Korean War veteran from Türkiye honored with Peace Medal in Los Angeles

Gevriyi Bekdas, a 96-year-old Korean War veteran originally from Mardin, Türkiye, was honored with the Peace Medal for his service during the war at a special ceremony in Los Angeles, California.

The event was jointly organized by the Turkish and South Korean consulates in Los Angeles.

Bekdas, who was born in 1929 and is of Assyrian descent, has been living in the US since 1984.

Türkiye's Los Angeles Consul General Sinan Kuzum and South Korean officials visited him at his nursing home to present him with the Peace Medal in recognition of his service during the 1950–1953 war.

Kuzum emphasized the enduring brotherhood between Türkiye and South Korea, while Bekdas shared memories of his deployment and injuries during the war.

- ‘The prison camp was freezing'

The veteran recalled his capture by communist Chinese forces while injured and held as a prisoner of war in China for three years.

“The prison camp was freezing cold. We slept huddled together with other Turkish soldiers. If I had been placed with other soldiers, I wouldn't have survived,” he said.

He described the harsh conditions in the camp, where their daily ration included only a handful of corn kernels, which they turned into soup with the help of fellow prisoners who knew how to cook.

After his release by the Chinese, Bekdas sent a telegram to his family through Tokyo.

"My brother did not believe I was still alive. He asked me to name the fields that only our family knew about. When I did, he finally believed me," he said.

He also shared how his family, after losing contact with him for years, held a symbolic funeral at the Mardin Assyrian Church, believing he had died.

Bekdas, who still has shrapnel fragments on his left side from a mortar explosion, reflected on his unwavering dedication to duty: "If they asked me to go to war again, even at 96 years old, I would go today."