Dec. 21, 1950

 

Plan Education For 'Bak'

Group of Texans Adopts Korea Lad

By M/Sgt. R.L. Strawbridge

 

WITH THE 1^ST CAV. DIV. IN KOREA-"Bak," a 19-year old South Korean orphaned by war, is destined for a college education if a group of benevolent Texans have their way about it.  Adopted by the photo section of a 1^st Cavalry Division signal company.  Bak Ung Young joined the unit last summer when the company was in Taegu.  SFC Walter R. White of Odessa, Texas, in charge of the small lab unit says he picked up the lad in Taegu.  Bak, a friendly character, attached himself to White who brought him to the command post where he first engaged himself as a house-boy.  Bak proved intelligent enough and soon learned to assist White and other lab men in developing pictures and operating the print dryer.  His first time in the darkroom he was amazed when a supposedly blank piece of paper began to "come up" and form a picture of a well-known landmark around Taegu.  Bak had seen pictures before but was not acquainted with the process used to produce them.

By the time the 1^st Cavalry Division left the Taegu defense perimeter in September for the drive north of Pyongyang, Bak had proved his worthiness and was allowed to accompany the section.  He could now be trusted to work in the darkroom without fear of ruining a photo order.  When winter came, Bak volunteered to procure wood to keep the lab and living quarters warm and the lab men contributed a small amount each payday toward Bak's future.  Since Bak was interested in acquiring an education more than anything else it was agreed by the men that the accumulating fund would be used for that purpose.

In his letters to his wife, Mrs. Clesta White, in Odessa, Texas, White told of Bak and what his men were doing to further his education when the war in Korea was over.  Mrs. White, herself a school teacher, has started a plan of her own and through her interest in the project, several members of the school have volunteered to help in the adopted Texan's education.  While no contributions have been made, the idea has snowballed and an entire grade school class has volunteered to help in the cause.