The oldest living Filipino-Korean war veteran who recovered from severe pneumonia four times early this year celebrated his 99th birthday on July 30.
Maj. Max Young (retired), president of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK), said from the original 7,420 PEFTOK troopers only 174 are alive and all of them are in their late ‘80s and ‘90s. Former President Fidel Ramos, 93, is a member of PEFTOK.
Maj Young was first admitted at the University of the East Medical Center in Quezon City on February 3 this year and after being discharged a week later it was again on Valentine’s Day, February 14, that he was re-admitted at the hospital.
He was discharged a few days later and again hospitalized on February 20 and treated for a week. On the fourth time, he was again admitted at the hospital on March 27 and diagnosed with pneumonia.
Young is a decorated officer of the Korean War and was a tank commander during the Yultong gun battle that earned him the highest military medal by the South Korean government.
The 99-year-old Young. who was also a guerrilla fighter during World War 2, said he was looking forward to celebrating his 100-th birthday in 2022. (AW)
