Local vets to Trump: Be tough, get it right
Local Korean War veterans shared their opinions on today's historic meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, which is the first meeting between a sitting American president and a North Korean leader.
Ben Cypher of Saxonburg, who served in Korea in the mid-1950s as a sergeant in the 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, said he's glad Trump pursued the meeting with Kim.
“It's something that is long overdue,” he said.
Cypher has a strong distrust for Kim and his motives in agreeing to the meeting with Trump, who he hopes will remain resolute with Kim and not give in to any of the dictator's demands.
Cypher would give Trump one main piece of advice for the encounter.
“Don't turn your back on him,” Cypher said. “He's out for all he can get and the problem is, who's to know if he has a long-range missile with a nuclear tip hidden somewhere?”
He said the people of North Korea would be better off if their leader was honest and noble in his intentions for meeting with Trump.
“If in fact Kim is truthful and would denuclearize, that would be the best outcome,” Cypher said. “The worst outcome at this point, nobody knows. I just hope Trump stays true to his words and doesn't give everything away.”
Ron Marak of Butler Township, who was a corporal in communications in the U.S. Marines' 2nd Anglico division at the end of the Korean War, said it's great that the two leaders are meeting because millions would die if Kim decides to deploy a nuclear weapon.
“There's the chance of bringing more peace to the world if we can actually eliminate this nuclear power that North Korea possesses,” Marak said.
He said the citizens of the communist country are hurting due to sanctions against North Korea, and relaxing those sanctions with denuclearization would be helpful to them.
A friendly relationship with Kim, Marak said, could also result in the return of the remains of Americans who were prisoners of war during the Korean War.Marak said he would also counsel Trump to be firm with Kim.“Don't back off,” Marak said.He hopes the world will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the meeting and any future meetings between Trump and Kim.“If they sit down and talk and there's a lot of agreement, this can possibly go forward and I think the results will be great,” Marak said.Damien Hambley of Cherry Township was a Navy reservist assigned to damage control in both the Pacific and Atlantic during the Korean War.Hambley said it will take a tough negotiator to earn concessions from Kim, who he feels cannot be trusted to behave honorably.“He's doing the right thing,” Hambley said of Trump, “because we need somebody who's strong (to do the negotiating).”He had no specific advice for Trump in the negotiations, as he feels the president is on the right track.“Keep doing what you're doing,” Hambley said regarding advice for Trump. “As far as I'm concerned, he's doing a great job.”Hambley's hopes for today's historic meeting are similar to Marak's.“I hope they start getting rid of their nukes and treat their people better,” Hambley said. “I hope he gets whatever he's going after and everything turns out right.”
