Mystery continues on Huchun's whereabouts
Whatever happened to Kim Huchun?
That's the question that Royal and Charlie Hettling are trying to find out. The brothers, who run the Vietnam Memorial History Museum have a small display area dedicated to Huchun, a 1959 Minneota graduate who seems to have disappeared after being discharged from the Army in 1970.
"We have tried to locate him, but no one seems to know where he is," said Royal on Saturday. "He came home from the Army and gave Dr. William Merritt, a veterinarian, his gun as a gift and that's the last anyone has heard from him."
Huchun was born in Korea and was a foster child of Charles Dirckx, a Korean War veteran who may or may not have met Huchun during the war.
Huchun's family was killed during the Korean War and it's possible that Dirckx found out about Huchun being the lone family survivor and brought him to the United States around 1953.
The Minneota Centennial book that lists all the graduating classes at Minneota lists Huchun as an AFS student. There were 48 students in his graduating class.
During his time in Minneota, Huchun joined the boxing team in which Merritt started and was the coach of.
Huchun was drafted in 1969, was assigned to MAC-V as a liaison to the Korean units and later became a captain.
"He spoke fluent Korean," Royal said.
Huchun returned to Minneota following his service time and presented Merritt with the Korean SKS rifle. A few years ago, Doc Merritt's son, Rick, traveled to Minneota from his home in Missouri and donated the rifle to the Hettlings to put on display.
"It's possible that (Kim) went back to Korea," Royal noted. "We're hoping someone has some information about him."
Charles Dirckx passed away in 2014 and his son, Robert, now lives in Mankato.
NOTE: An address was located for a Kim Huchun at and Army base in Honolulu and a letter has been sent to see if it is the former Minneota student. If anyone has any information on Kim Huchun, email Scott Thoma at scott@thomabooks.com or Royal Hettling at shadow_dogg@usa.com.