The lives and service of four Michigan veterans, who were killed or imprisoned in action were honored Saturday at a ceremony at Island Park in Mount Pleasant. Two South Korean ambassadors awarded the Korean Ambassador for Peace Medal to a pair of Korean War veterans.
Thomas Smith of Grant went missing during the Korean War, his remains were recovered 73 years later.
“As I looked at Tom's medical examiner report, it hit me that he was three months and four days shy of his 18th birthday when he gave his life for our country. So young and yet so patriotic,” said Terry Kunst, a veteran and the event host.
Mount Pleasant’s Edward Wentworth was imprisoned during the Korean War. Wentworth was given the option by enemy soldiers to either jump from a cliff or face being killed.
“Ed crawled away, terribly injured and later was picked up and taken back to the hospital in Japan,” Kunst said. "Here he remained for two months and, guess what, he was sent back into action again.”
Two South Korean ambassadors presented the families of these two veterans with the Peace Medal.
“May we carry their legacy forward to future generations, with courage, humility and unwavering reserve,” said Honorable Vice Consul Jongyun Ra of South Korea.
In addition, two other veterans were honored. Roland Robert Pineau of Berkley who went missing in action after a helicopter crash during the Vietnam War, his remains were identified in 2007. Byron Fouty of Detroit was also honored. He was captured by ISIS in 2007 during the Iraq war and killed.
The families were awarded hand-crafted wooden plaques of honor, designed after U.S. military awards. They were made by event organizer Doug Pickel.
“The images that are on them are actual photos of the recipients and we laser them right into the plaque. And then they're coated with guitar lacquer, so it’s permanent,” he said.
Pickel is working with community members, including the City of Mount Pleasant and Central Michigan University, to build a memorial for all Michigan POW/MIA veterans at Island Park. The site would “give the families of Michigan a place to go,” Pickel said. "To keep it fair to all families, we chose Mount Pleasant because it's the center of Michigan.”
