* Testimony of Captain-Commandant Julien Van Cauwelaert  chairman of the Belgian association of the veterans of Korea( from the book: "The war in Korea, an euro-Asiatic perspective")

Why did we volunteer for the Korean War    .

We must not forget that al those who volunteered to go to Korea went trough the WW II. They know war! The rush of liberation still clung to the emotional condition proper to all the youths who went to Korea. The first battalion consisted mainly of volunteers that had sprung from the ranks of the war volunteers of 1944, or even from the Brigade Piron till 1944, and also from the ranks of the resistance. That was the training of the cadre of the first battalion. Afterwards we experienced some difficulties finding volunteers as replacements for the first battalion. Why was this? Because through BELGAVOX (the Belgian military newsletter), the cinema's already carried out reports about the Korean War. At one moment, General Piron (WWII commander of the Belgian Brigade ) even expressed the wish that many matters should be censured, as the atrocities of war were always pictured in the movie houses. This in turn caused fear to the youngsters who asked themselves : What are we in for?, or "we are going into Hell".

Why did the Belgian government decide to do at that moment? At that time, the draftees had to serve for two years under the colors, therefore it decided that all those who volunteered for Korea should only serve for one year under the colors. The second advantage was : "If you wish, you can eventually  go for a career in the Army". I will say that, during the WWII, all those volunteers not only had lived through the war, but that this applies also to the youngsters who were only 12 or 13 years at that time. Most of them had barely gone to primary school and had no professional experience of any kind. Amongst the French-speaking, many had been prisoners of war for  five years. Amongst the Dutch-speaking, many has been forced to work in Germany, which is the reason why so many volunteered

As a young non-commissioned NCO  I had to serve for 24 months (class of 1951). After 12 months , I decided to do something else. Be assured that the word "Adventure" did NOT apply, as one hears said only too often. To fulfill an ideal was more to me liking. I felt competent enough to command, and in order to remain in the same atmosphere, it seemed to me as a calling to go for fighting for FREEDOM. For this reason I volunteered for Korea. Don't think I never experienced fear, but I had to overcome this, because the men look up to the attitude of their superiors. During an enemy attack, I received several shrapnel wounds and was evacuated by helicopter by the end of the contact and brought to the field hospital where I remained for 20 days. I also think that my survival was due to the awareness and good training the volunteers had. This was proven once more when I came back from a patrol and was recognized by friendly elements due to the fact that I always carried my helmet by the hand and was thus identified by private JANSSENS who was always on the alert to the front as well as to the rear. I emphatically reject the notion that the Belgian volunteers were adventurers. They were idealists for sure. On class for" actions of courage and self-sacrifice whilst reinforcing a friendly unit and completing his mission under extremely heavy artillery fire"
Wounded for the second time, he refused to be evacuated before the end of the enemy attack. The American Army Command awarded him the "Bronze Star" for this heroic deed.