The Ministry of Veterans Affairs announced on Friday that it has selected Marine Corps recruits from the 3rd and 4th classes, who dedicated themselves to protecting South Korea’s freedom and peace during the Korean War, along with U.S. Army Captain Robert Lee Timmons, as the Korean War Heroes of August 2026.
The 3rd and 4th class Marine Corps recruits were young men from Jeju who volunteered in August 1950, when the Marine Corps headquarters was stationed on the island. Just two months after the outbreak of the Korean War, on August 5, over 1,700 youths, including teachers and students, enlisted as part of the 3rd class. On August 30, more than 1,250 joined as the 4th class.
These recruits underwent basic training at Jeju Agricultural Middle School and the Mosulpo unit in Daejeong-eup. Personnel recruited from Yeosu and Tongyeong were also integrated into the 3rd and 4th classes, reinforcing the Marine Corps, which faced severe manpower shortages in the early stages of the war.
Notably, the 4th class included 126 female volunteers, comprising unmarried teachers and mainland evacuees. They received separate training, with 75 of them serving on active duty in various roles, including the Naval Control Command, staff units, and the Navy Hospital in Jinhae.
The 3rd and 4th class Marine Corps recruits participated in most major battles throughout the war, including the Incheon Landing Operation, the Liberation of Seoul, the Wonsan Landing Operation, the Battle of Dosol Mountain, and engagements in the Jangdan and Sacheon River areas.
Captain Robert Lee Timmons, commanding a company in the 5th Regimental Combat Team of the U.S. 25th Infantry Division, fought in the crucial Battle of Sibidongsan (Hill 665) in August 1950, which was pivotal for the Pusan Perimeter defense.
The Battle of Sibidongsan aimed to halt the North Korean 6th Division’s advance toward Busan after capturing Masan. After fierce fighting, with the hill changing hands 19 times, U.S. and South Korean forces emerged victorious. This battle was instrumental in holding the Pusan Perimeter and set the stage for the northward push and the success of the Incheon Landing Operation.
Capt. Timmons, among the first troops deployed from Hawaii, defended Sibidongsan with about 100 men. While preventing North Korean forces from taking the hill, he was wounded by gunfire. Tragically, he was killed by enemy fire during the evacuation process.
Capt. Timmons’ remains were recovered a year after his death and interred at Arlington National Cemetery. The U.S. government posthumously awarded him the Silver Star in 1951 for his valor.
Richard Timmons, the captain’s son who was seven years old during the battle, later became a U.S. Army general. As commander of U.S. Forces Korea from 1994 to 1997, he visited Sibidongsan where his father fell. This led the Army’s 39th Division to erect a memorial for Capt. Timmons at the site.
The sacrifices of the 3rd and 4th class Marine Corps recruits and Capt. Timmons exemplify how South Korea’s defense in the early stages of the Korean War was bolstered by voluntary dedication from both domestic and international sources. The Jeju youths left their homes for the frontlines, while Capt. Timmons gave his life defending the freedom of a foreign land.