Annyeonghaseyo! Hello from Korea! Day number five here and another day full of excitement and adventure. Though today was not as physically demanding as the last few days, our minds have been working hard and expanding with new information. We started the day by visiting the Memorial Hall for the Incheon Landing Operation. After another traditional Korean lunch, we set off for the War Memorial and Museum of Korea.
Outside the Memorial Hall there were many different monuments representing the Marines that invaded Incheon. This dangerous amphibious landing was one of the most daring battle plans carried out by the U.S. Marines. On September 15th, 1950, 13,000 Marines landed on three different beaches with the ultimate objective of retaking Seoul. The Memorial Hall was a great representation of the events that happened over 60 years ago. There were many visual exhibits that enhanced our understanding of the invasion. One exhibit in particular was one that showed all three beaches; the green, red, and blue. The exhibit had lights that corresponded with each key action of the operation. A significant amount of our time here was spent listening to stories and explanations from our veterans while looking at this display.
Later this afternoon we returned to Seoul and went to The War Memorial and Museum of Korea. The first thing that we saw as we approached the building was a long corridor with the names of the individuals who had lost their lives during the Korean War. Though there were 37,000 names of U.N. soldiers, 33,000 of those names were American soldiers. This experience became emotional as our veterans found names of men that they knew and served with. The museum was impressive, informative, and did a great job of honoring those that served in the Korean War.
We have gotten to personally know one of those amazing men that "answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met" (Source: the Monument of the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.). This man, our hero, is Marine Private 1st Class Jose "Gil" Mendoza. Mr. Mendoza was a mortar man in the landing at Incheon and the capture of Seoul. He also endured the Chosin Reservoir with it's negative 40 degree temperatures. It is hard to even fathom what he went through. It was very exciting today to see artifacts from his time in Korea including actual mortars that he would have fired in battle. Gil made the exhibits come to life when he explained them using his personal experiences. We feel privileged to be given the opportunity to spend this trip with Mr. Mendoza, and we are certain that the memories made will last a lifetime.
After today we have gained a lot more realization of the respect and gratitude that the Korean people have for our U.S. veterans. The museums have opened our eyes to the fact that these brave men were actually here living through the events that we have read about. Their actions in the military have allowed South Korea to become the prosperous nation that it is today. Similarly, our daily interactions with the veterans on this trip will have a lasting impact on our lives.
We hope you have a good morning as we are on our way to use our chop sticks skills at dinner.
Jal Gayo! Goodbye!
Tag Grisham and Aimee Van Haitsma
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