Searching for Korean War Veteran

Please go to the link to the US non-profit organization Gofundme.

https://gofund.me/0672dad9

Website : http://projectsoldierkwv.com/ 

Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/projectsoldierkwv 

Instagram : instagram.com/projectsoldierkwv 

This year, 2020, marks 70 years since the Korean War in 1950.

My name is Rami Hyun. I am a professional photographer working on a project called Project-Soldier, I’m documenting veterans that served in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.

Over the past several years, through Project-Soldier, I have photographed worldwide over 1,200 of these veterans.

It’s incredibly heartwarming when the veterans receive their portraits and recognize themselves as heroes.

There are multiple steps to this project,

The first is research, it takes days sometimes weeks to locate and verify proof of life for each veteran in the National Archives for veterans of war on a global platform.

The second step is travel, I then organize and travel to the veterans’ home state or country and locate a local meetup chapter.

The third step is organizing the photoshoot, I communicate with the chapter to locate and schedule a date for the families to make sure the veterans are healthy enough to travel to the meetup. 

The fourth step is taking the individual picture of each veteran, the veterans are frail and can’t sit or stand for long periods of time. This step is very time consuming and we approach it with lots of patience.

After the picture is taken, the fifth step begins, we talk to the veterans about their individual experiences and begin the documentation portion of Project Soldier. Its captivating the deep narratives that emerge throughout this process.

After these steps are complete, the final two steps are, I frame the images of the veterans and schedule another meetup with the chapter to present the veterans with their framed portraits. In appreciation for their time and service all of this is done at no cost to the veterans.

Two things to keep in mind, given the age bracket, it can take up to several months to prepare and complete this process, and most of the veterans are already over 90 years old.

Without documentation future generations will not be aware of the sacrifices these proud veterans made for them. It is crucial I’m able to photograph and document these stories. These are bits of their legacy and our history that should not be forgotten when the veterans are no longer with us. 

Time is running out; and I am not finished with this project. I have many more veterans to document.

I will continue to work on this project until 2023, the 70th anniversary of the suspension of the Korean War also known as the forgotten war.

During this time with your help, I hope to visit 22 countries and 50 states to document the stories of as many Korean War veterans as possible.

Please support Project-Soldier and help honor the service men and women that fought in the Korean War.