Classroom Connection: Beyond the Iron Curtain with Francis Gary Powers, Jr.

Becca Horowitz I enjoyed the presentation by Francis Gary Powers Jr. It was fascinanting and different from other P.D. workshops I attended. I teach Big History so the scope of the course does not allow me to cover this period in depth, however, I am planning to create a lesson on this topic. Three years ago my husband and I visited South Korea and we went to the War Memorial of Korea. What I didn't know is that Colombia was the only Latin American country who sent troops and three frigates to support South Korea during the Korean War.

I posted a question to Mr. Powers about this topic but it was towards the end of the session. Would it be possible for him to answer why did Colombia send troops? 

I added some pictures and a video from the memorial.

Laura Massa We sent your question to Gary Powers, and in his response, he pointed to Columbia's desire to solidify its alliance with the US. The Columbian government at the time was invested in preventing the rise of communism at home and wanted access to US military hardware to combat guerrillas in Columbia during La Violencia .

I (Bennett) am no expert here, but I'll add this: While Columbia sent just 5,000 troops and three ships, their contributions were not merely symbolic. The Batallón Colombia saw action in 1951, 52, and 153. In just 10 days in 1953, they lost hundreds of soldiers (114 killed, 141 wounded, and 38 missing in action--a 20% casualty rate at the Battle of Old Baldy, holding positions against overwhelming enemy numbers). The Battalion gained a reputation for bravery during the war,  and several individuals received medals and commendations. 

The conflict played a key role in how the Columbian armed forced developed in the second half of the century. The Columbian military gained American military tech and grew increasingly professionalized, with improvements in doctrine and organization.

If you're interested in Washington's perspective on the importance of Columbia, check out this Department of State document from 1950. 

Despite President Gomez's claims that he wanted to fight "communist tyranny", a more cynical reading of history might reference that his own rule was pretty authoritarian and he needed to cozy up to Washington to protect his own power.

(Lots of great full-color images available here.)

Bennett Sherry thank you for taking my question to Mr. Gary Powers. His explanation makes sense in the framework of the Cold War in Latin America. Even though I didn't know about Colombia's participation in the Korean War, as some Colombians told me, the connections with the U.S. have been an important force during later decades with Plan Colombia.

I appreciate the resources you shared with me and with the community, because if I am not mistaken, one of the attendees wrote a comment about Latin America. Thank you so much!

Bennett Sherry thank you for taking my question to Mr. Gary Powers. His explanation makes sense in the framework of the Cold War in Latin America. Even though I didn't know about Colombia's participation in the Korean War, as some Colombians told me, the connections with the U.S. have been an important force during later decades with Plan Colombia.

I appreciate the resources you shared with me and with the community, because if I am not mistaken, one of the attendees wrote a comment about Latin America. Thank you so much!