The story below is of a Korean War veteran who returned to Korea last year in April to commemorate his part in the war of the early 1950s.This link explains Australia's involvement in the conflict
JOHN Laughton is set for a trip of a lifetime, a trip for remembrance.
A Navy man for 12 years, he will join more than 200 United Nations servicemen in South Korea to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong.
The battle is regarded as one of Australia’s key military engagements during the Korean War.
“It’s going to be an extremely emotional trip,” the Dandenong Cranbourne RSL vice-president said. “It’s always been an ambition of mine to get back there and it’s not too many times you get an opportunity like this.”
As a guest of the South Korean government he will attend a dawn service in Seoul as well as visit the north-south demarcation line and a war cemetery in the southern coastal city of Busan.
Despite visiting more than 60 countries, including China and Japan, Mr Laughton hasn’t been back to South Korea since 1954.
He served on the aircraft carrier Sydney III after the Korean War ceasefire and later on the Gladstone, Bataan and Swan.
Mr Laughton has been pivotal in organising Anzac Day services at the Pillars of Freedom for the past 22 years. “My dedication to the RSL is part of my desire to make sure we remember the fallen comrades,” he said.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard will lead the commemoration in Seoul as part of an eight-day tour that includes Japan and China.
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