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Flagged Korean Military Remains

Rexedgar

Rexedgar

Yo-Semite!
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I was curious as to why the UN (guess) flag was used to cover the KIA remains from PRNK. Traditionally the US flag is used.

View attachment 67237036
 
Bullseye said:
Wasn't the Korean War fought under UN auspices?
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I believe that you are correct; I have never seen the UN flag on ‘coffins’ of US servicemen.
 
It's my understanding that these remains may or may not be U.S. service members, and that the remains have not been positively identified at this point. If that is true, then it makes sense to have the UN flag draping the remains since they may not be Americans.

These are the countries that participated under the UN Command, and the number of troops each had in Korea:

South Korea – 590,911
United States – 302,483
Australia – 17,000
United Kingdom – 14,198
Thailand – 6,326
Canada – 6,146
Turkey – 5,453
Philippines – 1,468
New Zealand – 1,385
Ethiopia – 1,271
Greece – 1,263
France – 1,119
Colombia – 1,068
Belgium – 900
South Africa – 826
Netherlands – 819
Luxembourg – 44
 
Beaudreaux said:
It's my understanding that these remains may or may not be U.S. service members, and that the remains have not been positively identified at this point. If that is true, then it makes sense to have the UN flag draping the remains since they may not be Americans.

These are the countries that participated under the UN Command, and the number of troops each had in Korea:

South Korea – 590,911
United States – 302,483
Australia – 17,000
United Kingdom – 14,198
Thailand – 6,326
Canada – 6,146
Turkey – 5,453
Philippines – 1,468
New Zealand – 1,385
Ethiopia – 1,271
Greece – 1,263
France – 1,119
Colombia – 1,068
Belgium – 900
South Africa – 826
Netherlands – 819
Luxembourg – 44
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That doesn’t seem to be the position of the current Administration......


Trump thanks North Korean leader for return of remains of U.S. war dead
 
Rexedgar said:
That doesn’t seem to be the position of the current Administration......


Trump thanks North Korean leader for return of remains of U.S. war dead
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Maybe they are, but it's my understanding that they haven't been positively ID'ed yet, and I was stating as much to give a plausible reason why the UN flag was used and not the US flag.

As for Trump, if I'm wrong, them I'm wrong. If he's wrong, he's still right, just ask him.

I do give Trump credit for getting this done. It's been something every POTUS since Truman has tried to achieve. Doesn't mean he knows what he's talking about, but at least his talking to them got this accomplished. Of course, it was more Pompeo than Trump, IMHO.
 
Beaudreaux said:
It's my understanding that these remains may or may not be U.S. service members, and that the remains have not been positively identified at this point. If that is true, then it makes sense to have the UN flag draping the remains since they may not be Americans.

These are the countries that participated under the UN Command, and the number of troops each had in Korea:

South Korea – 590,911
United States – 302,483
Australia – 17,000
United Kingdom – 14,198
Thailand – 6,326
Canada – 6,146
Turkey – 5,453
Philippines – 1,468
New Zealand – 1,385
Ethiopia – 1,271
Greece – 1,263
France – 1,119
Colombia – 1,068
Belgium – 900
South Africa – 826
Netherlands – 819
Luxembourg – 44
Click to expand...

The remains will be flown to Hawaii for identification under the DefensePOW/MIA Accounting Agency. This U.S. military lab in Hawaii where DNA analysis will determine their identities.
According to Time, The Department of Defense has paid more than $28 million to North Korea for help with the return of soldiers’ remains since 1993, according to Time.
Between 1996 and 2005, the government paid the Kim regime around $20 million, or $86,000 per soldier for 230 remains.

North Korea: U.S. War Dead Return Unrelated to Nuclear Issue | Time
 
The boxes are wrapped in UN flags because:

- The second UN Resolution that Truman got passed in 1950 called for all UN members to "furnish such assistance to the Republic of Korea as may be necessary to repel the armed attack." This Resolution also established a unified UN military command in Korea, to be led by the U.S. It was Truman's "police action."

- Placing them in UN wrapping allows Kim's 55 "American" bodies to be something else.

- And since Kim's entire family legacy and his population's worship come with themes of extreme anti-Americanism, boxes wrapped in the American flag threatens to betray that sentiment by honoring American troops.
 
Fledermaus said:
An American president thanking NK for returning the remains of US military personnel...

There must be somthing wrong about that. Just can't think of what it is....
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Diplomacy has rules all of its own.

We are palesy walsley until we aren’t. Right now we are working toward denuclearization so a “**** you commie bastard” thank you is not helpful to the overall goal b
 
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