This year’s February 8 marks the 78th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army, the revolutionary regular armed forces of the DPRK.
The Army Founding Day is celebrated every year but it evokes unusual memories and emotion for me. It is probably because I am a veteran of the great Fatherland Liberation War (June 25, 1950-July 27, 1953).
What happened on February 8, 1951 is still vivid in my memory.
Front newspapers issued special editions, while letters of encouragement flooded in from the rear.
We made musical instruments in spare time while fighting, and playing them, we sang and danced to celebrate the event. We arranged a humble party with dishes made with bean sprouts we had grown in the tunnel of our height and the foods sent from the people in the rear, and drank toasts to victory in the war.
Everyone was excited. Some boasted about the feats they had performed to become a hero and an exemplary combatant after joining the KPA in order to defend the motherland that put them forward as the masters of land and factories. After the recreation party, we had a chat through the night, hardly getting to sleep.
Even on the grim war day we could enjoy the holiday in such a significant and pleasant manner since we were all convinced that we would surely emerge victorious in the war as we were led by the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung .
In the flames of the war I keenly realized the fact that we could defend our country and families and ourselves and guarantee the happy future of posterity only when we have strong arms. After the war, I continued to do my military service.
Today our KPA is demonstrating its might as the revolutionary armed forces firmly defending the dignity and honour of the DPRK, as it is led by the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un , an ever-victorious and iron-willed commander.
I am sure that led by him, we will surely win the showdown with imperialism in the future as well, just as we did under the leadership of Kim Il Sung in the 1950s.
Choe Won Bom, war veteran living in Sangsin-dong, Sosong District, Pyongyang
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