Remembrance ceremony to be held for late U.S. veteran involved in Korean War rescue operation

SEOUL, May 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Air Force will hold a remembrance ceremony Thursday for a late American fighter pilot, who helped rescue around 1,000 war orphans during the 1950-53 Korean War, officials said.

The ceremony commemorating U.S. Air Force Col. Dean Hess will take place at the Jeju Aerospace Museum on the southern island of Jeju, attended by his sons and five of the orphans who were airlifted to safety due to Hess' efforts, according to the armed service.

Hess took part in a rescue operation with military chaplain Russell Blaisdell in December 1950 to airlift about 1,000 war orphans from Seoul to Jeju. He later helped establish an orphanage on the island and led fundraising activities for the war orphans for over two decades.

To commemorate his efforts, three South Korean KF-16 fighters and two U.S. F-16 jets will stage a friendship flight during the ceremony. They will also have decals celebrating the 70th anniversary of the two countries' alliance applied on their vertical tails.

Hess was included in a video honoring notable Korean War veterans aired in New York's Times Square earlier this year in commemoration of the landmark anniversary.

The South Korean government awarded Hess with the Order of Military Merit in 1951 and 1960 in recognition of his humanitarian efforts. He died on March 2, 2015.

The Air Force has held an annual remembrance ceremony for Hess since 2017.

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
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