SEOUL, 7 February 2022 - The Philippine Embassy in Seoul paid tribute to the late Korean War Veteran and former president of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) Veterans Association Inc. (PVAI) Major Maximo P. Young (Ret) through a solemn celebration of his life at the Sentro Rizal Hall of the Embassy. Major Young passed away on 29 January 2022 at age ninety-nine (99) years old.

The program started with a video tribute on the life Major Young, his experience as a Korean War Veteran and later on, as the President of the PEFTOK Veterans Association. It was followed by tribute messages from Philippine Defense Attache Colonel Enriqueto Deocadez Jr. PA (MNSA), Mr. Yang Chang-hun, Head of Culture and Education from the Korean War Memorial, Ministry of Patriot and Veterans Affairs Director-General for International Cooperation Kim Ju-Yung, and Philippine Ambassador to Korea Theresa Dizon-De Vega.

In her tribute, Ambassador De Vega called Major Young, "the epitome of the Filipino global citizen who risked his own life to preserve and defend the principles the Philippines and other countries hold dear?peace, freedom and democracy." Ambassador De Vega also stated that Major Young's sacrifices and those of PEFTOK veterans like him continue to be the bedrock of the close and historic ties between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea.

Philippine Defense Attache to Korea Enriqueto Deocadez shared his snappiest salute to Major Young's bravery not just in the Korean War but in the Vietnam War, World War II, and domestic insurgencies in the Philippines.

Mr. Yang Chang Hun of the Korean War memorial heralded Major Young's bravery as a PEFTOK soldier, noting that Major Young and his PEFTOK comrades embodied Filipino patriotism and bravery, "he defended a country he never knew and people he never met. We will make sure that Korean citizens continue to honor his name, as he helped usher peace in our land."

Ministry of Patriot and Veterans Affairs Director General Kim Ju-Yung shared his experience with Major Young when the former visited the Philippines in 2019. He said Major Young was "not only a soldier, but a man of warm heart." To honor PEFTOK veterans, the Director General shared that the MPVA will continue to prioritize the welfare of PEFTOK veterans' descendants as they are the most important part of the relationship between the MPVA and the sending states of the UN Command. In a meeting with Ambassador De Vega early in 2022, the MPVA conveyed their plans of strengthening generational knowledge on PEFTOK, assisting the Philippine Veterans Hospital in the Philippines, and strengthening their Veterans Remembrance program to make sure that Major Young's memory lives on through future generations.

Ms. Erlinda Mae Young, Major Young's youngest daughter and a scholar of the Korean government, paid a final tribute to her father by saying that much like the gentlemen of his generation, Major Young put weight on actions rather than words. As much as he is a valiant soldier, Ms. Young shared that Major Young instilled in his children a love for learning "as much as we can, and as fast as we can". Ms. Young is currently in the Republic of Korea to complete advanced studies.

South Korea-based Filipino singer Mr. Yuli Leonor also rendered a live performance of Major Young's favorite song.

Major Maximo Young fought in three (3) wars: the Korean War, World War II and the Vietnam War. As a young soldier, he was also involved in fighting communist insurgency in the Philippines. When the Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, Major Young volunteered to join the PEFTOK. As a tank commander of the 10th Battalion Combat Team of PEFTOK, he and the whole battalion exhibited Filipino gallantry and fought in the Great Battle at Yultong in which they successfully pushed the enemies back. Young was awarded the "Taegeuk Medal", ROK's highest military award given to a soldier for bravery in combat.

After his retirement from the military service, he dedicated himself to help and care for his fellow veterans. His active involvement with the PVAI worked towards perpetuating the legacy of the Filipino war veterans. At the age of 97, he was elected as President of PVAI in 2019. He held the position for three terms until 2021. During his tenure, he worked to expand the reach of scholarships to descendants of Korean War veterans. He engaged with various groups to secure scholarships and donations for both the veterans and their descendants, especially during the pandemic. END