on a different note.....

I had the opportunity to go on a private tour of the DMZ yesterday (demilitarized zone). This is the area that divides South Korea from North. History for me is not very..... interesting.... at least when it's coming from a lecture or a big, heavy book.... but to see it and to touch it?
Well now, that's a different thing altogether.

Here I am, with North Korea RIGHT behind me.

The North Korean flag.... funny thing about this... South Korea had a bigger flag originally, NK put one up that was bigger and taller.... I guess "they showed us!"

"The Bridge of No Return" After the war had ended, the POW's were given a choice of which country they wanted to go to... Once they made the choice, the could not return to the other country.

In the 1970's the watch towers for both countries were set up in a way that SK could not see from one of their own towers to another one. To correct this, they decided to trim a HUGE tree that was blocking their view. Three American soldiers, sent simply to trim the tree, lost their lives that day when they were brutally attacked by NK's, using axes (the axes the soldiers had brought to trim the tree). Due to the Rules of Engagement in place at the time, American soldiers had to stand there helplessly looking on, not "allowed" to shoot. This changed the Rules of Engagement (which WERE for example, if someone throws a rock at you, you can throw a rock at them.... if someone hits you with a stick, you can hit them with a stick.....), it also changed how the watch towers were arranged. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axe_Murder_Incident

The UNC force preparing to trim the tree.

nK forces attacking the work detail. Allegedly, the nK Lieutenant who directed the attack was executed by his own forces shortly after the event.

The Tree Massacre Memorial. (The circular base is the same diameter as the trunk of the tree that once stood there).

When UN forces and NK's meet, they meet right here in these blue buildings. The blue buildings are literally HALF in the North and HALF in the South. The large white building behind us is on the NK side.

Group photo. (For those of you who don't know me personally - I am THE SHORTEST person in the photos). :)

Thankful to be free...... And thankful to my husband, one of the many who make it possible.

xo
K.