Welsey Ko probably could have avoided going to war. But as friends from his Philadelphia neighborhood were drafted and joined the fight, Ko decided to go too. He ended his service as a hero. For A Life Remembered, Sean Corcoran profiles Ko, who was 93 when he died.
Five years ago, a WCAI reporter visited Wesley Ko home to interview him about his service in the Second World War.
Ko received numerous medals in the war, participating in six different campaigns. He rose to the rank of Captain in the 82nd Airborne Division -- the 325th Glider Infantry, which means he and his men found their way into the war zones and participated in invasions not by parachute, but by flying in on unmotorized glider planes.
In the interview, Ko talked about growing up in Philadelphia. He said that when the war came, he was working for a local printer. The printer argued that he Ko was needed at the business, and because of that, Ko probably could have avoided going to war at all. But as his friends and other young men his age were drafted and joined the fight, Ko decided he would go too.
To hear his story, in his own words, click the LISTEN button.
