My father, Gordon Durkee,
My father, Gordon Durkee, served in Korea from 1053-54, stationed at Camp Casey and Uijonbu as a 11B radio man. I am honored for his service and the love he has shown me throughout my short life. My father never talked about his service or being in the Korean War until I joined the army in July of 1990 and was heading to the First Gulf war. He then told me his experiences, for which I am grateful for his stories.
What he told me was that he served, came back home, and started his career working at the post office because that’s what is dad did, and he just wanted to get to work to earn money. There are many lessons he taught me, but I am reminded of the time he saw a picture of me at Camp Casey in a picture, and the first thing he said was, “There are trees?” Because during his time, there were no trees, and he was amazed or amused by the fact that Korea had trees now.
I will forever be amazed by the strength and perseverance that my father, the American Korean war veterans, the Korean people, and the Korean service members have when they served.
Thank you
Matt Durkee MA,
Doctoral Candidate Community Counseling
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