Why Korea is an Assignment of Choice – By Thomas Suter
What was your initial reaction upon learning that you were going to Korea?
I enlisted as a 19D Cavalry Scout in 1987. When I arrived at Ft Knox all of the Bradley’s were tied up with ROTC. The army gave me a choice: they could dissolve the contract or I could be trained on the M-113. I had the impression the NCO had been told to get everyone to sign new contracts and not discharge anyone. I told the NCO I’d sign a new contract if I could have my duty station of choice. He looked skeptical and asked me where I wanted to be stationed. I told him Korea and his demeanor instantly changed and he couldn’t get that new contract written fast enough.
Why did you have that reaction?
My dad served with 4/7 Cav in 1967-1968. He was there when the USS Pueblo was seized and I’d seen a few pictures from his time in Korea. From what little I knew I felt like Korea was the last of the old Army and I wanted to patrol the DMZ because it was a real world mission. At the time it seemed like the only real world mission the U.S. Army was involved with.
What did you know about Korea?
I’d always been interested in military history, mostly WWII, but I’d read a few books about the Korean War. I was also familiar with the Pueblo and the DMZ ax murders.
Was there an “aha!” moment that made you think that being in Korea was good?
Not really. As soon as we landed and started in-processing I knew it would be a good tour. I was assigned to the Scout Platoon, HHC, 5/20, Inf, at Camp Casey. I always thought the 2ID had the best looking patch in the Army and when I saw all of the old Quonset huts I felt like I had been assigned to the last of the old army.
How did serving and living in Korea shape your career, life, or worldview? And your family’s?
After the army I became a cop and retired as a lieutenant after 30 years. Living in a country under martial law and a totally different culture definitely made me appreciate our country much more. One of my friends was a KATUSA and he took me to his house and showed me around the country. The experiences I had in Korea made it easier to interact with different cultures when I was a cop. When I look at Korea today as compared to 1987 and see the progress they’ve made, I’m proud of them, and proud that I patrolled the DMZ.
What experiences left a lasting impression, good or bad?
N Korea shot down KAL flight 858 several months after I arrived. After refueling in Japan and continuing on to Korea I looked out the window and saw a fighter off our wing. The back seater was holding up a piece of cardboard that said “Welcome to Korea, turtles”. After my assignment to the 2ID I found out pretty quickly what that meant. At the time I thought the fighter escort was a bit of overkill. After the shoot down of KAL 858 I didn’t think it was overkill. A few months after I met my wife she introduced me to a man named Alvin Plucker. My wife grew up with his kids and he was like a second father to her. I was sitting in Alvin’s den and noticed he had a picture of the Pueblo on his wall. When I asked him about it he told me he was the Quartermaster when the ship was seized by N Korea. We spent hours talking about his experiences. My wife had known Alvin all of her life and had no idea who he was. My dad was in Korea when the Pueblo was seized and had his mid-tour leave cancelled because of it. I later introduced my dad to Alvin.
Scouts Out,
Thomas Suter
Why Korea is an Assignment of Choice ? Let us know –
This initiative invites current and former Service Members, civilians, diplomats, and families to share their stories and reflections on why serving in Korea — whether with United States Forces Korea (USFK) or at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul — was one of the most meaningful and rewarding chapters of their lives.
Whether your experience involved joint operations, discovering the beauty of Korean culture, forging lifelong friendships, or contributing to one of the world’s strongest alliances, we want to hear from you!
Share Your Story by Telling Us:
- What was your initial reaction upon learning that you were going to Korea?
- Why did you have that reaction?
- What did you know about Korea?
- Was there an “aha!” moment that made you think that being in Korea was good?
- How did serving and living in Korea shape your career, life, or worldview? And your family’s?
- What experiences left a lasting impression, good or bad?
Submissions can be written, video-recorded, or even a simple quote with a photo. Selected stories will be featured on all KDVA social media platforms, our website, and Journals.
How to Submit:
Email your story to KDVAKoreaChoice@gmail.com and tag us on social media using #KDVAKoreaAssignmentOfChoice.
There is no deadline. We will keep this going because we will not run out of stories from the millions of people who have served in Korea over the past 75 years!
Help us show the world why Korea isn’t just an assignment — it can be life changing!
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