ELKHORN, Neb. (InvestigateTV) — A 14-year-old girl who moved to Nebraska from South Korea wanted to make sure a Korean War veteran knew his sacrifice was not forgotten.
Eunji Lee had a transformative experience when she attended a ceremony at Offutt Air Force Base. She watched as her father, a Republic of Korea liaison officer Col. Jin Ki Lee, presented a flag on behalf of his nation to Marine Cpl. Rex Gruber.
Marine Cpl. Rex Gruber in 1951 at his home in Nebraska.(Rex Gruber)
Gruber served in Korea 73 years ago. He joined the Marine Corps in 1948 when he was 17 years old and was soon deployed to the Korean peninsula.
“I’ve got two Purple Hearts,” Gruber said.
Gruber was shot three times in battle. Fragments of one bullet remain in his heel.
Letters cross generations and oceans
For a long time after he returned home to Nebraska, Gruber didn’t feel his sacrifice was recognized.
“As you know, the Korean War was called the Forgotten War,” Gruber said. “Because it was a forgotten war and they didn’t treat veterans very well.”
But Eunji knows her generation’s freedom is because of his service.
“From there, I just I realized a true desire that I want to express our gratitude,” Lee said. “And I thought the letters will be the best choice, so I asked my Korean friends to write a letter to Mr. Gruber.”
Twenty letters from her schoolmates in South Korea soon arrived.
“I felt like it’s the most beautiful form of communication because it skipped a lot of generations and it crossed overseas,” Lee said.
Twenty letters from Eunji Lee’s peers in South Korea written to honor Rex Gruber for his service during the Korean War.(Eunji Lee)
She gave the letters to Gruber, who is 94 now, translating and reading each one aloud.
“I honestly cannot even begin to imagine how much courage and determination that must have required. It is thanks to your noble sacrifice and bravery that we are able to live in such a beautiful and peaceful country today,” wrote Yu-hyeon Park, a friend of Eunji’s.
Another former schoolmate, Hyo-yoon, wrote: “When I think about the fact that you were only a year older than I am now when you first stepped onto Korean soil, I feel as though the cold air of fear and anxiety you must have faced is brushing against my skin. Nevertheless, because you had the noble courage to cross the ocean to that place, today’s Korea has been able to achieve this dazzling growth while holding onto that light.”
Gruber said he didn’t expect anyone to do something like that for him.
“It made me so happy to read it, you know, and find out what she’d done. And I really appreciated meeting her, you know,” Gruber said.
“It changed the view that I look at the world. So, every day when I wake up in the morning, I remind myself that I exist because of my hero’s sacrifices,” Lee said.
Eunji Lee and Rex Gruber in Omaha, Nebraska.(First Alert 6)
Eunji is wrapping up eighth grade in Elkhorn. She is also hoping to help teach her American classmates more about the Korean War and its significance for her home country.
Gruber’s service
Gruber was shot twice in the leg in August 1950 when his unit arrived at the Nakdong River and was under enemy fire. He waited for care in 100 degree heat and under a beating sun after his fellow Marines moved him to safety.
He was treated and rehabilitated in Japan before returning to service. In November 1950, Gruber was in Wonsan, North Korea, when he was shot again. The bullet blew out his right heel bone. Both of his hands and feet ended up with frostbite as he laid wounded in 30 below zero weather in the Chosin Reservoir for ten days.
He was again taken to Japan for treatment, then back to the United States, and was medically discharged from the Marine Corps in February 1952.
Gruber is a Union, Nebraska native and worked for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office after his time in the U.S. Marines. He retired as a captain.
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