South Korea Honors POW Veteran with ‘Ambassador for Peace’ Medal

More than 70 years after surviving combat, brutal cold, and two years as a prisoner of war (POW), Korean War veteran Gene Ramos was honored by the country he helped protect and liberate. 

Ramos, from Las Vegas, was recently given the “Ambassador for Peace” Medal from South Korea, a special commendation bestowed to Korean War veterans, honoring their commitment to service and contributions to establish peace in Korea during the conflict in the early 1950s.  

While several decades have passed and South Korea has changed dramatically since the war, becoming a thriving economic and democratic society, Ramos told FOX5 in Las Vegas that receiving the honor signifies, “the country is still humble and grateful to the American people and the other countries for helping them survive and prospering now.”

Prisoner of War 

Ramos, 92, was born Oct. 10, 1932, in Dinuba, California. At the ripe ol’ age of 17, he signed up for the Army in 1950. 

Following basic training at Fort Ord, California, Ramos was sent to fight in Korea with the 3rd Infantry Division as a machine gunner. After overcoming the fierce winter of 1950, Ramos and his unit moved up to the 38th Parallel. 

“It was the coldest winter there in 100 years,” Ramos recalled in 2021.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who led operations in Korea, predicted a quick invasion of the Asian country, believing that American troops would be home by Christmas of 1950. That was not the case. 

“It was so cold that the ground was frozen,” said Ramos. “We needed to make foxholes to keep from freezing to death during the night, so I took my shovel and began digging into the hard ground.”

Ramos was immersed in an intense firefight on the night of April 24, 1951. He fought back, firing nearly 250 rounds from his .30-caliber machine gun and tossing multiple grenades before eventually being wounded and captured by enemy forces. Ramos was subjected to an arduous march north of the 38th Parallel and thrown into a prison camp. 

Surviving mostly on “soupy rice,” and living in deplorable conditions, Ramos’ young, viral body wilted to a skin-and-bones mass of 97 pounds. He could barely move his arm from the night he was shot more than two years earlier. 

Ramos said the brotherhood he forged with fellow POWs kept him motivated through the dark times. 

“You have to stick true to who you are and rely on the good people around you to get you through a time like that,” said Ramos.

He stayed imprisoned for more than two years until his camp was liberated on Aug. 28, 1953, setting him free. 

Life After the War 

After Korea, Sgt. First Class Ramos came back to California, but remained in the Army for another 20 years, highlighted by two tours of Vietnam, before retiring in 1972. Following the military, Ramos built a career in Washington, D.C., serving with the Social Security Administration for 26 years. In 1987, Ramos retired and moved to Las Vegas where he currently resides with Lee, his wife, and their family. 

Ramos’ medal shows South Korea’s continued dedication to honoring American veterans, many now in their nineties, who helped preserve the country’s independence. Ramos hopes more POWs will receive the same recognition. 

“There are not many POWs that I know of that are still alive,” Ramos said. “I don’t know how many that are left, but I’m sure there are still a lot of them that aren’t being recognized for their service.”