Nam Young Park

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N: My name is Nam Park. My whole Korean

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name is Nam Yong Park. I was born in

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North Korea. Actually

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North Korea. I: You were born in North Korea?

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N: North Korea. And I was born in March 15

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1931. When think I was a 6 years old,

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because my father’s transfer from bank

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to South Cholla Namdo, we moved to Mokpo,

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southwestern corner. I attended Mokpo

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high school, grammar school. Then in

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nineteen fifty, April 30, I still remember,

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after I was admit… accepted to attended Korea

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University, I left my hometown April 31.

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And within some 30 days, unfortunately,

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started the Korean War, June the twenty sixth.

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So my education was suspended due to the

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war and I have to spend the next three

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months in Seoul under the occupation of

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North Korea. The reason why I did not go

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to the, my hometown or I didn’t took

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refugee to Pusan (Busan) was that during

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my high school days I was head of

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what they call, chief of the Ho Gup Tan. How

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we gonna say in English,

1:50

defense… Student Defense Force. And also I

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was actively involved fighting against

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in the communist movement in Mokpo. So I

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was afraid of the, going to the

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hometown. I: Can you tell me a little bit

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about that and what you had to do?

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N: Actually before start war, Korean War, in

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June nineteen forty nine, first part of

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nineteen fifty, communist movement was

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very strong in South Korea, particularly

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after what we call Yosu Sun Chun,

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revolt, and Jeju (Cheju) island’s revolt. So

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in other words in a communist movement

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was very very, very strong in my hometown

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particularly Kim Dae Jung, former president of

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Korea’s hometown was Mokpo was not far

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from my home. I still remember his group

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attacked one of the police station set

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the fire. When I was involved fighting

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against communist movement, the many

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occasion to be killed by the

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communists so actually I was a really

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afraid of going back to my

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hometown when communist occupied the Seoul.

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But anyway at the end of the third

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months I was captured by the some 50

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North Korean soldiers and I stayed… I was

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(im)prisoned about 27 days in Seoul. I: Where were you

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captured at? You were captured in Seoul? N: In

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Seoul. What they called the prison of the defense…

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I think was the what they call the

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defense security forces. I: How were you

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captured? N: Evidently they, every night

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they are looking for the young man or

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whoever they thinks an anti-communist.

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And evidently one of the neighbors saw,

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or realized, I was living in my

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cousin’s home. So I assume they reported.

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Then one night, at two o’clock in the

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morning, two trucks came, surrounded house.

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I was hiding in the ceiling and every

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night when ever getting dark, hide in

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ceiling, or hide underground

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daytime because weather (was) hot. When communist

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start to me and poking with long

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bayonet I realized there is no way

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to survive. Then my mother screamed. Then

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as soon as the North Korean guards

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realized somebody upstairs said I, “we

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gonna shoot you, just come down”. I had

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surrendered then that was the beginning

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of my prison life at the security

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police. I: So you were a prisoner for 27

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days? N: Yes, until the almost week before

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United Nations landed Incheon (Inchon). I: Can you tell

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me a little bit about while you were in

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prison, while you were a prisoner, your

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lifestyle and…? N: But because of the I was

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involved in as a president of the high

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school, president of the student defense

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unit, and and also what they called Han Yong,

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Korean Student Association.

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That was a very strong one of

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student… organization against communist

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student. So when I was a junior,

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senior year we caught a lot of communist

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student. So I was one of the targeted…

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Well interesting thing was the… three

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days after the Communist occupy Seoul,

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Korea University communist student

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come to my uncle’s home to find me

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but I had notified already to my uncles

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whoever comes looking for me just tell

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them I went to the hometown. So I…

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am pretty sure before I reach hometown,

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if I went South I would be

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arrested. That is a part of the beginning

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of a first part of the war story. I: Will you

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tell me a little bit about while you were

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a prisoner though, how did they treat you?

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N: This is another hard, memorable… always

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whenever I give talk to the

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church. Feeding one meal a day, wasn’t

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rice, that’s it.  The (Re)public Korea Training

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Center Number One, sent over there.

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During the training period, Korean… one of

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the Korean Military Advisory Group

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approached me, find out where did you

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learn English. Said I was college student

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I picked up my English at the 25th division

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and also 5th US Air Force. Okay, then he

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explained to me here in Jeju Island we

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have a Korean Military Advisory Group. We

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need interpreters.

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Then also they have interpreter section,

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in headquarters. So as soon as you

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finished your training period we gonna

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send you to the… instead of sending

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front line we gonna send you the interpreter

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section. Then I was attached, immediately

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assigned to one of the major as interpreter.

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I: Were you bit relieved that you weren’t gonna be on the

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front lines? N: I heard that within five days

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all my classmate was a dead in front

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line. So I was so lucky to be able to

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work and as the interpreter with the PFC (Private First Class).

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The meaning, meantime so many famous

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generals, like Ben Fritz (sp?), Lee Choi (sp), Baek

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Son Yop (sp) is coming and go. And I was

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translating that training center,

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training section. General Park, Baek Son Yop

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listen to my interpretation, said “Why you

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didn’t become, applied in interpreters

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officers unit?” So I didn’t know it. “Okay,

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you’re going to be a interpreters officer

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with your quality.” Then Korea Military Advisory

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Group recommended me and went to Daegu (Taegu)

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Those days they had Adjutants

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School, interpreters…

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interpreters school for the one month

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train for officers. From PFC to become

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first lieutenant. Haha. I: That’s quite a jump.

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N: Quite a jump from PFC to the first lieutenant.

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And so of course you know there

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now are recording my

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enlistment, three months, or one months the period.

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Korean soldier, enlisted man’s life… Food was so

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poor, not only that the amount of the

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rice and soup just unthinkable. But

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whenever Korean Military Advisory Group

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officers inspect we can get the bowl of…

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full bowl of the rice and a soup with a

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bean sprout. That memory still my,

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rings my head, how the Korean government

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treated all our soldier like, in spite

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of government issue proper amount of the

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food. Now the interesting thing was the

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while I was working as a PFC

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interpreter, English interpreter, I met

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the so many famous American generals.

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They so impressed and said “We have a

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lot of Korean English interpreter officers

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with the rank of first lieutenant,

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you are PFC.” Yes, but the lucky… General

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Baek Son Yop after looks like he just

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found me said, “You cannot stay here

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uhh are we going to make you first

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lieutenant.” Well those days, you know, just

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one word from general completely change

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from PFC to first lieutenant. I: Can you, can

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you tell me how the pay changed from

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whenever you first decided to join the

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US military to you getting promoted from

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PFC to lieutenant how did the pay change?

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N: Pay scale? Well of course when I worked in

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American unit, those days, I don’t how

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much I made, but plenty of money,

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plenty of money to spend with

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friends at night. Of course while I was

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working at unit sleeping

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quarters, good meal three days, I can

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drink coffee in any time just 24 hours.

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Was it KATUSA (Korean Augmentee to the United States Army?). N: No, no the civilian.

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Then when I joined Korean Army,

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I don’t know maybe one dollars. But take

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less than one dollar, couldn’t buy a

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toothpaste. So those days most of the

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enlisted men if have connection with

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family, have money, parents visit training

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center, I got money. Then when I become

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officer, I had a officer quarter. Food are

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completely different in compared to

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which I used to eat. Officer meal was

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about 1,000 times different. Meat with

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in a soup, you know of course had the

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kimchi then a couple of side dish at

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officers mess hall. And paycheck was

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about twenty dollars month. Then

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clean uniform. One thing had the freedom go

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out every night and come back. I: So it was

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a good raise, good promotion? N: That’s a kind

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of heaven and the hells. I2: Was it in

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Jeju (Cheju)? N: Yeah, Jeju and then come to

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Nonsan. I2: Nonsan.

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N: Then I was outside Nonsan. So those days… I2: When was that, when did

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you go to Jeju Do? N: 1951. I2: 51. N: Yes.

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I2: What was your major mission there

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in Jeju Do? N: Training center. I2: Training, so

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you trained the other Korean? N: No, sent to the

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for the training, basic

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training, infantry training. I2: Ohh, I see. N: Then

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they found me, but I have to have a

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one-month (garbled) or three months of the

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training period then

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officially become Republic of Korea’s Army.

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Then I was assigned to another

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interpreter. Then later officer so my

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life style was a completely just changed

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so happy. I2: As an interpreter what was your

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main mission, who did you actually help? What

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was the main mission? N: At the beginning

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in the Korean Army we had a 500 Korean

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Military Advisory Group, what called KMAG,

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Korean Military… All American advisors

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attached to the all Korean unit. They

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were the one responsible, supplying even

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checking how the soldiers got the food

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designated amount, so on. Interpreters

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officers, men in front-line, the

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coordinating when I did United Nations

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Army particularly when drop the bomb, firing

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the cannons, whatever. Then when

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advance, during the advancement,

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retreatment. All interpreter officers acted

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they had a great job working. But I was

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luckily assigned again to number two,

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Number Two RO (Republic of) Korean Training Center,

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Nonsan. Then in the army, those days,

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interpreters officer, medical officer and

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what they call the law…

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what they called… bok kwan? I2: Judge. N: Judge, elite

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group. They are picked up all, they all

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from the college student or college

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educated. So particularly interpreter

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officers were considered one of the

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elite group. Quite number of the English

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interpreter officers become adjunct

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general to general… for the general…

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chongsok bukwan. I: Were there other,

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many interpreters? N: Yes, at Nonsan we had

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about 18 interpreter officers. We have

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interpreter officers unit. So every day go

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out with the military advisor and

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checking, interpreting training sessions.

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Then so many American generals, even a

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French, those there with the French were

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foreign officers coming to observe

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training center so I was translating.

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Meantime I met all famous generals like

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Ben Fritz (sp?) and so on. Then, even, I was

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attached to the general, general’s aide. That

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what called aide-de-camp. Aide-de-camp

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in the French. So I become a general’s

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aide. So my life in the Army wasn’t bad

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in associating with the general, making

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arrangement, all were acting as a secret…

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secretary or so on. Then, I…

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meantime 1953-54 many of the interpreter

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officers going to the US, abroad so I did

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the same way. I applied in

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U.S. a school. 1956 I came to the

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Davison College. I had a special

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order by the, by the defense minister

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discharge, come to us I studied abroad. So

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I was educated at the North Carolina,

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majored in history. Then I did my

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graduate work, history again at the

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University Houston. I went to the… but

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Houston was a booming town, at the oil is

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nineteen sixty. I switched to the geology

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and later I become what they call

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micro-paleontologist specializing

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fossils, most actually calcareous nannofossils,

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specializing calcareous nannofossils.

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So I become… Those days I was really

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lucky. Electron microscopes come in

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nineteen sixty. The new field of studying

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nannofossils applying to find a oil, I

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was the first one. Gulf Oil hired me and

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sent me training, Columbia

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University, Miami University. In the US,

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those day, only three specialized

20:33

professors. Oil company didn’t have enough money

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so Gulf research sent me to personal

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train from one-to-one ratio professors.

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You know how to apply (to) finding oil.

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Those days very popular with the other

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subject so I become kinda curious in

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nannofossils, specializing. Even later I

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was assigned the training of south, south,

21:03

Latin American

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geologist. So I had a good time working 31

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years with Gulf Research Center. So I

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settled here Houston. I was the first

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one come to the Houston 1960 with my

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wife, those days who was the majoring in a

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French. I: Did you meet your wife in Korea?

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N: No, this is another interesting story, a blind

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date in North Carolina my senior year. I

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never met the Korean about three years.

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In south in those days is very hard to find

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Korean ladies. At the Davison College

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they had some winter dance so

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fraternity brother made (garbled), you know

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you find a Korean girl, made a blind date.

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Finally, two years later we married.

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settled in Houston. Then I realized

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enough Koreans start coming so

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about five Korean get together we

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organized Korean American Association,

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that was the beginning. I: Y’all started

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that? N: Yes, so at the beginning 1961 only

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nine or eight Koreans, beside 14 Korean

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GI married families settled here. They

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are the one, actually, really try to help

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organize… Korean Association.

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Because they are lonely, uneducated ladies

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so whoever comes to school they are the

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one asking, and encouraging let us

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organize some Korean organization and

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get together. I: Can you tell the audience

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some of the differences between the

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North and South Korean lifestyle?

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How is it different? N: Lots of women

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watching seeing news, newsletters and

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news, and now a days the email. I don’t know

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the South Korea they can watch

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the North Korean email or not but I’ve

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been receiving North Korean the

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lifestyle every day. Such poor, the so

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many hungry people, hungry children. They…

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So many our church in a Houston sending

23:48

you know missionaries and food, right

23:51

now is suspended. Whoever

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visited, whoever the observed in North

23:59

Korean lifestyle we know it. Then you

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look at South Korea, now left as an

24:08

economically just way up. Whenever

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I visit the Korea, normally I visit

24:15

once a year, South Koreans actually

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well-dressed. I think I’m (proud of that,)

24:22

better than America. They are well

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dressed up and every night go to the

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bars, karaoke, (ordinary) eat good

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food, enjoy the life. How could the people,

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you know, forgetting that the Korean War

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the communist invasion? You know

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they are just becoming a pro communist.

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Just I couldn’t understand. So younger

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people today just they don’t know what’s

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going on, seems to me. The Houston is the same.

24:57

Older people who experienced the

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Korean War are really against the

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communist movement, pro-communist groups.

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I: You said that you go back to Korea about

25:12

once every year can you tell me about

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some things you witnessed and how it

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grew to be as successful as it is today?

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N: When I visit, even 10 years ago, the

25:28

building’s, physical, just buildings,

25:32

streets, and the beautification. Then all

25:38

hospitals, etc. just modernize and super.

25:47

This is what word development, Korean

25:52

government. Then, meantime, for the last, what

25:56

50 years, look at Koreans are

26:00

well-educated at the first class

26:02

universities, colleges they are

26:06

dedicating. I: You never thought that South

26:08

Korea would or could ever flourish the

26:10

way that it did and just expand and grow

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and rise on top? N: But, we expected growth

26:18

slowly, not like that is so rough time element.

26:22

Of course we had a wonderful

26:26

leadership in Korea. Personally speaking at

26:31

the beginning I opposed when a military

26:35

took over government, President Park. But

26:39

he did a wonderful job. He was the one

26:44

approached the Korean scientists in the US,

26:50

1971, he said, “Please come to the Korea

26:54

then observe what we are doing. If you

27:00

would like to work for Korea

27:02

we’re gonna pay your same scale what you

27:05

are making.” He invited Korean

27:09

scientists, first time in nineteen

27:12

seventy one, fifty Korean scientists. I

27:16

was one, went to Korea; well treated.

27:20

Then he was begging, “please come to your

27:26

native country, show what you learned and then

27:32

dedicate for

27:34

Korea. Then Korean was KIST (Korean Institute of Science and Technology), Korean

27:36

science, the organization that’s

27:39

just popping up and everything’s

27:41

changing. Then president Park, when he

27:47

made a highway system, then economic

27:51

situation completely changed. As

27:55

everybody knows our incomes averaged

27:57

ninety dollars in in 1960s, 70. Now, well

28:03

yesterday when I was reading a Time

28:05

magazine, our pay scale is almost same as

28:08

the USA. It’s amazing, for such a small

28:14

country. I: Do you think it’s important for

28:17

younger generations to understand and

28:19

know the sacrifices and contributions

28:21

made during the Korean War? N: Of course

28:24

because of the… Now younger Koreans

28:29

are well educated but then they want to

28:32

learn too but, but they are not the kind

28:39

of deeply concerned what we have

28:42

experienced in the during the nineteen

28:44

fifty Korean War. So some of the young

28:47

men they don’t know actually what our

28:54

generation, like our generation, have

28:56

experienced under the communist invasion.

29:00

So many refugees, the destructions, hunger.

29:08

Still I think… when I think of nineteen

29:12

fifty under the communist occupation I

29:14

ate one meal a day then when United

29:16

Nations came back from Incheon, such

29:20

poor people are just begging food. Now

29:28

young people, as I mentioned before, well

29:31

dressed, over well dressed. In

29:37

every major main street good food, good

29:42

music, westernized, hairstyles are

29:47

unbelievable. But the way of dress,

29:50

girl and boys are different. You know I

29:53

am happy. You know Korean living

29:56

standards (gestures hands upward) for that much. If our young

30:04

generation think of what we have

30:06

experienced, maybe different story.

30:16

I think we can do it. We’re going to

30:18

achieve but I’d like to see before I

30:22

die, I’m 84 years old, the time is

30:27

coming, unfortunately in our complicated

30:33

in Korean political situation we are

30:37

leaving an age of turmoil and

30:39

uncertainty. But, as I’m Christian, I

30:44

totally believe what God will do for us. Thank you.