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From My Service in Korea, I Learned – Mike Napolitano

I actually started learning about Korea before I ever set foot in the country.  As an Air Force 1st Lt. with a new bride in the spring of 1966, stationed at Richards-Gebaur AFB near Kansas City, MO, my orders came down assigning me to a 13-month tour in Korea.  Turned out,  this was a “plum” assignment for a junior officer, as I would be going over as an advisor with the 6146th Air Force Advisory Group (the outfit made famous by Col. Hess – think the film “Battle Hymn” with Rock Hudson), Operating Location Taejon, about 110 miles south of Seoul.

The assignment was unaccompanied (more about that later) and involved a four-week orientation in July 1966, covering the Military Assistance Program, in general, and the culture, traditions, and language of Korea, in particular.  This was held at the Military Assistance Institute in Arlington, VA.  It also involved securing a diplomatic passport (“abroad on an official assignment for the U.S. Govt.”), rendering me outside the Status of Forces agreement.  I would have to be on my best behavior!  My bride, Sandy, was with me in Arlington and socialized some with me when we were invited to “hobnob” at the Korean Embassy in Washington with the Ambassador and his staff.

After this training, I got my wife settled in with her parents in Council Bluffs, IA, and I made port call at McChord AFB near Seattle for the flight to Kimpo on a “redtail” (NWA).  I was met at Kimpo by a WWII veteran Major who would be my roommate at our “hooch” on the Army Compound known as Stonestown where our outfit was billeted.  Maj. Peterson had lots of stories about flying P-38’s over Europe more than 20 years earlier, and he also gave me the “skinny” about our mission as advisors and some “poop” about the country.

My duties involved my counterpart, a ROKAF Lt. Col. who ran the Air Technical Training Wing at K-5 Air Base.  My AFSC was Communications Officer, and the base was sort of the ROKAF version of our Keesler AFB (think hundreds of young airmen and officers getting second-level training in their future military specialties).  As it happened, one of my main duties turned out to be teaching conversational English to a few dozen young ROKAF officers who hungrily devoured every lesson.  The hardest thing for me was trying to explain American idioms such as “New York’s finest,” “up the creek without a paddle,” and “bite the bullet!”

Fast forward a few months to winter, 1966.  I decided to have my wife join me at my expense to share the Korean experience with me “on the economy.”  She was able to stay at a “fancy” hotel (for the mid-60’s, little more than 10 years after the ravages of war).  I think it was called the Manyongjong Hotel, and it was where Pres. Park Chung Hee stayed when he visited the area.  Sandy enjoyed being in the country with me, made some friends despite the language barrier, and helped me with my additional duty as Civic Action Officer.  Our unit sponsored an orphanage in town, and my wife helped a great deal with our “supply runs” with me as driver and her as coordinator.

She was also a great partner when it came time to socialize with my counterpart and his staff “after hours.”  Koreans are nothing if not sociable, and we became quite familiar with local drinking customs and beverages such as soju and maekgeolli.

So, to summarize, what I learned from my service in Korea, was simply that the Korean people are proud, industrious, and respectful of Americans while anxious to extol the virtues of their culture always expressing gratitude for our efforts during the war and for our presence post-war while their economy grew into the successful one that it is today.

What did you learn from serving in Korea? Let us know –

Sharing your experiences from serving in Korea can be a powerful way to connect with others who have had similar experiences. By sharing your story, you may be able to help others who are currently serving in Korea or who are preparing to do so. You can share insights about the culture, the people, and the challenges you faced while serving. Your story can also help to shed light on the sacrifices that service members and their families make in order to protect our freedoms. So, if you have a story to share, we encourage you to take the time to put it down in writing and send it to KDVA.MyServiceInKorea@gmail.com along with any photos that help to tell your story.

Your contribution may be just what someone needs to hear in order to feel connected and supported.