Hong Beop Sa Temple Sponsors Korean War Veteran Revisit 1-10 June 2014
by Monika and Tim Stoy, OP International
The Hong Beop Sa Buddhist Temple in Busan, Korea for the second year in a row hosted Korean War veterans and family members for a revisit program in conjunction with the observance of South Korea’s Memorial Day on 6 June. Venerable Shim San Su Nim, the temple’s abbot, and the entire temple congregation warmly welcomed the group and spared no efforts to make everyone comfortable during their stay.
The group, organized by Monika and Tim Stoy of Outpost International, both of whose fathers served in the Korean War, included Korean War veterans Major, retired, Arden Rowley (2nd Engineer Battalion, 2nd ID); Mr. Robert Baker (15th Infantry Regiment); Mr. Sam Ieronimo (811th Engineer Aviation Battalion); SFC, retired, John Mozolak (688th AAA Gun Battalion); and CSM, retired, Robert Gilbert (187th ARCT). Family members included Mr. Jeffrey Geraci, son of COL John P. Geraci (7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd ID) represented his deceased father. CSM, retired, Jimmie Spencer, former CSM of the 2nd ID, represented his uncle, a Korean War veteran. Mrs. Barbara Freedman, widow, represented her husband, COL, USAF, retired, Roswell Freedman. The group was accompanied throughout their stay by Venerable Shim San Su Nim. Mr. Kim, Sangji and Mr. Jung, Unsik were primary coordinators and also stayed with us.
We had a very full schedule of events, hitting the ground running the evening of 2 June and being met at the airport by a large group of congregation members, many members being in beautiful traditional Korean dress. Each group member received a beautiful bouquet of flowers. We were housed in one of the top hotels in Busan, the Commodore.
The 3rd of June was a very full day. It began with a wreath laying ceremony at the UN Military Cemetery. It was a very nice visit, with an impressive delegation from ROTC Department of Tongmyong University providing marvelous ceremony. This was followed by a visit to the Busan ROK Naval Base. We were greeted by the Commander of ROK Fleet, Vice Admiral Jung, Ho Sub, and then were able to cruise on the Presidential yacht in Busan harbor. This was followed by a delicious lunch at the Park Hyatt Hotel coordinated by the Base Commander, Captain Kang, Beyng-Chun.
That afternoon we visited Tongmyong University, a dynamic school which prepares its graduates for immediate employment in the business world. The highlight was visiting the school’s museum and learning about the school’s founder. Late afternoon we were treated to an extraordinary buffet dinner by President Sul, Dong-Kun, the school’s president, and were joined by staff and faculty members.
A full day was crowned with an evening at the Hong Beop Sa Temple where all the members of the group were introduced to the congregation. It was a very warm reception as the congregation was very happy and honored to have Korean War veterans at their temple. There was a ten foot high picture of each member of the group hanging from the ceiling, a picture from their time in Korea during the war!
4 June we visited Tong Do Sa Temple, one of the three most important Buddhist Temples in Korea. It houses relics of the Buddha and serves as the major training center for Korea’s largest Buddhist order, the Jogye Order. The abbot of Tong Do Sa, Venerable Won San Do Myoung, personally invited and hosted the group in his private chambers that morning, and we ate a wholesome and healthy meal of temple food for lunch. That afternoon we made a surprise stop at a clothing market, ostensibly to look at Korean traditional clothing. To our great surprise every member of the group was given a traditional costume, the gift of Kim, Sang Ji’s parents – Mr. Kim, Kyung Man and Mrs. Kang, Ok Ja!
Completely by accident all of the men chose blue for their traditional costumes! Dressed in our traditional outfits we went to the Busan Tower on Yong Du San and marveled at the tremendous view of Busan and environs. All of our veterans were greatly impressed by how much Busan has grown and developed since they last saw it during the Korean War 60 years ago!
5 June was another eventful day as the group travelled to Ulsan, home of Hyundai Motor Company and its car factory and Hyundai Heavy Industries, with the world’s largest ship building facilities. Everyone was greatly impressed with the efficiency and scale of both factories during our well-led tours of both. We also visited the Cetacean (Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises) research facility outside of Ulsan, at the former location of Korea’s whaling industry. We were fortunate to meet and be briefed by Professor Kim, Hyun Woo, the Korean version of Jacques Cousteau. He spoke to us about Korea’s efforts to protect the gray whale which lives in the Eastern Sea and is threatened by not only Japanese whaling but also heavy shipping traffic and pollution. That evening Bob Baker showed the documentary he sponsored on the Battle of Outpost Harry to the temple congregation, Hold at All Costs. We saw some members of the congregation in tears in appreciation for the veterans’ sacrifices during the Korean War.
On 6 June the temple conducted Memorial Day ceremonies. Several thousand people were gathered on the temple grounds as Buddhist rituals were conducted to honor the war dead. The event was supported by the ROK Navy Base in Busan with the ROK Fleet Band and Drill Team performing. Our veterans were honored as part of the commemoration. Over 500 children were busy drawing and painting pictures, doing calligraphy, or writing poems and essays on the meaning of Memorial Day. The temple sponsors awards for the best projects in various categories. It was a marvelous experience to see these young people earnestly concentrating on their projects.
We departed Busan on the bullet train the morning of 7 June and went to Seoul, where we were picked up by bus and drove to the 26th Mechanized Brigade, ROK Army, in Gapyong. COL Kieob Shin, the Brigade Commander, hosted us for lunch at his mess, then his brigade held a review in honor of our veterans. We toured the unit’s fine museum, visited the 8th Tank Battalion’s motor park and received briefings on the unit’s equipment. Soldiers from the battalion then were able to view Bob Baker’s documentary on Outpost Harry, Hold at All Costs! After a very full day we checked into the Koreana Hotel in Seoul for a well-earned evening of rest.
On 8 June we travelled to Uijongbu to visit US 2nd Infantry Division headquarters at Camp Red Cloud. We received a great tour of the Division museum, followed by meeting and dining with the Division Commander Major General Thomas S. Vandal and members of his staff in the Commanding General’s Mess. General Vandal, a 3rd Infantry Division veteran of Iraq, briefed us on the division’s organization and mission. It was a very nice visit, much appreciated by our veterans. It was especially emotional for Arden Rowley, who spent 33 months as a POW, returning 61 years later to the unit he was in when taken prisoner.
On the way back to Seoul we stopped at a Carmelite Monastery, where Bob Baker, whose patron saint is Saint Therese (founder of the Carmelite Order), wished to express his gratitude to the sisters there for their prayers. Once in Seoul we visited the National War Memorial and received a guided, English language tour through the Korean War exhibits. The memorial is truly impressive and always worth a visit. We capped off the day with a ride up Nam San and a visit to the observation deck of the Seoul Tower, the highest point in Seoul, particularly impressive at night with an unparalleled view of the city!
The final full day of our visit, 9 June, began with a visit to the HyunChoongsa, Korean National Cemetery. This is every bit as impressive as Arlington National Cemetery and serves the same purpose, to honor those who served. We participated in a wreath laying and incense burning at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and received a guided tour of the interior of the memorial which honors over 100,000 ROK service members whose remains have not been recovered or identified. We also visited the graves of Presidents Park, Chung Hee and Rhee, Syngman, paying respects at each. We then traveled to Suwon to visit Bong Nyeong Sa Temple – a temple and training facility for Buddhist nuns. Abbess Ja Yeon greeted us and ensured the highlight was being included in the preparation of lunch, consisting of delicious temple food! It is a very beautiful temple, and the nuns were very kind to us during our stay. We ended the day, and the revisit, with dinner at a traditional Korean restaurant with Buddhist food and traditional dancing in the Insadon District of Seoul. We were hosted by the Jogyesa Order of Korean Buddhism and the number two man in the order, the Venerable Ji Won Su Nim. It was a delicious meal, and the dances and music were riveting. Ji Won Su Nim presented each of us with a Buddhist prayer bracelet.
We all departed during the day of 10 June, with our minds and hearts full of wonderful memories of today’s modern Korea. Each veteran felt proud that his wartime service in some way enabled the economic miracle which Korea is, and helping the people to remain free. Each of us remains grateful to Shim San Su Nim and the Hong Beop Sa Temple for hosting this event and honoring our veterans. Mr. Kim, Sang Ji made a touching video capturing many of the wonderful experiences our group enjoyed during their visit. You can view it on You Tube at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC_ni7q3Etk&feature=youtu.be