Honoring a legacy of service: Korean Service Corps exhibition opens

Forged in a fight for survival, the Korean Service Corps Battalion, Materiel Support Command–Korea, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, has provided… Forged in a fight for survival, the Korean Service Corps Battalion, Materiel Support Command–Korea, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, has provided critical support to the U.S. Army for more than 75 years. Established during the Korean War, the organization embodies generations of Korean contributions to Army readiness and the enduring U.S.-ROK Alliance. That shared legacy came into focus Sept. 18 as the KSC Battalion was honored during the opening of a yearlong exhibit at the UN Forces First Battle Memorial in Osan, Republic of Korea. For the exhibit, “The Peace They Carried: The Korean Service Corps,” the battalion provided historical artifacts and materials, including an A-frame, photographs, historical documents, recruitment posters and challenge coins.

Together, the items illustrate both the physical demands placed on early corps members and the evolution of the KSC from a wartime labor force into an integral part of the U.S. Army’s modern support structure in Korea. “The title of this exhibition carries a powerful message,” said Brig. Gen. Jin H. Pak, commanding general of the 19th ESC. “During the Korean War, peace was carried not only by those who fought with weapons, but also by Korean civilians who moved ammunition and supplies, evacuated casualties, repaired defensive