Twice in the past two years, I met two Apache helicopter crews at the Gyeonggi Provincial Office during Ulchi Focus Lens exercises. On the ground, the crew members explained the anti-armor aircraft to visitors. The crew even lifted a great number of children into the cockpits ― tirelessly, again and again, for four days. I found this to be touching.

In thick combat uniforms and boots, they sweated like pigs, but their work served as a good opportunity to make the U.S. armed forces more familiar to the Korean people, in particular to the young generation.

These helicopter crews meant a lot to me, because they reminded me of the many years I spent with U.S. service members. As a local government official, I educated them about Korean culture and customs, arranged their volunteer services for the Korean community, and performed other duties.

One thing I still vividly remember is the time when U.S. service personnel and I repaired a rural road one hot summer day nine years ago at the request of local farmers. After the hard work, we bonded as friends and ate MREs (Meals Ready to Eat ― U.S. military rations) while enjoying the beautiful sunset.

U.S. military members in Korea do a lot of things for their Korean neighbors. Their services include teaching English to children and helping restore communities after natural disasters, such as from floods or forest fires.

Most Koreans and Americans that I’ve met have appreciated my efforts, but some have accused me of over-worshipping America. Well, I do like exotic cultures and long for meeting all kinds of people from around the world. So during my career as a public officer, I have worked for international affairs, and have been doing volunteer services for foreign residents in Korea. I love American people because they are also international people that have now become an integral part of our society. They are not simply U.S. citizens.

Currently, the U.S. forces are a great help in deterring North Korea’s threat of war. I hope that, at this critical time, Korean people send trust and support toward the U.S. soldiers and try to harbor a good image of the U.S. soldiers, as I do.

I also propose that the U.S. soldiers should respect Korean people and culture, remembering that their individual actions exert important influences on relations between our two nations, a relationship indispensable for the security of the Korean Peninsula. So it is no surprise that I look forward to meeting the Apache crew members again this August.

By Lee Se-jong (Daniel)

Lee Se-jong (Daniel) is director of the Public Service Center, Gyeonggi Provincial Government, and is a recipient of the Good Neighbor Award offered by the U.S. Forces Command in Korea. ― Ed.