Pacific Stars & Stripes, Aug. 22, 1954
WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (UP)- Marine
S/Sgt. Harry R. Ritchie, Kingsport, Tenn., has adopted a Korean orphan.
There's nothing unusual about that-lots of Yanks did it.
What is unusual is that Harry, how is now stationed
at Marine headquarters here, is a bachelor. The boy he adopted, 18-year-old
Huhng Buhn Kim, is almost as old as his foster father, who is just
24.
The sergeant and Huhng Buhn Kim met during the
fighting over there. Kim was an interpreter for our side while Harry
was assigned to the First Marine Aircraft Wing at Pohang.
Kim was good at his job. He had learned English
in the American schools. He and the sergeant from Tennessee became
close friends after the shooting ended. They worked together to step
up relief for the people of Korea who were out of homes, work and
money.
Kim's Job
Kim's job was to decide where the relief goods
would help the most. Kim and the sergeant worked closely with the
CARE people and other relief organizations.
"They said we did a good job."
Ritchie said, "but it was mostly Kim." So the lad wanted to come back
to America."
The sergeant wrote to his family, to the Methodist
minister in his hometown, to the Justice Department, to the American
consulate in Pusan, and to the Korean government.
"I suggested a student visa,"
the sergeant said. "The answer was no. The quota was filled and besides
that Kim was near the draft age. The only way to get him over here
was to adopt him. It took a bit of doing."
PSS-138
