I Am the ‘June 25 War Combat Pilot’

Air Force Hosts Event Inviting 5 Pilots for Sortie in Honor of Veterans Month

Reserve pilots who flew missions during the Korean War gathered in one place. The group included retired General Kim Duman (96), the 11th Chief of Staff of the Air Force, as well as retired Colonels Lee Baeseon (91), Shin Gwansik (91), Shin Junggi (93), and retired Lieutenant Colonel Lee Hakseon (92), totaling five pilots.

At the 'June 25 Sortie Pilots Invitation Event' held at the Air Force 10th Fighter Wing, sortie pilots are taking a commemorative photo in front of the restored old '10th Fighter Squadron' English sign inside the unit's history hall. From the left: Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Lee Hak-seon, Reserve Colonel Lee Bae-seon, Reserve General Kim Doo-man, Reserve Colonel Shin Gwan-sik, Reserve Colonel Shin Jun-gi. (Photo by Air Force)

On the 22nd, the Air Force held the 'Korean War Mission Pilots Invitation Event' at the 10th Fighter Wing, hosted by Chief of Staff of the Air Force Jeong Sanghwa, in commemoration of June, the Month of Patriots and Veterans.

Retired General Kim Duman participated in the first sortie of the 'Seunghori Railroad Bridge Blockade Operation,' which demonstrated the independent operational capability of the Republic of Korea Air Force during the Korean War, and was the first in the ROK Air Force to achieve 100 combat sorties. Retired Colonels Lee Baeseon, Shin Gwansik, Shin Junggi, and retired Lieutenant Colonel Lee Hakseon all flew sorties in the 'Battle of Hill 351 Air Support Operation,' one of the three major victorious operations of the Air Force during the Korean War, contributing to the victory. During the Korean War, a total of 129 Air Force pilots flew sorties, and currently, 10 are still alive.

Chief of Staff Jeong Sanghwa said, "The passionate patriotism, dedication to the nation, and the spirit of a soldier’s duty shown by our seniors serve as a milestone for the juniors," adding, "We will inherit that fighting spirit and fulfill the mission of defending our national airspace to protect the peace of the Republic of Korea."

Meanwhile, in the evening of the same day, the Air Force will hold the 'Korean War Air Force Power Participating Countries Invitation Event' hosted by Chief Jeong. The event will be attended by ambassadors and defense attach?s from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Republic of South Africa, Greece, Thailand, and T?rkiye, all of whom dispatched air force units during the Korean War.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.