Korean War
Who Would Have Guessed?
When my cousin Alice told us she’d be coming to Seoul for her first trip to Korea, we were thrilled. After somewhat randomly agreeing that she’d arrive on June 23rd and stay until the 3rd of July, we patiently waited for the big day. We had everything planned out. Or so we thought. What we…
Read MoreHome Again, Home Again
My whirlwind trip is over. I’m back in Seoul. After traveling nearly 13,000 miles in a 3-day period, it’s good to be home! It’ll take a while for everything to sink in, but for now I’m just trying to recall the moments that made the trip such a memorable experience: talking with President Moon in…
Read MoreIn the States – for 36 hours!
Last week I received one of those calls that instinct tells you will unleash an avalanche of meetings, ceremonies, dinners, speeches, and interviews. Not to mention international flights, rental cars, and hotel stays. After talking with a South Korean embassy official and being invited to Washington to attend ROK President Moon Jae-in’s speech at the National Museum of…
Read MoreShould I Stay or Should I Go?
For Bill Shaw, a 29-year-old husband, father of two, and first-year doctoral student at Harvard, the answer was clear. He told his wife, two young boys, parents, and professors he’d be back soon. His studies could wait, he explained. Three months later, on September 22, 1950, US Navy Lt. William Hamilton Shaw, on patrol with…
Read MoreJune 6 – A Day to Remember
D-Day. The Invasion of Normandy. Operation Overlord. It has many names, but regardless of what you call it, the June 6, 1944, Allied invasion of Normandy was the largest amphibious military operation in history. It was also the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany. Within 3 months of the attack, Paris would be liberated.…
Read MoreBring Them Home
Over 100,000 South Korean soldiers disappeared – or in military terminology went MIA (Missing In Action) – during the Korean War. They said good-bye to family and friends, went off to fight, and never returned. No one ever saw or heard from them again. To this day, no one knows when, how, or where they died.…
Read MoreMemorial Day Around the World
This weekend as Americans relax and usher in another summer vacation season with cookouts, beach reading, shopping sprees, blockbuster movie openings, and good times with families and friends, we also remember America’s military men and women who died for our country. It is, after all, Memorial Day Weekend. As we reflect on those who were killed and…
Read MoreA Beautiful Day, a Bus Full of Friends, and a Tragedy
It was Friday. The sky was blue, the sun was bright, and the air was clean. And I was headed for Geoje Island . . . with a busload of men and women who 67 years ago were North Korean refugees. I had been asked to give a speech at the Hungnam Evacuation Memorial Committee’s annual…
Read MoreCover of Time Magazine
The cover of Time Magazine may say it all. Showing a close-up of Moon Jae-in, the new president of South Korea, in a serious, weathered stare, with “The Negotiator” in bold letters below him, the editors at Time seem to be implying that a thaw in North and South Korean relations could be around the corner. Having lived in…
Read More