Honoring our veterans with customized shoes

he average age of Korean War veterans is 91. It is rather strange how they finally got to wear well-fitting shoes.

YOON SUNG-MINThe author is a political news editor of the JoongAng Ilbo. American golfer Chad Pfeifer is an Iraq War veteran. Shocked by the September 11 terror attacks in 2001, he decided to join the military and was dispatched to Iraq in 2006. He was out patrolling with his colleagues in October when his life changed. During the patrol, he encountered enemy forces and in turning the truck around, crashed into an IED, or improvised explosive device.

The explosion knocked the truck upside down, and he lost consciousness. He ended up losing his left leg. Upon his arrival at a military hospital in Washington DC, he underwent a long surgery and received rehabilitation. His left leg is now fitted with a prosthetic.

Pfeifer is quite a famous athlete in the U.S. He won the U.S. Disabled Open in May, his second trophy in the event. He was able to make a quick comeback as a golfer thanks to the assistance he received from the Veterans Affairs. The Department of Veterans Affairs provides “all around support,” including disability compensation, pension, employment support and housing loans.

This year, veterans receive an average pension of $31,714 (41 million won), minus their income. Depending on the degree of disability, they receive additional disability compensation and prosthetics if needed.

Old Korean veterans are inevitably sad. A Korean War veteran in his 80s in Busan was caught by the police for stealing 80,000 won ($61) worth of groceries, including sesame oil and salted fish, the seventh case in a month since April.

He told the police that he had bad teeth and wanted to make seaweed soup, but did not have the oil. He receives 390,000 won per month from the government for the participation in the 1950-53 Korean War. There is some “heartwarming” news that he was offered donations.

On July 3, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced that it is promoting the “Guardians’ Steps” project for the Korean and UN soldiers who fought in the Korean War. It is a project to customize shoes for 300 veterans whose feet had been deformed due to injury and frostbite and do not fit into ready-made shoes.

It’s been 70 years since the ceasefire. How is it that 300 people had to wear shoes that did not fit for seven decades? Why were they not treated yet?

The average age of Korean War veterans is 91. It is rather strange how they finally got to wear well-fitting shoes. It is also strange that it is considered heartwarming that the only way to resolve these veterans’ hardships is a “helping hand” from other civilians.