Feats of Heroes Shining in History of Great Victory in War
The US imperialists who ignited the Korean war on June ２５, １９５０, mobilized huge armed forces of over two million to commit the most barbarous aggressive war in history.
In the life-and-death struggle deciding whether to become slaves again or to live as independent people, the soldiers of the People’s Army and our people displayed matchless bravery, self-sacrificing spirit and mass heroism to perform brilliant feats to be handed down forever.
The brave fighters of the People’s Army defended the land of the motherland at the cost of their youth and life and the people in the rear aided the army both materially and mentally and turned out as one in the wartime production, holding up the slogan "The rear is, as it were, the front!"
In the fierce flames of the hard-fought three-year war, more than six hundred heroes were produced including five twice Heroes of the Republic and ten-odd heroines.
The twice Heroes of the Republic, Ri Hak Mun, Kim Ki U, Paek Myong Gi, Paek Sa Sun and Ri Myong Sok, fought bravely to safeguard the Republic which led them out of the sorrow of slavery to a genuine life of independent human beings.
Still shining are the heroic feats of them who greatly contributed to the unit’s victory in the battle with daring reconnaissance activities, shot down lots of enemy planes and ensured the advance of the raiding party by blocking the enemy’s pillbox with the breast.
Among the wartime heroes are the officers of the ２nd Torpedo Boat Squadron whose four torpedo boats performed feats to be noteworthy in the world’s history of naval battle by sinking and destroying the heavy cruiser "Baltimore" and a light cruiser of the enemy and the pilots who successively brought down the airplanes of US imperialists, boasting of technical superiority, with conventional airplanes in the aerial combat.
Recorded in the annals of the history of the great war victory are also the merits of heroines including heroine Jo Ok Hui, the chairwoman of the Pyoksong County Committee of the women’s union who kept the revolutionary principles till the last moment of her life to show the mettle of the Korean women though she suffered all kinds of torture under arrest of the enemy, heroine An Yong Ae, who still lives as the true daughter of our Party and heroine Jo Sun Ok, who smashed the enemy tank by throwing herself with a bundle of grenades.
Kept in the hearts of the soldiers of the People’s Army and our people who fought like human bombs to defend the leader and the country were an ardent resolve to safeguard at the cost of their lives the Republic which put forward them, who had been forced the fate of slaves, as the masters of the country and an iron will that they were sure to win as they had President
The spirit of defending the motherland and mass heroism displayed by the generation of great war victors in the １９５０s still serves as the powerful driving force encouraging our people and service personnel to achieve new miraculous victory.
Rodong Sinmun