First Thai veteran in Korean War to be buried in S. Korea

When the remains of Command Sergeant Major Rod Asanapan are laid to rest at a memorial cemetery in South Korea next week, he will be the first Thai veteran of the Korean War to rest in peace in the land where he served for one year.
South Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced that the late soldier’s charred remains will arrive at Incheon International Airport on Friday, followed by a repatriation ceremony. His burial will take place at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan on Monday. He will be accompanied by his daughter and granddaughter.
The wishes of his family to honour him in South Korea make him the first war veteran from Thailand to be buried there. He will be among 2,328 veterans interred at the cemetery in Busan, located in the southeastern region. This decision came after the family visited the East Asian country last year.
CSM Rod died on June 14 last year. His age at the time of his death is unknown. He is survived by his 57-year-old daughter and 23-year-old granddaughter.
Before his military service, Rod worked as a nurse at Fort Suranari Hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima province. He volunteered to serve in the Korean War from November 1952 to October 1953 in a nursing unit, participating in battles in Sangju and the Pyongyang offensive, as UN forces repelled North Korean soldiers.
The veteran was awarded the Victory Medal by the Thai government.
The Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953, started when North Korea launched an offensive into South Korea.
Thailand sent 6,326 soldiers to the UN forces during the conflict, which resulted in 136 deaths and 1,139 injuries, according to information from the War Memorial in Seoul. Thailand was one of 22 nations involved and the fifth country to send troops from the army, navy and air forces to South Korea.