Darn, now it's freaking COLD

DATE: Feb 2003
LOCATION: Song Tan, Korea
I said last month when we hit 100 days left, I was going to have a party, but nailing down when exactly when that is (or was) is proving elusive. My replacement is already here, but I'm required to stay a full year. Since my replacement out ranks me, once I train him and he takes his battery of certification tests (about mid-March), he will take over as flight commander, and I turn into a pumpkin or something. Needless to say, I won’t like being #2, the “has-been”, and will be ready to leave. It looks like we’ll be routed through Seattle no matter when we leave, and hope to have enough time to spend a couple of days with family before heading to Europe.

Enough of that…It’s Korea you all want to hear about, right? Well, Korea is cold. I know it seems I just complained about the heat, but the cold is just as pervasive. It was below freezing for 20 days, and snowed several times in January. After a week of slightly more moderate temps, it’s cold again. My car doesn’t like snow. I ended up taking Taxis a few times, which, with the reckless abandon the driver showed on the icy street, was probably more dangerous than driving myself, but at least my car was safe. The cold is slightly more bearable due to the fact Koreans heat their floors, and I don’t know why the idea hasn’t caught on everywhere. Nobody wears shoes in the house, and it keeps your feet warm. When your feet are warm…they rest of you usually follows. Not to mention heat rises. Stepping out of bed in the morning isn’t a shock, and if you put a pillow on the floor and curl up with you book, it's down right cozy.

Story time. One night as I was leaving for work on the night shift, I stood scraping the snow and ice off of my car in 5 degree weather. A Korean guy came out of the bar across the street, admiring my car. He then gave me the thumbs up sign, and wanted to talk. “Army?” He said. “No, Air Force” I said. “ahhh, yea” he said. “Me Army”. He wanted to know my rank, which wasn’t obvious from my parka. I showed him my hat, and he snapped to attention and saluted in a drunk, I’m out of the military, and you’re a woman sort of way. He then grabbed my ice scrapper out of my hand and went to town on the windshield. Two more guys came out and joined the fun. They also wanted to know my rank, and practice some English. A round of more saluting followed. They motioned for me to get in the car and wait for them to finish, which I did, and tried not to laugh too loud. They got all the windows, and started on the headlamps. I had to jump out—I have pop up headlamps, and ice scrappers on paint = No bueno. With nothing left to scrape, and all their English exhausted, they all bowed, two of them kissed my hand, and they wandered off, leaving me to laugh. Half way to work I caught a glimpse of my headlight. I wasn’t fast enough; there are scratches all over. I was pretty mad for a couple of seconds, but then I started laughing again. The scratches aren’t deep, they’ll probably buff out. I’m going to wait awhile before I fix it, because every time I see them, I giggle.

I haven’t done much in the way of traveling lately, so I’ll have to relate a trip I took in October up to see the Demilitarized Zone (after all, it is the reason we’re here). We had to wear blues since whole bus loads of military all headed up at the same time in battle dress might lead the N Koreans to think we were invading or something.

As soon as you get north of Seoul, the highway is lined with barbed wire. There are guard shacks every mile or so, manned with 2 or 3 South Korean soldiers. When the highway runs along the water, you can see nets in the water, and more concertina wire on the beach. A couple years ago, a NK mini spy sub washed up on shore, and was spotted by a taxi driver. The crew ran ashore, and after killing some innocent folks, they finally killed themselves, or were killed by the ROK police. The North Koreans are big on sneaking into South Korea. Through all the wine and guards, people go about daily life. All of the farmers in this area must have an armed military guard with them in their fields.

First stop is an observation deck where you can look North with binoculars. All you can see is a propaganda village…an entire “modern” village built like a Hollywood set. Nobody lives there, and the buildings aren’t even real…just the facades. We’re not supposed to know this (although it’s painfully obvious) and be impressed with how well North Koreans are living. They also have a giant flag…and I mean giant. Good for them. Nobody is allowed to actually live within site of the South, they’d see what they were missing, and try to leave. The other thing you can see is jamming towers. They jam all radio and TV signals coming into the North, so the people only see and hear what the government wants them to. We also watched a bunch of NK soldiers on a road march. It was creepy…there was the enemy…a bunch of skinny 18 year olds who really looked like they didn’t want to be there. One of my troops grabbed my hat from my head. He said he didn’t want them to see the glint of my rank and decide to take a shot. What a nice (read smart-ass) guy.

When you arrive at the UN base where Panmunjon (the only place the 2 sides get together to talk) is located, you stop for a briefing by a US Army private who makes you sign a bodily harm waiver. Super. Then they tell you not to yell, point, laugh, or motion in any way at the North Korean guards. They follow with the horror stories of all the people who have died in DMZ skirmishes, and warn of the North Korea penchant to kidnapping…so stay with the group! Then you go on a bus to the blue meeting huts—I’m sure you’ve seen them on TV. The road there is lined with signs warning of landmines. Once there, you walk in 2 straight lines into the huts, where they shut the door. Inside are 2 South Korean Ti Kwon Do experts in green uniforms with shiny helmets and sunglasses. Sometimes the NKs come in to try to scare people (or take them), and these guys will protect us. At this point, you walk to the far side of the room, where you are technically in North Korea, get your picture taken, and then to back out. There are more Ti Kwon Do experts outside the door. Some North Koreans were peeking at us through some curtains. Unfortunately this was the extent of the excitement. Next is another lookout where they blare anti-US propaganda through giant speakers. They weren’t turned on, so we just took a picture of the giant “Yankee go Home” written on the side of a hill in rocks, and headed to the point where NKs killed a couple of` US soldiers with an ax because they were trying to chop down a tree in the neutral zone. At this point the busses are escorted by Army vehicles with some firepower. Then you stop at a tacky souvenir place where you can buy DMZ coffee mugs and t-shirts. I’m still not sure what I think of the whole thing.

If anybody’s interest has been peaked, a good book to read is “The Two Koreas” by Oberdorfer. It is a relatively easy read, as the author is a reporter not an academic. I didn’t even know half of the story, it was pretty interesting.

Well, that’s it for now. Next month will be the China trip with mom and dad, so the emails will get more interesting again. Please let us hear from you!!!