First off, the museum is a formidable building, with planes and tanks outside, and sculpture.
For some reason, the museum also exhibits other things. Somehow, this months offerings really didn't "mesh" well with the general austere and militant theme.
In all seriousness though, the museum was a humbling experience. Outside, they have porticoes lined with floor to ceiling plaques. They list all of the soldiers that died trying to protect South Korea during the Korean War. Then there was one porticoe just for the U.S. casualties. It is staggering to see the thousands upon thousands (I believe 35,000 in total) of names of people who died in this country. We found the name of Victoria's cousin, a sobering experience.
Inside, there is everything that you could imagine. Ships, cannons, a scale model that you can walk through of the fortress at Hwaseong.
The most interesting and relevant part of the museum for me was the section on the Korean War. Now, I don't claim to know jack squat about the war. It was an eye opening exhibit. I had no idea how far the North Koreans had pushed back the South Koreans, they were down to the south edge of the peninsula before the U.S. intervened. I also didn't know that the entire war was fueled by the struggle between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. How many wars had to be fought around the world to keep the balance between the two. It's a crazy thing. I just don't understand completely how "evil" the Soviets were and why they had to be squashed everywhere they were. That's what all of those Russian courses have led to, me questioning the standard dogma of the day.
Anyway, the exhibit on the Korean War was prolific. The most extraordinary aspect for me was learning that 100,000 students volunteered to fight for South Korea. We were at the museum with 3 middle school students. There was a diarama about a battle at a girls middle school between the North Koreans and the student volunteers. I tried to get the middle school girls to see that girls their age faught and died for their country. I don't know if they can appreciate it.
The museum is worth seeing again. I need to read learn more about this country and what it has been through. I am a bit troubled by the youth and their absentmindedness when it comes to Korean history. I hope that they listen to their grandparents and the older generation who remember the hard times. Oh well, enough of my stupid American observations. Who am I to make observations?
1 comment:
i deleted my own post 'cause it had a link that didn't work and i was too busy to rewrite it yesterday!
Anyway, yeah, the Korean War is that war sandwiched between WWII and Vietnam that nobody pays much attention to. When i watched M.A.S.H. i always thought the setting was Vietnam...and i had no idea that 35,000 Americans died in Korea.
Those Korean kids are probably no more ignorant of stuff than American kids. Seems like kids are kind of apathetic in general about world affairs and history, etc. Their world revolves around their's and their friends'MySpaces.
Like they're resigned to the perception that there's not much they can do about it anyway. Disinterested.
It's sobering how may wars have been fought over the percieved Soviet menace and Domino Theories. Which is amusing because who first built an atom bomb and used it?
The Cold War did have some rather large hot spots such as in Korea and Vietnam.
When i was in elementary school we were handed out these U.S. Department of Civil Defense booklets about how to protect yoursef from fallout and how to build a bombshelter in your basement (i don't know what those poor people in FL were supposed to do with that high water table!). And how to live in it for 2 weeks without going above the ground. I thought that would have had to smell pretty bad after a few days. Plus how to splint broken legs and deliver babies down there and purify water with iodine, etc. It had a yellow cover. It kind of scared me but i couldn't stop reading it. I asked my parents if they were going to build a bomb shelter and my dad just shrugged. I thought an atom bomb was going to drop in the gravel playground at school any day as often as they had Air Raid Drills...that's what they called tornado drills...
Anyway, here's where you can get that booklet (the link that i couldn't get to work!). You'll have to just copy and paste it!:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fallout-Protection-Pamphlet-1961-Duck-and-Cover-Booklet_W0QQitemZ220015410213QQcmdZViewItem
sharon
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