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A Tradition Continues
By Jennifer G. Williams

Ed Marshall joined the National Guard in 1946 when he was 17 and "it was the thing to do." A few years later, he was headed to Korea, one of the nearly seven million American troops sent to the divided peninsula to stop the Communists from taking the entire country.

The war officially ended with the armistice signed by both sides in July 1953. But American troops have maintained their presence in South Korea ever since, helping keep watch on the North Koreans, still fortified just north of the 38th Parallel.

Fifty years later, SFC George Marcec feels a kinship with Marshall and the other American forces who preceded him. The Broadcast Detachment Commander for American Forces Korea Network in Uijongbu says he felt the connection instantly. "Being in the same buildings, meeting the same people or even looking at the same scenic views as someone else gives me a feeling of closeness [with them]," he said.

Marcec admits he's amazed at the hardships faced by long-ago servicemembers. "Looking around at Korea's mountains, valleys and other natural features, it's hard to believe that American soldiers fought a war here," he said. "It's a tough environment even in peace time."

After coming to Korea in March 2000 from Belvidere, Ill., Marcec said he feels especially close to his father-in-law, who served in the Korean War with the Navy. "[He] participated in many of the shellings and some of the evacuation operations," said Marcec, who's served in the military for 14 years and nine months. "Knowing he was helping some of the troops stuck fighting in this tough terrain really makes me have even higher respect for him."

Although a half-century separates the tour dates of Marcec and Marshall, both men share their reason for being in Korea: keeping the peace.

Marshall, who served six years with the 40th Division of the California National Guard before his tour ended in May 1952, knows Korea's rugged terrain and cold weather can make life difficult for troops stationed there to this day. But he said it's important for the soldiers of today to finish what the soldiers of yesterday started back in 1950.

"I am all for our troops being stationed in Korea today," he said from his Oak Harbor, Wash., home. "If they weren't, I am sure South Korea would have been attacked again."

Both Marshall and Marcec agree that today's troops have a better idea of what to expect when they go to Korea, especially with modern communication devices, such as the Internet and television.

"Korea was pretty much what I expected before I got here," said Marcec. "I knew several people already stationed here, and they filled me in on what the tour was going to be like."

The only thing Marshall expected before he left the U.S. was that he would be well-trained for his mission. After basic training at Camp Cook, Calif., Marshall spent nine months in a training camp in Japan before being deployed to the battlefields.

"The men were apprehensive on the voyage to Japan, especially the draftees, because they weren't sure if we'd be ready for combat," he said. "But you didn't hear any of those worries when we left Japan. We knew we were ready."

U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen acknowledged the role today's soldiers continue to play in South Korea at the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War National Commemoration Ceremony in June, 2000. "Some 37,000 Americans - almost the same number who died in the war - are still standing for freedom in Korea," he said. "Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines serve alongside their South Korean counterparts astride what has been called the world's most dangerous border."

Cohen also reminded today's Korean forces of their debt to those who preceded them. "Half a century ago, America entered the Korean War with a military made up of many parts, a mix of war-scarred sergeants toughened by the hard lessons of Guadalcanal, Okinawa and Normandy; a new generation of soldiers who had only seen war on the silver screen," he said. "It was a segregated force of white, black and Hispanic, and a newly created Air Force. After three long, bloody years, we ended this battle with a military that made up one of the most coherent fighting forces the world has ever known - integrated and experienced, ready to face the coming Cold War."

At the same ceremony, President Bill Clinton also praised the work of today's U.S. forces in Korea to keep the peace, and for giving hope for the future of the long-split peninsula. This summer's historic summit between South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean President Kim Chong-il was the first of its kind in 50 years, and represented a hopeful step for the future.

But, President Clinton warned, "There is still a wide gulf to be crossed, there is still tension on the Peninsula. North Korea still bears the wounds of self-inflicted isolation. The people there are suffering terribly. But if we hadn't done what we did in Korea 50 years ago, and if the United States and its allies hadn't stood fast down to the present day, South Korea might well look the same way."

South Korean President Kim wants U.S. troops to remain in the country indefinitely, even if there is some kind of a unification or association between North and South, according to Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon. North Korea continues to have a large well-armed force deployed close to the demilitarized zone, he said.

"I think we just have to wait to see how events unfold," said Bacon.

Cohen said U.S. troops stationed in South Korea continue to fulfill U.S. national security needs while supporting the goals of their host nation.

Marshall is leery of any proposed peace agreements with North Korea, and has words of experience for troops PCSing to Korea today: "Get in good shape and always be on alert."