Clyde Livaudais (US Army)

Clyde Livaudais

Clyde was 21 years when he was sent to Korea. He went to Korea Aug 21, 1950 and came home Aug 23, 1953.  He spent 27 months as POW in N Korea.  300-400 men were captured and marched to Yalu River and were all put in a dark cave.   It was terrible and pitch dark at night.   He could not breath but he felt a hand on his shoulder saying “All will be okay”.   Even to this day when he has moments he can’t breath, he remembers that hand that touched him and that comforts him.  

They were brought to a mining camp where conditions were terrible. Men were dying.  In Oct. 1950, they were moved to another area and put in houses. For the first time, they got clean clothes and there was a creek where they could wash themselves.   Living situation was better.  But men were interrogated all the time.   They put 8 men to a room and was very crowded. The house had warm floor (ohndolbang).   They had to go get wood to burn but during the night the fire would go out and it would be freezing in the morning.   They ate lots of sorghum and later had rice.  Many men died from TB, and parasites.   Clyde almost died with parasites. They had to bury the bodies, and since the ground was frozen, it was hard to dig.  3 or 4 men died every day.  They were not beaten.    

After war ended they were taken to Inchun.   Clyde had a sister and brother in law who were living in Japan and he asked to go there.  So he went to Tokyo. There he was taken to hospital to recover and get rid of parasites.   

In 1993 under S Korea recovery program he visited Seoul and could not believe how it has changed.  His wife died and he married Irma in 2011.   He knew Irma’s husband who was also a POW, his name is Hillman Rabalain who also came home.

Clyde with his wife, Irma, 2019.

Sun Kim and husband, Kee Lee, visit Clyde and his wife Irma, 2019