Panel six - Korean War

Wikipedia describes the Korean War as being “among the most destructive conflicts of the modern era, with approximately 3 million war fatalities and a larger proportional civilian death toll than World War II or the Vietnam War.“ Here you’re seeing a battle line in a semi-patrol base formation. There are riflemen, machine gunners, and, due to the progression of warfare, there is also a tank and a pistol. 

It’s worth mentioning that the troops in Korea were using WWII uniforms and munitions. WWII recently ended so the inventory was handed down to the soldiers in the next expedition. It was definitely a case of hand-me-downs, or, as we like to say, their gear was recycled and repurposed. In 1950, the first winter weather came weeks earlier than expected. The troops shown here were obviously some of the first to be deployed to Korea. They are still waiting for a supply of proper gear to protect themselves against the intense Siberian cold. They are wearing summer weight uniforms and obviously not equipped for the freezing weather, which is apparent by the lack of coats or any other cold weather gear. 

The sunrise and mountain scape would be a stunning scene if it were in any other context other than war. The serene scene is focused on the beauty of the area, which is in great contrast to the battle that is imminent. Basically, we are viewing the calm before the storm. Notice everyone is in position and two of the soldiers are looking back at the viewer as if to say, “Are you ready for what’s coming? The battle begins at dawn.”

Special Artist Credit

This whole panel was a huge collaboration among the mural artists. Robert stated, “It was exciting to see them take this panel on and own it from the beginning.” His expertise of being an infantryman helped to design the layout of the panel, and he painted the rocks. Sean Gallagher painted the weaponry. Adam Paton and Shae created the background.

Insider Information

Adam Paton was our resident expert on the Korean scenery. Out of all the mural crew, Adam is the only one who has been to South Korea, stationed there with the United States Air Force. He described in detail what the sunrise and mountains looked like in Korea and collaborated with Shae to create the scene.