From My Service in Korea, I learned…
Lt Col, USAF (Ret.) Aaron D. Trimble
From my service in the Republic of Korea I learned what it meant to become inextricably and spiritually linked to a country and its people.
My earliest introduction to Korea and its people began at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, when in October 1983 North Korea orchestrated the Rangoon bombing intending to assassinate South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan. When wounded victims were flown to Clark for emergency treatment, my wife and I were asked to assist with their welfare and security. From these survivors, I learned first-hand about the horrors of that event along with the bravery shown by many South Koreans who rushed in to assist their wounded comrades immediately following the explosion.
When I think about my tours in Korea I remember the old Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.”
While assigned to USFK/J2 from 1992-1994, I began to gain a much better understanding of this astounding country, by immersing myself in its history, culture, and people. Our relationship with ROK counterparts was professional but we also developed close friendships. In June 1994, tensions began ramping up dramatically on the peninsula after North Korea shut down its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon and removed spent fuel rods containing enough plutonium to build five or six nuclear weapons. Throughout the pending crisis the resolve of the ROK military and their unmitigated trust in U.S. support was never stronger as we all prepared for the possibility of another conflict on the peninsula. Fortunately, diplomacy prevailed.
What I was unaware of at the time; however, was that the Korean People’s Army (KPA) were also taking steps to undermine the Armistice Agreement. With the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries, North Korea no longer trusted the Czech and Polish Neutral Nation Security Council members and by 1993 expelled them. More significantly, in May 1994 the KPA also announced they would no longer participate in the Military Armistice Commission and subsequently the Chinese People’s Volunteers withdrew its own delegation.
It was during my final tour from 1997-1999 while assigned to the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC), that I gained the clearest perspective on the consequences of the KPA activities pertaining to the Armistice and the cruciality of the U.S. – ROK military relationship.
Despite the KPA’s effort to chip away at the very document that provided an end to hostilities in 1953, the South Korean government and military were resolute. They continued to maintain a positive attitude, worked closely with, and encouraged all UNCMAC efforts to coerce them back to the Armistice Agreement.
With South Korean support, particularly from the Republic of Korea Advisory Group, UNCMAC held intense and arduous negotiations with the KPA and eventually established a General Officer (GO) crisis management dialogue channel with the first meeting held between both sides on 23 June 1998.
During negotiations to develop meeting procedures, the KPA did everything they could to exclude the South Koreans from participation in the GO meetings. There was a great sense of accomplishment when at every one of the nine senior level GO meetings I participated in, a South Korean general officer was always sitting across the table from the KPA in a picture of solidarity with the other UNCMAC member nation representatives.
LtCol Trimble (center right) ‘on the line’ for MIA remains return ceremony at the Joint Security Area
LtCol Trimble at the DMZ with ROKA LTC Chun In-bum
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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The first time I had the privilege to move to Korea was from 1984-1986, during my elementary school years. This was the first time I was near immediate family members, and I learned from my Grandparents and Uncles the hardships of the war itself. Having fun navigating through Korea, playing with cousins and spending lots of time running up and down Mount Apsan in Camp Walker, Taegu, Korea was my true focus. I didn’t realize the impact of the threat of the Cold War and what was just 8 hours drive north of us in North Korea. The second time we moved back was just after the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. I spent my 8, and 9th grade years in Seoul, Korea at Seoul American High School. This time I was much more aware of the impact of. communism and dictatorship upon societies. We saw the Iron Curtain fall in 1989 while I was in History Class in Seoul. We visited the DMZ and saw the last bit of staunch Russian Red Umbrellas just across the border in North Korea. We drove through the South Korean College student riots proclaiming “Americans Leave Our Soil.”
I came back to the US with a renewed sense of preservation for continuing this story, the Forgotten War. Being more and more removed from the actual physical fighting, I delved into anything I could learn about North Korea and the tactics they take to oppress their people.
There were programs within Eight Army and United States Forces Korea that amplified our relationships. Our NCOA Chapter as well as other organizations both US and Korean had programs that fostered goodwill and built on these strong relationships. As an example, our chapter sponsored the Young Nak Orphanage, and the Bosung Girls Middle and High Schools. There were two unique programs our Chapter implemented. One was an English Camp with the Korean Girls School, and the other was a Military Introduction Program. In the latter program, our NCOA Chapter members and other Volunteers along with US service members, ROK and KATUSA service members. In a nutshell, the students were shown what it was like to be a military service member and how we worked together as an Alliance. This included an introduction to Physical Fitness Training, Drill and Ceremonies, samples of Meals Ready to Eat for lunch etc. The program was very well received by all. We also had Holiday introduction programs, American and Korean Christmas Programs, and information about Thanksgiving in the US and Chuseok in South Korea.
That lasted only a day or two and on the ride up to Uijongbu Camp Red Cloud, I noticed Koreans bent over in their rice paddies working hard. I was assigned to the I Corps newspaper, The Bullseye, as a photojournalist, one of the best jobs I could imagine.
