Four Monroe County Heroes “Ambassadors for Peace”
The families of Korean War veterans fellowship on Wednesday January 24, 2024 at the Bob Hatley Veterans Service Center in Madisonville.
At center left in front of the American flag, Navy veteran Clifford Tranberg, to his right Vet to Vet Tennessee vice president Jamie Sands, Army veteran Emmit Church and son holding certificate, county Veteran Service Officer Andy Boyd, Randy Barclay (accepting medal on behalf of Army veteran Richard Barclay), Monroe County Mayor Mitch Ingram.
Four veterans of the Korean War were decorated as Ambassadors for Peace during a special ceremony on Wednesday. Two service medals were awarded posthumously and were conveyed to the surviving families of Richard A. Barclay and Richard D. Hamilton. The other two were personally presented to Emmit A. Church and Clifford G. Tranberg by Monroe County Mayor Mitch Ingram and the veteran outreach organization Vet to Vet Tennessee.
Church and Tranberg accepted Ambassador for Peace Medals at the Bob Hatley Veterans Service Center in downtown Madisonville. Church said it was an honor to receive the distinction. He is 95 years old and keenly remembers his time in the Army during the Korean War from August 1951 to April 1954. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant and decorated with a Korean Service Medal with Three Bronze Stars, a United Nations Service Medal, and a National Defense Service Medal.
Born in Illinois, Tranberg achieved the rank of Machine Repairman One in the United States Navy. His service spanned from September 1951 to August 1955, earning a Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Korean Service Medal, and United Nations Service Medal. “We got you there,” Tranberg said, shaking Church’s hand.
Randy Barclay accepted the Ambassador for Peace Medal on behalf of his late father, Richard Barclay. The elder Barclay, Specialist Second Class in the Army, was born in Bedford, Pennsylvania. He was on active duty in the Korean Conflict from November 1953 to October 1955, his duty awarded with a National Defense Service Medal and a United Nations Service Medal. “I am honored to be among heroes,” the younger Barclay said.
Richard Hamilton was from Tellico Plains. His medal was transferred to his family, who were not able to attend. In the Army in Korea from August 1949 to September 1952, Hamilton at the rank of Private received a Korean Service Medal with Five Bronze Stars.
The Ambassador for Peace Medal is conveyed to U.S. veterans who served in the Korean War. The medal is an expression of appreciation from the Korean government and the people of South Korea.
Sixty percent of Ambassador for Peace Medals are awarded posthumously. The medals were first presented as a special memento for veterans who returned to South Korea through the “Revisit Program.” Today, the honor has expanded to all Korean War veterans who cannot travel the long journey to Korea. It stands as a token of gratitude from the people of the Republic of Korea to the American military for preserving and restoring freedom and democracy.
The Monroe County Buzz. January 26, 2024. Lucas Boring
