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Korean War veterans receive Korean Ambassador for Peace Medal

  • Published
  • By Christi Spargur
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  On Sept. 4, 18 Korean War veterans assigned to the 6147th Tactical Control Group, known as Mosquitos, were surprised to receive the Korean Ambassador for Peace Medal during a reunion banquet in St. Louis.

Presented by Lt. Col. Stephen Esposito, 375th Communications Support Squadron commander, the Korean Ambassador Peace Medals were originally presented to Korean War veterans who returned to the Republic of South Korea through the Revisit Program. The South Korean government recently expanded eligibility to include Korean War veterans who served from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953, and are unable to travel. Veterans who served in United Nations peacekeeping operations until the end of 1955 and U.S. Navy members who served aboard Navy vessels in Korean waters from 1950 to 1953 are also eligible for the commemorative medals.

The 6147th TCG used airborne and ground-based Forward Air Control systems. An overview on the National Museum of the Air Force's website says, "The primary FAC missions were to direct strike aircraft against enemy targets and conduct visual reconnaissance. Since the U.S. Air Force did not have any airborne FAC units at the beginning of the war, pilots flew the first missions with borrowed Army liaison aircraft ... To perform these missions, Mosquito FACs flew 'low and slow' over enemy positions so they could spot and mark targets, a practice that left them particularly vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire."

About 60 Korean War veterans, spouses, and widows attended the reunion banquet. The youngest veteran was 78 and the oldest was 96.

Among the 18 medal recipients of the 6147th TCG at the reunion was Charles Ferbrache who served in Korea from 1952 to 1953. Ferbrache voluntarily enlisted in the Air Force on Sept. 15, 1950, at the age of 20. "My brother served in the Army Air Corps during World War II," said Ferbrache. "At the time, I was doing rough labor in a saw mill, logging, and doing concrete work. I thought the military would be better than that, and I knew I was going to be drafted. I preferred the Air Force to the Army, so I enlisted. It's funny, because I got my draft notice while I was at basic training."

In basic, Ferbrache scored high marks on the exams. He was assigned to radio communications, and was sent to technical school here at Scott Air Force Base. What Ferbrache remembers the most from his time at Scott is the cold and going to St. Louis on weekends.

After graduating from radio school, Ferbrache was assigned to Warner Robins Air Force Base and from there left for Korea on April 1, 1952. In Korea, Ferbrache did close air support using radio-equipped jeeps.

A National Museum of the Air Force's fact sheet describes the radio of equipment of early 50s as "complicated, bulky and temperamental." The fact sheet states, "In most cases, a 'radio' was a set of several boxes, each performing a different function. Moreover, they relied on fragile glass vacuum tubes that could easily break. These radios required extensively trained personnel to operate and maintain them."

Ferbrache remembers the radio equipment and his time in Korea well. "The most surprising thing was I got assigned to different Army units, four different Korean Army groups and the Canadian's 25th Brigade."

In all, Ferbrache spent 11 1/2 months in Korea returning to the states in March 1953. He was discharged on Sept. 14, 1954, and went onto to use his skills in the civilian sector working for 33 years for a company that built military electronics, radars for fighter jets, and guidance systems for torpedoes.

Ferbrache said, "My military experiences guided me to my life career. I have no regrets and wouldn't trade it for anything."

Another Korean Ambassador for Peace Medal recipient, Ray Vold also volunteered for service and enlisted at the age of 18. A farm boy from Wisconsin, Vold did not grow up having electricity or running water at home. His fondest memories are of listening to Harry Caray broadcasts of St. Louis Cardinal baseball games with his father on a battery-powered radio.

"I really wanted to be a pilot," said Vold. "I passed all the tests and went to Eglin, but couldn't continue pilot training after failing an eye test." Vold instead became a radio operator training at Scott near the hometown of his beloved Cardinals.

Vold served in Korea from 1954 to 1955 and ended up doing two assignments in the Air Force - four in active duty and four in the reserves.

In all, the Mosquitos flew T-6 aircraft on more than 40,000 sorties. Seventy-six were killed in action. J.B. Wiles, a Korean War Analyst with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, reports 22 Mosquitos as missing in action or unaccounted still today.