Posts Tagged ‘DMZ’
A Week of Terror in 1968
“We thought the president there was a stooge, an American collaborator. I hated him.” – Kim Shin-jo, member of a North Korean commando team sent to assassinate the South Korean president in January 1968 On the afternoon of January 17, 1968, a 31-man, hand-picked team of North Korean commandos who had been…
Read MoreWe Would Have Followed Him Anywhere
“Of all the Marine Corps officers I remember, Lt. Carl Lindquist inspired me the most. I will remember him the rest of my life.” – Joe “Doc” Candilora, US Navy Corpsman, Korea, 1953. On the night of July 24, 1953, just three days before the Korean War armistice was signed, 2nd Lieutenant Carl E. Lindquist,…
Read MoreWe Will Always Remember You
How many times have you heard it? Someone receives a gift, compliment, or helping hand and simply says, ”Appreciate it!” The other person replies, “No problem.” They move on. Call me antiquated, even a “dinosaur” if you like, but I prefer the old-fashioned, “Thank you!” followed by a modest, “You’re welcome!” Why not? It’s polite…
Read MoreIs The Korean War Finally Ending?
For those who served on the Korean peninsula from 1950-1953 and survived, men now in their eighties and nineties, the fighting ended when they came home. For those who died in the streets, fields, landing zones, and mountains of Korea, the fighting ended when their young lives were snuffed out by a North Korean or Chinese…
Read MorePlanes, Presidents, and Presentations – A Look Back at 2017
Nearly eight months ago, on May 11, 2017, I posted my first blog. I had written an article the day before for the Korea Times, Moon Jae-in: From Geoje to Cheong Wa Dae, with my reflections on the newly elected president of South Korea, and the blog reiterated some of the points I’d mentioned in…
Read MoreA Trip to the JSA
It’s one of the saddest and most intimidating and dangerous places on earth. The Joint Security Area (JSA), or “Truce Village” as it’s frequently referred to, is a complex of small buildings that literally sits on the border of North and South Korea. Five of the buildings, collectively called “Conference Row,” actually straddle the line…
Read MoreTrump’s First Visit to Korea
It’s always fun to write a piece for The Korea Times, and when I was asked to contribute my views on Trump’s upcoming visit I jumped on the opportunity. As I point out in my article below, the ROK-US alliance is strong – and getting stronger. South Korea and the United States have agreed to increase…
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