Milford man featured in new book about Korean War veterans
Charles Garrod, a Milford-area resident, recently discovered he is featured in a new book about Korean War veterans.
A 90-year-old Korean war veteran, Garrod answered his front door and a U.S. Postal Service worker handed him a box that was rather heavy. When he brought the box inside and opened it, he was astounded. There were four books, three paper-bound and one leather-bound. The title is “Young Heroes Who Changed Korean History, Memoirs of Korean War Veterans-USA 3.”
He, of course, was drawn to the leather-bound book, and after he breezed through the pages, his wife Gail said, “Charles, didn’t you see your photo?”
“Dumbfounded, I said no, and carefully opened the first pages and started turning them slowly, and bam – there I was, a photo of me holding a portrait of myself. In this book there were 16 other Korean War veterans featured,” he said.
The publisher of the book, R.O.K. Seapower League, is totally unknown to Garrod. He attempted to find a way to contact and thank them, but so far he’s drawing a blank.
With thousands of other Korean War veterans, Garrod wonders why he was picked to be featured in this book. “It is a humbling experience to be included in a book honoring all Korean War veterans, but singling out 17 old guys,” he said.
A U.S. Air Force veteran, Garrod enlisted in April 1951 and was discharged in 1955. He was stationed in Suwon, South Korea, from July 1952 to November 1955, and his base was the home of F-86 Sabre jets. The greatest air ace of the Korean War, Joseph McConnell, and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, later a famous astronaut, also served at that base during Garrod’s time there.
In 2008, Garrod created a private Facebook group that he named Korean War Veterans and Supporters. At this time it has almost 11,000 members from 111 countries, making it the largest group in the world focused on keeping the memories of Korean War veterans alive through the memories of their families, friends and supporters.
