Kateeekapsheda

Friday, September 13th we attended the most exciting history lesson I have ever witnessed. A friend from church invited us to the reenactment of the Nakdong River Battle. It was held at the original battle site about 20 miles from Daegu, near Camp Carroll.

The first couple of hours we watched drill and ceremony, tai kwando demonstrations and various other ceremonial performances. There were also the typical addresses by political and military leaders. It was enjoyable and well done. But the true masterpiece was the reenactment itself.  A short video presentation set the stage by filling in some historical information and telling the story of Korean families impacted by the invasion and war. Then the bank of the river exploded with activity. The pyrotechnics literally rocked the whole area. ROK (Republic of Korea) and American soldiers portrayed the battling armies of the UN forces and invading North Koreans. I found myself engrossed in the scenes before me. It was an emotional experience. I was impressed that the hand of God was in the actual battle which was so critical to the outcome of the war. The Nakdong River was the last stronghold of the Pusan** Perimeter. Had the North Koreans been successful in their attempt to cross the river and take control, the path would have been cleared for their move toward the coast and the capture of the Port of Pusan. The UN forces, under the leadership of the United States Army, held the line with great effort and seemingly at first against terrible odds. Their victory turned the tide of the war as it turned back the advancing North Koreans.

General Walker, commander of the defending U.N. Forces, uttered the words, "Today, we will stand or die."  The South Korean commander, also a General officer, shouted, "If I take a step back, shoot me!"

I was again impressed with the link between South Korea and The United States. Time and time again these sentiments were expressed by those who spoke. Most poignant was a talk given by a 17 year old high school senior. She wondered aloud why anyone would lay their life down for a small country they had never heard of before. She expressed gratitude for her freedom and thanked the soldiers of the United Nations armies for their sacrifice. It has been a life changing experience for me to hear history from this point of view. I am grateful for this opportunity. 

An American general ended his talk with "Kateeekapsheda". The Korean woman next to me explained that it means "let's go together." I was touched by that comment - made to an audience of Korean war veterans, students, citizens, soldiers, and two senior American missionaries.

NOTE: Pusan is now known as Busan. The spelling of several Korean cities has changed to make the pronunciation more accurate. For example, Daegu used to be Taegu.