Bringing History to Life: The Power of a Road Trip
Let’s go! Bali, Bali, Hurry, Hurry! Grab your bags and get on the bus!
We all remember our favorite field trip. Whether it was for a day, an overnight, or a week, it became a permanent part our of memory. Snapshots of the teacher, place, and key moments of the outing flash through our minds like a vivid Kodachrome. As young students, we probably weren't initially impressed, but as the years passed, the trip slowly morphed into an experience worth reminiscing about, even cherishing. Ah, the power of a good field trip . . .
Bringing History to Life
Last week I spent two days with 15-20 students (I never could get an accurate count - good thing I wasn’t in charge) in Geoje-do, Korea's second largest island and the site of a huge refugee relocation center during the Korean War. The students, from middle and high schools throughout Seoul, had been selected by the Hungnam Evacuation Memorial Committee and Chosun Ilbo Newspaper to participate in the Hungnam Freedom “Camp,” a program designed to teach young people about the importance of the Hungnam Evacuation - and freedom.
As the bus pulled out of the parking lot on the first day, I was a bit skeptical. I had been invited to speak to the students about the Battle of Chosin Reservoir and the events immediately before and after the Hungnam Evacuation, but I wasn’t sure how engaged and interested the young people would be. However, by the end of the trip, my doubts had been erased. The kids were motivated and polite and seemed genuinely grateful. I was impressed.
Ned teaching students about the importance of Korean-American friendship during his lecture. (Photo courtesy of Ned Forney).
During the whirlwind trip, the students toured the Hungnam Memorial and POW Museum on Geoje. They also visited the site of the Nakdong River defensive line (where the North Korean army was stopped in the early stage of the war), listened to presentations, enjoyed good meals, and had fun.
The Hungnam Evacuation
The highlight for me was spending time with the students and telling them about December 1950. I shared with them how the US military had rescued 100,000 North Korean civilians and sent them South, to Busan and Geoje. I talked about the SS Meredith Victory, Colonel Edward Forney, the evacuation control officer, and Hyun Bong-hak, the Korean doctor who helped persuade the Americans to evacuate the refugees. The Hungnam Evacuation - the largest US military amphibious withdrawal of refugees, under combat conditions, in American history - saved countless lives. There are now over one million descendants of those who were rescued, I explained.
The men and women who made it Geoje were lucky, I told them. The island’s residents welcomed the newcomers, giving them food, shelter, and even jobs. Although their road to recovery was still long and hard - most of the refugees were without money and had to start from scratch - it could have been much worse.
Freedom is Not Free
As we headed back to Seoul, I was encouraged. Even though the program involved only a handful of students, it was a start and reminded me that even a small pebble thrown into a pond can make a noticeable ripple. Who knows, maybe in the future more students will get the opportunity to visit Geoje and learn about the sacrifices made at Hungnam.
The stories these young people heard, the museums they toured, and the people they met may someday become some of their favorite school-age memories. More importantly, what they learned on the trip may help them appreciate their freedom and the sacrifices that were made to secure it. As they heard frequently during the two days, freedom is not free.
Top/Feature picture: A replica of the SS Meredith Victory at the Hungnam Evacuation Memorial on Geoje Island. (Photo courtesy of Ned Forney)
I was with The 10th Corp in North Korea having made a beach head landing in Won San the last Sunday in October 19th after The Navy frogm ed n removed mines from the harbor. We eventual made our way North and in mid November we were at Hondon ni just northeast of Hargura-ri. On Thanksgiving we were told that Gen. McArthur issues an order stating that the war
was over and some troops would be home for the holidays and others would be in Japan. That certainlly was good news. Then, on the morning of the 27th we were told that he had issues an order stating that we were going all the way to the Yalu river.
The rest is history. Thanhfully, I am one of the survival.
I am very pleased to see what is happening in South Korea regarding our role in their freedom that they enjoy daily.
Thanks for reading the blog and commenting, Joe. Great hearing from you!
Really appreciate your sharing your experiences. I’d be honored to write a story about you. Please let me know if that interests you.
We live in Seoul, and the South Koreans are very grateful for what you and all the veterans did to secure their freedom.
Look forward to hearing from you. Thanks, Joe!
Hi Ned,
I enjoyed reading your insightful blog about your field trip to Geoje-do POW camp with the Korean students!
I’m visiting Seoul from the US with my wife who is from Korea. A few years ago, she had discovered a memoir her father had written and interviewed him on video about his experiences in the Korean War.
He has since passed away but she wants to honor him by creating film and perhaps a book about his incredible story.
A brief synopsis is that in June 1950, he was 15 when he was pulled out of school in Seoul and conscripted into the North Korean Army along with many of his classmates. After narrowly escaping death and starvation for months and worries that his family believed he was killed, he eventually escaped during a bombing raid (he vividly remembered the B-29’s and Navy Corsair’s flying overheard as they cratered the Earth around him and repeatedly strafed his unit.
He took advantage of the chaos and escaped in trying to return home, but was then captured by UN troops. Not believing his story, they sent him to several POW camps before he finally ended up on Geoji-do Island with thousands of other prisoners.
Remarkably, because he spoke some English and was still so young, he was treated well and even became an interpreter between the UN Officers and communist Korean POWS in the camp. Their are many other fascinating elements to his story and that’s why we are going to visit Geoji-do to do some research on his life there.
As an American film screenplay writer and producer, I’m very interested in helping my wife produce either a documentary or even feature film about his story and have already met with Korean writers, producers and film directors who also agree that his story should be preserved as part of their history.
I would appreciate if you had any interest in this project, perhaps as a historical research consultant since you seem to have a great knowledge of Korean War history (please forgive my ignorance that I do not know your occupation or credentials!) You can reach me via the email I provided.
Thanks again for the great article!
Eric Michelson
Thanks for reading the story – so glad you liked it. I have good memories of my time on Geoje with the Korean students.
Your father-in-law’s story is amazing, and we appreciate your taking the time to share it. I hope you had a productive visit to Seoul and to Geoje-do. We look forward to seeing the documentary.
*Many apologies for this late response, and I will follow up with an email.