USAG YONGSAN, South Korea -- 1st Signal Brigade held a memorial service for Kim Chang-yun, engineering technician at 251st Signal Detachment, 1st Signal Brigade, in the South Post Chapel on USAG Yongsan, South Korea Jan. 6.
Kim, born in Yangsan, South Korea, on Oct. 15, 1957, passed away Dec. 23, 2013 of lung cancer.
Lt. Col. John K. Harris, deputy commander of 1st Signal Brigade, expressed his sincere condolences to Kim's family on behalf of the brigade.
Harris said, "We will miss him, we honor his contribution, and his loss will be felt throughout the brigade."
Harris went on to say that Kim, who had previously worked with the Department of Public Works for 25 years and for the brigade since 2011, had been an invaluable asset.
"During the almost three years Mr. Kim was with us here at 1st Signal Brigade, he supported not only our brigade's mission, but also the larger mission of Eighth Army and United States Forces Korea," said Harris. "His dedicated service reflects great credit on his family, his friends and coworkers and his country. His faithful support contributed to the strength of the alliance between our two nations, and we honor him for that."
Kim had worked for the 251st Signal Detachment as the sole electrical technician in the engineering division, which included performing electrical engineering and plans review for command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) facilities. He also provided his knowledge to the brigade's technical control and satellite communications facilities across the Korean Peninsula.
Capt. Jackson Lee, commander of 251st Signal Detachment, also expressed his sorrow for the loss of Kim.
"Despite battling cancer for a long time and undergoing chemo treatment, Mr. Kim would still come to work even when he probably should have taken extra day or two to rest after receiving treatment," said Lee. "The impact that he made in the unit was immense. His efforts in supporting the brigade's mission were significant. He is truly an irreplaceable person who we will always remember him in our hearts and memories. "
After Lee's remarks, Maj. Celestene Robb, 1st Signal Brigade Chaplain, delivered her memorial message and benediction.
"On top of his excellence in his job as recognized by all his colleagues and friends here, Mr. Kim was a family man who as one of his last requests before he died asked to see his parents," said Robb. "They visited him at the hospital December 22, 2013, the day before his death and thus I believe Mr. Kim died in peace."
Robb said Kim may be gone, but he will not be forgotten.
Kim is preceded in death by one brother and is survived by his mother, father, wife, two sons, three brothers and one sister.
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