AUGUST 19, 2026 – Fifty years ago today, Army Capt. Arthur Bonifas and Army 1st Lt. Mark Barrett set out to trim a large poplar tree that blocked visibility between a United Nations Command checkpoint and an observation post at the joint security area in the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
Although operating in the security area between North and South Korea always carried risks, trimming the tree was routine. However, about 30 North Korean guards rushed the soldiers, who were leading a work party to prune the tree, violently killing them in an unprovoked attack.
In response to the attack, the U.S. and South Korea conducted Operation Paul Bunyan three days later to cut down the tree. The mission included 16 military engineers, 124 ground troops, 27 aircraft and several field artillery teams, making it the largest demonstration of force since the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement.
Every year since, the United Nations Command commemorates the tragic incident by remembering the sacrifice of Bonifas, posthumously promoted to major, and Barrett in the name of peace and stability. A memorial to them now stands atop the tree stump near a bridge in the security area.
This year, for the 50th commemoration, Bonifas’ grandchildren, Brady and Dylan, offered touching remarks at the memorial about how they got to know their grandfather through his letters.
“We learned that Arthur Bonifas cared deeply about the soldiers with whom he served and the people entrusted to his leadership,” Brady said.
“Through these letters, we came to know our grandfather not only as a soldier and a leader, but also as a husband, a father and a man guided by love,” Dylan said. “We are also grateful to everyone who has continued to preserve his memory and honor his service and sacrifice.”
During the ceremony, Stacy Adams, Barrett’s niece, also reflected on her uncle’s voluntary service, military unity and loss.
“When conflicts required their presence, our military performed expertly and professionally,” Adams said. “Yet sometimes the well-coordinated force lost a member. One fell from the many. The many knew to fill the vacuum, to cover for each other, to have each other’s back, but they felt the loss of the one.”
Bonifas and Barrett operated on the most front line of freedom in South Korea, and 50 years later, the United Nations Command’s security battalion there continues the mission to secure the critical location with the same courage and under the same flag.
By Army Maj. Alexia Croizer
United Nations Command