From Minsoo’s December 1995 letter, written from IL Dong army hospital.
He was inducted June 1st. Basic training at Nonsan training center, middle of South Korea — two worst months of his life. Each day began with a 2km run, then a half hour of pull-ups and push-ups, then crawling through dirt with rifles, practicing bayonet stabs, learning to kick at the knee to permanently maim.
He was the oldest recruit in the company. Average age 22–23. He was older than all the drill instructors, sergeants, and other NCOs, except for the company commander — “a thoroughly diabolical character who boasted to us of beating his kids when they got out of line.” Minsoo got slightly less crap than the others because of his age.
He came out almost 30 pounds lighter.
His skill code came back 000E — English translator. He headed north expecting a desk job in Seoul. Instead: the 5th Army Command in Pocheon, halfway to the front. They had no need of an English translator. When such misplacements occurred, the soldier usually got sent down to one of the divisions on the border. “Basically serve out the term of service in hell.” Luckily, a Captain saw his education record and kept him at the logistics center.
The recruit who slept on his right was a former pimp and bouncer, in and out of jail. The one on his left was a heavy metal musician who worked as a doctor’s assistant. “Three completely different personalities yet we got along like the closest brothers.”
He remembered those drives we used to take through L.A. Just listening to music, going all over the place. The freedom. The anticipation of the unexpected.