A Time for Healing

“Tibia, femur, humerus, skull, teeth.” These were the only words the soldier spoke in English. The rest of his explanation was given in Korean while another soldier translated for us. As I stood on the steep muddy hillside just inches from the remains, I was moved by the sacredness of this place.

Our group of 27 had traveled several hours from Seoul, passed through security checkpoints near the border between South and North Korea, and transferred to six vans that would take us further into the jungle on the winding roads within the Korean military base. After being greeted and briefed by a Korean General, we were carefully guided by soldiers along a steep mountainside to the remains. Walking in a single file line, it took some time to navigate the path safely and we were often aided by helping hands to avoid sliding down the mountain.

We did our best to form a perimeter around the small excavation site of just a few square meters, but the steepness of the hill made it impossible to stand near the top of the site. Yellow caution tape surrounded the grave and a few of us were permitted to step inside to make room for those still waiting at the tail of our line.

Looking up the hill, I saw groups of young Korean soldiers digging in other areas. Once they find something of interest – a fragment of a boot, for instance – the site would be partitioned and more careful digging with brushes would begin.

The remains that we viewed looked as if they had been laid peacefully in the ground. Our guide explained that the position of the arms indicated that this could possibly be a Chinese soldier. The dig would continue long after we left, and once enough information had been gathered, the remains could be repatriated.

I stood on the side of the mountain wondering how many more must be buried under this soil. Soldiers from North and South Korea, the US, and China, and several other countries all fought on this hill as it was a strategic point.

Over the following days of our tour, I would learn much more about the cost of this war, including the staggering numbers of those who were killed: over 800,000 soldiers and millions of civilians. I was reminded over and over again that twenty-two countries fought alongside South Korea in this war; their contributions are highlighted at museums throughout this eternally grateful country.

And I witnessed firsthand the “Korean Phenomenon,” a country that went from being one of the poorest in the world to the top-ten economic power it is today, in a span of a few decades. It is the only country to transform itself from a recipient of aid to a donor country.

Viewing the excavation of one of the millions killed during the war was a privilege. We were in a restricted area not normally accessible to civilians. It would not have been possible without the meticulous planning and well-established connections of the individuals and organizations behind the Discover Korea Research Trip, including the World History Digital Education Foundation supported by the Korea Foundation.

And though many people worked hard to make this fellowship possible, the driving force of it is the vision and leadership of Dr. Jongwoo Han of Syracuse University.

Everything we would do over the next nine days would relate to that moment by the remains. What Korea is today is a result of so many sacrifices.

Nine days and many thousands of kilometers later, during the reflection session on our last day in Seoul, tears were shed for that soldier, for family members who never came home from the war, for a veteran of a more recent war who found some healing and inspiration in the stories we heard here in Korea.

We also shed tears for new friendships and bonds made during our transformative journey.

In future posts, I’ll share more of my reflections on this life-changing experience. Our eleven days were so packed from morning to night that I could not possibly share everything. What is seared into my brain though is that moment standing on a jungle mountainside in silence, viewing a young soldier who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Finally, here are a few photos from our visit to the DMZ on the same day. Seventy years later, tensions are still high near the border.