From My Service in Korea, I Learned – Colonel Harold H. Nicklas Jr. (US Army Retired)

The Army assigned me to Korea after a few weeks of Berlitz Korean language training. I served 1963- 1964 with US Forces Korea (USFK) and B Company, 502d MI Bn stationed at Tracy Compound, just south of Yongsan.  As an Army “Butter Bar” (2d lieutenant) I worked several positions, initially preparing staff reports from our field offices involving in-country domestic disturbances which included providing the price of rice and its availability from our field offices to USFK daily.  I quickly learned the great importance of rice to Koreans, its availability and how it gauged the mood of the country.

While also working as the principal liaison officer with the Korean National Police (KNP) investigative services, I learned the value and professionalism of a centralized police force, the importance of the KNP fingerprint section in doing our investigations. I also learned the value of my basic phase Korean.to open partnerships. I also learned how our KNP contacts returned our small favors with unforgettable Harley Davidson motorcycle escorts to the airport for departing members of our unit.  I still recall how the officers would do acrobatics all the way to the airport and standing on the seat of the motorcycles.

Despite the language differences every KNP officer I worked with was so grateful for our in-country presence, technical advice and logistical support.  In return we learned new procedures from the Korean exchange officers and Korean Augmentation to US Forces (KATSUA) working on our bilaterial security operations.

I was fortunate to volunteer conversational English lessons to high school students and learned about their dedication to study and hopes for higher education in the USA so they could return to help build a better Korea.

I was also our unit “Orphanage officer” and I learned how Korean value children, and was happy to learn about and find willing Korean business to supplement our monthly unit donations.  These kids would melt our hearts and I learned how fortunate we were to work with Korean agencies to foster adoptions by Korean and US foster parents.

I was the pay officer so each month I rode the “UN train car” on the Korean National Railroad train thru the country to our field officers and to Buson and return, so I learned how deforested much of the country side was 10 years after the war, but I could see great progress everywhere and see segments of new highways being built. Since I carried several briefcases of won and I learned about inflation since most of Korean workforce had basic substance wages, so if extra money was available from the rapidly inflating won, our staff would add additional gold on their rings to counter inflation. And I also learned the hard impact of inflation on the buying power and costs of daily living of our staff when the Army reissued our Military Payment Certificates and the Korean government devaluated the won.

I was greatly honored when on May 28^th, 1964 by being invited to the then – Ministry of Home Affairs, to receive a “Letter of Appreciation” presented to me by Minister Yang Chan Yang (with my leadership Majors’ Lally, Ayres, Captain Freeman and my KNP representative Mr. Lassiter in attendance).

At the time I thought I would never see the Far East again, so I took thirty days leave towards the end of my tour to visit Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan. This deepened my love of Asia and I learned what Korea could and did accomplish in the last five decades by mirroring these Nation’s achievements as free democracies.

I visited Korean again in 1974-1976 when stationed in Japan with US Army Japan. We had among our missions being the US Army “rear” for US Korea Forces and I had the opportunity to continue working intelligence activities in Korea, I happily learned how much those ten years had changed Korea for the better: there were trees, domestic produced vehicles, a better economy, infrastructure and how the Korean Intelligence agencies and KNP had progressed,

During my first tour in Vietnam in 1968, I was assigned to a small base camp near the Cambodian border. We were honored by a visit of the Korean National Judo team which flew in for a demonstration.  I was amazed at their skills and willingness to make visits to small outposts which I learned represented the Korean Government returning our support to Korea by supporting US activities in Vietnam.

During my second tour in Vietnam IN 1970, I was in a neighbor unit to the famous Korean “White Tiger “Division and addition to feeding my “addiction” to Kim Chi by trading our C – ration peanut butter cups for the Korean Kimchi ration, I learned how Korea paid back our years of mutual defense assistance by shedding Korean blood supporting the US.

While assigned over twenty-five years with the US Army Staff, the US Army Intelligence Command, Defense Intelligence Agency as an action officer with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and even in my last assignment in the Army part of “Star Wars,” I continued working operations to support Korea, shared intelligence and continued to learn from and be impressed by the dedicated, professional and highly proficient Korean Intelligence agencies.

In these assignments, I also supported the DOD POW/MIA Accounting Agency by providing intelligence to recover US Servicemen remains in North Korea and in 2003 as a Staff member of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIAs in Vietnam helped expand our mission to Korea and our delegation visited North Korea to learn about both US and Korean fallen heroes in the north.

My last visit to Korea was passing through the five-year-old Inchon Airport in 2007 while working police training projects in Mongolia.  I learned again how advanced Korea has become exemplified having the world’s best international transit airport.

It has been a lifetime honor and privilege to support Korean defense for almost half a century. I was so proud to learn in 2002, DoD recognized our service and authorized the Korea Defense Service Medal for US Korean Vets who supported the defense of South Korea retroactive to 1954. I have mine proudly on my retired uniform. If you have not request yours, the details on and how to request this medal are on the KDVA website.

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.

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.