Contagious Gratitude: Susan Kee, Honoring Korean War Veterans

We frequently tell young people - our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, the neighborhood kids - to follow their dreams. Pursue your passions, serve others, make the world a better place, we tell them.

Somewhere along the way, inevitably, these youngsters become adults and their idealistic passions and goals frequently fall by the wayside. But not always.

Enter Susan Kee

My wife and I "met" Susan - we’ve never actually seen her in person - in 2016, when Esther Hyun, a friend who’s the daughter of Dr. Hyun Bong-hak (one of the two main characters in my book), introduced us via Facebook. I still remember the first time we talked over the phone, Susan in Arizona and me in Korea. Her passion for honoring Korean War veterans - or “her” veterans as she affectionately called them - was palpable from half a world away.

I soon discovered that the servicemen she advocates for are part of her extended family. It was obvious when I talked with her and read her Facebook posts that she cared deeply about these elderly veterans who as young men had fought for Korea, the country that had been her home until 1975 when, as a young girl, her family moved to America.

As a Korean-American whose parents survived the horrors of war, Susan has a special bond with these men and is determined to show them and their families her gratitude. She repeatedly tells them they are appreciated and remembered.

She believes the men of the “Forgotten War” saved Korea, her family, and millions of others from communism. Without these young Americans fighting and dying for her freedom, her life would have been dramatically different – or might not have ever happened at all.

Susan at an event honoring Korean War veterans of the Arizona "Chosin Few" in March 2018. (Photo courtesy of Susan Kee)

A Pillar In Her Community

Since 2012, Susan has met over 500 Korean War veterans, now in their eighties and nineties. She has become a strong advocate for the Korean War MIAs (Missing in Action) and their families. There are approximately 7,700 Americans, sadly, who are still missing from the Korean War. She is working to increase public awareness of the sacrifices made by these MIAs and their families and making sure these heroes become known and honored.

In Arizona, she volunteers with the Veterans Heritage Project, an organization that “connects students with veterans in order to honor veterans, preserve America's heritage, and develop future leaders.”

When you talk with Susan, however, she’s quick to point out that everything she does revolves around the men who fought and died. Not her. She shuns the spotlight and wants no recognition for doing what she feels is a wonderful privilege: honoring those who sacrificed for her and Korea.

"As I always say, I feel I am not doing anything extraordinary," she says. "I feel that thanking and honoring Korean War heroes is just the right thing to do and it is so long overdue."

Her gratitude is contagious, and she now has nearly 4,500 Facebook followers and is writing a book about Korean War veterans. The loyal men and women on her Facebook page look to her as their supporter and, more importantly, friend. They share her stories of appreciation and patriotism and frequently contribute to her site. It’s a wonderful relationship.

She also goes out of her way to assist those who, like her, have a passion for telling the Korean War story. I’m lucky to be one of them. My wife and I are grateful for everything she’s done to help us get started with our Facebook page.

Visiting Seoul

Next week, we’ll finally meet Susan (in person!). She’s coming to Seoul with American families of Korean War fallen heroes (Missing in Action and Killed in Action) as part of a program sponsored by the ROK's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA). Susan and I will both be posting and blogging about this once-in-a-lifetime experience of being with these Korean War Gold Star families as the Korean government and people recognize and honor them and their loved ones' sacrifices. It’s going to be memorable week for all of us!

Thank you, Susan, for pursuing your passion of honoring Korean War veterans and their families. You’re making a difference - and it’s noticed and appreciated.