- Cottonwood Heights enters into "sister city" agreement with the South Korean city of Incheon, Yeonsu-gu.
- South Korean visitors to the Beehive State salute Utah's Korean War veterans.
- Utahns will gather in Cedar City on Sunday to commemorate the Korean War's "Miracle at Gapyeong."
COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — Salt Lake City resident Jim Crane is a month away from celebrating his 100th birthday — and his experiences fighting in the Korean War happened more than seven decades ago.
But for Crane — who is also a World War II veteran — the sounds, images and memories of Korea and its people still frequently visit his thoughts.
“I flew over 100 missions in North Korea,” Crane told the Deseret News on Saturday.
But Crane’s deep emotions for the Korean Peninsula stretch beyond the horrors of air combat.
“I love the Korean people,” he said, before adding, “And our country needs to be closer to these people that we’ve served with.”
A contingent of young adult “ambassadors” and civic leaders from Incheon, Yeonsu-gu, South Korea, gathered at the Cottonwood Heights City Hall on Saturday evening to formally thank Crane and several other Korean War veterans from Utah for actions that helped ensure the future of one of the world’s leading democracies and economies.
“You are not just veterans to me — you are American heroes who saved my country and made my very existence possible,” said South Korean ambassador Ina Kim.
“In 1950, you arrived to find a country of ruined cities, destroyed people, suffering, and hope that was nearly extinguished — yet you stayed. You fought alongside Korean soldiers in harsh conditions, through bitter winters and scorching summers. You witnessed unimaginable horrors. You lost dear friends and carried wounds, both visible and invisible, that would last a lifetime.”
Cottonwood Heights city leaders and their Incheon, Yeonsu-gu, counterparts also signed documents Saturday officially recognizing the two communities — separated, geographically, by some 6,000 miles — as “sister cities.”
“This is such a meaningful moment and experience,” said Cottonwood Heights City Councilman Matt Holton, whose mother is from South Korea. “I am so grateful for everyone in this community. We have so many that are from South Korea or descendants of Korea, or have been adopted from South Korea.”
Holton fought emotion while saluting the local Korean War veterans who gathered for Saturday’s event. “My mother was born during the Korean War. And if it wasn’t for their sacrifices, we wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be here.”
After participating in the “sister city” signing ceremony, Yeonsu-gu Mayor Jae Ho Lee added his thanks for the veterans — then highlighted his city’s reputation as a hub for higher education and culture.
“Thank you so much to everyone here,” said Jae Ho Lee. “ I’m going to take this back to Yeonsu-gu, which is (home) to 430,000 people.”
Cottonwood Heights Mayor Mike Weichers said the new “sister city” relationship with their South Korean friends reflects his own community’s values and diversity.
“Establishing this sister city relationship is a testament to our commitment to enriching our understanding of different cultures and building lasting connections across the globe,” said Weichers.
“Yeonsu-gu offers a rich history of beautiful landscapes and a dedication to innovation that aligns perfectly with our values and aspirations. This partnership is not just about creating ties between two things — it is about connecting our goals.”
City leaders Saturday also announced a “cultural experience” scholarship fund in partnership with Canyons School District that will provide opportunities for local youth to visit and experience South Korea. The $10,000 scholarship is being funded by America First Credit Union.
The evening also marked a confluence of cultures now shared by the sister cities.
The young Korean ambassadors sang and performed traditional Korean songs — then enjoyed some distinctly American bluegrass music.
Gov. Cox: ‘Utah-Korea Friendship Day’
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox also proclaimed Saturday “Utah-Korea Friendship Day” — recognizing the Beehive State’s bond with South Korea, calling it a “deep and enduring bond forged through historical ties, cultural exchange and mutual respect.”
Cox’s proclamation noted that the state’s connection to South Korea stretches back across a century, beginning with a 1925 visit from Ahn Chang Ho — a critical figure in the founding of modern-day Korea — and through the Korean War to Utah’s long-standing sister-state relationship with Korea’s Gyeonggi Province.
Incheon is also home to the University of Utah’s Asia Campus.
All students at the University of Utah Asia Campus can work to earn a University of Utah degree, while being taught and mentored by qualified faculty appointed at the University of Utah in South Korea.
The undergraduate students spend three years studying at the University of Utah Asia Campus in South Korea, and one year studying in the Salt Lake City campus.
And traveling from Utah to South Korea has recently become speedier.
Remembering the ‘Miracle at Gapyeong’
The rich history linking South Korea with Utah and its military veterans is also slated to be commemorated in southern Utah on Sunday.
Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy will join members of the Utah National Guard at the Korean War Memorial in Cedar City to honor the 213th Field Artillery Battalion — a Utah National Guard artillery unit that will forever be linked with the Korean War’s “Miracle at Gapyeong.”
Maloy is also expected Sunday to honor the student ambassadors from the University of Utah who are working to preserve the battalion’s legacy.
The event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Korean War Memorial at Cedar City’s Veterans Park, 200 N. 200 East.
In 1951, some 4,000 Chinese and North Korean soldiers — on the run from a U.S. infantry offensive — stumbled across the 213th, which was made up of soldiers from St. George, Cedar City, Richfield, Beaver and Fillmore.
Outnumbered 16 to 1, the Americans fought for their lives. One soldier manned a 50-caliber machine gun that he fired until the barrel melted. Others were thrust into hand-to-hand combat.
Last year, a short film was released about the battle — comparing the miraculous story of the southern Utah National Guard unit to the Book of Mormon story of the 2,000 sons of Helaman, who fought an enemy to protect their families, their freedom and their faith without the loss of a single life, the Deseret News reported.
Entitled “The Miracle at Gapyeong,” the film tells the remarkable true story of a surrounded, outmanned army unit that won a stunning victory in 1951 without the loss of a single soldier. For their bravery, the unit received the Presidential Unit Citation from U.S. President Harry Truman.
“These young men you’re about to see were from my home area in southern Utah, just a bit older than I,” President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, says in the video’s introduction.
“When I was 10 years old, they were shipping off to Korea. And I couldn’t have imagined what they were about to face in that war-torn country. None of us could. But we are so grateful for what they did.”
The 213th was comprised of young men generally between the ages of 18 and 22 who were chiefly Latter-day Saints. Before they left for Korea, they were invited to a meeting in the St. George Utah Temple, where temple president Harold Snow promised them that if they were faithful to God and kept the commandments, God would watch over and preserve them, according to the Deseret News report.
Some members of the 213th Armored Field Artillery Battalion were wounded, but none were killed. The presidential citation issued seven months later praised the unit for its “unshakable determination and gallantry.”
“The extraordinary heroism displayed by the members of these units reflects great credit on themselves and upholds the highest traditions of the military service of the United States,” the citation says.
