Introduction Slides

1950:
Korean War
Veterans
Issues
Silver Springs Veterans Memorial Committee
bouchatc@hotmail.com

America in 1950
- People
- population: 154 million
- 46% rural
- life expectancy: 68 yrs
- new: hi blood pressure med

- Post War boom economy

- Economy size: $294 billion
- 16% farmers, 37% factory 29% women
- car: $1510, gas: 18c/gl, avg salary: $3216yr
- new: Diners Club is first credit card ever used

America in 1950
- Entertainment:
- Rock n Roll music
- Cinderella
- Peanuts comics starts
- 8 million TVs in US

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5fsqYctXgM

-Politics:
- Communist black lists
- Soviet-China defense pact
- US develops H-bomb
- North Korea invades South
-- US lands at Inchon; China sends troops

OHP Veterans Background

- Combat Veterans
- 1 Army vet, 1 Marine vet
- Some WW2 vets drafted back

-Only 10% in combat

- medical, maintenance, trainers

-Called the Forgotten War

- Americans disliked limited war
- One front in greater Cold War
- Caught between victorious WW2 and very
unpopular war in Vietnam

OHP Veterans Today

- Today how old is a soldier who was 18 in 1950?
- not as technology savvy as you
- plagued by old age aliments, or old war wounds
- may be irritable: not as strong or independent
- some will confuse events, 60 years later
- some may become incapacitated or die

TSgt Richard C. Smith, US Army

Interacting with Veterans

- Be patient and accommodating
- ask about training, duties, what it meant to serve
- be prepared, respectful, reliable, punctual
- for some this will be first time talking about war
- communicate often use postal mail too!

- Start with prepared questions then ad lib

- Use AHEC overview questions given to you
- Record music from that era and play to start meeting
- Ask to see photos or memorabilia and ask questions

Any Questions?

Clarence Bouchat, veterans laision bouchatc@hotmail.com 717-691-7239