Haiti, The Poor and Giving Pt.2
.....No, I will never forget that little Somalian boy. So poor and yet so sure of himself. More than likely wise beyond his years given everything that he had experienced and so small and so young but trying to find himself some food or money to get himself through the day......
That was something I will never forget. Yet the moment that sticks with me so vividly is when I was stationed in Korea. Korea is not as poverty ridden as a Haiti or Somalia, but poverty..is most certainly there and visible. Still very much third world in many aspects. Especially when you get out into the rural areas.
I was a part of the 6/37th Field Artillery Unit at Camp Essayons. MLRS. Multiple Launch Rocket System. We were in the field a lot and constantly on the move. One mission brought us through the most rural and mountainous region of Korea that I had ever seen. It was when we traveled these narrow and winding roads through the mountains and valleys that I realized why they call Korea "The Land Of The Morning Calm". The mornings were quiet and peaceful and fog hovered over the plush green valleys like a light blanket. It was beautiful. Our unit arrived in the most beautiful valley I had seen. The valley floor was vivid green with rice patties with small shanties sprinkled around the dirt road that circled the valley floor. The mountainsides all around the valley were terraced with more rice patties and looked like a green stair case going up the mountains as far as you could see.
Our convoy made it's way to the far side of the valley floor, breaking the early morning calm with the noise of rumbling and noisy diesel engines. The 1st Sergeant asked for a volunteer to stay and watch for the rest of the units to arrive and point them in the right direction as we were far ahead of the rest. So I volunteered. Time by myself was more than welcome and the peace away from the bumpy convoy ride was also a relief. I leaned up against a wooden guard rail as dawn was still breaking and the sun was burning off the fog from the valley. Not long after, out of one of the shanties about a hundred yards away walked an old woman and two little kids. The old woman pointed at the kids and yelled to me "GI It's Okay?...It's Okay?" I said "Yes Ma, It's okay!" The kids came running down the dirt road. It was amazing to me in that either the kids wanted to talk to an American soldier or their grandmother wanted them to or both. Never the less, there they were. A little girl probably eight years old and her baby brother no more than four.
Neither one of these kids new much English other than chocolate, okay, or number one. I knew very little Korean at that time and not words that should be said in front of kids. The little boy (I can't remember the little guy's name) first pointed at my M16 and kept saying "bang!" "bang!", I flipped my strap over and put the M16 on my back to keep that off their minds. The little girl who's name was Hea Jin, was an adorable little sprite and she had no problem poking around and wanting to hold and drink from my canteen or help tie my boot laces better. Both of these little guys had dirty faces and being so early in the AM, probably went to bed this way.
After they had emptied me of chocolate, crackers, and kool aid mix. We played little games. Guess what hand the rock is in, I found a coin in your ear tricks, patty cake, on and on. I would sing an American song and they would sing a Korean song. A couple of hours had gone by and I got out my wallet and showed them my library card, my driver's license and pictures of my family. I showed them a picture of my little sister and they were cracking up and pointing at her hair (big 80s hair). I showed them a picture of my baby brother and they said "Aww eggya" (eggya means "baby"). Every now and then their grandmother would yell out down the road "It's Okay GI?!!" "Yes Ma It's Okay!". It was time well spent with these kids.
Soon once again the rumble of trucks and the noisy diesel engines could be heard making their way down the valley and I knew it was my unit and time to go, and so did these two little kids. Hea Jin grabbed onto me tightly in a hug and didn't want me to go and the little boy was holding my hand. The convoy arrived and my buddies were yelling "Come on man! Let's GO!" I hugged the kids and hopped on the truck, they ran behind the truck "GI! GI! GI!"....I was fighting back tears and of course my buddies were making fun of me, but I will never ever ever forget those hours with those little kids and their valley. Separated by language but so much to talk about....
So, what does this all have to do with Haiti and their horrible tragedy? What does this all have to do with the pain and suffering taking place there? It's very simple. From the greatest wars, the greatest tragedies and catastrophes, the hungry,needy, and poor? America is always there, will ALWAYS be there. From the largest operations to the smallest moments of reaching out. America is always going to be there and proudly. America will be there for Haiti and like it has for generations for the world. America will make a difference and set an example once again. The presence of the American uniform always brings promise and security and another chance.
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