could climb easily in and out of tank turrets, so Parker was welcome. He joined the Army and was stationed in Mexico when the war broke out. "At the time they were looking for volunteers," he said. "They said they wanted men who were young and not very bright, so I signed up," he added, getting chuckles from the audience at the Korean War Remembrance Day on Memorial Boulevard Thursday morning. The event marked the 59th anniversary of the start of the Korean War when North Korea, with help from the Chinese, attempted to take over South Korea. The war lasted three years and one month. South Korea had no military, so 20 nations, most notably the United States, sent troops and equipment. Parker was part of what he called a "bastard unit," a group of men who went from place to place wherever they were needed. They didn’t have a chance to get close to other troops, so when there was a fatality, it didn’t always affect them. However, he did lose a friend he had enlisted with, and some others went home with shrapnel wounds. "I don’t know why I was so lucky," he said. "Probably because when the shooting started, I hit the floor." After Parker returned to the United States in 1951, he kept in touch with a girl named Betty, a family member of one of his military friends. She lived in Maine, but he began visiting her regularly and bringing her small gifts, like boxes of chocolate. In the summer of 1951 they married. "After 58 years, we’re still together," he said. "And she still likes chocolate."

John Denehy, who was master of ceremonies, said the war began quickly. "Korea was called the land of the morning calm," he said. "Fifty-nine years ago, that calm was shattered by gunfire from North Korea." Chinese tanks rolled over the 28th parallel and the war began. "On June 27, the United States condemned the war," Denehy said. "And on June 28 U.S soldiers in Japan geared up to fight." Thousands of Americans died in the war, including 15 of those serving from Bristol. Their names were read by John Lasnier, a World War II veteran.

Mayor Art Ward, who is also a veteran, conducted a table ceremony in memory of the thousands of troops whose fate remains unknown. He explained the significance of the items on the table, from the white table cloth "which symbolizes the purity of their intentions when they decided to serve" and the slice of lemon "which represents their bitter fate" to the red rose "for the blood they shed for our freedom" and the candle "to light their way home when they return." "Never forget that, while we continue to enjoy our daily pleasures, there are those who may still be enduring the pain of imprisonment," he said. The event, held to honor all Korean War veterans, was especially significant for the family of Sgt. 1st Class Lincoln Clifford May of Plainville. May died in a battle with the Chinese Army in 1950, but his body was never recovered, so he was classified as missing in action. In 1993, North Korea sent some boxes of remains of soldiers who died in the Korean War to the United States. DNA testing was done on the remains. One of May’s nephews, Councilman Clifford Block, wondering if his uncle was among them, donated some DNA. Earlier this year, the samples were compared and May’s remains were identified. The coffin was shipped home to a hero’s welcome Tuesday. A hearse from O’Brien Funeral Home in Forestville drove May’s coffin from Bradley International Airport to the funeral home, where a wake will be held today from 8:30 to 10 a.m., followed by a funeral Mass. May will be buried near his family in West Cemetery in Plainville with a military ceremony.
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