SCHAMINÉ, René

Called up for his compulsory military service in February 1948, René had to quit his job at ARBED. Thus, the family lost their main provider. When the military was notified of the precarious family situation, they agreed to shorten his service term to 6 months. On 24 August 1948, René was released from military duty, to be called in again two years later. He decided to join the first contingent, probably to alleviate his family’s financial problems, as a Korean War volunteer earned good money. He later reenlisted for a second term.

Following his promotion to Caporal on 10 June 1952, he was permanently released from military duty in December 1952. It seems like he broke with his military past because he never went to gatherings or reunions of any kind, nor was he a member of the Luxembourg Korean Association. According to the statements of other Korean veterans, René lost touch with society and lived for several years on the streets in Luxembourg City’s central station district, where he apparently squatted in deserted houses. One day, this became his undoing, when he entered a demolished building to find shelter. Not recognizing the drop, René fell and tragically succumbed to his severe injuries.