From My Service in Korea, I learned…
Where do I begin this tale of serendipity, discovery, enlightenment, affection, and redemption which has had life-altering consequences, an edification challenging my deepest assumptions of the world and my place in it?
Let my story begin with the end of my emotionally challenging college career avoiding the military draft. Making good enough grades to stay in school without a clear plan for my life had taken a toll. Like many of my fellow students, I was somewhat rudderless, adrift. It seemed impossible to think about making long-range plans. I had three older brothers who involuntarily served in the military and now it was my turn with a very low draft number at the height of the Vietnam War. I had struggled between my patriotic duty to my country and self-preservation and pursued every moral and ethical avenue to avoid the draft. I graduated and taught school for one year, but with the end of teaching deferments, my low draft number sealed my fate. I was drafted and inducted into the United States Army on June 15, 1971.
After basic training at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky I survived being the smallest member of my Advanced Individual Training (AIT) company to become a Military Policeman (MP), training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. MP school was very interesting and challenging, especially the advanced judo classes where I often felt like I was the practice training dummy because of my relatively small size. Everyone wanted to train with me, I was an easy throw! Fortunately, black and blue were my favorite colors.
Much to my chagrin and consternation at the end of AIT when assignment orders were handed out in groups according to your country of assignment, I was in the group going to Viet Nam. VIET NAM was stamped in big bold letters on my manila envelope. My heart sank! I tried to compress the next twenty years of my life into my two-week leave, having an unshakeable premonition of not returning home alive. Transportation orders and arrangements were in a separate cover and I never looked inside my orders envelope, I accepted my fate.
Following this period of disquiet and doom, saying my last goodbyes, I reported to Fort Lewis, Washington. I reported wearing my summer khakis in late October. We were told not to bring our winter issue to Vietnam, they would not be needed. In retrospect, I should have suspected something was amiss when the sergeant at the reporting desk gave me a scowl of disbelief and astonishment. He asked me where I thought I was going and I answered that I was going to Vietnam like my envelope said. He opened my envelope while shaking his head in frustration and incredulity. Then with a straight face, he said there had been a mix-up. I was going to Korea. For two minutes I was disappointed- I was psyched up and ready for “action”! I called my parents and they were ecstatic with the mistake in my deployment orders. Although being what I considered somewhat educated, I was still a rather naive farm boy. My first thought was, where is Korea? There had been a war there?! I had not studied maps since the eighth grade!!
Following a twenty-plus hour flight via Alaska, I arrived at the Army Service Command (ASCOM) in the Republic of Korea in late October 1971 late at night. Not knowing what to expect, I awakened to a muddy, wet, soggy hellhole the next morning. It seemed to be the “armpit” of the world! I could not wait to put this place behind me, so I jumped at the opportunity to hitchhike a ride in a courier jeep to my post. The first leg of my journey took me through downtown Seoul, a cacophony of sound, strange odors, and a sea of people, who at the time appeared to all look alike. Severe apprehension overwhelmed me when the driver of the diminutive M-151A1 attempted to jockey for position among the huge highway transport buses on the unmarked six-lane streets. I sighed in relief when we left metropolitan Seoul only to experience more white knuckles riding over one-and-a-half lane roads careening through ascending mountain passes while still trying to avoid the same large buses in the midst of a desolate, treeless, cold, and wet late October. I wasn’t ready to recommend Korea as a tourist Mecca!!
Arriving at a semblance of civilization, Camp Page, ChunChon, Kang-Won Do, the home of the 226th Signal Company and the 4th Missile Command of the 8th U.S. Army, I thought this might be tolerable for the next thirteen months of my assignment. Certainly better than Viet Nam! However, that fantasy suddenly evaporated when I discovered that I was to be assigned to a Maximum Security Area (MSA) approximately eight miles away from the main base as a guard. Now I understood why Korea was considered a hardship tour. The MSA truly was the “ARMPIT”!!!! Approximately six acres of mud, weapons storage bunkers filled with items not allowed in Korea, no trees, surrounded by a double security fence topped with concertina wire with guard dogs patrolling between and quad fifty machine gun emplacements at all four corners guarding all approaches. My assigned duty was going to be manning the watch towers between the machine gun emplacements, trying to avoid Article 15s and court-martial for falling asleep while working eight-hour swing shifts of nine days on and three days off. Highlights of the base included the barracks, a mess hall, a px the size of a small bedroom, a movie/meeting room the size of a small living room, the CQ, and a basketball court. And did I forget to mention the mud? Mud everywhere! The only other color was green or in military parlance olive drab. My home for the next thirteen months.
The first soldier that I encountered, a huge man, greeted me with tears welling in his eyes followed by the blank 10,000 meter stare. He felt truly sorry for the new replacements. Approximately two weeks before I arrived, one of the soldiers, in deep despair had committed suicide behind the barracks. This was not going to be a “Roman holiday”!
I could not perform my assigned duty because I only had a summer issue of clothing and no winter clothing was available anywhere in the country. For over a month, the only duty I pulled was to guard a civilian fuel delivery truck for maybe thirty minutes. After enough time, doing nothing can become strenuous. Most of the time I hitchhiked a ride into Camp Page and went to the library, movie theater, and snack bar. I was growing increasingly bored and concerned, understanding this could not continue. What was next for me was beginning to creep into my dreams, most often as nightmares!?
Feeling sorry for myself and sitting alone in the corner of the mess hall, all of my friends were out in the guard towers, I attempted to celebrate Thanksgiving, thinking of home, the smells, tastes, and the warmth of family. Unwittingly I had a chance encounter with an officer in his dress blues. This officer was working his way around the mess hall on an apparent mission of public relations and esprit de corps. He proceeded to sit down across from me and ask me how I liked my assignment. With a rather cold and disgustingly nonchalant answer, I explained how disappointed I was with the Army. I had graduated from college, taught chemistry and physics for a year, been drafted, and made an MP- during training they emphasized that we were “the best the Army has to offer”. Now I was going to be stuck here for thirteen months watching the countryside turn from brown to green to brown to green with some snow thrown in for color and slowly lose my sanity, much as I could see happening to others that arrived at the same time. Thankfully the officer did not consider my answer insubordinate, but he did sit back in his seat appearing a little startled and nonplussed. He proceeded to ask about my education and civilian experience and then asked if I might have any interest in interviewing for a position that was opening up at the Camp Page dispensary. I said sure and he got up and left. I put this conversation out of my mind, thinking nothing further would happen, and finished the worst Thanksgiving meal of my life, feeling very sorry for myself. Alone.
The next morning I received orders to report directly to Lt. Col. Kroeber, the Camp Page commander. The interaction on that depressing Thanksgiving Day took place so quickly that I failed to recognize him or his rank. Needless to say, I was mortified at what had taken place, but not nearly as much as the captain in command of the MSA. He very vocally expressed his displeasure with me concerning his perception of an indiscretion that I might have committed which might have sullied his command reputation. “WHAT DID YOU DO !!!!” I feigned total ignorance and innocence of the situation.
I was given an escort to Camp Page, interviewed by the medical staff of the dispensary, returned to the MSA, picked up my gear, and returned to Camp Page to be reassigned to work as a med tech for the remainder of my tour of duty. From that point, I had a wonderful, challenging assignment. I was back in civilization. The base did not have a T.O.&E.(Tactical Operations and Equipment) slot to have a real med tech assigned. They had to pick someone and on-the-job train them to fill the position. The current holder was leaving Korea and a new trainee was needed. I trained for two weeks and became the base med tech. My new position gave me the opportunity to work with several Korean civilian employees and KATUSAS(Korean Augmentation To the United States Army). Working with them, I was able to develop new friendships and expand my knowledge of Korea and its people. I began to experience Koreans as individuals, just as all peoples worldwide exist.
One of my most memorable experiences was the opportunity to attend the traditional Korean wedding of one of my civilian coworkers. The wedding banquet introduced me to many new, unusual, and unique foods, many of which over the past years have become favored culinary choices. I became extremely impressed with their culture-wide ingenuity, persistence, industriousness, dedication, and focus. It was often demonstrated to me that we were alike in so many ways with nearly all the same life values. They made me feel “at home”. Spring arrived. All was well. The weather had improved, birds were singing, the meager assortment of trees were leafing out and a few flowers were blooming. I was relatively content with the challenges of my new job and rekindled my interest in dentistry by spending time and observing in the adjacent dental clinic. Learning about the “Irish of Asia” and how friendly and interesting this country and its people are, created a daily sense of adventure.
Another key turning point in my story occurred when I was offered a position as an English language conversation instructor to an informal class of college students. Nearly all educated individuals in Korea could read and write English to some extent. In fact, some textbooks were in English, however, conversation was a bridge too far and this created a demand to practice spoken English. This class began when a Korean civilian nurse who worked in the dispensary was preparing to emigrate to the United States. Three of the medics put this class together to help this individual’s transition by meeting for informal English conversation in the local coffee/tea rooms where locals meet socially, somewhat like an early version of Starbucks. Friends and siblings began to attend as well and the class grew to 8-10 individuals. As I arrived in Korea the last of the original instructors was preparing to leave Korea. One day he asked if I would be interested in continuing this class and meeting ordinary Korean individuals who were nothing like what I had experienced immediately surrounding the military base and to learn about Korea and its people. I met the class and we mutually agreed to continue. I had a most delightful evening interacting with “real” Korean civilians.
This revealed a whole new world, opening my eyes to a depth of understanding unavailable to most transient soldiers. Their rich cultural history and customs as well as common values stimulated many lively and edifying conversations. I had found a second home and a new path of adventure opened to me. I found myself enjoying this cultural revelation so much that I extended my tour by six months to finish my military obligation in Korea, rather than be assigned to a less ideal position in the U.S. This allowed me to travel in Korea and Japan thereby opening my horizons even further. People the world over value the same basic things. Family, security, and hope as part of the Family of Man.
An equally serendipitous and remarkable story is that I met my future wife in the conversation class. Over many months we became friends and after much soul-searching and overcoming familial objections on both sides, we agreed to wait until she finished college to continue our relationship. This was to be an adequate test of our commitment to each other. Twenty-two long and seemingly endless months later she joined me in the U.S. and we have been happily married for nearly fifty years. With her help, encouragement, and unquestioned support I earned a Master’s Degree in microbiology, Doctor of Dental Surgery, and practiced for thirty years with her by my side. This led to a daughter who is also a practicing dentist.
I am eternally grateful to Lt. Col. Kroeber, a most judicious and thoughtful man, for the opportunity that I was given to serve in a meaningful capacity which led to my experiencing the real Korea. One never knows how the ramifications of a seemingly small gesture and chance encounter can work to produce immeasurable consequences in someone’s life. Indeed the hand of our Creator often works in mysterious and unfathomable ways. It is to our own detriment when we lack faith. Serendipity? I don’t think so!
I had an opportunity to visit Korea in 1993 and was astounded by the changes that had taken place since my time there in 1973. I was amazed at how modern everything had become in so short a time and still Korea had maintained its essential cultural identity. The progress from a war recovery economy to modernity was astounding! This spoke volumes to the resourcefulness, ingenuity, dedication, and determination of the Korean people.
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.
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Mr. KIM Taeup
Mr. Philip Mok
Mr. John Sagan
Major General Richard Appelhans
I was stationed in Korea from Nov 1966 to Dec 1967 during a period referred as the “Second Korean War” (defined from 1966 to 1970) because of all the hostile interactions with North Korean (NK) Infiltrators. By example, in May 1967, NK Infiltrators breached the wire around the 23rd Infantry Regiment at Camp Walley, planted explosives, and killed several 2ID Warriors and injured many more.
