Posts Tagged ‘ROK Marine Corps’
From Bougainville to Hungnam: A Marine’s Life of Service
He’s one of the main reasons I’m in Korea. But after spending more than three years researching the Marine colonel who dedicated his life to country and Corps, I’m still no closer to knowing what made him click. I’ve pieced together some of the “who, what, where, and when” of his life, but it’s the…
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 MoreAlways Faithful: Three Marines, Two Countries, One Mission
In early 1956, with Elvis songs flooding the airwaves, “I Love Lucy” beaming into living rooms, and Eisenhower preparing to run for a second term, three young men reported to Quantico, Virginia. They were beginning The Basic School, or TBS, a six-month training program designed to turn newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenants into knowledgeable and confident…
Read MoreThe Marine I Never Knew
He’s one of the main reasons I’m in Korea, but he died when I was two, and our family rarely talked about him. He’s always been, in the words of Winston Churchill, “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” After spending over three years researching the man who’s made such an impact on…
Read MoreTeamwork, Freedom, and Choco Pies
Remember the footage a few months ago of a North Korean soldier dashing across the border into South Korea, his fellow countrymen frantically chasing, yelling, and firing their guns at him? The video was seen by millions around the world. In the hours immediately following the dramatic escape, the 24-year-old, riddled with bullets and bleeding…
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 MoreVeterans Day 2017 – A Message from Seoul
Today, in tribute to all veterans and in honor of my grandfather, Colonel Edward H. Forney, USMC, I’m posting a speech he made at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball in Seoul, South Korea on November 10, 1958. Col. Forney was the senior US Marine Corps advisor to the ROK Marine Corps from 1957-’59 and as…
Read MoreLong Live the Lane Victory!
She’s a survivor. SS Lane Victory, one of 534 “Victory” class cargo ships built during World War II, has a proud and storied history. From trans-Pacific operations during the final months of World War II, to rescuing over 7,000 North Korean refugees in December 1950, to delivering supplies throughout the Vietnam War, Lane Victory and…
Read MoreWho 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…
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