| Jimmy Curtis, né Chun Won-ung | |
| Fictional Character | |
| The Hot War POD: November, 1950 | |
| Appearance(s): | Fallout; Armistice |
| Type of Appearance: | Direct |
| Nationality: | South Korea |
| Date of Birth: | Early 1930s |
| Occupation: | Soldier |
| Parents: | Cade Curtis (adoptive father from 1952) |
| Military Branch: | South Korean Army (until December 1951) United States Army (Korean War/World War III) |
Chun Won-ung (adopted the name Jimmy Curtis in 1952), was a soldier in the South Korean army after the Korean War was folded into World War III. In December 1951, Chun was subjected to a beating by Captain Pak Ho-san, until American Captain Cade Curtis intervened. After Cade threatened to shoot him, Pak broke off, and Curtis had Chun join his men.[1] Chun Won-ung became "Jimmy" to the unit.[2]
Unfortunately, with the spring thaw, the Reds advanced and successfully took Kaeryeong in April 1952.[3] Jimmy and the rest of the regiment soon found themselves south of the city, again holding the lines, hoping for help to come. Concurrently, Jimmy developed a strong affection for Curtis, leaving Curtis to wonder what would happen if U.S. troops pulled out of Korea.[4] Curtis kept an eye on Jimmy, and survived the intermittent fighting between Chinese and UN forces.[5]
Like many in the UN, JImmy hoped that Stalin's death would bring an end to the fighting. UN propaganda played up the use of the new hydrogen bomb, and intimated that it could be used against the Chinese. Mao and his allies were defiant.[6] On a more personal level, Jimmy finally asked Curtis what would happen to him once the fighting did end. Curtis had no answers.[7]
With the Treaty of Versailles ending the war in Europe, UN forces began increased pressure in Korea, with B-47s now picking up where the B-29s had left off.[8] Unfortunately, there was still fighting on the ground, and during a shelling, Curtis received shrapnel to the leg. Jimmy helped get him to a medic.[9] After several operations, the doctors had no choice but to take Curtis' leg off below the knee.[10]
A few weeks later, Curtis and Jimmy found a solution when Jimmy and Howie Sturgis came to visit him. As they spoke, Curtis proposed to adopt Jimmy as his son to insure he would escape South Korea after the fighting was done. The attending nurse was horrified by the plan, proclaiming it fraudulent, and calling Jimmy a "gook" to his face. When Jimmy confronted the nurse, Sturgis had to remind Jimmy that the nurse was an officer, though he took Jimmy's side during the confrontation. The raised concerns with her superiors, and Lt. Colonel Nathan Marcus met with Curtis. When he was satisfied that Curtis was adopting Jimmy for noble reasons, and not because he wanted Jimmy as a homosexual lover, Marcus gave his support to Curtis' plan.[11] Curtis was made Jimmy's legal parent in short order, and Jimmy was cleared to travel to the U.S. With Dr. Marcus' help, they boarded a liberty ship called the SS Joe Harris and headed for San Francisco; Jimmy was excited, Curtis was nervous.[12] The trip took a month, and Curtis' father, mother, and brother were waiting for them when they arrived. While Curtis was initially nervous, and his family didn't seem especially thrilled with his adoption of Jimmy, they were hospitable towards and inclusive of Jimmy.[13]
The family returned to Knoxville. In December, 1952, Curtis was fitted for a prosthetic leg. Jimmy pledged to take care of Cade.[14]
References
- ↑ Fallout, loc. 4432-4444.
- ↑ Ibid., loc. 5157-5231.
- ↑ Ibid., loc. 5535.
- ↑ Ibid., loc. 5916-5989.
- ↑ Armistice, pgs. 26-30, ebook.
- ↑ Ibig., pgs. 85-88.
- ↑ Ibid., pgs. 109-112.
- ↑ Ibid., pg. 163.
- ↑ Ibid., pg. 166.
- ↑ Ibid., pgs. 199-203.
- ↑ Ibid., pgs. 264-268.
- ↑ Ibid., pgs. 306-309.
- ↑ Ibid., pgs. 345-348.
- ↑ Ibid., pgs. 400-404.
| |||||||||||||||||||||
